FIVE on FRIDAY

Happy Friday, people! Owen has been given the green light by his doctor's office to be around other kids so we're finally getting back to the gym this morning, followed by playtime with some friends!  I'm so happy to be getting back to some semblance of normal! 

Anyway, I'm linking up with the sweet ladies behind The Good Life, Carolina Charm, A. Liz Adventures, and Hello Happiness for 5 on Friday today!

ONE

I LOVE a good question and answer post. I find them so entertaining! Maybe because I love a peak into other people's lives? SO do you have any questions you've wanted to ask me? My biggest pet peeve? Favorite color? Guiltiest pleasure? I'll answer them all! You can leave your question in the comments section below or email me!

TWO

I posted some items yesterday for a Spring Cleaning Sale and there are still quite a few cute items available. I'm hoping to find them all a home by the middle of next week when I'll be dropping the off the remaining ones at the Goodwill.

 THREE

My friend Jen posted this Huffington Post article, How to Put a Toddler to Bed in 100 Easy Steps, on
her Facebook page yesterday and I just laughed out loud as I read it. This is a perfect picture of what our nights look like on a regular basis these days.

FOUR

Don't to forget to enter the me 4 kidz medibuddy giveaway we're hosting!

FIVE

Yesterday when I went to get Owen from his crib after nap time the first thing he said to me was, "Mommy, I missed you!". Melted my heart! He is just the sweetest boy, and a total charmer. I keep telling myself I need to get on top of doing an Owen Update because he is saying the funniest things these days, and this weekend I'm finally going to make sure it happens (fingers crossed)!

 Have a great weekend, friends!!

Spring Cleaning Sale

Welcome to the Spring Cleaning Blog Sale Link-Up! Several bloggers are linking up today to sell gently used clothing and accessories. Feel free to link up your own blog post if you are interested in selling some of your items too.

The clothes I am selling either just don't fit me right anymore (that whole thing about pregnancy changing your body's shape, etc is so right on) and some others I just don't have use for anymore now that I spend most days in yoga pants and t-shirts!

1. Banana Republic Factory

$15

Size 2

2. Express Brown Sweater Dress

$10

Size Medium

3. GAP Ruffled Collar Sleeveless Blouse

$10

Size XS

4. Banana Republic Factory Kelly Green Tank

$10

Size XS

5. Old Navy Ballerina Style Sweater

$7

Size Medium

6. Forever 21 Kelly Green Sleeveless Blouse

$7

Size Medium

the bottom panel is sheer.

SOLD
7. J Crew Strapless Dress
$15
Size 2
100% cotton worn once for our engagement party.

 8. Banana Republic Silk Dress

$20

Petite size 4

brown 100% silk dress with ruffle collar worn once for a wedding. dry cleaned.

SOLD
9. White House Black Market Strapless Dress

$20
Size 4

white strapless dress with sweetheart neckline. pretty stretchy. Size 4 runs kind of large. Worn once for my bachelorette weekend. In great condition and dry cleaned.

 close up of the jacquard print on the white dress

SOLD
10. Coach Signature Shoulder Bag

$30 (or make an offer)

Brown Canvas, Leather and Suede

11. Small Dooney & Bourke Signature Canvas Purse (plum)

$ best offer

Details on how the sale will work:

• Prices do not include shipping. 
• Feel free to make an offer. I am willing to negotiate a price.
• Leave a comment in the comments section below with the item number or name that you would like to purchase. 
• Please include your PayPal email address, but if you do not want to post your PayPal email address please email me as soon as possible.  
• Feel free to ask for more details on any item or additional photos, etc. I may be able to find picture of some of the dresses being worn. 

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you are able to find some great new pieces or accessories for your wardrobe!

It's the Little Things.. Like Feeling Better and Lizard Hunting

I’m linking up this week with jess and ashley for their fun little things link up!

After being confined to the couch of our family room for most of last week we're truly relishing in the little things this week, like hunting for lizards in the front yard, rolling around in the grass with daisies and feeling better.

You can see that the rash and some of the bumps are still there, but they're fading fast, and look smaller each morning. Our sweet, energetic Owen is back to feeling like himself and he's ready to enjoy life again, and we couldn't be happier!

It warms my heart to see this boy so happy, running around in the sun. Thank goodness for Spring's arrival, because we truly needed some sunshine in our lives this week!

Clean it, Fix it, & Back to Play!

Springtime is here, which means warmer weather, longer days, more time spent outdoors and more time wearing shorts & short sleeves. We love this time of year and all the fun it offers, but what we don't love are all of the extra opportunities for cuts and scrapes.

I am not exaggerating at all when I tell you that the first time we put Owen in shorts this year (for his birthday party in January) he fell down 10 minutes later and scrapped his knee really badly. Luckily for us we were at home, so we had everything we needed to get him cleaned up and feeling better. But what if we had been out?



We're on-the-go a lot these days! We go to the park, on a walk or out to play everyday, but I don't ever think to pack first aid items in the diaper bag. Do you? There is no worse feeling than not being able to patch up your sweet child after a fall.



Luckily I received my first medibuddy kit  from me4kidz in our Citrus Lane box last week, so now I'm prepared for any cuts or scrapes that may happen while we were out playing! It feels so good to know I'm prepared, and that if there are any accidents they can be dealt with immediately.

What I love about the medibuddy is that its small enough to fit in the cupholder of your stroller or easily slips into your diaper bag -- there is literally no excuse to not have it with you when you're out and about. It is home to almost everything you would need to get your child back in tip top shape after a trip or slip.


The compact case fits everything you need to get your child's "ouchie" cleaned, fixed and get them back out to play. It's also important that you know me4kidz is a family-owned and operated business. Richelle, mother to three young boys, dreamed up the company after her oldest son was stung by a bee in 2002. Since then, the company has expanded to include first-aid products like the medibag, the diaper bag buddy, smilebuddy, little buddy wipes, and cool it buddy, and a starter nail care kit for young girls called the nailbuddy.

Inside the medibuddy you'll find 40 items that include: 

(15) 3/4” X 3” assorted kid-friendly bandages
(1) 3” knee & elbow bandage
(5) 5” X 8” antiseptic wipes (sting free)
(4) 2” X 2” Gauze Pads (2-Two Packs)
(2) Antibiotic Ointments
(12) Kid-Friendly Fun Stickers
(1) Carry Anywhere Case

 

The only thing not included? A hug and a kiss from mommy! You'll have to take care of that one on your own!

 

Have I got you convinced that you need to have one? If so, you're in luck, because Richelle has so nicely offered to give one away to one of you! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway and the winner will be announced next week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was not compensated or given any products to conduct this review and giveaway -- I was only given the opportunity to give one away for free. Me4kids is a great family owned and operated company that I truly believe in.

Menu Monday & a Brain Dump

The first weekend of Spring is behind us, and the weather was beautiful! We tried our best to get Owen out of the house whenever possible, since we've all been on lock down with his HF&M (hand, foot and mouth virus) and I think we all felt better getting out. We made sure to go to open air places where there wouldn't be other kids around (i.e. cross country running trails and the track at the community college near us), because according to the ever knowledgeable Internets, he is still contagious. Nothing beats the playground, but Owen still had fun and got his energy out. I even made it out for a trip to Target and TJs! And now, I've got some great meals planned for this week!

Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

Farmer's Market Skillet

Cobb Salad

And now some thoughts, in no particular order...

//Since Owen became sick last week he hasn't been easy to put to sleep at bedtime. Even after most of the symptoms were gone he would scream and cry like he is terrified.  Nothing but the possibility of not sleeping would help him relax. I really think that (besides the obvious yucky feelings of being sick) he's also experiencing some anxiety. He's never been sick before and I can't help but wonder if he's worried he'll be like that forever. He doesn't know he'll be better in days, he just knows what's happening right now. On Friday night we got him down for bed by laying (all three of us!) on his bedroom floor with blankets and the turtle star lights on.

//On that note, it got me thinking that transitioning to a toddler bed might be a good move in helping our situation. Most of the time I hear that it wrecks havoc on a child's good sleep habits, but since Owen is far from having those I think there is no where to go but up! So, this weekend we ordered a rail to convert his crib to a toddler bed and some sheets, pillows and a comforter. I'll share more about how it's all working out once we put it all to use.

//We watched Frozen last week for the first time and I thought it was just as cute as everyone says it is. I love show tunes, so you know the soundtrack has definitely worked its way into being stuck in my head. I don't think I could pick a favorite, but I love "Love is an Open Door", "Let it Go" and "In Summer" because that snowman is just so darn cute!

//Speaking of watching television, we have watched TOO much of it in the last week while Owen was sick. Planning on a major TV detox for the littlest Sullivan.

//I've been doing well with my Lenten promise to not do any shopping for myself until after Easter. No doubt, it has been hard and although I know I shouldn't, I've been making a mental note of the things I think I need to buy once Easter is here... some Springtime clothes, get a pedicure and a new book.

//I have a great giveaway coming to you tomorrow, so be sure to check back!

//I cleaned out my shoes this weekend. I had been just throwing them into the closet haphazardly and they had become quite a mess. It had gotten to the point where I couldn't find matching shoes, so I was just wearing the same two pairs I could find, over and over again. I even re-discovered a few I forgot I had. Glad to have that situation under control, and now I can take a few pairs in to be repaired. It's almost like having new ones!

//The current season of The Walking Dead is coming to a close and I wish it weren't so! What do you think of this Terminus place? Will we ever see Beth again? Is it really "happily ever after" for Glenn and Maggie?

That's all for now!

FIVE on FRIDAY

I really jinxed myself at the end of yesterday's post. The sleep and "mood" situation was at an all time low last night. It took no less than 4 hours to get Owen to sleep last night, and ended up in our bed. We all finally got to sleep at 12:30am. Hook me up to my coffee IV today, please, because my usually sweet little boy woke up on the wrong side of the bed too. He's in a good mood right now and playing, so maybe things are looking up? No, forget I said that -- don't want to eat my words again later.

Anyway, I'm linking up with the sweet ladies behind The Good Life, Carolina Charm, A. Liz Adventures, and Hello Happiness for 5 on Friday today!

ONE - I've spent a lot of time this week trapped on the couch on in the rocker snuggling Owen, so of I've finally been doing some reading. I bought Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn over a year ago, and I'm just now getting around to reading it and I can only say I wish I had done so sooner! It's an easy read and reads like a really great blog (since the author is a blogger). Hoping to read more of it later today!

TWO - Our March Citrus Lane box arrived over the weekend and it is one of our favorites we've received! Inside there was: a Forest Babies Petit Collage Beginner Puzzle (we can never have enough puzzles!), two jars of Eco Kids Natural Plant Dye Modeling Dough, a me4kidz Medibuddy first aid kit to go (I'm really exited about this one! Would make a great addition to a gift for a new mom!) and Weleda Citrus Hydrating Body Lotion (something lovely for the mamas!).

We are SO happy with the contents of this month's box!  If you're interested in snagging a box for yourself or someone else you can use my referral link to get 50% off your first box (and I'll receive a credit for my next box too)!

THREE - I gave CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat a try this week (painted my nails on Monday night -- the picture on the right is from Wednesday afternoon) and it is nothing short of awesome! I've been doing my regular tasks of washing a million +5 sippy cups, changing diapers left and right and washing my hands allthetime AND I am happy to report that I still don't see a chip! I may never pay for a gel manicure ever again! Thanks to Grace Patton for sharing her discovery! 

FOUR - I want to make this S'mores Ice Cream Cake for Easter this year. Each year, Keith gives up desserts, so every year I want to make something really good for him to have when Easter comes!

FIVE - Kate from Teal Vougue is hosting a Spring Cleaning Linkup next week on March 27th! I've already been busy photographing some clothing items I want to clear out but don't want to throw away to include in the linkup. If you're interested in doing the same shoot her an email for the details!

Have a happy Friday! Hoping to be back Monday with a healthy household! 

Hand, Foot and Mouth

This week has been a real doozy.

Tuesday morning I thought we had all recovered from the fun of the weekend, but apparently I was wrong. Right after Keith left for work Owen and I began packing up for the gym, but Owen wasn't his usual happy self -- something was off. He usually wanders around downstairs with some cars or watches with garbage / recycling trucks do their pick up, but he just wanted to be held. And nothing I did was right, he was very irritable.

I tried bringing him out to the car to get going thinking it would distract him from whatever was bothering him, but he just cried and cried. I could tell he really wasn't feeling well. Turns out he had a high temp. I called the nurse and she wasn't concerned since she said 102 wasn't even a temperature.  But to Owen, who has never had a fever before, it was a high temp, he is used to feeling pretty good.

We spent the rest of the day on the couch hanging out, sleeping in small increments and watching movies. He needed to have physical contact with me at all times-- either being held, sitting in my lap, or sleeping on my arm. I hate seeing him sick, but I have to admit that I enjoyed the extra cuddles from my (usually) busy boy. He wouldn't take in much fluids or eat more than a bite or two of a cracker -- but I kept trying and trying. Poor boy felt so sick. He barely spoke, and when he did it was usually to say "Mommy" or ask to play cars. We tried playing a few times on the floor when he'd request it, but he'd just fall asleep in my lap on the floor.

After Keith came home in the evening Owen mood improved a bit, but his fever rose to 104.6, so we called the nurse again (this time it was a nurse from the night answering service). This time she gave us more instructions for how to help him be more comfortable. He was refusing medicine, which is so frustrating, because he usually wants to have it when he doesn't need it, and taking it would have made him feel soooo much better. We mentioned that he had a few sores or spots on his face around his mouth. The nurse suggested giving him the suppository form of acetaminophen, but we thought that would upset him way more than it would help him. 



Owen went down around 8:30pm and I went to bed too. He was up again at 9:44pm, so poor Keith was relegated to the couch, and I brought Owen into our bed for a looong night of barely sleeping. He was really toasty, so it was hard for him to get comfortable. He finally found his spot snuggled up in the crook of my arm, nuzzled up with his face planted on my skin. He loves his mama's armies, they're his lovie. He tossed and turned at what felt like 30 minute increments, and requested more "cold milk baba" or water, which he would only drink a sip of. We were up for the morning at 4am. 



The next morning (Wednesday) he seemed to be feeling a little bit better, but still not himself. He hated the car ride to the doctor and kept asking for me to hold him the whole way there. After checking him out the doctor concluded that it is Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. He suggested Children's Motrin to help with the fever, sore throat and any pain. This explained the spots on his face (only on his face and inside his throat, and not on his hands or feet) and the sore throat explained why he didn't really want to eat or drink much. When we got home Owen's fever seemed to be going down and he was eating some lunch, so I thought things were all better, but things actually just got a bit worse for a while. 

I won't get into too many of the details, but he ended up being very constipated in the afternoon, due to the lack of fluids he took in on Tuesday. I could tell he was experiencing a lot of pain and gave him a while to figure it out, thinking maybe he just need time and privacy like usual. I waited about 40 minutes and then called the nurse again. I'm a regular on the nurse's advice line now. She gave me instructions for how I could help him. The warm bath ended up working well. Our poor boy has had an exhausting few days. He took a good nap, spent the evening snacking and drinking (LOTS! thank good ness) and slept like a champ last night. He really needed the rest. 

I think HOPE we're in the clear now, but I guess you really never know. The virus is contagious, so we'll be staying home where we won't infect any friends. Thank goodness for the gorgeous spring weather we're having, so at least we can play in the backyard!

So that's where we've been! I hope Owen gets all better soon and I can get back to having fun with him and documenting some of it. 

Happy first day of Spring!

On Being a Boy Mom

A few weeks ago I wrote all about being a "boy mom" over on Elizabeth's blog Chasin' Mason, and because I like her Boy Mom series and liked what I wrote, I wanted to share it here with you today!

Being a mom to a boy is exciting and fun, but it is also a huge responsibility. I get to raise this boy into a man. I get to teach him how to be a kind friend, a committed husband, a gentle father, a great PERSON. Raising him to be all of these things is the greatest gift I can give him, and my greatest legacy. For we all know the world needs more good men, more GOOD people. 

When Keith and I found out in May 2011 that we were expecting out first child we were overjoyed!! We have always wanted to be parents and we were so thrilled we were actually going to have our first child. While I have always wanted to be a mom I never thought twice about wanting a daughter or a son, I just wanted a child. Perhaps that is why we didn't find out Owen's gender until he was born, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Most of the old wives tales predicted we were having a girl, but for some reason I had very strong feelings we were having a boy. It was such a thrilling surprise to have him born, and in that very moment find out if we were "boy" parents or "girl" parents.

In the hospital the nurses were all shocked that we didn't know the sex of our soon-to-be baby. It seems like most people find out these days, so they were really excited to find out too. I'll never forget that moment when the doctor asked Keith to look over the drape (I had a c-section) to find out what we'd had. They said to him, "Okay, dad, is it a boy or girl?" to which Keith responded "Oh wow, it's a BOY!". I remember saying out loud to myself "It's him, it's Owen! I have a son." with great joy.

And FYI I'm from a family of all girls. Owen is the first boy to be born on my side of our family since my grandfather. That's 87 years. Crazy, right? It was about time! 

Keith felt pretty similarly about having a boy or a girl, he would be happy either way, but he sure does LOVE having a son. I know he feels really lucky to get to have these experiences, ones similar to the ones he had with his own father. In the hospital, in the days after Owen was born, Keith was in awe that he had a son. He admitted to me that he would have been happy either way, but that he felt really blessed to have a boy. And just the other day they were playing basketball in the kitchen (I know, not the place to play basketball, but...) and Keith said that that moment was what he'd always dreamed of.

I don't know much about young boys. I only really know what I've experience with Owen, and he is the sweetest, smartest, most passionate little person I have ever known. Every once in a while we're confronted with someone (strangers, friends or even family) who has some major misconceptions about little boys and the way they should be. Certain people seem to think boys aren't as well behaved or that when Owen doesn't want to sit quietly at a dinner table, for example, it is because he is a BOY. Well, that's just not true or fair. I just try to ignore them. They're just missing out on all the wonderfulness this BOY has to offer them. 

We like to spend our time doing a lot of the fun things you would expect little boys to do, like...

 pet snakes...

love fire fighters and fire engines...

play with sticks... 

jump fearlessly...

and LOVE sports...

I have just loved this series! It is so much fun reading all about what other #boymom's experiences are. Thank YOU so much for listening to mine!

Lucky Linkup - Shamrock Mimosas

Top o' the morning to you and Happy St. Patrick's Day! We celebrated big yesterday with family and today we are all tuckered out. There was lots of good food (corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, soda bread, etc!) and Irish Car Bombs of course!

Today is the day we share the recipes we were recipes we were matched with for the Lucky Recipe Linkup! I was matched up with Emily at Dear Owen! She made the most delicious looking Shamrock Mimosas with all of the directions and tips on how to make the perfect mimosa.

Yesterday I thought I had all of the ingredients together to put this fun green cocktail together, but then I realized we were all out of orange juice! Ah! We're never out of orange juice, but I remembered I still had some lemoncello in the freezer, so I added that to the champagne (similar to this cocktail I've made before). It didn't give me the same beautiful frothy, mimosa affect that Emily got, but it still tasted nice!

If you're using orange juice you'll need to use BLUE food coloring to get the green color we're going for. Emily pointed this out in her recipe and I was so embarrassed that I wouldn't have thought of that myself! It makes total sense. Since I'm not using orange juice, you'll need to use GREEN food coloring.

Ingredients
1 can (187mL) Sofia Mini champagne
4 oz. limoncello liqueur, chilled (store-bought or homemade)
a few drops green food coloring
green sanding sugar for garnish

Directions
Garnish the rim of your champagne glasses with the sanding sugar. Then mix the first three together in a champagne glass, and serve!

My blogfriend (that's one word now, didn't you know?) Erin of Hello Erin was matched up with my recipe for Irish Soda Bread and I love the pictures she took! Her bread looks delish and I so wish I had a slice leftover from yesterday, but sadly, it was all gobbled up! 

You can swing by all of the hosts' blogs to see the recipes they were matched up too! 

Strawberry Swing and Other Things. schue love.  Nat your average girl.  hello! happiness.  meet the sullivans.  dear owen.  sunflower state of mind.  veronika’s blushing.  the girl in the red shoes.  running from the law.  hello newlywed life.

Now it's your turn to share the recipe you were matched with! I cannot wait to see how everyone's recipes turned out and any variations that may have been made!

FIVE on FRIDAY

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with the sweet ladies behind The Good Life, Carolina Charm, A. Liz Adventures, and Hello Happiness for 5 on Friday today! 

ONE - While the Jeep is in the shop I've been driving around in this rental van. At first I was trying to not love driving a van, but my feelings have totally changed. There are so many conveniences it has to offer when driving around with young children: tv's, automatic sliding doors, many rows of seats, large windows for plane spotting, etc... We might be considering buying a van. Maybe.

And? This guy loves the van... so much tat he usually wants to stay in his seat when we pull into the drive way!

TWO - Owen finished his first gymnastics class this week! Sharing the equipment and sitting on the carpet while the teacher gave directions was a REAL challenge in the beginning of the session, but by the end Owen had it all figured out! By the last class he was sharing and listening like a rock star!

THREE - Before yesterday I had never let Owen use the little carts at Trader Joe's. I've seen other kids with them before, but just figured it would be better if I just kept our shopping trips as simple (isn't that a laugh? shopping trips with a toddler are never simple) as possible. He had so much fun helping put things in the cart and pushing it around the store, but next time I will go without a list or the intention of buying anything specific!

FOUR - I am so happy to be working with Huggies for their Every Little Bottom initiative. Did you know that 1 in 3 American families struggles to provide diapers and have no choice but to keep their babies in the same diapers throughout the day? Visit the Huggies Challenge website to take the Huggies® Challenge – complete challenges and win prizes. For every new challenge completed, Huggies Every Little Bottom will donate diapers to a baby in need!

FIVE - I couldn't resist buying Owen Hello California Hello Apparel t-shirt right when it went on sale yesterday!  I've always admired their tees and sweatshirts, so when I saw this one I knew it was meant to be! I resisted buying one for myself though!

We've got a birthday party for some toddler friends and a St. Patrick's Day celebration happening this weekend -- bound to be a busy and FUN one! Have a great weekend!