You can lead the way

Dearest,

I admit it.  I am a sucker. A mindless consumer trying desperately to try to be mindful of all things "How to raise a ________ (insert awesome characteristic here) daughter."  I know there are worse things I could be addicted to but it's so important to me  us that we teach you that being a girl is not what the media tries to sell you these days (which is to say that your only purpose in life is to be attractive and loved by men, but not TOO many men).

So when you were born I read all the studies about television and media.  Turns out the whole thing is a bunch of crap, all of it.  There are even stereotypical gender roles in Sesame Street (gasp, I really love Sesame). So I began to face parental dilemma (for TV whores  addicts  aficionados like myself) TV or not?  How much TV and what? I opted for TV in moderation (selfishly as I can't eliminate from myself completely...how will I know what happens to Olivia and President Fitzgerald Grant?) So we found Sprout.  As a sorta-wanna-be-hippie/ster I love all things "public broadcast".  Sprout is produced by PBS.

Mostly you enjoyed the Pajanimals before bed and in the morning Sesame Street (specifically Elmo) and then you got the black plague of winter 2012 (that lasted into the new year).  And your TV watching increased in direct proportion to my exhaustion.

Your Sprout viewing expanded (it's PBS, it can't be bad, right?)  You found Caillou.  You loved his theme song.  You loved when the weird grandma narrator deciphered Caillou's cryptic emotions "Caillou's sad" (says the voice over while onscreen we see screaming, whining, crying Caillou).

Daddy and I thought Caillou's theme song was a little bratty  disrespectful when he states "growing up is not so tough, 'cept when I've had enough."  Had enough?  Had enough of what?!  You are 4!?  But we allowed you to continue your Caillou obsession.  While you had a double ear infection I let you watch Caillou most of the day (curse you On Demand) on the couch.

Since then something took hold in you...

see other parents agree with me

You started uttering the following phrases on the regular:

"Es too har" (it's too hard)

"Es not fair"  (the fair's in August kiddo)

As I watched Caillou with you in the morning recently I heard the bald headed tot say whine the same thing numerous times in only 24 minutes.  And I had a moment where I wanted to jump into Caillou's mom's strange clothing (is that Canadian style?) and give that little tot a piece of my mind.

One of those recently read tenets of raising a powerful girl (told you I love PBS) popped into my head:  "Encourage her to solve issues on her own rather than fixing things for her." Lately every time you said "mommy it's too hard" I would rush over to my poor baby and fix it.  "It's not fair" left me trying to reason with you about concepts far above your comprehension.  

So I made a unilateral parenting decision (your dad was at work).  I sent Caillou on a long vacation.  And introduced you to (the early seasons) of Dora.  I am glad to see you enjoying a female protagonist who loves to exclaim "We did it!".  And in the meantime we are working to deprogram the Caillou right out of you. Sayanora punk.

Of course we will help you if you can't, but we believe you can do it,

mama 
  
title courtesy of a much better theme song !Lo hicimos! We did it 

Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming

Welcome to Sloane's sweet little second birthday party (it was over a month ago, but I still haven't collected all the pics from various cameras I wanted to post).  We had a night owl theme party. Her guests ate pizza for dinner and played until 8pm, and wore their pajamas of course.

This little gem used to be bronze. I have two of them in Krylon Watermelon now. 

the little lady...I just adored her pjs. 

my mama made the cake, I designed it.  S wanted a blue moon and stars

Candy bar

I made the cupcakes and the little owls using a circle punch and a stamp 

my favorite project (it stayed up for days) a little timeline of Sloane's last two years topped with a "happy birthday" bunting

We also had tons of stars & owls hanging from the ceiling and balloons galore, but those photos are on another camera and are for another time.  Even if I didn't photo document the way I wished I had...these people still had fun.

cousin Kolten

The girls: Brielle & Sloane

title courtesy of Taylor Swift: Never Grow Up (sob)

linking up at Ginger Snaps Crafts & Whimsy Wednesday

I'll breathe again (The Shame Files: Organization Series)

Is this picture enough to depress you or what?! It was for me.  It spurred me right into action and into this blog series:  The Shame Files.  

Ok, first time I've hosted a link party so I am hoping that my inlinkz link below actually functions and you can even post pics of your pretty new organized spaces. I decided that I needed a small project to begin with (so I could immediately feel less shame and more gain). Smallest space = medicine cabinet & I recently organized the linen cabinet in our hallway so I thought I could upgrade that a bit (using Pinterest ideas) and sticking to a strict budget (I spent 3 dollars). Here we are before...

I have lots of containers and lots of junk.

I scoured Pinterest and found this adorable post on a linen closet (and became a follower too!) I just loved how coordinated her closet looks but with already owning SO many organization containers I just couldn't justify buying all new ones. So I used her labeling method to try and bring cohesion into the closet. Luckily I had just bought tons of clothespins for a project for Sloane's 2nd birthday party (post on Weds!) and I had circle punched a bazillion circles for the wedding guestbook. I bought 3 new baskets at the dollar store (one for the mr., Sloane and one to stash the tampons in the back). And thus, this was born...

I feel like singing that Toni Braxton "Breathe again" song...

The top shelf stores all of our extra paper products, the second one is all mine, third has the three new basket, although the designated tampon basket lives behind the meds, fourth shelf is wash cloths, my hair towels, and wound care basket, and the fifth is pillow slips, the iron, body towels, and the bottom houses our sheet sets. So glad I didn't utilize that ugly mauve tub they gave me at the hospital. Does everyone have one of those, gross.  What do you do with it?

The next project was even more fun.  Utilizing that space in the medicine cabinet where you are incidentally advised NOT to store medication.  We are renting right now so I couldn't do the fun chalkboard on the inside of the cabinet or line the thing with corkboard but I saw a cute little cabinet on BHG.  And thought that could be something I could accomplish with everything I have and it can easily be taken along with us when we move without causing any damage to the cabinet.

I used double sided tape to affix the patterned scrapbook paper to the back of the cabinet and lined the edges of the shelves with washi tape.  This all matches our shower curtain so it's a pleasant little surprise to open and see. I got that Vera Bradley mug a few years ago in a gift exchange and it was too pretty to use, now it holds our cotton face pads. The owl has a hole in the top perfect for our scissors.

Those little jars at the top are left over wedding favors from October (which originally were baby food jars). They now house bandaids, flossers, bobby pins, tweezers/clippers, and small tubes of Abreva, & chapstick.

Even the Mr. loves it.

Please link up below and let me know what you've done this week to decrease your shame and increase your organization.  You have until next week to complete.  Can't wait to see your results!

title inspired by the old school Toni Braxton: Breathe Again song (you're welcome)

I gotta get up from this waiting at home (The Shame Files Series:Organize or Else)

Welcome, to a new blog series, that I am calling "The Shame Files". I know that "shame" is greatly looked down upon in our modern self-esteem boosting culture. But frankly shame is just what I need to motivate me into ACTION.

Here are the excuses.  We've been super busy. Step-sister got married in Aug. Brother got married in September, We got married in October. We have a two-year old.  The holidays. I lost my grandmother. We have a two year old.  In the midst of all of that we both took on freelancing jobs that made us even busier.  And thus our previously organized place became a lot less so.

Hallway bookshelf that contains a nativity snow globe, washi tape and broken frame.
Kitchen utility shelf-- dumping ground
Top of the refrigerator YIKES!! 

Hall linen closet--looks great since I spent 2 hours on it, now just to make it even better
Medicine cabinet -- wasted space
Below the bathroom sink= Keenan's area & where I hide the tampons...help!

Sloane's closet, the floor of it is littered with diaper boxes full of clothing that she has outgrown
And the shame-de-resistance:  the current state of our bedroom.  DOUBLE HELP.

I wanted to attack the clutter in our home and get back to some normalcy, but I knew I just didn't have the gumption to do it without a little more motivation. Thus, this blog series was born. There are even more things in our house that need organized (gasp, I know it's shameful). So each week I will post one of the shameful sins and the progress I am making. Until I can too be called one of Oprah's Highly Organized saints.

Of course every battle needs weapons and I have mine.

(Semi)Public shame = motivation
Pinterest = inspiration

I'd love to have any of you join me in my shame, misery loves company.  I will be having a link party on Tuesdays and would love to steal your ideas to use in my next post see your progress.

For this week I will be perfecting the linen closet, because I believe in immediate gratification.  Here's a cute idea I saw on Pinterest (duh).

Great post on organizing her linen closet, and I have to steal the labeling w/ the clothes pins

title courtesy of the Counting Crows: children in bloom

You go talk to your friends talk to my friends talk to me

It's not too late to review last year is it?  It's never too late for nostalgia.  

Every time I prepare to write this post I have to compare things to the years past....2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 

A short review of my 32nd year of life...

What I listened to:  Sadly, what I listened to was a LOT of children's music.  My favorite of them all was Drum Safari  who Sloane and I enjoyed very much live at the 2012 River Festival. Counting Crows had a new album that my sibs and I loved and listened to it a lot. Also loved that Phil Phillips won American Idol and love that creepy somebody that I used to know song that runs through my head whenever I see someone I don't want to and compels me to write a Facebook status (in my head) that merely and cryptically states "cue that Gotye song.". 

Read all about it: I read 25 books this year, I think in part due to my Goodreads challenge/reading progress widget.  That kept me accountable and it's like an adult version of Book-It (without a pizza party, sadly).  My favorites were the Hunger Games Series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Series, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (my favorite author of late), and We need to Talk about Kevin.  

In stream of consciousness order: things that rocked my world (or what I obsessed about):I am starting to settle into this mom thing, My nephew was born-- Ledger Matthew, Keenan and I got married (what what!), Matthew & Madeline got married, Heidi & Drew got married (in the gorgeous Colorado mountains), Sloane turned two, I learned I will have another nephew or niece in 2013, and my bff is preggers too (hooray), worrying about the economy, the election is finally over-- Barack Obama was re-elected, The summer OLYMPICS (hooray), The Sandy Hook tragedy happened on Sloane's birthday (we happened to be at a funeral too, for Juanita), my grandmother was placed in hospice, I started contracting with the community theatre to teach a creative dramatics class for 3-5 year olds, I contracted to co-direct a play with Keenan- Anne of Green Gables, I learned I will lose my job (due to the new appropriation of state dollars) in 2014, more worry about the economy.

the year of the bridezilla

Desperately wanting (things I had to have):  I mostly wanted some adorable expensive looking (but actually thrifty) riding boots-- Keenan got me covered for Christmas, love that they are grey. 

Loving on the small screen: Homeland. I am so addicted.

  

The big screen:  I went to the movie theater one time last year but I made it quite a few times in 2012- Cheers!  I loved the Descendants (which I saw the day before the Oscars) Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and a little humor (and one of my fave comedic actresses Leslie Mann) This is 40.

the you tube:  Donna the deer lady    I'm Farming & I grow it (especially since these kiddos play basketball for my brothers team and are Southeast of Saline Trojans) and as a baseball & pop music fan-- it's hard to top those adorable Harvard Baseball players Call me Maybe cover. 

Here's to your health and happiness in 2013!

Bring it new year, you started out shaky, but I'm going to forgive you, now fix it. 

title courtesy of what Rolling Stone deemed as the #2 song of 2012- We are never getting back together, by Miss T. Swift, my two year old agrees Rolling Stone. I am not sure how many other people agree with you. 

they are happy as they sing that old, sweet song

When I have too much on my heart I simply can't write blog posts. However there are so many words that it seems alien to fall silent. But instead of talking or writing I spent a lot of the last 10 days holding these hands.

I have always loved my grandmother's hands for all the comfort and sweetness they have given me for the past 32 years, heck I even thought her age and sun spots were pretty, as I viewed them as a young girl as freckles.  It was time to give a little of that back to her.

My grandmother left this earth at midnight Friday.  For the last ten days of her life she has rested peacefully in hospice surrounded by children, grandchildren, cousins, a sister, nieces, and friends murmuring their love for her.  Until 10pm on Thursday she let us know she loved us with her eyes and tried to answer us when we told her we loved her.

I already miss her sweet voice.

But I know that she is ecstatic to be alongside the love of her life again.  And I will see her again one day.

title courtesy of hymn: sing to me of heaven