It's New Years Eve

Wishing you a wonderful New Year filled with good health, lots of love, much happiness and good cheer. Make the best out of 2009.

XO,

Amanda

Brody's 2009 Resolutions

It is really adorable not only trying to explain to a 3.5 year old what a resolution is, let alone hearing what he comes up with. My hope is that as we do these every year, it will help build a positive identity in himself and help him create goals and dreams. I plan on printing them out and saving them all!

Brody's 2009 Resolutions

1. Build a rocket ship out of blocks.

2. Not be naughty.

3. Fly like a bird in an airplane or helicopter.

4. Play a real guitar or drums.

5. Pick up people's candy for them when they drop it.

6. Help the baby practice going down the stairs (I had to stress many times that an adult had to be around for this one).

Okay so if you have been reading every day you now know our resolutions, time to get yours done!

Mark's 2009 Resolutions

Here are Mark's resolutions for 2009. What a trooper for letting me post them! I'm hoping that by posting all of our resolutions it will help you start to build your own.

Mark's 2009 Resolutions

1. Increase income

2. Maintain an extracurricular activity all year.

3. Take more interest in my health and be willing to make an extra effort.

4. Cook more.

5. Bring the two families together more.

6. More date nights.

7. Spend more time with the family outdoors trying new things.

8. Make a better effort to help others with handyman chores.

9. Try the Catholic Church in our area.

10. Spend more time with our dogs.

Tomorrow...Brody's resolutions!

My 2009 Resolutions

One of my favorite things to do is make my New Year's Resolutions at the end of every year. Not only does it give you some time to reflect on where you are in your life, but it helps you remind yourself where you want to go. I honestly believe that everyone should make their resolutions yearly. This year I started a new tradition where my whole family (not just me) makes their own resolutions and we help each other and/or share with each other. I will be sharing my resolutions today, Mark's tomorrow, and Brody's (so cute) on Tuesday. 

I believe resolutions need to be done correctly. Personally I think they need to be SHARED so that we are held accountable, they need to be REALISTIC,  and the need to be SPECIFIC. I made 15 this year, make how many you think you need. I know I can handle 15 because I will follow them all (I always do). Some areas I think that your resolutions need to be based on are SELF, FAMILY, SPIRITUALITY, APPEARANCE, and OTHERS. I hope that by reading mine you can start to build your own list.

Amanda's 2009 Resolutions

1. Continue to find healthy options for my family in food and recreation (organics, vegetarian meals, new foods).

2. Make my own health a priority and find time for diet and exercise. Maintain the same weight for a whole year.

3. Move away from the things I flock to when things get hard (coca-cola, sweets & shopping).

4. Get at least one full night's sleep a week (a full 8 hours).

5. Take my business up one level through marketing, website changes and cost solutions.

6. Make decisions based on what is best for my family, not others.

7. Date night at least once a month!

8. Create at least one fundraiser in 2009.

9. Find small pockets of "me" time to decompress and be creative.

10. Make fashion a priority, well at least anytime not Mon-Fri from 8am to 5pm, meaning dress up on the weekends and any outing.

11. Change someone's life in 2009, make a lasting difference.

12. Remind my friends' how amazing they are and compliment a stranger at least once a week.

13. Help my husband reach a dream of his. 

14. Actually begin to write down the words in my book, get it on paper.

15. Pray more.

Those are mine so start thinking of yours and if you want you can post them in the comment section or email them to me and I can post them on my blog. Or at least print them out and tape them on your computer so you are reminded of them every day.

Heading towards the New Year

One thing I'm not very big on, as we head towards the New Year, is the recap. Every darn magazine or TV show likes to recap 2008. We all know what happened, we were paying attention the whole year. We want to look forward as we get closer, not look back.  So there will be no recapping on this blog, only introspective as we move towards a new year.

One thing I think that is important to do is take a minute and look at ourselves. Especially in hard times it's important to be positive about everything that we do have and all of our strengths. So today (or whichever day you read this) I would love it if you would post a comment about one of your strengths, something that you like about yourself. I know a lot of you read my blog (because you tell me) but you never comment. Please sign in, or comment as anonymous. It's good for all of us to remind ourselves how great we are. I'll go first.

My favorite attribute about myself is that I am fearless. Not the jumping off the cliff kind of fearless, but the not afraid to take a risk and put myself out there fearless (getting my MBA, starting a non profit walk, starting a blog, doing a job I was under qualified for, starting my own business, etc). I know people are afraid of failure so they hold back, but I have found that I have never failed myself and I have always taken the harder road where I do things that might be difficult. Trust me the rewards are amazing and I will never have regrets in old age.

Now your turn.

(Check back for the next few days as I post about an end of the year favorite- the New Years Resolution.)

My fav Christmas pictures and my fav presents

I hope you had a great Christmas...here are some of my fav photos from our celebration!

Family photo on Xmas Eve

Brody seeing Santa's presents Christmas morning

Piper and her $14.95 wooden doll house

Brody trying to lovingly put his arm around his sister Christmas morning.

Below are the fav gifts we received this year, you never really know until you open them and try them out!

Dancing Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba! We expected this to be our least favorite.

Abby doll from Pottery Barn Kids, it's as big as Piper though

Williams Sonoma's Peppermint Bark, Mark's favorite

Play Town wooden doll house, got it at Toys R Us on clearance for $14.95. I love it!

Gingher sewing scissors from my mom, the Cadillac of scissors

Joseph Abboud men's socks from Mark's mom found at Nordstroms Rack

Horton Hears a Who! DVD- we had such a good time watching on Christmas and it kept Brody's attention the whole time. A tough feat!

Merry Christmas

The Tea House on Los Rios

The girls in my family just had our 1st Annual Christmas Tea at The Tea House on Los Rios in San Juan Capistrano. I have been to this tea house on a few other occasions, including my baby shower, and loved it. It was nice to get together and we took Josephine (3 years old). The food and of course the tea were great (their tomato basil soup is to die for). It's just a great way to spend time with the women in your family and especially right before Christmas. If you haven't been there, get the girls together and make a date. And thanks to my mom for a wonderful afternoon!

Christmas traditions

One of the best parts of being a new family is that you get to start making your own traditions. On Brody's first Christmas I bought a cute gift box at Target that said it was from Santa. Well every year I put something in it for him as if Santa put it in the box that night. Well I loved doing this so much, I bought Piper a box this year and put a to and a from on it as well. I couldn't find a box as great as Brody's but it's still cute. I'm looking forward to the kids being excited about what Santa put in their box every year, especially since all of Santa's other gifts aren't wrapped.

Another Christmas tradition is that I keep all the photo cards that we receive from friends and family and I put them in an ongoing scrapbook. It's cute because ever year we take out the scrapbook and look through all the cards to see how much all of our friends' kids have grown. I also put our yearly card in there as well as a picture with Santa. It's so easy, I make all the cards fit so there isn't any extra decorating and I just store it away after Christmas with all the decorations.

Sometimes.....

I have been feeling a little down in the dumps every now and then lately. But late at night, when I'm at my computer and the whole house is sleeping, I stay up just a little bit later so that I can read some blogs. I have bookmarked a lot of blogs, but here are two that kinda of make me feel a little better. We can call them favs and here they are:

1. c jane enjoy it- I started reading her blog when her sister Stephanie was in a plane crash. But I still read it when I can. I like to check into the world of Stephanie and Christian to see how they are doing. It humbles me and makes me appreciative. And knowing that they are healing makes me feel better. It really does. I also like to see what Jane is up to as she has all the kids with her and has a great sense of humor. This is the first blog I always check.

2. Snippet & Ink- I'm happily married but I love going to this blog with wedding pictures and inspiration. Some of my enjoyment is as an event planner, I get great ideas. But mostly, wedding pictures make me happy. Seeing how people put such beautiful touches into their own day makes me smile.

Just a little enjoyment.

xo

Something you should know about me....

I love People magazine (guilty pleasure and definite fav) and even more I love getting it every week so I can do the Puzzler (crossword puzzle). I have a routine, I read the whole magazine and then go back and do the puzzler and the Second Look. Sometimes I'll pretend I have to go do something important so I can read it and finish the puzzle while hiding somewhere in my house. Or if it's really late at night, I'll stay up later just to do it. I love it that much. I just thought that it was important that you knew this about me. If I could, I would gift all of you the Puzzler book. I've never seen it but I bet we would all stay inside and devour it for hours. 

The Americana at Brand

This picture does not do it justice, but we just visited the Americana at Brand for dinner and some shopping. Located in Glendale, this new outdoor shopping mall is really pretty and has great shops. It is more luxury shopping with stores like Juicy Couture and Kitson, but you can also find Urban Outfitters, Anthropology and so many more stores. It's by the same developer as the Grove and right now at Christmas it is gorgeous! It also has a trolly (Brody's favorite part), a huge fountain with a water show (smaller version of the Bellagio) and a nice paseo. You should definitely check it out, great place for date night (what's that right)?

Formula Dispenser

I'm pretty inexperienced in the baby formula department since I am a breast feeding mommy, well until now. Due to my own medical issues I had to switch Piper to formula and I was sad about it, well until I got this new Munchkin Powdered Formula Dispenser. I don't know why I love it so much, but I do. I get to pre-fill it and take it with me and voila! I'm sure all of you bottle feeding moms think I'm crazy, probably everyone uses this, but it's like the most fantastic thing ever. So that's my new fav right now! And yes, it's BPA free. And while I'm at it, we bought their bowls to defrost Piper's baby food and not only are the microwaveable but BPA free as well.

Anthropologie Ornaments

Anthropologie has the best ornaments, I love them on my tree. This year I picked up a cupcake ornament and a little owl, but they had a lot to choose from and if I could I would have bought them all! (And, speaking of Anthropologie, some of their aprons are on sale for $19.95 right now!)

Christmas Spirit

I was online reading the news a few days ago and one article posed the question, "should people put up less lights due to our country's financial situation." I was disappointed when I read it. I understand people needing to put up less lights because they can't afford the electric bill, but if you can afford it put up as many lights as you can! People need the Christmas spirit and that's exactly what twinkle lights do, they make you feel better. They make you feel warm about the season. My family's Christmas is so much smaller this year, but I feel like my Christmas spirit is higher. Maybe because I'm not distracted by the malls and buying a million gifts. Maybe because I am enjoying the smaller things like Santa Claus, decorating, Christmas trees and the chilly weather. Maybe because I am excited about things like making fudge for friends and family and homemade gifts for grandparents from the kids. We can have money taken away from us, but our spirit lies within us and right now no one can take that away from me. All I want to do is sing Christmas carols at the top of my lungs in the car with the family (and boy we do that)!

Baby Legs

Tonight Piper wore a pair of her Baby Legs that I purchased when she was a pea size in my belly. They are so darn cute! Little leg warmers on my little pint size girl were too cute for words. They were perfect because we were gone the whole day and by night time it was really cold and she had a dress on. So I grabbed them out of the baby bag and put them on. Toasty warm and adorable! I'm still dying inside on how much I love them and killing myself for not taking a picture. I think she's going to wear them every day! I got mine at Hush Baby in Ladera, but I know you can find them at so many places.

You could win....

a personal portrait drawing of yourself or someone you love. You have until Dec 17th to enter. What an awesome present!

Guest Post- Jennifer from Tiny Oranges (heart this blog)

One of my favorite gifts I received when my daughter was born was a personalized growth chart from www.redenvelope.com. It is so cute in a pink and green pattern, and her name and birth day date are embroidered on the top. There are three fabric frames that are included, so you can include a picture of your child at that height. We have it hung on the back of her door in her bedroom, and it makes me nostalgic every time I look at it and see the different marks at different heights. Just makes you realize how fast they grow and it is fun to track their growth. When I was growing up, we marked our heights on the side of a door frame in pencil, this way is definitely cuter and you don't have to write on your walls!!! :-) Makes for a great gift as well. 

Jennifer

Tiny Oranges

Just a note

I have Christmas cards coming out of my ears, I am swamped (and so grateful). Just a note to say hi and say I am sorry I am behind on my daily posts. I try hard to have a new fav every day for you to enjoy. But, if you saw the state of my desk and my house you would clearly see that I am overwhelmed. Thinking of you and getting ready to post a guest blog for you to enjoy today!

xo,

Amanda

Good Recipe

Thought I would share a recipe fav, it's SO easy. But you must like garlic, zucchini and tomatoes! It's from Ellie Kriegger and it's delicious. Only 410 calories and 13 grams of fat per serving, which isn't amazing, but pretty good for dinner! I leave out the fennel. Enjoy.

Tuscan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
2007, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved

Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients
6 Roma tomatoes (about 1 pound)
3 medium zucchini (about 1/2 pound each)
1 bulb fennel
3 tablespoons oil, divided
3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 chicken breast halves skinless, bone-in (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried


Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the tomatoes lengthwise into quarters and remove the seeds. Trim the zucchini and cut it in half crosswise and then cut each piece in half lengthwise once if the piece is thin and twice if it is thicker, so that the
pieces are relatively uniform.

Remove the outermost layer of the fennel bulb and discard. Cut the bulb in half so that each half retains part
of the stem end. Cut each half into 8 thin wedges so each wedge is held together by a little piece of stem.

Put the vegetables into a large baking pan. Toss them with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Arrange
the chicken pieces in the pan with the vegetables.

In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Rub
the mixture into the chicken in the pan. Season with a few turns of pepper.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, then give the vegetables a stir and add the rosemary. Cook for about 20 to
30 minutes more until the chicken is done and the vegetable are tender and beginning to brown.

Go here to print out the recipe and to see the nutritional facts!

An oldie but a goodie

There are so many games out for kids now, and it's so easy to be drawn towards the more high tech or the brand new ones. But recently we broke out our game of Candy Land, which was just sitting on the shelf in plastic, and Brody loved it (and so did we). It's easy for a 3 year old to play, it's short and it's fun. We have been playing a game or two every night. One reason why it's a hit (especially for Grandpa) is because the set up is so easy, not like the Bee Game where you have to stick a million branches through holes. The less set up, the more time to play! It reminds me that less is more and that just because the game has been around forever doesn't make it is less fun. Plus, I think it's like $5 at Target! Can't beat that!

Beach Pit BBQ

I took the advice from Jennifer at Tiny Oranges and visited this restaurant this week! I went with 2 girlfriends and we packed up all the kiddos and drove to Costa Mesa to try it. We had the best time. The BBQ was good and all the kids played nicely in the little outside play area. It isn't a sticky/gross McDonalds play area, it's a white picket fence with grass and a playhouse area. It was perfect. We had the best time and stayed for like 2 hours. It's small and quaint and did I mention the BBQ was great? You can check out their website here for more info, and I believe they have a few other locations.

Please stop

Dear all media outlets,

Today I would like to talk about a non-favorite. Please (I am begging you) stop writing, photographing, reporting on Spencer and Heidi. Seriously, it's too much. I have never seen people try so hard to be famous by staging their lives to make money. This has nothing to do with The Hills (if you love that show I know lots of other people who do too). This has to do with people who "get married" and we aren't even sure if it's true, because we do know that they want their own reality show (the fact that I even know that makes me sick). If you keep reporting about them, I think they might just get pregnant to get more publicity! When I think of celebrity or star, I want to think of someone who at least has a talent (although I do wish that celebrities were like they were in the old days). I just don't get it. Why do you give them magazine covers? Why do you follow them to fake Valentine's picnics? Why? Even when there is a picture of them volunteering at a soup kitchen, I can picture all the makeup and hair, and then them leaving after the pictures are done. I can't take it anymore. There are so many people who do good in this world, or who are so talented, please report on them. I remember when Spencer was on David Letterman, Dave said something to the fact about, "I'm not even sure how you got on the show." So I am really begging you to please stop. No more Spencer and Heidi (or articles about Heidi's mom hating Spencer-ugh). It's time to let it go. If you don't report on them, they will go away. Let it happen. And then, if they want to be in the spotlight, they can earn it a different way. 

Thank you,

Amanda

Live-in babysitter

I did something new this week. When Mark got home from work I said, "guess what, you are going to babysit." But you know what? I didn't go anywhere. I forced the kiddos on Mark, said "don't bother me," and I did 4 loads of laundry, caught up on all my bills and to-do's and organized my office (as in small tech center). I made all my lists, I crossed stuff off and I cut my coupons. I did everything that had piled up and I did it on a Monday night. It felt so good. I now give you permission to have your husband babysit when you are stressed and feel like you can't catch a breath (I definitely caught mine).

xo,

Amanda

Guest Blogger- Lara Miller

One of my favorite things we have for our kids is the Radio Flyer Excursion Wagon. It is so fun to take my boys around the block in it and even to the grocery store for some light shopping. They seem to love this way of transportation because I never hear a peep out of them when we're rolling in it. The seats are facing each other so it is so nice for them to talk and share their experiences along the way. There is a big storage compartment on the side of the wagon to carry their snacks and blankets as well my camera and cell phone! It also has 4 built in cup holders in the wagon for their drinks. It's great because it has seatbelts for each rider so my little one can't try and wiggle out. It's really such a fabulous wagon and I get compliments on it all the time. If you don't already have a fun means of transportation to take your kids on a leisurly walk around the block, I think this wagon is definitely worth a look!

All the best!

Lara Miller

Santa Bag

We purchased this Santa bag from Pottery Barn Kids two years ago and I love it! It's very sturdy and stretchy. We bought the large one for $29 online and had it personalized for an extra $6.50. I love packing presents in it and visiting our families on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! 

The Ouchy Fairy

Somehow we have a new visitor to our house, the Ouchy Fairy. I'm not 100% sure how we got her to start visiting us, but alas, she is now a part of our life. Brody's finger nail came off and somehow it was promised to him that the Nail Fairy would visit (this was Dad's doing). I felt like the Nail Fairy is very limiting since, how often do you lose a nail? So the Ouchy Fairy was born. She visits whenever one of the kids gets a big ouchy (such as nail falling off). Last night she left a lollipop and $1 under Brody's pillow. It's silly the things that we create for our children, but I know that we will have fun with the Ouchy Fairy for the next few years and someday, when the kids get too big, I will miss her.

It's December

It's December 1st today, which means we get 25 days of holiday spirit! I trimmed the tree last Friday (picture above) and I swear I could look at it all day through Christmas. I thought that since we are cutting back on gift purchasing this year (and I mean way back), I wouldn't be as excited about the holidays. But I think I am more excited! Let's face it, no matter how much money you have, you can enjoy the holidays for free. Just go look at Christmas lights, or walk the mall to see all the decorations, or go to a tree lot to smell the Christmas trees. It's everywhere and I love it.
I hope you are able to get into the holiday mood, no matter what holiday that may be!

Petunia Pickle Bottom

I get compliments on my Petunia Pickle Bottom clutch every where I go. It usually goes something like this,

them: "Hey, I love your purse."
me: "It's actually my diaper bag."
them: "No way."
me: "No really, here's the changing pad."

Looking for a diaper bag for baby #2 was easy, because I knew that I didn't want the gigantic baby bag like I had for Brody. I loved my x-large Juicy diaper bag, but it actually hurt my shoulder because I stuffed so much stuff in there. I do think that every first-time mom should have a big bag, just for peace of mind. However, I knew this time I would travel light. Just a few diapers, some wipes and maybe an extra onesie. Everything else can be in the car or the bottom of the stroller. So I bought it and I love. I take it everywhere, even if I don't have the kids. And I think I only paid like $65 for it. Best part, I never get that "I miss having a grown up purse" that I use to have with Brody. Go here to check it out, and notice that they now have like 15 patterns!

Facebook

I was an avid MySpace user, that is until I found Facebook (MySpace what?). I like it, okay I love it. I'm sure it will wear off eventually, but I love it for now. I love reading what my neighbors are doing, even though I could look out the window and see. I love instant chatting with friends and my sister. I love making jokes on other people's status. I love having fun. 

You should join. If you do, tell me and we can be friends and you can get in on my fun.

Shopping

Today is the biggest shopping day of the year and usually I'm at the mall, but not this year. We are feeling the pinch like everyone else. If I was, I would buy myself this shirt. I saw it a few weeks ago at Nordstrom and fell in love. I think about it all the time, but it's not a necessity, especially at $164. But, if I did buy it, I would wear it 164 times to get its use. I love it that much.

Being Thankful

I am thankful for Thanksgiving. Reasons below.

1. I am thankful that there is a day dedicated to reminding everyone that we need to be thankful for the bountiful lives that we have.

2. I am thankful that we can spend a whole day with our families that is all about eating and being together. You are forced to sit and talk with no distractions. (I will miss my mom, dad and sisters this year).

3. I am thankful that there is a fantastic parade that is wrapped around tradition that my children can wake up and watch, just like I did.

4. I am thankful that my belly and my heart are always full.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday centered around family and friends. I have so many things to be thankful for. I hope you have a warm and tender day today.

Photographer

We just did a photo shoot with my sister and she is my favorite photographer, and not because she is my sister, but because she takes great photos! Does anyone watch Samantha Who? On last weeks episode, there was a funny part where Andrea could not take any pictures, she always looked awful. That's how I feel when I see pictures of me. Not when my sister takes them. She can make me look good, even sitting in a forest, now that takes talent. I know she has been a fav before, but she gets another post because the pics were so good this time. If you are in Southern California, check her out at whitneyhartmann.com.

iPhone

I heart my iPhone. I was one of those crazy people who paid a million dollars for it when it first came out, so I have always been excited about this phone. Well, that is until it stopped working. Part of my touch screen died out on me and since it was over a year old, the warranty had run out and it would cost $199 to fix it. Well, the new 3G is $199 so I knew I would rather get a brand new one instead of deal with the old one for the same price. But I was kind of down on Apple since they couldn't just fix it. So I had a bum phone for awhile, I could only answer calls. Well, I finally ponied up and got a new one (yay) and I am not disappointed, I forgot how much I love it (now that I can use all the buttons). It is the best. I'm back in love, as I am with all my Apple products. 

Balderdash

We love game nights with the neighbors and our favorite game is Balderdash. It's a game that is fun with around 6 players and it is all about creativity and good guessing. There are different categories, such as "definition." A word is given and everyone writes down what they think the definition to that word is (it's always something obscure that no one has ever heard of). Then all the definitions are read out loud anonymously (including the real answer) and everyone picks which one they think is true. It's so fun, especially if you have creative neighbors and like to laugh! You should buy it and host a game night in your neighborhood.

It's Me

I'm a busy bee (which is good news). I promise lots of great posts soon. 

xo,

Amanda

Momiji Friendship Dolls

We are not doing presents for Christmas this year (except for the kids) due to financial reasons. So I was so bummed when I saw these here. Each doll has a unique personality and represents a virtue or trait. You can also slip a secret message in its base. Here's what they all stand for from left to right:

Clever Clogs likes boys who wear glasses.
Flowers likes the shipping forecast and new shoes.
Smiling likes gingerbread and tap dancing.
Happy likes fancy dress and tea-time treats.
Pixie likes escapology and cups of tea.

Not sure which one would be perfect for me, but at $12 a piece, I would have bought one for all my best girlfriend and would hope they would sit them next to their computer. That's where I would put mine. Little things like this are making it hard on me not to shop.

The 'Ove' Glove

Okay so I am sure you have seen this before on some infomercial and probably laughed (as we all do when we watch them), but this one is a keeper. We obtained two 'ove' gloves and they are so awesome. We use them every day! It's just an oven mit that you can wear and it can handle up to 450 degrees of extreme heat. They say it is made up of the same material used in firefighter's gloves. I like it because I never have to worry about burning myself. You can get more info on it here, but I know they sell it at multiple places! Try it!

Tickle

Just yesterday I was sitting with Brody having some alone time and I tickled him, the BEST laugh came out. So I tickled him some more and even though he told me to stop his laugh was pure happiness. I have decided that a tickle laugh is the best kind of laugh there is. I'm going to sneak them more often. 

Verses

I know that religion is a personal topic, but there are two bible verses that help me keep the faith and get through the transition of starting my own business (and life). I really have to share these since they are a fav of mine. They sit on a yellow sticky on my computer.

Matthew 17:20

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Proverbs 16:9

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

Folex- Spot Remover

My mom started using Folex years ago, when I still lived at home. She was in need of a great spot remover for her carpet, especially for pesky pet stains. Someone told her about it and it worked miracles. Back then it was like $14.95 per bottle, but now I think it's under $7 at Home Depot. Now we use it on our carpet & rugs, and the bottle isn't small so it lasts a long time. It gets out any odors and stains. It has saved us a lot of grief over the years. Right now, it mostly picks up baby spit up and mystery stains from my three year old! Ha!

Life with a 3 year old

I love babies so much, but I am digging Brody's age. Three is a year where they grow so much and the things that they say and take in are amazing and hilarious. And, he asks a million questions. So here are some of my favorite things that Brody says:

"I'm going to be a good boy now" (after he gets in trouble, you should hear his sweet little voice, oh and he has already said this 5 times before in the 5 minutes leading up to it)

"Daddy-o, Mommy-o, Baby-o" (he's been adding the o for awhile now and I FINALLY (months later) heard where he got it from, Oswald, the episode where Sammy Star Fish performs)

"Do you want to play I Spy" (he wants to play all the time, he's not very good at it and when it's his turn he picks something and you can see his eyes land on it and he says it's black, but when you pick it he says no, it ends up being a very long game).

"I dunno" (every time I ask him what he did in school, I have to be very specific)

"I want to be everything when I grow up" (he can't narrow it down)

"Are you checking your email" (when I'm on the computer, a sign I spend way too much time on here)

"Peanut, peanut butter and JELLY" (a song from preschool, I have yet to hear the other words, but I love to hear him sing it)

"Mommy, when's daddy coming home" (he likes to ask this around 9am, usually Mark leaves around 8:30am)

"Mommy, you are the best mommy in the whole world. I love you to the moon and back. Actually I don't. I love you to the moon, and back and to our house."

Handmade dolls

I have been in love with these dolls since I first saw them on the blog Cakies. She made some for her little girls and I even asked if she was going to sell some. Well, apparently I'm not the only one and she has put up 10 of them starting today on her Etsy shop, there are already only 8 left (thanks to me and someone else). So probably by the time you read this they will all be gone, or not and you can pick one up for your little girl for Christmas.

ebay

Ebay is obviously nothing new. I use to go on it and occasionally search for some things. But now that money is tight, and my love of certain brands has not diminished, I am on Ebay all the time. I mostly search for Juicy for myself & Piper and Small Paul & Quiksilver for Brody. Let me tell you, I have gotten some awesome things for pretty cheap! And, I only buy BNWT (brand new with tags). The best thing is that I know I am only looking to score a great deal, so before I bid on anything I give myself a limit of how high I will go and I never go past that. I was also really stoked to find my favorite pair of Roxy flats on there, mine are so old and ready to kick the bucket, so now I have a new pair being shipped to me, and I would have never been able to find them in the stores. So if money is tight but you can't let go of some brand names, look on ebay and maybe you will score yourself a good deal!