This Owl

I'm not really sure what this is called, but it is the coolest.  Whoever invented these things was pure genius. 

So, as many parents have probably learned (as we have), when a baby grows into a toddler and learns to do new things, it's both a blessing and a curse.  When our girl started sleeping in a toddler bed, it was great.  She was learning new things and gaining more independence. 

It also meant she could just get up out of bed whenever she darn well pleased.  And she did just that.  If she woke up in the middle of the night, she came out of the room.  If she woke up at 5 in the morning, she came out of the room.  And any attempts to tell her she had to go back to bed were usually met with screams of indignation. 

But then we got this cool owl from my awesome friend April.  She is seriously awesome and always picks out amazing gifts for my kids.  This was a Christmas present.  My little girl thought it was super cool because it was an owl.  We thought it was super-cool because it is designed to help our girl understand about appropriate times to get up.  And okay, so she stopped thinking it was as cool for a while once she started realizing what it was for...

But now she loves it. 

If she wakes up and gets out of bed before 7, we take her back to bed and say "Let's see what owl says!"  If it's not 7, he stays orange and tells her to go back to sleep.  She doesn't scream at the owl, by the way.  She crawls back in bed without issue, we sing a verse of I Am a Child of God, and she goes back to sleep.  It's amazing. 

And when she wakes up after 7...  Well, the owl is lit-up green. And she comes out excitedly and says "Mommy!  Owl turned green!" 

Seriously, a genius, whoever came up with this. 

Beautiful Art (By a Beautiful Artist)

The other day, I was over visiting a sweet friend and helping her with a few things on her computer.  As we sat in her computer room, I happened to notice a beautiful canvas painting.  I knew she is an artist, so I commented on how beautiful it was.  She told me she had always wanted to live in an Irish Cottage, so she envisioned it in her mind, and she painted it. 

I also noticed there were some other paintings behind that one, so I asked if I could look at her other work.  The one behind it was a beautiful sunrise.  I was drawn in by the colors.  Honestly, I love sunrises and sunsets.  The are so beautiful.  And so this painting was.  She told me the story behind the sunrise painting. 

And then she told me I was welcome to take a painting.  Or even two. 

I was shocked.  And hesitant, honestly.  Could I really take these treasures home when they meant something to her?  The thought made me feel almost greedy!  But with the sweetest smile, she assured me she wanted me to have them if I appreciated them so.  She said she wanted them to go to a place they would be appreciated.  She then told me of others who had loved others of her paintings and now those paintings are theirs.  She laughed as she told me one lady saw one and said, "Oh that is so beautiful!  Can you leave it to me when you die?"  Instead, this beautiful artist insisted the woman take the painting right then.  Just as she insisted I do.

And so I did.  I still feel just a little guilty.  But I am excited to have them hanging in my home. 

So many pieces of art are beautiful.  I am no artist.  That is definitely not a talent I have.  I am grateful there are those who do have the talent and can create beauty.  And, to me, art is more beautiful when I know the artist.  These will be treasured for as long as I live.  As will the artist.


What are you grateful for today?

My Diffuser (and These Two Oils)

I'm a relatively new user of essential oils.  But I will say I have loved my experience so far.

Especially when my kids get a cold.

Because now, at the first sign of stuffy nose, I run my diffuser with the Respiratory Blend (in this case, it is called Breathe) and the Protective Blend (which is called On Guard).  And seriously, the stuffy noses start to clear fast.  For example, my daughter had a stuffy nose about an hour before nap-time.  I started the diffuser, and by nap-time, she was breathing clear through her nose.  Makes all the difference come nap time, let me tell you. 

And I have noticed our colds don't hang around as long.
At least, that's been the case in the past.  So we'll see if that is true this time as well. 

So, yeah...  I'm a fan.  Because I've noticed a difference with the way colds go in this household. 


What are you grateful for today?

My Mom's GPS

It may be sad that my mom has a GPS, and I do not.  Alas, I am practically in the dark ages ;).  I don't even own a Smartphone.

But I'm planning to upgrade soon, which is why I have put off buying a GPS.  I know there's an app for that.  Hahahaha.

Anyway.  I will confess:  I'm a late adopter of technology.  Mostly because I get comfortable with what I have, and I figure if it ain't broken, I don't need to fix it.  Because, usually, the fixing it thing costs more money.  And I'm kinda cheap.

But I digress.  The point is, my mom has a GPS.  And she always lets me borrow it when I ask.  And so Friday, when I went to the Marine Science Center, where I've never been before, I was able to ask her if I could borrow it, and she said yes.  And it got me there!

I love that I don't have to do what I otherwise do and sit down to study a map (google maps is my preference) and then jot down some directions on scratch paper to take with me.  I love that I can just get in the car, plug in the GPS, and enter in my location.  I don't even need to have the address sometimes!  Truly exciting.  It's totally sort of 1984-ish, considering there is a sattellite somewhere tracking my every move...  But so awesome and handy!

Technology is a great thing.  And GPS is pretty much the bees' knees, in my humble opinion.  So here's to my mom's GPS!  And here's to 2016 when I plan to get a Smartphone (and bite the bullet and pay the price) and then get the app for that ;).


What are you grateful for today?

Our Afghan

There is a sort of tradition in my husband's family (he is one of 5 boys) in which my mother-in-law would crochet an afghan for her son and new daughter-in-law when they got married.  Over the years, crocheting has become harder and harder on my mother-in-law's fingers and such an undertaking as this beautiful blanket took great effort for her.  In fact, her sister helped her finish ours so we could have it this past year.

But what a beautiful act of love.  What a precious gift.  And so I am thankful for this treasure.  And thankful (a tad belatedly) for the love and effort given by our mom and our aunt.  What an amazing talent.

And isn't it awesome that it matches our recliner so well :)?


What are you grateful for today?

Milo (Pronounced Mee-low) ;)

Okay, so this stuff isn't the greatest chocolate drink mix ever.  My love of Milo is not really about the Milo.  It's about the memories. 

Memories of sitting at the kitchen table at 7229-B Rybicki Road in Cardenas with Brad and Christina.  Memories of our glasses of Milo set before us (probably the first time we ever tried the stuff).  Memories of our -- I don't know: shock?  annoyance?  laughter? -- that the stuff didn't mix in at all.  Like, at all.

And most definitely memories of Brad (ever the comedian), lifting his spoonful of Milo, proffering it to me and saying, "Hila, would you like a bite of my Milo?" 

And memories of the laughter that followed. 

It's why I buy this stuff for him (and myself) every time I go home to Alabama (I can't find it in regular grocery stores up here).  Because, trust me, it's not about the Milo (seriously, the stuff doesn't mix in!  Hence the lovely layer in the pictures above!  And hence Brad's burning question!) ;).


What are you grateful for today?

Airport Play Areas

We recently took a vacation.  To Alabama, as usual :).  Always worth it, don't get me wrong.  But Washington is on the opposite side of the States.  So this makes for a looooong day of travel.  Especially with 2 kiddos!  (And let's just say that we were particularly worried about how our little man would fare on the flights.  But we learned that he is just about as awesome a flyer as his sister is!).

Anyway, long day of travel.  And a 2 year old with a ton of energy.  And an airplane ride (or two) in which she will be required to sit almost 100% of the time. 

And that's why I think the person who developed the idea of airport play areas was a pure genius.  Pure.  Genius.  Or someone who has been there, done that with children.

So this was our first stop once we got through security at SeaTac!  It was so awesome.  Plus it had a family bathroom and a mother's nursing area attached.  Again -- genius!  We were able to stop and regroup while our Energizer Bunny ran around jumping on all these airplanes and such.  She was generally contained, and while we were always vigilant and watching, we didn't have to be as nervous about her wandering away and getting lost in huge airport. 

They had one of these in Dallas where we stopped on the way to Alabama.  They also had a small one in the Birmingham, AL airport.  We love them. 

Three cheers for airports with play areas!  They are the life-saver of parents with young children who are traveling all day :)!!


What are you grateful for today?

Our Recliner!

I've been meaning to post this for a while.  But time is not really something I have a lot of these days and before I know it, it's 10 p.m. and I'm trying to convince myself it's time to go to bed ;).

After going through the newborn phase with our little girl, I realized that a recliner would have been nice.  So I told my husband I wanted a recliner with the next baby.  He thought I was crazy.  Because recliners take up a lot of space.  And they aren't fun to move, because they are heavy.  But he loves me.  And so he looked for a recliner.  And he hit paydirt a couple weeks ago!  Sometimes I love Craigslist!

So he found this recliner, called the lady and we drove out and bought it.  It's a swivel rocker recliner and it is so awesome.  Microfiber, so easy to clean.  Enormous, so will fit me and two kiddos (because I'm sure my toddler will want to sit with me a lot when I'm rocking in it with a newborn).  And we got it at a great price. 

Sometimes (well, most times) I consider these happenings as tender mercies from the Lord.  Because I really wanted a good recliner.  And, since we were getting it second-hand, I wanted it to be clean and all that.  Well, we went to pick it up, and I had no concerns over the history of this recliner. 

My munchkin loves it.  It is now where we sit and read our stories before bedtime every night.  I love this recliner because it's comfortable and I enjoy laying back and relaxing with my huge belly.  And I'm pretty positive I'm going to be able to sleep in this thing with a newborn.  And that is a beautiful thing!

So I'm so very grateful for this new acquisition in our home.  Even if it does take up a ton of room ;). 

And I'm quite grateful for that cutie who is sitting in it in the picture above.  I love that little girl!

What are you grateful for today?

My Stand Mixer

Friday night, I decided to get adventurous in the kitchen and try a new twist on an old favorite and made these.  And as I was cranking up the speed on my beautiful stand mixer, it occurred to me that I love this thing.  I am pretty sure I use it at least once a week -- but probably more.  Just tonight, I was using it to make pizza dough (pictured above ;)). 

I can say I've used a hand mixer to make dough for cinnamon rolls and such.  And don't get me wrong:  hand mixers are fabulous too.  For pudding and boxed cake mixes.  But when it comes to making bread dough...  Yeah, a hand mixer can't hack it for long -- and then you're mixing by hand.  I've done it a couple times, because I was making cinnamon rolls for people I love dearly.  But Friday night, as I thought about that...  I really thought how grateful I am for a stand mixer :).  It does all the work for me!  And quickly!  And I usually get yummy results ;)!

What are you grateful for today?

Elmo

Seriously, who knew I'd come to appreciate (and know way too much about) this little red monster?  I remember when the "Tickle Me Elmo" was all the rage, and I couldn't understand it. 

I think I get it a little bit more now... 

Because last week I was beyond exhausted.  I think I had a mild bug of some sort that just wiped me out.  (For a while there I was concerned it was just 'old very pregnant lady' syndrome, and I was dreading feeling like that for 8 more weeks!)  So guess who came to the rescue every time I needed to lay on the couch and rest (which was roughly every 1 to 2 hours, sadly...). 

Yep, it was Elmo.  On DVD.  Because we own a few, and we borrow them from the library too.  And you know what?  Last week, I needed Elmo to lend me a hand.  He kept my toddler happy and entertained for 30 minutes at a time while I got the rest I needed. 

So yes, Elmo...  Years ago, I couldn't understand the wonderfulness of you.  Nor did I ever think I would agree.  But I totally get it now.

What are you grateful for today?

My Beband

What the heck is that!?! you may be wondering.  Well, I'll tell you (though, if you're a pregnant lady -- or if you ever have been -- you probably know ;)).

At 26 (almost) weeks pregnant, my midsection has started to expand quite a bit.  Which means my maternity wardrobe is now in full-swing.  But I don't have the largest maternity wardrobe.  I mean, I kind of think I shouldn't have a large selection of fat clothes I could be totally comfortable in while carrying around an extra 20 or 30 pounds.  It may lead me to some serious contemplations of filling said fat clothes when not pregnant ;). 

Anyway, so my maternity wardrobe isn't huge.  And my Sunday maternity wardrobe is even less so.  I think I own one maternity skirt.  (Perhaps I'll rectify this soon, but I'm a cheap person when it comes to some things, and I buy my maternity clothes at thrift stores.  So I have to be happy with what I can find there ;)).  As a result, I still use some of my non-maternity skirts.  That have zippers. 

Ordinarily, this would not be a possibility.  I'd take a picture to prove that, but let's just say it ain't cute.  Pretty much, I have a skirt I can't zip at all now.  And while it obviously won't fall off in my rotund state...  I think it's be kind of noticeable if I wore an unzipped skirt.  Except for the wonderful creation of the beband!

This stretchy little wonder is designed to go over your unzipped clothes, camouflaging their unzipped state, and feel nice and snug against your ever-expanding tummy -- stretching, since it's nylon or spandex or something.  And, since it's black (mine is at least), it's pretty easy to match and make it not look like you're wearing something to hide the fact that you can't zip up your pants (or skirt...).  So it makes it possible for me to not have to buy more maternity clothes if I don't really want to.  And still give my one maternity skirt a break.

It's a beautiful thing.

What are you grateful for today?

Home Pregnancy Tests

So, rumor has it, once upon a time, one way a woman could tell if she was pregnant was by injecting her urine into a rabbit.  If the rabbit died, the woman was pregnant. 

Isn't it nice that -- if that ever was true -- it isn't anymore!?!  Isn't it nice that we can go to the store and get a stick to pee on and find out the same information, without any rabbit casualties?!? 

Even better is that you can even get a pregnancy test for $1 at the Dollar Tree.  Definitely one of the better buys there.

So I'm grateful for home pregnancy tests.  It's a way for me to know what I need to know quickly and easily.

...And I'm pretty sure there is at least one rabbit out there that's pretty thrilled about home pregnancy tests too...  Because otherwise, that rabbit would've been deader'n a doornail ;).

If all goes well, Baby will arrive sometime around June 10th :)...  9 weeks today!

P.S...  I think I picked a bad time to load my plate with all sorts of stuff, because all I want to do these days is nap!

What are you grateful for today?

Birthday Love

Today was easily one of the busiest birthdays I've ever had.  And, honestly, I should be in bed! 

I spent the majority of the day at a vendor event at the local mall -- mostly just getting my name out there and introducing THRIVE Life to people.

Then I had a doctor's appointment.  Which the check-in gal totally messed something up and I waited an hour past my appointment time before I got called back.  Have I mentioned patience isn't my strong suit? 

Then I bought Burger King (dinner of birthday-girls, right?  Eh, not so much, but I needed food fast -- I was fading.) and brought it home and shared with my sister and nieces (and toddler).  My sweet sister came to watch my munchkin so my hubby could go to work while I was still at the mall and then the doctor.  I appreciate her.

Then I went to talk to a couple of other lovely ladies about THRIVE.  And got home after 8.  Showered.  Put the baby to bed.  Made dinner for my husband who isn't such a fan of fast food... ;).  Opened my presents... finally!

Oh, and did I mention I had two gifts dropped off at my house -- both while I wasn't here!

I have said it before, and I'll say it again:  I have the most amazing friends and family.  And today, I felt tons of birthday love.

I also love that my friends know me so well....  book of lists, awesome 80s cereal (some that even have face masks I can cut out, by the way ;)), chocolate...  Oh my.

I am blessed.

What are you grateful for today?

Tweezers

So packing for our 8 day stint away from our apartment was a challenge (just fyi... we're back home now, if you didn't already know ;))...  But I'd say we did pretty darn well with it! 

Because hubby was parking at our apartment complex and walking to work every day (as he usually does under normal circumstances), we were always well aware of the progress of things.  Which was nice.  And so, when he found he could access our apartment (before we were actually allowed to return), he asked me if there was anything I needed from home, since he could now supply it for me.  (Yes, sometimes we're rebels...).  I had only one item:  tweezers. 

Because here's a fun fact for you:  most women have at least one (if not more) unsightly hair they want removed.  And a week + of no proper tweezing can be...  disturbing.  Even if only to the woman in question.  And here's another fun fact:  I'm one of those women.

My husband rolled his eyes at me when I told him.  But I think he knew I was serious when I sent him a text to remind him.  I told him I didn't want to look like a woolly mammoth.  He acquired said tweezers. 

Glamorous, no?  But hey...  I'm getting older (almost 34, people!).  And I'm learning that you may as well just embrace who you are -- unsightly, unwanted hairs and all.  Because we all have our flaws. 

And let's not kid ourselves...  I'm betting there's at least one lady somewhere out there reading this, nodding her head, because she knows. 

Besides, I got a chuckle writing this :).

(I should have written this days ago...  But it's been a crazy month.)

What are you grateful for today?

The Tenant/Landlord Act

Say hello to our apartment complex's front staircase.  Do you see a problem?

So here's the thing:  I don't like to rock the boat.  Like ever.  I am incredibly non-confrontational.  Sometimes this serves me well.  Other times, not so much.

But when I got back from my trip to Utah in August (August 11th, to be exact), the stairs had been taken apart.  Meaning I had to unload the van from below and haul everything up a bunch of stairs.  All well.  It would be over soon enough and the stairs would (hopefully) be improved.

'Tis to laugh.

That picture was taken somewhere in the beginning of September.  And it doesn't look any different today.

This, by the way, was why I had a reason to meet all my neighbors.  Because, though I am not a boat-rocker...  Eventually, this is absurd.  And beyond absurd. 

Here's the thing:  the upstairs neighbors have to walk down a flight of steps, all the way around the building, up the stairs from the car port... just to check their mail.  We can't have company over without making them traipse around the entire building and up 18 stairs to make it to our level.  We are lacking an extra exit (which is hazardous in an emergency situation).  And this is in no way safe.  And...  How the heck are we supposed to move out?  We'd have to move huge stuff down the stairs, but they inserted extra beams which take up extra room on the already-small landing between the flights of stairs.

We got fed up.  Because not only was no work being done...  We weren't even being kept informed!  I even emailed the property manager and asked what the status was.  Their office manager's reply:  They were waiting to find out the status.  What the heck?  If they don't know, who does?

So my husband started researching.  And then we wrote a letter.  A letter that referenced some revised code of Washington.  Specifically the stuff relating to the landlord/tenant act.  A letter that at least lit a fire under the property managers to tell us what the heck was going on.  They taped letters to all of our doors (every single one of the tenants signed the letter -- we've all been fed up!) the day after they picked up the letter at the post office (I got certified return receipt, thank you very much).  Then they mailed us an "official" copy of the letter for good measure.  They said they were in the permitting process.  (We think they started the project without permits -- and the person who was going to do it for them decided it wasn't worth the liability and quit...  leaving them on choice but to get the permits, but being unable to fix anything and so we are where we are.)  They said the project should be done by the end of September. 

Well, it isn't.  But we got another letter yesterday.  Telling us they now have the permits and are making plans.  And that they may have to temporarily lodge us elsewhere (motel) while they do the construction. 

Yeah, this is fun.

So it's a hassle.  But I'm grateful that the tenant/landlord act exists.  Granted, we're still in limbo.  And I'm really annoyed, since I have some get-togethers planned at my place this month (one of them tomorrow) and I was sure we'd have a front staircase by now when I scheduled them.  But at least we had an avenue to pursue.  And it has kept the property managers in communication with us -- which is how it should have been from the start.  

I don't like to be a pest.  I don't like to start stuff.  But it's not okay to take advantage of people either.  And so I'm grateful we had some recourse.  And I guess we still could, if we wanted to keep pursuing it.  But I am hoping they will actually keep moving forward now that they know we're fed up and willing to move forward.  Grrr...

Anyway, rant over.

What are you grateful for today?

Modern Dentistry

Today was a day for getting cavities filled.

Way fun, right?

But as I sat there with the right half of my mouth numb and a huge bite-down block in my mouth, along with a suctioner, two dentist hands, and an array of various dental tools, it occurred to me that I'm grateful for modern dentistry. 

I'm grateful for Novocaine, which allowed me not to feel pain.

I'm grateful for the bite block that allows me to rest my jaw and not have to keep my mouth open.

I'm grateful for the suction thing that kept my mouth relatively clean through the process.

I'm grateful for those tools that are clean and made to make the job faster, easier, and better.

And I'm grateful for the dentist's hands which have been trained to be able to do deal with cavities.  So that I can keep my own personal teeth for as long as possible.

So as much fun as it isn't to get fillings and shots to numb...  I'm grateful that I live now when it's a lot better than I can only imagine it used to be.

What are you grateful for today?

A Lunch Date with My Husband... and Sprouts!

So it was a rare day indeed.  I ate lunch with my husband.  And the munchkin.  But yes, my husband...  Ever since we have known each other, we have never eaten lunch together on a work day.

This is because he only takes a 30 minute lunch break most days.  And is on a military facility.  And he walks to work.  And where he works is not super convenient to leave and enter in a 30 minute time-frame.

But today he had training.  And a longer lunch.  Closer to a convenient base exit.  And so we had lunch.

At Jimmy John's.

And our location finally has the sprouts back (after they were gone due to an e. coli scare somewhere a while back).

So lunch was delicious.  And nice.  Just a change in the routine.  Something special that almost never happens.  A treat.  For all of us :).

What are you grateful for today?

Covered Strollers

One day, when I'm rich...  Hahahaha.

Okay, anyway.  Maybe one day I'll buy one of those nice strollers for getting exercise.  And if we ever have another kiddo, maybe I'll get a double one.  The ones with the covers that protect the kiddos from rain are especially awesome.

Because when your friend has one of those...  Well, then you don't really have an excuse for not going walking that day.  :).  Because, you know... it's Washington.  And it's raining.

And I really didn't need an excuse not to exercise.  So I'm glad that, though I don't personally have a covered stroller (the kind of cover that actually covers everything...  My friend does. 

So I got my exercise today.  And my munchkin fell asleep in the stroller...

What are you grateful for today?

A Rainbow of Colors!

So actually, my original intent with choosing this was the cross-stitch threads and the variety I happen to have (probably about half of them came from an awesome deal I got back in 2006 while garage-sale-ing with Juliebean). 

Because, as I am working on my munchkin's quiet book (hopefully to be finished for a Christmas present!), I am so grateful I can go to my cross-stitch threads and match colors with my felt pieces! 

But as I was getting ready to take this picture, another thought occurred to me:  I'm grateful for a rainbow of colors in this world! 

Wouldn't everything be drab if it was all black, white, and gray?

Granted, I guess if that's all we knew (we as a collective species), we wouldn't know what we were missing...  And this thought just led me to appreciate the fact that I'm not color blind or completely blind (grateful for this again!). 

The world is so full of beautiful colors.  I'm grateful for that -- and grateful I have the ability to enjoy them and experience them.  It's a great blessing :).

And so are my many cross-stitch threads :).

What are you grateful for today?

Fever Reducer Roll-On

So my baby girl had a fever.  It was sad.  She has had several colds in her young life (almost all post-put-everything-in-her-mouth stage), but very few fevers.  Like maybe two.

I don't like the fevers.  Not that I like the colds.....  But I really don't like the fevers.

They seem more dangerous.

Anyway, we discovered that neither of our baby thermometers work -- both batteries were dead.  Yay, right?  One of them has never been used and the other was used once when she was newborn.  And the batteries are dead.  Super lame.

But I knew I wanted to help my little girl feel better.  And I'm not the biggest fan of medicines.  So if I can avoid them, I try to.  Hence, I recalled one of the baby shower gifts my sister-in-law Gwen gave us!  She uses and sells doTERRA Essential Oils, so for some baby gifts, she gave us several things that would help us as we faced some of the challenges of parenthood.  Things such as diaper rash, gas, and fevers.

So I used the fever reducer roll-on.  And I noticed a drop in her temperature (by touch, since I didn't have a thermometer), every time I used it within about 30 minutes.  Now maybe it's coincidence...  But I don't think it was.  And so I'm grateful I had this tool and that it worked!  I didn't have to give her medicine.  I will one day, I'm sure.  But I appreciate having alternatives to try that are more natural first.

What are you grateful for today?