Easter Wrap Up

The Easter Bunny was nice to this house. He hid eggs, he brought baskets full of toys, and hes a big furry guy who didn't run away when Grayson grabbed fist-fulls of fur.

Today was very low key, and it was perfect. Grayson decided to be a super good boy and slept until quarter to eight this morning. That meant before he woke up, I was able to hide the eggs AND get ready. Happy Easter to Mommy.

All ready to go search for Easter Eggs!

He did so good, picking up his eggs. Daddy had to help him get them in his bucket, but we were still doing pretty good.

Eggs were even hidden in my new sandbox from Pappy!

Eating our eggs. They were tasty :)

He found his basket!

While Daddy and Grayson played with all of the cool toys in his basket, Momma made Fun-fetti pancakes (yay, Pinterest!). Seriously, they were delish. Then we headed off to Grandma's to visit for a bit.

Playing with Uncle Dan <3

After we visited, we came home and dyed Easter Eggs and made way too much food for dinner. Ham, turkey, mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, pretzel rolls, dinner rolls and cupcakes. Hubs, do not get used to that kind of cooking.

Overall, Id say this day was pretty darn perfect.

Hope all of you lovelies had a Blessed Easter as well!





Cousins

This week, Grayson's cousins celebrated their first and fifth birthdays with a combined party. It was fun to try and get the kids to stand still long enough for pictures with all of the presents, cake, people and balloons- but we got a few good shots!

Grayson and Silas- 6 Months Apart

Patrick and his buddies.

First tastes of Birthday Cake

Smash Cake!

My favorite five year old

Love these kiddos.

I guess to Grayson The Easter Bunny > Santa.

After the disastrous visit to see Santa, I didn't hold out much hope for taking Grayson to see the Easter Bunny. Patrick had to work, and even told me he didn't mind if he wasn't there- since the boy probably wouldn't let the bunny within 10 feet of him without screaming bloody murder. 

So off Grammy and I went to the mall on Good Friday, and we stood in the 45 minute line with a very happy, smiley, pleasant baby. I started to think there might be hope. 

When we got to the front of the line, the bunny stretched out his arms and to my shock the kiddo reached out and squealed. He actually wanted the bunny to hold him.

 *Insert Momma's jaw hitting the floor here*

He petted the bunny's fur, smiled, cooed, laughed, and babbled away to the bunny while we got the picture. I'm pretty sure he thought the Bunny was just a puppy, and was probably thrilled that he was standing still to let him play. Grayson is in love with his two puppies at home, but they don't usually stand still long enough to let him get a few handfuls of fir in his fists. The Bunny was a willing victim. It was perfect- and it almost makes paying $25 for the photos worth while.

Happy Easter, Lovelies!



Tips and Tricks- March!

It's almost April? What? Where did March go?? It seems like this month has flown by, and with all of that amazing weather it was so nice! Now its back in the 40's and I'd like those 70 degree days back please!

Anyways, enough whining- on with the goods!

1. When you have a pair of sweats or a hoodie that has a tie- stick a small safety pin through the string on the inside of the seam at each opening.  That way, the string will never get pulled half way in during washing or wearing; and you cant see the pin from the outside.

2. To get pet smells out of carpet, mix half vinegar and half water in your carpet cleaner and shampoo carpets.  Make sure you get the carpets good and saturated with the vinegar- then make sure you vacuum up the water really well.  Then once it dries a little bit sprinkle baking soda all over the area and let it dry completely, 100% totally dry. Once all dry, vacuum it up and the smell should be gone.  This works great if you happen to move into a place where the previous owners thought it was cool to have their pet use the living room as a potty.

3. I found this idea from Karen from the wonderful blog The Art Of Doing Stuff via Pintrest. When making a salad (or anything for that matter), you can chop the onion super small by using a a POTATO PEELER.  Holy freaking amazing. According to her, you can chop all kinds of stuff using the peeler- and if you ask me shes a genius.

4. Also found on Pinterest- from Wins.Failblog.org- use a staple remover to open up a key ring. Saves your nails and your finger tips! I cant agree with them more, this is an epic win.

5.  This one came from the super cute blog- 7th House on The Left. To magnify the volume on your ipod/iphone put it in a drinking glass. I use this on the treadmill, I just pop the phone into a glass and slip it into the cup holder- no need for headphones or speakers!

 6. Since spring is coming and some of you may be planting some pretty flowers- Real Simple gives us the tip to line the bottom of your flower pots with coffee filters.  The water gets out, but not the dirt!

7. A sweet reader, Alanna, sent me this tip in an email for when you are cooking ANY sort of fish, ie. lobster, salmon etc. at home. Just pour about a half a cup of white vinegar into a bowl and sit it on your counter and leave it there for a few hours.  There will be NO fish smell whatsoever in your home.  I tried this last week and I must admit, it worked amazing!!

8. Kristen, fellow momma and overall sweetheart, shared a natural remedy for cradle cap. At bath time she busted out the strawberry yogurt and warmed it a bit, then rubbed it into her little guy's scalp for 10-15 minutes. Then wash out and bath and brush hair as normal. The strawberry works as an exfoliant, and after one application she could see a huge improvement.  She suggests using it once a week to keep the flakes at bay! Thanks Kristen!

9. Summer is coming, and that means picnic season! The awesome blogger at Why Not Do It Yourself had this idea floating around Pinterest, and its sheer amazingness. Use a cut out 2 liter pop (I'm from Pittsburgh, its pop to us!) bottle to catch the drips from the drink dispenser!!

10. When Grayson was teething sometimes he just wanted something cold on his gums, but he didn't like any teethers that I could find.  I got an idea after looking at his binky- its a Gumdrop, and its the kind where you can put your finger in and he can gnaw on it. So I simply filled it up with water and propped it up in the freezer to solidify. Then when he cried, I would pop the frozen bink in and he was instantly happier. Now if I could have only realized that before I bought 15 teethers that he didn't like...

11. This month Pintrest came through with one of the most simple and brilliant packing tips ever. It came from Select Study Abroad's blog- and all you need to do is put a small piece of plastic wrap over the top of the bottle, then screw the cap back on.  No leaks in the luggage, and no need to buy travel sized bottles!

12. It wouldn't be right if Martha Stewart didn't have a good idea for us. This one is pure amazing. When wrapping a present, put an extra fold in the paper to act as a pocket to hold the card. No more loosing cards in the car or them falling off on the gift table! Click the picture to get taken to her step by step directions!

13. A sweet reader left me a comment that Hairspray (any kind) will get kool aid stains, permanent marker stains, and other stains out of surfaces. Worth a try when the little one learns to drink kool aid!!

14. Jessica of Ginger Tea and Fairies commented on Tips and Tricks 2 and left me not one, but TWO, tips from a great grandma! The first was to get rid of a splinter by using the sticky part of a band aid, putting it over the splinter, and head to bed. The next morning the splinter will come out when you take the band aid off. She also used vinegar to help cool and heal burns, any kind of burns- and according to Jessica it works wonders!!

15. A sweet reader left me an idea for all of those lost socks. She uses her husbands and sons old socks to cover her good shoes to avoid scratches. Um, yes please!

16. Lifehacker.com taught me that we should use baking soda and vinegar to fix funky towels. Over time, and with many washes, your bath towels will build up detergent and fabric softener residue, leaving them both unable to absorb as much water and smelling kinda funky when they do. Rather than give Target another lump sum, run them through the wash once with hot water and a cup of vinegar, then again with hot water and a half-cup of baking soda, as wikiHow suggests. That strips the residue from them, leaves them smelling fairly fresh again, and makes your post-shower experience a dryer one, at that!

17. My hubs uses this one at work, when light colored linoleum has a scuff you can fill it in with white toothpaste and buff it really well with a soft cloth. Sometimes doing this will save the customer from having to replace the section of floor, which is pretty awesome if you ask me.

18. Real Simple had a recipe for getting stains out of tubs. Combine equal parts baking soda and cream of tarter together and make into a paste with some lemon juice. Place onto the stain and let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse away!

19. With Easter coming this tip will come in handy! From thekitchn.com- Add baking soda to the water when you hard boil eggs. It raises the pH of the water and makes them easier to peel by reducing the albumen's ability to stick to the shell.

20.  A girl I work with swears by using mayo as a conditioner for her hair. She puts it on, lets it sit for five or so minutes, then rinses off in the shower.  I gotta say, she does have the nicest, shiniest hair Ive ever seen- so I think Ill be in the shower with a jar of mayo myself!

That's all for this month- since it slipped by so fast! I promise to have more for next month!

Month Six Must Haves

Its amazing to me that each month, the span of 30 days, I find new things for Grayson that we love and cant live without. But I guess when you have a bean who grows like a weed thats just the way it goes!

CJ's BUTTer Stick

This was the month of the chapped cheeks, and all of the reviews said CJ's BUTTer. I picked some up at a local cloth diaper shop in a scent called (LOVE THIS) Monkey Farts. Its this delish smell of coconut and banana and is 100% natural and made in the USA. It cleared up dry chapped cheeks in a matter of 2 days. While we use the GroVia stick for diaper rash, I hear this works well for that as well along with about 40 other things. Bug bites, eczema, dry skin of any kind- heck you can even use it in curly hair. Its also cloth diaper friendly for those people whose children are not against wearing cloth like mine was.

Sassy Illumination Station

These amazing little buggers suction cup onto strollers, high chairs, the tables in restaurants, etc.  They also light up, play music AND spin.  It keeps Grayson entertained for a good 20 or so minutes- and that's a good chunk of time if you're trying to eat dinner! They have several different versions, and at $9 each a few others will find their way into his Easter basket!

Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder

Lately Grayson has been obsessed with whatever we are eating, he forgets that he cant just chow down on a burger quite yet.  Someone suggested we try cutting up pieces of fresh fruit and putting them in this, so that he thinks he's eating as well. He hates bananas from a jar, but will scarf one down if he can suck it through this guy.  The tiny holes don't let food big enough to choke him get through, and the handle allows them to hold it themselves. Unless of course you're Gray, then you just expect us to hold it for you so you don't get your little hands dirty. No lie.

Fisher Price Little Superstar Classical Stacker

I thought Grayson would be too little for this, but he really does love it. He cant quite get the hang of putting the rings back on- but he can get them off in a hurry. Then they become fun things to chew on and play with. If you're willing to put them back on for him he'll play with them again and again, and each time he wrestles one off hes always so proud of himself he yells and giggles which always makes me melt.

JJ Cole Bundle Me Lite

I don't think I ever expressed my love for the Bundle Me Original, but it was one of the best things ever in the cold winter months. We never had to put a winter coat on Grayson to take him out, which made it super convenient. It had a fuzzy Sherpa lining that kept him nice and cozy. Now that its warmer out we need a thin version, so hence the "lite".  If you've never seen one before its basically a blanket that can zip on and off and attaches to your car seat.  Its a great alternative to blankets- this doesn't blow off in the wind!!- and bulky jackets that shouldn't be worn in the car anyway. The top part pulls up over the baby's face to keep him snug as a bug, and when Grayson refuses to nap all we have to do is plop him in his seat and pull this over his face and hes out like a light.  Plus the top part of this is also 100% weather resistant, so even if its raining the little bean wont get soaked!

Schwinn Turismo Swivel Wheel Jogging Stroller

The hubs is running in the half marathon this year, so he's been running a whole lot.  He wanted a jogging stroller so that he could take little man with him for some fresh air.  Everyone told me we needed a BOB- but dear lord I'm still recovering from the heart attack from that sticker shock. Plus we didn't know how often Patrick would really get to use it.  My MIL actually is the runner and she did all of the research and found and bought this one for us, and we love it.  It has a build in MP3 player so Grayson boy can listen to some tunes as Daddy runs, and its super light weight.  It also has a really good shock system, so we take it whenever we go walking in the neighborhood since some of the sidewalks are a bit uneven. If Grayson is passed out, he doesn't even notice the bumps.  I've never ran with it, as I only run if being chased, but those who have tell me its comparable to the more expensive models. If you're looking for a lightweight jogger without spending a ton of cash, I recommend this one!

Well, lovelies, thats all for this month!

If you've missed Months 1-5, check them out here!





Six Months Old

Grayson Boy,

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Pickle Baby!  Daddy woke up today all excited because today is your half birthday- and in this house we celebrate half birthdays! This month it seemed like you turned from a baby to a little man- you can sit up all on your own and don't need help from us.

• You had your first bout of the stomach flu this month- starting off with your first fever. You were such a champ about it, and then you were nice enough to share it with Mommy. Lets get something straight, sweetheart, you share kisses with Momma and your sicky germs with Daddy. You even gave it to Grammy, that's how generous you were. It only lasted two days for you, and you were such a trooper.
• When we took you to the Doctor for the flu you weighed in at 17 lbs 7 ounces and were 27 inches long, nestled happily in the 50th percentile.
• You're wearing 6-9 month pants, but can still wear most of your 3-6 month shirts and jammies. Your pants just started to look like you were preparing for the flood, so we had to hit the stores. You're also ready for size 3 diapers, we're just finishing up the last of the size 2's so we don't waste them.
• You ate your first french fry this month. You stole it off of Pappy John and decided you really like french fries. The other favorite snacks you discovered was honey wheat pretzels and ice cream. I have a feeling you are going to be just like Daddy and eat us out of house and home. You also started to drink from a cup, and can hold your own bottle (when you feel like it of course).
• You're getting much more vocal, and now squeal with delight and growl when your angry. Usually both noises are loud, and Daddy and I just laugh because you sound so silly.
• This month was also your first St. Patrick's Day- and we had so much fun celebrating Great Grandma Rose's Birthday with our lucky charm. You never got to meet her, but she would have ADORED you.  Daddy and I think she is one of your Guardian Angels, and we know she watches over you along with Great Grammy Doris.
• We bought you a swing and slide for outside, and you love to swing. You laugh as you come close and go far away and could spend hours outside. 
• We had lunch with Kristi, Chris and Marley one Saturday.  I let you sit on my lap next to Marley, and you reached right out and held her hand.Even though it was one of the cutest things Ive ever seen I still have to say no girlfriends yet, Bubbers, Momma's heart isn't ready for that yet.  
• Youre not crawling yet, but you get up on all fours and rock yourself back and forth. You can scoot yourself backwards, and I have freqently had to save you from being stuck under the TV stand and coffee table. Daddy thinks any day now you're going to get that forward motion and take off!

That's about all for this month my little love- but I know there are a million things I'm forgetting. You do something new every day, and we're so excited to watch you grow up.  Thank you for choosing Daddy and Me to be your parents, its the best gift we've ever had!

Just look at how much you've changed so fast- its crazy!

Love Always and Forever-

Mommy

There is Nothing Like Ice Cream

There is a little cafe thats about three blocks away from our house.  Yesterday I noticed a sign "Ice Cream Cones $1"

Well, you dont have to tell us twice.

Today after dinner we packed the man child into the stroller and set off in search of our desert. Grayson has recently been obsessed with anything we are eating, opening his mouth like a little bird for a taste. My Momma went with us, and was all too happy to share her Vanilla cone with the little guy.

Lovelies, is safe to say it was a hit. 

One of my favorite stories about the hubs when he was little was that after his parents would put him and his little sister to bed, they would wait awhile and then creep to the freezer to get some ice cream.  From down the hall they would hear baby hubster's voice yelling "Are you having ice cream? I can smell it!!"  Before it was even out of the freezer- I guess he had ice cream ESP? 

After watching Grayson lick his baby lips for every last drop of the soft serve I can easily see that along with those baby blues Daddy passed on his love of the cold, creamy treat. Add one more thing to the Good Lord, He is his Father's Child List.