Friday Letters

WOO! Its Friday- and the humidity around here has finally taken a break, which is amazing all in its own, because my hair will no longer look like a q-tip plastered to my head. (Ill give you a second to let that visual image seep in...team messy bun over here all the way!) Anyway- since my mind is a mish of random today, I decided it was time to write some Friday letters!

 

Dear Grayson Boy- Mommy LOVE LOVE LOVES the fact that you adore toddler gym. However, if you could kindly stop scaling every piece of furniture in the house like it's your job, that would be great. Mommy can't take you to gym class if she's in the cardiac wing at AGH.

 

Dear Rain- What the heck is up with the rainiest summer ever? Three inches in two hours is not cool. Granted we didn't get flooded out up here on the hill, but a lot of other people did and it's time to give it a rest. Oh and btw, three days without the chance of rain isn't really a rest when we've had 11 straight days with rain. Isn't there a desert in a drought somewhere you can go hang for awhile?

 

Dear Fur Babies- Thank you for being so nice to the tiny human. Being ridden like a personal pony can be rough, but I know you put up with it because he'll share his snacks with you. That kid loves you, and I know you love him- even if he won't give you his cheerios.

 

Dear Momma- Grayson said he would really, really like it if you made him some banana drop cookies from his great grandmas recipe.  Mommy tried to make them for him and she burned them to a crisp- it was totally the oven's fault- but he still would like some. And he promises to share with his Mommy, because you taught him sharing is important.

 

Dear Beach- I.can.not.wait!  Fifteen more days and I plan to plant myself firmly on your sandy shore and come home not so pale. I'm super excited to see Grayson love you as well, and I'm putting in my request now for nice weather. Hear that rain? You are not welcome!

 

Dear Blog Friends- Thank you all for the sweet emails I have received this week. You are all amazing and I love you all to bits. I love hearing from all of you, so feel free to send me an email and I promise Ill respond! Its so fun to keep in touch with you guys- and I would MUCH rather return emails at naptime rather than do laundry!

 

Dear Hubs- Thank you for the sweet things you do. The Turners Tea that appeared in my fridge was amazing and the new box of Loft goodies that arrived with the tag "for you for the beach" are just two reasons you are the best husband ever. I love you to pieces.

 

Dear Weekend- WOO! Two days without rain in the forecast, you better bet we'll be taking advantage of you. Zoo, splash-pad, park- the options are endless but I hope you'll be wonderful! And if on the off chance that you can add an extra day into the weekend, I know you would make a lot of people extremely happy! Give it a shot, please?

 

Happy Weekend, Lovelies!

 

 

 

House Bucket List- its a long one!

I don't know if I ever told you guys the story of our house. Originally it was owned by the hub's grandma- and he moved in with her when he came Pittsburgh for college. He always wanted to fix things and do things to it, but she didn't have the money and wouldn't allow him to do anything.

Its a grand old Victorian. Built in the 1890's full of old thick mahogany woodwork, 12 foot ceilings, pocket and French doors, ornate fireplaces, six bedrooms and one (really big) bathroom. Its stucco on the outside, had zero insulation and no air conditioning.

He LOVES this house- and has always had so many ideas of what he would do to it. Once his sweet, sweet Grandma passed away he couldn't really let this place go. So we bought it- and started fixing it up.

We have made some improvements so far. The hubs built some kitchen cabinets- because we had exactly one when we bought it and added a closet in the pantry. We dry-walled and insulated the living room and master bedroom, complete with new paint. We built a master closet. We repainted the bathroom and installed a new toilet. Sodded and mulched the backyard. Ripped up the ugly old carpet and put in pergo floors. Tiled the entry way and painted the foyer complete with a stenciled wall. Put tile in the basement to make it a little less creepy. Installed central AC. Power washed and re-stained the porch. Built retaining walls in the front. Grayson's room was completed with insulation, paint, painted trim, retiled fireplace and carpet installed.  There is probably so much more I'm forgetting.

If you ask anyone, its a vast improvement over where it was- but there is still oh-so-much we want to do. So here's the list- with some before pictures to really give you an idea of what were looking at. Now I didn't attempt to hide any messes in these pictures- it's all real up in here, folks!

 Exterior:

 

-Paint the trim and sides of porch (currently the ugly green)
-Fix porch ceiling
-New lighting/Outdoor Fan
-Repair Stucco where needed
-New flashing and trim on house
-Paint exterior of house (I'm thinking cream?)
-Sod the front lawn
-Landscaping (which someone else will do, since I kill fake plants)
-Trim super large tree

Foyer:

My stenciled wall- love this.

See- I got one drawer painted. Fail.

 

 

-New Front Door
-Finish Gallery Wall
-Paint Cabinet (that has currently been primed for like 2 years-eep.)
-Paint Trim
-Paint or Carpet Stairs and Landing
-Patch the drywall going up stairs
-Paint the upper part of the hallway

Play Room/Dining Room:

Told ya- I keep it real. Didn't even put the toys away.

Water damage on ceiling after bathroom toilet decided to sprout a leak when we were not home.

-Rip out plaster and lathe (which the whole house was, btw) and drywall
-Paint room (don't we all LOVE antique white yellowed after years of a smoker living in the house?)
-New computer Desk
-Toy Storage
-New light fixture

Living Room:

-New ceiling fan
-finish floor trim
-Paint trim
-toy storage (hmm...pattern?)
-Repaint coffee table

Kitchen:

(complete gut/redo)
-New cabinets/countertops
-Backsplash
-Tile floor
-Paint
-Remove pocket door and finish wall
-Box in fireplace
-Move door to pantry/mudroom to line up with exterior door

Pantry:

-Take out current shelving system
-Fix ceiling leak (when it rains really hard, we get a leak)
-Fix window
-Remove old exterior door
-Convert pantry to three piece bath (sink, shower, toilet)

Mudroom:

-Side note- this used to be the back porch that we closed in this spring to make a mudroom.

- remove stucco and old doorframe
-build up the floor
-insulate and drywall walls
-install washer/dryer hookup (hellllo first floor laundry!)
-tile backsplash behind washer/dryer
-tile floor
-add shelving/storage

Bathroom:

-Paint (I'm thinking a mint green)
-Remove wainscoting and install batten and board
-New tub and fixtures
-Retile shower
-Create a new vanity
-Trim mirror
-New lighting fixtures
-Retile floor?

Upstairs Landing:

-Remove wallpaper
-Paint
-Paint Trim

Master Bedroom:
-Paint trim
-Armoire for Hubs
-Hang Artwork
-New Rug?

Guest Room:
-Rip out plaster
-Insulate and Drywall
-Create a closet
-Add vent for heat/ac
-Get rid of nasty drop ceiling
-Lighting
-Paint
-Flooring?

Grayson's Room:

Before

After

 New tile on fireplace

 Carpet, insulation and pretty yellow walls

 Trim painted a nice chocolate brown

No improvements- Its the only complete room in the house :)

Basement
-Folding Station
-Purge
-Build Walls
-Slop sink

Attic (three bedrooms on the third floor)
-ORGANIZE.

Now obviously, this list isn't going to happen overnight.  The hubs is a contractor- so getting him to do work on our house after he does it in other peoples all day is sometimes a bit tough. But we'll chip away at it and get it taken care of.



Blogging with A Purpose: My Weakness

Happy Tuesday, Lovelies! Linking up again with From Mrs. to Mama for her 52 weeks of blogging with a purpose. This week's topic is all about my weaknesses. Geeze, Becky. This one is tough.

 

 

 

No, not because I don't have a weakness- we all have those. Its hard because I have to pick my biggest weakness from the list.  Speaking of the list let's see what's on it, shall we? I'm a procrastinator, I cant spell to save my soul, I try too hard to make others happy, I have problems saying no, big blue eyes (from a Daddy and a baby) make my knees weak and I give in every time, and according to my students they can bribe me with a can of coke and some chocolate. While these are all true things, I don't think they are my biggest weakness.

 

Mine biggest weakness is the fact that I over think everything and question myself. I lay in bed some nights hashing out situations and over analyzing and over thinking them worrying about my decisions and the outcomes- until morning comes and I've gotten zero sleep. Most of the time what I was worrying about is something so stupid, that I had no reason to worry in the first place. But I do. I stress myself out and make myself sick over next to nothing. A lot of the time it has to do with work and wanting to make sure I've said or done everything right so that no one can ever come back and say otherwise. Lately it has to do a lot with Grayson's speech- I keep wondering if I had read different books or talked to him more when I was on maternity leave or when he was a baby that he wouldn't need EI right now. I know that's silly, and I didn't "break" him or screw him up (not yet at least, haha) but Mommy Guilt coupled with over thinking can really throw you for a loop sometimes.

 

I hate it, and I'm working every day to try and stop doing it. I'm working with the mantra "You cant control it, so stop worrying about it". I'm a work in progress, but as my husband says that's what makes me fun.

What is your biggest weakness? Head on over and link up with Becky!

Summer Essentials- Beaching it with a Toddler

Taking a toddler under two to the beach or pool can be a bit nerve wracking...because you its easy to feel like your dragging a 20 ton bag through the sand.  It doesn't have to be scary or a workout, but it does have to be planned and a well packed bag is a must. I keep this bag packed and ready, then I just throw in snacks and a sippy and we're ready to roll.

Here is my list of must haves for beach travel with a tiny human.

1. Vera Bradley Get Carried Away Tote- I love, love, love this bag. Its big, but not too big, and its got just enough pockets to keep everything in place. Plus some of the pockets are lined in plastic to keep sippies and wet things from leaking. Its also versatile enough to not just be a beach bag, but can go anywhere and not be spotted as a beach tote.

2. Burt's Bees Talc Free Dusting Powder - the easiest way to get sand off of little ones is a bit of baby powder and this one is by far the best. Its talc free, so its totally safe for little ones and works like a charm.

3.  Planet Wise Wet Bag- I got turned on to the idea of wet bags when we were attempting cloth diapers and even though the diapers didn't stick around the wet bag definitely did. They are perfect to put wet swimsuits into after a day at the beach, keeping everything else in the bag nice and dry. I keep them in my diaper bag for the instances when we have a dirty diaper or wet clothes- just toss them in and I don't have to worry about it. Plus, the colors? Can't be beat.

4. Snack Containers- Babies play hard at the beach so snacks are necessary. I love this snack container from Innobaby because I can put four different snacks in and then we have a variety. I also toss a few other snack containers in the bag filled with fruit, crackers and other snacks so we can avoid the unhealthy options of beach concession stands. 

 

5. Johnson and Johnson Face and Hand Wipes- love these things. They're perfect for washing sand off of hands and faces before snacks and they don't dry out babies skin.

 

6. iPlay Baby Rash guard and Swim Trunks with SPF 50 Sun Protection- of course when we are out in the sun I slather down the kid with sunblock, that's a no brainer. But I also love to put him in these cute rash guards from iPlay that have built in SPF protection. Its just a little more peace of mind in-between sunscreen lathering sessions. The swim trunks also have a built in swim diaper- which is a nice bonus!

 

7. Honest Company Sunscreen- I love the fact that this sunscreen has literally no chemicals and is safe for babies UNDER 6 months old. That never happens. Its also hypoallergenic, unscented, not greasy, biodegradable, water resistant for 40 minutes, non-nano and vegetarian. Its perfect and we use it on everyone in the family.

 

8. MD Moms Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes- Not going to lie, these are a bit pricy; but the convenience is worth the price.  We all know how hard it is to hold down a baby to lather them up with sunscreen and get it all rubbed in. These towels make it easy to just wipe on a nice layer of sun protection in a quick swipe. I make them last by using the rub in sunscreen on backs and bellies, then swipe these over areas that are harder and more sensitive like faces, eyes and the backs of his neck. I just pop them in a zip lock baggie and seal to use during the next application.

 

 

9. Shade Shack Instant Pop Up Sun Shelter- I love this tent because it opens up so quick and folds up so small. I can use it without the hubs being there, so it also goes with us to many pool trips for a little spot of shade.

 

10. Stearns Puddle Jumper Life Jacket- Grayson hates the life jackets that zip up around his throat but Mr. Fearless also rip runs for the water while forgetting the fact that he doesn't know how to swim all that well, so a lifejacket is a must. Puddle Jumpers are coast guard approved, super cute and kids love them. We won't go to the beach or lake without one!

 

Other items that are on our must have list? Pampers Little Splashers swim diapers, hooded towels, and a sippy.

 

What is on your must have beach list? Let me know if my bag is missing an essential!

Did You Know July was National Vacation Rental Month?

This July, just like every July before it, we will be packing up and hitting the road for a little R&R. Growing up some of my best memories were made on summer vacations, and I certainly want exactly the same for the Grayson Boy.  Some of my best and earliest memories were of sand in my swimsuit and tasting the salt in the air. Since the kid has recently decided that the sandbox is the coolest thing since sliced bread, I knew it was time to head to the beach.

  

This year I knew we had to have certain creature comforts- gone were the days when we would pile into a hotel room and sleep on the floor and eat out every meal. Not only can that get uber expensive, it's also just not really healthy for the toddler to know how to order room service. Plus, knowing we would be going with my mother and my in-laws, I knew there was no way that we could all snuggle up in one room. We need our space and separate bathrooms. We are not that close of a group- if you catch my drift. So I knew this year we would be looking for an actual vacation home.  However I was really sad to give up the comforts of a hotel- like a concierge desk, Wi-Fi, Shuttle Services and oh yeah,  housekeeping. I really love the housekeeping. After all vacation is the one time of the year where I can throw my dirty towels on the floor and not make my bed and someone else comes in and picks them up, brings me fresh towels and makes the bed. I was not really ready to give up THAT- after all, it's my vacation too!

 

Enter Wyndham Vacation Rentals.

 

All of the space and amenities of a house like a full kitchen, multiple bedrooms and a washer and dryer in unit PLUS the creature comforts of a hotel? Sign me up!

 

Knowing I wanted to keep bean on somewhat of a regular routine, I had to keep a few things in mind for my search. He needed his own room, we had to have Wi-Fi for his iPad and I wanted a pool incase he decided he hated the salt water. Plus I wanted a place that looked family friendly, as I didn't want to spend the whole trip following him around terrified he would ruin the place. I also knew I wanted to book with a professional- no shady dealings going on here.  My in-laws would be traveling from Tennessee and we would be hoofing it from Pittsburgh, so we wanted somewhere either in North or South Carolina to kind of make it even on the driving or flying distance.

 

 I was thrilled to see that in the United States, Wyndham Vacation Rentals' properties range from private homes, resorts condos and villas in beach destinations such as Florida, South Carolina, Delaware and Alabama's Gulf Coast to mountain-side condos and luxury cabins in Colorado, Utah, Tennessee and Idaho.  While the condos in Colorado looked AMAZING this Mama needs a beach.  We decided to look at beach front properties in South Carolina, either Charleston or Hilton Head because we could fly into those fairly cheaply. Although I totally will be coming back to use Wyndham Vacation Rentals when we book our condo in Colorado for our ski-cation this winter.

 

Using the site was super easy, and it was super fast to find a house that met all of our needs. I hate when you put in that you need a house that holds six, but you end up with three bedrooms that have rooms that have two twins. No adult wants to sleep in a twin bed. Wyndham has a special feature in their advanced search to make sure you get exactly what you're looking for.

 

 

 What my search yielded was the most beautiful array of homes- here are a few of the drool-worthy possibilities we had to choose from.

 

 

 

 Um, I'll take them all?

 

Hubs, being the doubting Thomas he is, said that these houses couldn't be as good as they seem. But I knew that if we booked through Wyndham, we wouldn't have to worry because they we would be booking with a professionally managed vacation rental provider. Plus Wyndham Vacation Rentals® has this amazing "Vacation Rental Bill of Rights®". Which is basically a service pledge ensuring quality standards  including vetted rentals with accurate images, comprehensive customer service and real-time payment and bookings. Knowing it's coming from the Wyndham name that alone gives it a solid reputation, but having this Bill of Rights makes your decision to book through Wyndham Vacation Rentals easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.

 

The best part? Right now Wyndham Vacation Rentals is offering summer deals at up to 35 percent off nightly rates on bookings made throughout July at Wyndham Vacation Rentals website! So what are you waiting for, go book yourself a vacation rental and reward yourself with a little vacation- tell your hubs I said you deserve it :)

   

 



I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

52 Weeks of Blogging With A Purpose: Five Years from Now

Linking up again with Becky to talk this week about where my life will be five years from now.

In five years I know parts of my life will be vastly different, and some will be exactly the same.

 

In five years Grayson will be almost seven. He will be in school full time. That blows my mind. He's barely speaking, certainly not potty trained and is still so much my little man. In five years, he'll be a little independent person and I can not wait to see what the future holds for him. I know he'll be smart, funny and compassionate, I know he'll play sports, and I know he'll be amazing. Other than that, I don't know. I'm okay with not knowing, because I'll learn in time.

 

In five years I hope that we will be able to give Grayson a sibling. Two siblings may be pushing it, but I know I want at least one more child. I wasn't a good pregnant lady- I threw up at lease once every.single.day from the moment two lines appeared. I didn't complain, because in the end I knew it would be worth it. But I will admit that now when I think about getting pregnant again that is one thing that makes me shudder in fear.

 

In five years I hope we're in a different house. That one is tough for me to admit. We got engaged in this house, came home as husband and wife to this house and brought our baby boy home here.  We've spent countless hours working and improving our 1890's fixer, and there is still so much more to go. I love this house, its our home. However there are problems with it. We'll start with the fact that it has one bathroom, no driveway, and a lack of outdoor space. I grew up on 3 acres and now I'm a city girl, its a crazy transition. There are other things, but those are on the list to be fixed.  A new kitchen, dry walling the guest bedroom and playroom, putting in a half bath and laundry room on the first floor are all in our plans to complete over the next few years. We'll see what the future has. If we want to have three kiddos, we're going to have to move because we only have three bedrooms and we need a guest room.

 

In five years my husband could be on a different career path. Currently he works as a general contractor specializing in flooring. Not easy work, and as a self employed person he has no real pension or back up plan.  His dream is to be a fire fighter for the city of Pittsburgh- and that idea terrifies the beans out of me.  I know its rewarding and wonderful, but its scary to send your husband off to work everyday and not know what dangers he will face.  Of course if this is something his heart wants, I will support him 100% but I will be a nervous Nellie the whole time.

 

In five years I hope to be an even better Mother and Wife. Because you can always get better. I want to continue to make memories with my husband and grow closer to him in our marriage. I want to be a fun Mom who jumps in puddles and makes messes, because those are the things that will make memories. After all, they're only little once. I'm trying to deal with the messes better. Today my child finger painted and there are now red footprints on the floor. He was so proud of them, I've left them there to show Daddy. I am trying. Wine may help this.

 

I will still be teaching- and I will be finishing up my -ahem- eighth year in the classroom. I love my job and unless we seriously hit the lottery and I can be a lady of leisure all day, I will never leave it. Its far too awesome of a job to just walk away from. I torture teenagers daily and get paid for it. I do hope to become a better teacher, because just like being a wife and Mama, you can always get better.

 

I hope that I will still be blogging. I love capturing moments of our lives and sharing them. I hope this blog will grow, and I hope you all will stick with me through the crazy.

 

I hope that in five years someone will finally invent laundry birth control so that my laundry pile will stop multiplying and I can get a handle on it. Please tell me I'm not the only one who wishes for this?

 

I hope that I can say that 33 is a good age. Eep. That's a tough number to wrap my head around. Wine may help with that, too. Lots of wine.

 

 

Where do you see yourselves in five years, lovelies? Head on over and link up with Becky and join in the fun!



Important Info, Lovelies!

So Google Reader is history after today- how sad is that?  If that is the reader that you use to follow me on all my adventures of crazy, well after today that might be a bit difficult! You still have a couple of options- email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or my new fave reader- bloglovin!

 

Now you guys know I'm pretty terrible at technology, but seriously it was super easy to import all of the blogs I follow from google reader to Bloglovin. If I can do it, you can do it. Come on, I just joined team smartphone last week. Its that dire of a situation over here, folks.

 

 

Hope you're all having a wonderful Sunday-Funday! Someone sure got their fill of sleeping in this morning- he didn't wake up until 10 am!