100th Post...woohoo!

Well, I've made it to 100 posts! I can't believe that I have made it that far in only 6 short months. It really is a major milestone for me, and I certainly could not have made it this far without my wonderful readers, like you! You don't know how much I appreciate your continued support. I love to write this blog "on the side" and sometimes life gets overwhelming, but I appreciate all of you sticking in there with me and staying around. This is something that I have grown to love even more than I ever thought I could. I can't wait to see what the next 6 months hold! I hope to share many more products and ideas with you. Thanks again!

A Few Business Items {Potty Party, Live Giveaway, Upcoming}

Last Thursday, after a long day's drive, I found myself sitting in a rocking chair on the back porch of a house overlooking the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico where I would spend the next 5 days on vacation. I love the beach and was so ready for some time away after the crazy end of school year. Several words came to mind as I sat there in that rocking chair at the start of my vacation. Peaceful. Relaxing. Beautiful. No internet. WHAT?? No internet! This was something that I had not anticipated. I brought along a laptop anticipating that I could have some quiet, peaceful blogging time each night after everyone had gone to bed. After all, I had one day left of TOTALLY SPECTACULAR potty training stuff to give away for my Potty Party, along with a ton of other awesome things. I could not be without internet for five days! We were staying in a friend's beach house and, to be honest, I really didn't think to ask about an internet connection. I figured at the very least I'd have to plug the computer into the wall. No biggie. Everywhere is wired these days. Little did I know that the beach house was really just about like camping without the bugs. Quite rustic. No TV. No AC (except for a small window unit). And no internet. Now let me say that I am in no way complaining! It was actually kind of nice to get away from everything for a little while. It's not often that you find yourself somewhere without any kind of connection to the outside world (okay, so my BlackBerry did work most of the time, but that doesn't count...). However, because of my unintentional five day blogging vacation I have a lot of catching up to do. Needless to say, I will be extending the Potty Party just one more day until tomorrow. Throughout the day I will have three great things to share with you to end the potty training items: a large wet bag from The Patacake Baby, custom fit training pants from babybayrs, and the piece de resistance...a Boon Potty Bench! I mean, what good is a potty party without a potty? Look for all of that great stuff by the end of the day tomorrow!

On another note, I have some other awesome giveaways already going on right now that I feel were a little neglected due to my unintentional blogging vacay. First, I have a LIVE GIVEAWAY for some adorable initial applique ruffle leg training pants. Silly me, I didn't set a specific starting time and it's already gone on for several days. I'm going to CLOSE the giveaway (at post #75) until 7:00 PM CST tomorrow night, June 10. At that time it will resume and hopefully we'll have a winner! The winner will be comment #167. Thanks to everyone who has entered so far! Check back tomorrow evening and comment away!

I also have another great giveaway going on of CuteyBaby Wall Decals. There are about a zillion different designs of vinyl wall decals, and at least one sheet is bound to be perfect for your little one's room(s)! Ada of CuteyBaby has also offered the winner the option of having their child's name added to the decal sheet of their choice. The entry guidelines are super simple and right now I only have 3 entrants! So...that means great odds for you. Check out the giveaway and follow the directions. And, just for entering, you will receive your own coupon code for 50% off any set of decals; Ada will e-mail you pretty much immediately with your code. That's a savings of $30! So, even if you don't "win" you'll still be a winner for sure! Check it out here.

Finally, in the next several weeks I have a ton more great items to share with you including super cute summer styles for little ones and handy and stylish mom products. Be on the lookout!

Thanks for sticking in there with me guys. I have the best readers ever and thank all of you from the bottom of my heart!! I have received some awards in the last several weeks and will also be working on getting all of that info up. If you've given me an award, I truly appreciate it and thank you so so much!!

That's all for now...see you tomorrow!

I survived! {Now back to the fun stuff}

Well, I survived another school year!  First, let me say that I appreciate you all sticking with me the last several weeks around here as it has been, well,    s   l   o   w.  What I did not anticipate in the last several weeks is that this would be the most chaotic and stressful end of the school year so far!!  Up until the last day (Thursday) it seemed like the school year was never going to end.  Anyhow, now it has (for the most part anyway...), and it's time to get back to the PARTY!  Starting this evening I'll have a great potty training "tool" to share with you every day until the end of the party (in addition to the great giveaways going on right now for training pants and the Potty Princess kit).  In the coming days I also have some other awesome giveaways and reviews to share with you including LOTS more children's clothing, the Baby Dipper bowl, Vincent shoes, Timeout Circle, The Spoiled Mama baby wash/lotion, MomSpit, and MUCH more!

Again, thanks to everyone for hanging in there.  The last few weeks have not gone as I had anticipated and it has taken a little longer to get back in the swing of things.  However, I can assure you that the next several weeks will not disappoint and I'll have a lot of great things to share with you this summer :)

On a side note, another area of stress, my husband being laid off from work, has been relieved as well.  He will be starting a new job on the 8th and I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words, prayers, and thoughts!

Here's to a happy and fun summer for all of us!

Back to Work!

Well, Spring Break has ended and it's back to work tomorrow. I always get so irritable and antsy the day before I go back when I've had a little break! However, I am thankful that I am in a profession where we are allowed these nice breaks throughout the year. I truly think that it is for our sanity and the childrens' safety that teachers and students get the breaks we do throughout the year...LOL.

Anyway, throughout this break I have become more aware of some things I'm not sure I would have ever become aware of were I not a working mom. I have always found that since I am away from EG all day during the work week, I truly appreciate every second that I spend with her. Now, I'm certainly not saying that stay at home or work at home moms don't appreciate the time they spend with their kids, but I know that working keeps it at the forefront of my mind all the time. The highlight of my day, every day, is picking her up in the afternoons. I am just as happy to see her as she is to see me. I also find that I try very hard to make the most of the time I spend with her in the evenings, on the weekends, and during breaks. Sure there are things that have to be done like grocery shopping, house work, etc. But, I still try to include EG in those things by taking her with me to the grocery store rather than leaving her at home (even though that would be much faster and easier at times!!) or letting her "help" me with chores around the house. I just love spending time with her! I think that maybe if I stayed at home it might be easier for me to take for granted the time I have with her, but working makes me realize how precious it is. One day maybe I'll be able to stay home with her full time, and if that day comes I know that my experience as a working mom will have done nothing but help me to appreciate staying at home even more.

Even though we were not able to go on vacation this Spring Break, it has been one of my favorites so far. Also, since my husband is not currently working due to being laid off, we were able to spend time together as a family all week. It has actually been one of my favorite Spring Breaks so far! We have had more fun together this week than in the last few months combined. We've been to the park, on walks, digging for worms, planting flowers, to the zoo (so fun!), and just enjoyed sleeping in. Loving life right now!

Just some thoughts from a mom trying to feel better about going back to work tomorrow...

I think it may have worked :)

Timesaver Tuesday: When to Work

If you need to finish working on something (that truly can't wait until tomorrow), go ahead and stay a little bit after work to finish it rather than taking it home.

Every minute I am late after work makes me feel a little more guilty. Because of this I try to leave school as quickly as possible in the afternoons. Usually, this isn't a problem as long as I utilize my planning period appropriately. Lately, though, I have had a lot of paperwork to complete, and I have more than I can finish during planning. Although I feel guilty for staying late after work, I have found that the same task that takes 30 minutes after work will take twice as long (if not longer) if I take it home. Thus, it actually takes more time away from my family when I take work home. At home, EG always ends up fighting with the computer for my attention (who can blame her?) and I end up in a bad mood because I can't get finished. Also, it isn't fair to her, when she hasn't seen me all day, to pick her up from daycare and then ignore her for an hour! It is better for all of us if I just stay a little longer at work and then enjoy the rest of the day with my family, not having to worry about work or find time to get something done.

Image source: http://hr.ucsb.edu/icons/work_life.jpg

A Child's Eye View

Oh what I wouldn't give to see life through a child's eyes all the time...

Being a working mom, I want to spend every moment outside of work with my family. Most days I like to just relax and enjoy the time at home, but when I have a day off (as I did yesterday) I usually use that time to get things done that I'm often too tired to do after work. One of those things I "had" to do yesterday was spend some Gymbucks that I accumulated from Gymboree before Christmas. Luckily, I had a friend to go with me who basically babysat EG while I shopped. Let's just say that EG is not the best toddler shopper (not that I know many who are...we're working on that). I usually pay 5.00 to rent the "really cool" Princess car stroller in hopes that it may entertain her longer (that would SOOOO be worth the money) but still end up carrying her or chasing her most everywhere. Yesterday was much the same except that, thankfully, my friend was there to wrangle EG this time! So as I was at my wits end trying to shop and keep an eye on them I finally checked out and was ready to leave. On our way out, my friend Kate wanted to stop in Victoria's Secret. Since she had been so wonderful and patient with EG I wanted to let her shop a little (even though I was not so secretly wanting to run away from the mall and never come back). It was while she was shopping and I was chasing and fighting with EG that I started to think deeper about the way she was acting. She was acting just as I would if I were her...acting like a toddler. I took her outside of Victoria's Secret to let her walk around a bit and decided to put myself in her shoes for a moment. I don't know what made me think to do it, but I tried to think about what it was like to be her. I noticed several things that I found to be quite valuable to keep at the forefront of my mind when we go out in the future. And then I realized how wonderful it would be for all of us to see life through a child's eye every once in a while!

First, it's no wonder why they wants to grab, touch, pull, climb, etc. everything in the store. They've never been around it before. And even if they have it's a place that's definitely different and more exciting than home. She had never been to Victoria's Secret before and seen the lotion bottles, lip glosses, glittery underwear (LOL), etc. in her entire life. Everything in that store was a new, exciting adventure waiting to happen! Wouldn't it be wonderful to look at everything as new and fresh and exciting?

Second, I realized the reason she likely wanted out of her "super cool" stroller was because she couldn't see all of this new and exciting stuff. Especially since it was almost completely enclosed. It wasn't because she wanted to irritate me, she simply wanted to see and explore everything. Not that a regular stroller would have been any better, but I probably wont be buying the car stroller any more as it, obviously, was not worth it!

Finally, the most profound observation that I had during our outing today was that she is absolutely free from all prejudice. Everywhere we go she loves to say "hi" to everyone. This was the case yesterday too. Every single person who passed by got a friendly little "hi". It didn't matter if they were Hispanic, Asian, male, female, tall, short, skinny, in a wheelchair, etc. She simply sees everyone the same. As a person worthy of being greeted no matter their skin color or clothing or anything else that we often judge people by. It made me realize that prejudice is something we teach our children, not something that they are born with. I hope that she never learns prejudice, at least not from our home. I can only dream that one day people will not be judged before they are known. Maybe we should all put on our "child's eye" glasses once in a while...

Now, I must admit, none of this information is a brand new revelation for most people reading this, nor was it for me. But, it was just interesting how it all came together for me yesterday. Is it going to make future shopping trips any easier? No. I didn't learn any secret magic tricks, only that you should take your toddler to the mall at your own risk!

Life's Simple Pleasures Abound!

It all started with my 15 month old's first dentist appointment. Now, I know you're wondering how this could be any kind of "pleasure" but it truly was. I got to spend a beautiful day with EG that was full of many "simple pleasures". Usually I don't keep track of such things but today caught my attention for some reason. It all started when I remembered on Friday that her appointment was on Monday and I would need to take the day off to take her. Yay for the fact that I would be able to spend that day at home with EG (and have a long weekend :) ). But, if there was one thing I would change about my job it is the ability to be able to miss work and not have to find a sub and write lesson plans. It takes more work to be out for a day than it does to just be there and work! So, having not remembered her appointment until Friday, I had to frantically find a sub and scribble some lesson plans after school. Come Sunday though, I was very thankful for the day off! Simple pleasure #1...check.

Now on to today...one of my favorite things to do is to sleep late and snuggle with my precious little girl. I got to check that one off first thing this morning. We laid in bed and read stories and watched Jack's Big Music show until it was time for us to get up and get ready for the day. Her appointment wasn't until 10:30 so we had a very lazy morning. This was simple pleasure #2.

Simple pleasure #3:
Living in Alabama, we don't have a lot of the "winter weather" that is experienced in many other parts of the country. And, when we do, it really isn't welcome (unless it shuts down the city and gives all of us a day off...LOL). When it's just plain cold, we mostly just complain. Our local news has been reporting that this week would be the coldest we've had in a long time including lows in the single digits (*gasp*). So as I bundled EG up and got us in the car I was listening to the radio. They were warning drivers to be careful because the morning fog had frozen and caused patches of ice in some places. I have to drive over one of our "mountain" (I put that in quotes as I am sure that for many people, Cecil Ashburn Dr. would hardly be a mountain) roads to get to the dentist so I was already thinking "great". But, lo and behold, as I reached the top of the "mountain" the scenery made me feel like I had been magically transported into a fairy tale like winter wonderland. The trees were sparkling so beautifully and looked like they had been dusted with silver glitter. It was absolutely the most beautiful sight I have seen in a very long time. Usually when we have ice it is thick and heavy and causes branches to droop and power lines to fall. But, this frost in the trees from the frozen fog was simply awe inspiring. A beautiful, sparkling, dusting of frost. Unfortunately I was rushing to the dentist, a little late as usual, and didn't have my camera with me so I couldn't stop to enjoy it more! However, what I was able to see and enjoy as I drove past was wonderful. This day was already getting better.

Simple pleasure #4:
Getting to share yet another milestone with EG; her first dentist appointment. She got to have her little picture made and everything...haha. I easily could have let me husband leave work and take her to the dentist so that I didn't have to take off the whole day (and he certainly would have obliged) but I would have missed out on this "first" and didn't want to do that. Sure she screamed and tried to bite the dentist, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Simple pleasure #5:
Getting to each lunch with my mom and hubby! Obviously, teaching school I don't ever get to go out and eat lunch with anybody so it was nice to eat with them for a change :)

Simple pleasure #6:
Getting a catalog in the mail that I wait for every month...silly, maybe. But, it still made my day a little happier!

The list goes on and on and on but I wont bore you with any more little things that thrilled me today. I simply write all of this to say that I'm sure most days are filled with life's simple pleasures but it is up to us to look for them, recognize, and appreciate them. I don't know what made me be so observant and thankful today but I'm sure glad I was. God has truly blessed my life! Now, I challenge each of you to take the time each day to find the joy in things, even the things that may not seem so joyful at first, and keep track of them. I feel confident that it will make your day a little brighter!

Making the Most of 2009

If you are anything like me, you have never been able to keep a New Year's Resolution in your entire life. Every year I make one, and every year I end up breaking it before the end of February. This year I made a resolution to not make any resolutions (okay, technically I guess that's still a resolution but that's beside the point...). Instead, I am simply going to go into 2009 with no expectations, no timelines, no lofty goals other than to make the most of the year. Nothing specific, no set weight loss goals, no "read x amount of books before (date)", no work out 30 minutes each day, nada. All I want from 2009 is to make the very most of the time I have. Being a working mommy, I don't have near enough of it, so making the most of the time I do have is super important. Over the last 15 months since I've had my daughter I've collected a plethora of ideas, tips, tricks, products, etc. that help me to save time. So, to kick off 2009 I am making a list of some of my best advice on making the most of your time and a I'll also share a few "must have" products. I hope that you would leave me some comments with your great ideas and products too. Here goes (in no particular order):

My best working mommy advice:

1. Always leave work at work. There will always be something to stress or worry about, but stressing and worrying don't change anything. Don't waste family time worrying about work. This is a hard one for me!

2. There is no such thing as having 'too many pictures'. Snap away when you're with your kids! I keep a small digital camera with me at all times, and my BlackBerry also has a little camera (more on the BlackBerry in a minute).

3. Find the right caretaker for your child during the day. Keep searching until you are 100% confident, no matter if you choose a home, daycare center, nanny, etc.

4. Eat dinner together as a family as often as possible. It's proven that families who eat together, stay together.

5. Cut down on TV time to actually play and be present with your children.

6. Loosen up on schedules. The only time I have with EG during the week is in the evenings and we don't have a strict bed time. I don't try to keep her awake by any means, but I don't rush her off to bed at a specific time either. Sleep experts somewhere are probably cringing at that thought, but it has worked for us!

7. Here's a new one for me...don't put on shoes and socks until you reach your destination. At about 14 months, my daughter's favorite new thing in the car was to tear her shoes and socks off and throw them (where I can't find them of course). By the time we had reached our destination I would have to go on a treasure hunt and then put them back on her all over again. Now, I just let her ride in the car in her bare feet and put the shoes and socks on when we get where we are going. This way I don't have to put them on twice.

8. Read together every day. It doesn't take that much time to read a children's book, and the time it does take is worth it. Not only are you spending priceless snuggle time together, but you are fostering a lifelong love of books and reading.

9. Enroll in an evening or weekend class together. We've tried out a couple of classes and our favorite is Music Together. EG loves music so this was a good choice for us. Also, it is near our house and is only 45 minutes once a week. These classes create built in time focused simply on spending time together. Search for a class or group in your city that is in an area you already enjoy. Some you might want to check out are mommy and baby/child yoga classes, play/fitness classes (Gymboree, Little Gym, etc.), and music classes. Bigger cities also have parent fitness classes that include baby, like Stroller Strides.

Some of my favorite "must carry all the time" products:

1. Moleskin notebooks (or any brand really...I just prefer this one for ease of use, style, and durability) - Probably the single most thoughtful gift I ever received from my husband was a mini moleskin notebook and a set of cute mechanical pencils given to me last Christmas as a gift for when I started back to work. They were given to me with the instructions to keep them in my diaper bag and write down any special thoughts or moments I had with EG. This way I could transfer them at some point to the computer or baby book or wherever, but I always had something with me that I could jot down important things.

2. The Snack Trap - This little contraption speaks for itself. Flexible "trap" top lets little fingsers easily get a few snacks out while the rest stay in, even if dropped. Less mess for on-the-go snacks. Couldn't live without it!

3. Mini video camera - This is a new "must have" that I received for Christmas and boy am I so glad I have it. I don't always have time to get together and carry around our main video camera all the time, and, let's be honest, it's just not practical. And, more often than not, we are somewhere other than home more often than we are at home during the week. These little gadgets easily fit in a diaper bag or pocket and let me capture anything I want to on the go! I love it! There are several options on the market; I have the Kodak zi6 (which you can get in a cool bundle at Walmart for a great price) and think it's fabulous! Other popular styles are the Flip cameras: Mino, Mino HD, and Ultra.

4. BlackBerry Curve - I LOVE this phone so much and I don't think I'll ever switch (except maybe to the Storm if it ever comes to T-mobile)! This is definitely a time saver because I have my calendar, e-mail, contacts, TwitterBerry, Facebook, etc. all right there in my pocket. And, in a pinch, it also has a built in camera and video camera (granted they are not that great, but definitely better than nothing). I love the whole BlackBerry line but the Curve is my favorite because of the full keyboard which makes for easy texting and Twitter-ing.

5. "From the mom of..." Notes - I love these because I don't have time to write detailed notes in the mornings. I'm always running out the door at the last minute, rushing to get EG to daycare and make it to work on time. I'm not a morning person. So, I couldn't live without my "From the mom of..." notes that already have the information you write on every note already there. It already says your child's name, your name, contact numbers (so the daycare doesn't have to look them up if there's a problem), and e-mail address and all you have to add is your note. It's not like it saves 10 minutes, but every second counts during my mornings. I also make my own template in Photoshop Elements and print several out to keep in the car, rather than buying expensive customized notes. If you'd like my template, let me know! I'd be glad to customize it and share it with you!

Hope these lists give you some tips for making the most of 2009! Best wishes everyone!