Look at me! Look at me! So proud of myself, I’m ahead of the game for tomorrow. Eva is all set with her first selfie, and I’ve got the blog post up on time!
Pic one is her selfie, Picture two is how I had Dan set her for when M finds her.. With the home Steeler game, he was up way earlier than me!
Eva was just hanging out on our counter eating Maddy’s Eat N Park Smiley cookie. Which Maddy yelled, “No, no E Bee!” when she found her. So much for not being bad. We quickly remedied that by saying that Eva would share her cookie with Maddy. When we got home from our downtown adventures today, Eva had eaten her half. Thankfully Dan took Maddy down to the car, while if finished gathering our bags and stuff on the way out the door and made that happen in the meantime. Finn and Hailey wer happy to help me accomplish this. 🙂
Here is today’s pic:
So, let’s just say I was torn. I really wanted to do the Elf on the Shelf and have the fun and wonder with M, but that elf just totally creeped me out. I refused to use that thing. So we improvised. I purchased an elf from TookensTale on Etsy, and we took the Elf on the Shelf book out from the library.
Dan actually suggested the name, and we have been prepping M on and off for a few weeks.
Dan and I made a calendar last week, with different ideas that we wanted to use. We are taking turns every other day to help Eva (or E Bee as M calls her) get to her new location.
We are trying very hard to not have Eva do bad things and as M grows older we will use her as a kindness elf and have her suggest to M to kind things for others. Right now she doesn’t get that as much, but we will still stay away from the more mischief things in the meantime.
“C”lue-Pinterest has tons and tons of links to different ideas. I have pinned some of my favorite to an Elf on the Shelf board. Check it out here
“L”ink-Want to buy your own adorable Elf on the Shelf? Check out TookensTale.
“T”houghts-So my goal is to post pics every day of Eva and her adventures. I will do my best to remember and to do on time. I might not have a full blog post every day, but I will try to post pics. Here is arrival day on 11/28/2014, just hanging out in her box (that I wrapped so I can reuse each year) on our tree (or as M calls it, Ho Ho’s tree):
So we started out as a Book Club, and technically we still pick 6 books a year, but we only spend about 10-15 minutes of our about 3 hour chat sessions once every other month talking about the book. We talk about clothes, movies, TV, our families, our jobs, and just pure gossip sometimes…and we are all okay with it.
I’m doing my Clues, Links, Thoughts out of order this time…you will soon see why…
“L”ink
A week or so ago, one of our “Club” members emailed us all this link. It’s about a book club that read over 200 books in 17 years. We all laughed…and then I decided I would write about our club. Even if we try to have that many books, no one reads them all. My mom is probably the closest. She was a librarian though and has that librarian guilt that once you start a book, you need to finish it. We have been together almost 10 years. Had members come and go, but we are a pretty solid group these days. Three of the ladies are around my mom’s age, four are around mine. And we mesh perfectly. Every once in a while someone misses … a cold, a sick kiddo, prior engagement, but we try to keep pick a day when most can make it.
“C”lue
So when I told the Club I was going to write about us, I asked for their favorites that we have read. Some are the ones that every book club in America has read, some are not. I’m sure there is a bunch that I have forgotten, but these are the ones that stuck out for the group. Some we wouldn’t have read without the group, some that some of us still haven’t read.
Harry Potter-J. K. Rowling
The Help- Kathryn Stockett
Gone Girl-Gillian Flynn
Trust Your Eyes-Linwood Barclay
Glass Castle- Jeannette Walls
Various books by Jodi Picoult
Various books by Augusten Burroughs
“T”hought
Yes my mom was a librarian, yes I enjoy reading, no I don’t have time anymore. I will when M is older…maybe…maybe not. So I don’t usually sit down with a book in my hands. That doesn’t mean I don’t like listening to stories. I get most of my books for club from the library for free and get them as books on CD. I travel a lot for my job and this is one way I can actually finish the books we pick. Errrr…I mean CDs. Except for the last two…
So today marks my 6th Wedding Anniversary, and since Dan tends to get the shaft on my Blogs and M tends to get all the attention, I figured I would focus this blog on our relationship and this celebration!
We have been together 9 year this October…dated for a year, engaged (at Light Up Night/Santa Spectacular) for two and married for six. We have been through so much, and as much as I tease him, I know I’m blessed. Who else would put up with my craziness? Those of you that know me well know he is the balance to me.
We have been through so much as many relationships have…one of our biggest…we work together (and do the exact same job) which has its own tests (in fact we were a recent topic on a recent local radio show). Yes, it is possible to work with your husband or wife and still get along. In fact we met here. Maybe that helps. The passing of Dan’s father, the passing of two of my Grandmothers, infertility issues, the birth of our beautiful girl, raising that strong willed, smart, beautiful girl. The list could go on and on. Our relationship isn’t the same one we started with. We have grown and it with us. Did I mention I am blessed?
Don’t get me wrong, we fight, we argue, and sometimes we go to bed mad. But in the end we love each other and we are in this relationship to make it work. A few months ago I came across this blog and I truly agree. http://themattwalshblog.com/2014/05/29/wife-person-married/ We were blessed with not just each other but great role models. Our parents, grandparents, siblings, and aunts and uncles who have had long and happy marriages. And don’t get me wrong here either. My one set of grandparents was divorced in a time when divorce was just not done. It happens. Sometimes there are things in a relationship that are just not “fixable”. Are you tired of the blessed word yet? Too bad…I’m blessed to be in a relatioship that things are fixable. Everything that Dan and I go though we will go through together. For not just the next 6 years, but the next 60…
So traveling with kids is totally different at any stage, but the same too. Last week we took a trip to the beach via plane travel just the three of us, and here are a few things I found at this stage. Some were about me, some were about M and some were about my hubby. Hope these “C”lues, & “T”houghts will help other parents prepare before their next trip. I will try to throw a “L”ink in here as well…
-So what happens to your makeup during a trip??? I got up stupid early for the plane trip going and coming home. Both times I still took extra time to do hair and makeup and by the time I got to my destination I looked like a sweaty hot mess. I usually have makeup on at the end of a normal day, where does it go on the plane?!?!
-Dan and I have this balanced parenting down pretty well (except for one crazy trip to Target during the trip where we both were ready to ship her back to PA) and if one of us was frustrated, the other one does a pretty good job of having patience. It’s good for us, and good for her too.
-There isn’t much “mommy’ alone time on a trip with a 2 year old. I’m okay with that, just a fact, but something I forget sometimes. It’s true for Daddy time and M time too. M needs her alone time too. She still likes to parallel play and not really group play, so she enjoyed her beach time and digging in the sand by herself.
-On that note, everyone needs naps. M doesn’t sleep so well away from home so it took her until like the last day to sleep in the pack n play through the night. The other ones she ended up in bed with us in the middle of the night. Which meant she woke up earlier. Isn’t that what vacation is for anyway? Naps?
-You have a kid? Southwest is a great airline choice. The bag policy is needed because they have so much “stuff” and it’s great not having to pay for bags. The flight attendants were super nice to M and even though she lost her “wings” somehow on the way home, she still enjoyed the flights.
-Skip the nicer restaurants. Everyone will have a better time in a more relaxed environment. I don’t care if it’s on the beach, I don’t care if the food is high end, I just want to enjoy my meal. One of my favorite meals was at a place called BurgerFi. Check out the menu here. They are getting one where the train ride is in Ohio (See here for that post). Looking forward to getting some burgers before we go to the next ride. Fresh burgers, awesome fries, and giant onion rings. Nothing better.
-Never underestimate the kindness of strangers. Most people like kids and have patience with them. Especially other grandparents and parents. I can think of at least two great situations on this trip where I was worried that M was making too much noise and acting crazy. Both times, strangers reminded me she is a kid and most people understand that. I know that, but in the moment sometimes you forget.
-Nothing irritates me more than someone using a “Family Restroom” or the larger stall in the bathroom that has the changing table and is handicap accessible that doesn’t need it. A healthy 20 something year old male walked out of the family restroom that I had been waiting for a while in FLL. By himself and his luggage seemed to be his only handicap. I was not amused.
The most important things I found? Don’t forget to download the Disney Junior app before you go, a pack n play can be your best friend while trying to contain your kiddo in an environment that isn’t baby proof, and one good strong margarita makes everything better.
Happy Travels to all!
So, we all know I’m a Trader Joe’s fan. I like Whole Foods, but I just like Trader Joe’s better. Now if Trader Joe’s would put a store in Robinson, I would be the first one in that store. No seriously. I would probably take the day off from work.
I was talking with my sister-in-law last weekend about the Whole Foods vs Trader Joes debate this weekend and then I got an article in my email the Monday after. It was a sign that I needed to write this post. It didn’t hurt that I had to talk Dan out of buying some pre processed sauce with all kinds of crap in it that I couldn’t pronounce when we were at Target this weekend. He was not happy with me.
“C”lue-My favorite part of the whole article? “Trader Joe’s claims the following for all products under the “Trader Joe’s” brand name (which is a large percentage of food sold there): “The finest quality, natural ingredients.” NO artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, NO MSG, NO added Trans Fats.” Are they all healthy for you? No, but they are a heck of a lot better. I didn’t promise I would only eat fruits and veggies this year, just promised I would eat things that are better for me.
“L”ink-Want to read the full article? Check it out here. I have mentioned the app fooducate before. It rocks. Again I don’t use it for every single thing, but when I’m looking for a better juice/yogurt/bread it’s the first place I check.
“T”houghts- I had to talk Dan out of buying some pre processed sauce with all kinds of crap in it that I couldn’t pronounce when we were at Target this weekend. He was not happy with me. I don’t have time to read every single label out there, but I try when I can. And let’s be honest. There are some labels I don’t want to read. For example…I love me some Smarties candies. I don’t want to know what is in there. They are just good.
So, I have been getting a lot of questions lately about how I save money on a trip to Disney. So here are some of my best “practices”. If you have specific questions on your trip, I’m not a travel agent, but always willing to talk Disney and give my opinion if I can! We plan on taking M as much as we can. Not always for a full week, so that is a big money saver. I’m okay with going down there for a long weekend. Don’t get me wrong, it’s sad to leave on a shorter trip but if it gets us there more often, I’m good with it.
“C”lue- My biggest one is to go off peak season and the Fall is our favorite time. They usually do some dates with the “free dining plan”, and that is another money saver. If you are going to be down there for some of the days that qualify, you can split your trip up and get the free dining for part of it. Their Halloween event at the Magic Kingdom is phenomenal and it’s Food and Wine festival at Epcot. I know that the older kiddos are in school, and my mom (a retired teacher) will kill me for this, but take them out of school if you can.
“L”ink- The Chase Disney card. This website gives you both options. The pay one will sometimes “pay” for itself within a few months, but you need to look at both options to see which one will work better for you and your family. You can rack up “Disney Dollars” and those can be used to pay for your trip and/or things onsite. The one with an annual fee you can use towards flights as well.
“T”hought- It’s always a debate for us on whether to stay at the Value resorts and upgrade to the dining plan with one sit down meal and one quick service meal (YES! You can do that and just pay the difference!) or to just stay at a Moderate Resort and get the dining plan we want. My best advice on this one? Ask the people at 1-407-W-Disney or your favorite travel agent. They will price out both plans for you. I never try to do it myself on the web. They can do it quicker and somehow always get me better pricing than I see anyway.
Hope this helps and honestly, I’m always open for a Disney talk if anyone has other suggestions or questions!
Time for another giveaway for the kiddos! Click here to enter!
Feltabulous Creations sent me one of their fishing pond play mat roll-ups to review and to give one away!
I love quiet activities for M because she is ALWAYS on the go. This worked great for when we were eating out and waiting for our food to come. It’s nice and compact and fits easily in her bag. It’s great to practice M’s fine motor skills and can practice her counting and colors while “catching” the fish.
We had it with us last week while out for Dan’s birthday dinner. It was awesome! Kept her busy the whole time while we were waiting for the food and so I didn’t have to give her “snacks” before the meal came. She was then still hungry when it came time to eat and I actually got to eat a warm meal! What is better than that!?! I’m looking forward to having it for on the plane when we head to Florida later this month!
Feltabulous Creations has some other great products too. Check out their Etsy site here. I LOVE the crayon and marker wallet, and of course the Disney treasure box book.
Feltabulous Creations is offering a 10% off anything over $16.00 until 8/10 friends of The CLT Diaries only!
Use this coupon code on Etsy: 10POFF16D
You must use capital letters!
You can also follow Feltabulous Creations on Twitter @Feltabulous
*I was reimbursed in product for this review. The review of this product is my own opinion.
Photo Credit: 5/5 EightyFour, LLC/Getty Images
And I don’t ask for it nearly enough. I started this blog to give out clues and tips but sometimes I just need to write. Today is one of those times…
I’m not “Super Mom”…we all try to be, and for those of you women that aren’t moms try to be “Super Women”. Admit it. You try to do everything on your own, from work at the office to work at home to time with friends and family, but it’s not possible to get it all “done”. When we do try to get it all done something falls through the cracks. This past weekend one of my Aunts said to me, “Your facebook makes me tired! How do you do all that stuff with M on the weekends?”. The answer is I’m not sure.
At the beginning of the year Dan and I made a sort of bucket list for 2014. It wasn’t so much of stuff that we HAD to do, but wanted to do. We love going out and about with M on the weekends and when we don’t want to just run to Target and to dinner we look at our list and see what we can cross off. I don’t like to just sit. In fact I can’t. When we are watching TV, most of the times I’m multitasking by paying bills, making coupon/shopping list or running laundry. It drives Dan nuts. Especially when he has to pause in the middle of a show we are watching so I can run down and check the laundry.
I am so lucky that I have my parents and family around to help with M so much and Dan is awesome about helping at home, but sometimes you need that extra help. A few months back we started getting the house cleaned once a month. In my head I battled with it. Did we really need to spend the extra money? Why can’t I keep up with it myself? The truth? I just can’t and I would rather spend the time I do have with M and Dan. We have a little over 2 ½ precious hours with M every night and then about 1 ½ together before I fall asleep. Like I mentioned earlier I tend to spend our time together paying bills and doing laundry. I don’t want to spend our whole weekends cleaning the house. Yet it still makes me feel guilty and I won’t ever get that feeling to go away…except for that one time a month (like today for me!) when I go home and walk into an awesomely cleaned house all at once. 🙂
So if you are a “Super Mom” or “Super Woman” don’t hesitate to ask for help. As much as we would all like to, we can’t do it ALL by ourselves…just most of it!
And if you want your house awesomely cleaned, Call Mike at Bellotti Clieaning…Facebook page and contact info here.
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