things i'm diggin

here are a few more things i thought i'd share with you...who knows, maybe i'll make this a monthly project - seems like that's the only way i actually get on here and blog!!

1. amazon subscribe and save - this feature is AWESOME for so many reasons. first, find your favorite items...so far, i've subscribed to pampers, gogo squeezes (portable fruit sauce - kellen digs these!), rice cereal and a couple of other go to snacks for kellen. you choose how often you'd like to send it (every 1, 2, 3 or 6 months.), can cancel anytime (even after your first shipment), free shipping AND 15% off the regular price. there are thousands of products - food and snacks, health and wellness, household supplies, personal care and beauty products, baby & child are products. how great not to have to run out to babies r us, the grocery store or target...instead, just have it delivered, for free and typically cheaper!

2. in honor of tax day - turbotax.com i've been using turbo tax for the last 9 years and it basically allows me to wait until the very last minute before sitting down at the computer and banging out those taxes. never a fun job, but turbo tax makes it easy for me!

3. wholesomebabyfood.com and onehungrymama.com - as i inch days closer to having a six month, the thought of feeding her some goodness other than her mama's milk is creeping into my mind. as i did with kellen, i plan on making the majority of her food. it's so much easier than it sounds and i actually found it very rewarding to steam up those great organic veggies and fruits, puree and then freeze in ice cube trays for a freezer full of fresh and healthy food for my babe. the wholesomebabyfood site was a good to site when i was making food for kellen. onehungrymama is one that i've only recently discovered in my quest to look for healthy and good recipes that i can make for the whole family. you see, kellen is a bit of a veggie snubber, so i've been trying to figure out ways to incorporate veggies into his diet and this site has a number of great meals that do just that! i love how you can search by age - so once maya is eating a wide range of foods, i'm hoping to pretty quickly transition her to table food so that we can all eat the same meal as a family!

4. csa's - community supported agriculture. we just signed up for our fourth season of our csa and while we're still a few months away from receiving our first week of veggies - i thought it'd be a good time to share with two sites with you all so that you too can sign up and embark upon a relationship with a local farm to share in the harvest and enjoy fresh, local fruits and veggies (another reason why it was so easy to make my own baby food - i had fresh, organic veggies delivered to my work weekly!). i'm lucky in that i have an option of two farms that will deliver my weekly harvest to my work - so it makes it super easy! most farms deliver to several different local famer's markets - so you should be able to find one that delivers to your neighborhood farmer's market! this year we actually decided to try out a new farm, really for no other reason than to check out something new! i feel a little guilty - like we are cheating on the farm we've gotten our harvest box from for the last three years - but i know that they always sell out their harvest boxes, so i'm just opening up a spot for someone else who has been wanting one! in fact, most farms sell out rather quickly - so if you are interested in joining a csa, i recommend you get on it fast! here's are a couple of websites that list local csa farms - Portland Area CSA Coalition and Local Harvest. my next quest is to find a farm that raises grass-fed beef and buy a portion of a locally and ethically raised and butchered cow. has anyone done this or have recommendations?

first swing!

our weather has sure been crazy - sunny and warm one day or hour and cold, rainy or hailing the next! this weekend, i took advantage of a stretch of sunny weather and a visit from uncle bry to take the kiddos on a walk to the park. once we got there, i realized maya was old and strong enough to be able to be able to give the old baby swing a try! luckily uncle bry had his iphone with him, so we were able to catch some cute shots of the girl swinging - i think she enjoyed her time!


and of course, because she's the second child...she only gets a minute of the limelight to herself. kellen had fun pushing her and then big brother wanted to swing, too. so we put them together in one baby swing...could they be any cuter swinging together? i don't think she minded sharing the spotlight, either!


thanks for the fun and the cute pics, uncle bry!

and speaking of iphones...i am upgrade eligible as of may for a new phone through work and the iphone is now an option. should i make the jump from blackberry to iphone? i know, i know...i'm so behind the times not having an iphone and i should be a no brainer - but i tell you, i'm not so sure i'm a fan of the touch screen keyboard! and really, do i need the iphone to further feed my internet addiction?

my girl and me!

i love her!!!

monthly project {four people times twelve} // march

ok - forgive...i'm a little late in posting this! once again, squeaked the picture in on the last day of the month - on our toy covered living room floor! at least i'm giving myself a record of what really goes on in this household - we must pick up these toys at least four times a day.

these pics were taken with the self timer feature on a wednesday (which i currently have off...sort of!), right as aa came home from work and seconds before we start the frenzy which is getting dinner on the table, a bit of play time and then bedtime routine before aa and i crash out just to start our crazy days over again. life with two babes is a whirlwind and to top it all off, i'm now back to work. started back on march 22 - 1 day after my girl turned five months - 5 MONTHS?!! how can it be. i have very mixed emotions about being back to work - on one hand, it is nice to have a bit of time to myself, even in all the craziness that is my work life these days, but on the other hand, i miss my babes so much and i know that this time flies by - my biggest fear is that i'll regret not taking this time to just be home. it's a topic of discussion near daily and really i take it day by day, sometimes hour by hour. we'll see what happens.


kellen has been testing boundaries, limits and our patience these days! we had a rough couple of days early in the month with lots of hitting (of me and maya), throwing things (at me and maya...including a 5 pound weight on the girl! ah.), and all around mischief. i realize that this is all part of his development, but sometimes it's all i can take! the 5 pound weight about took me over the edge! these outbursts seem to come in waves and i can see them coming by the glimmer in his eye and the devilish smile on his face. i've been really trying to focus on showering him with attention, which i think is part of why he acts out - he just wants some attention!

moving on...he's been loving gymboree these days, learned to climb out of the crib this month (yikes!), is really a big helper and LOVES sesame street, especially cookie monster and elmo! he's been adding to his collection of guys and things that have to sleep with him in his crib at night - currently there are the following stuffed animals: two monk monk's (monkeys), big T (teddy bear), teddy (#1!), lizard, doggie and duckie, two cookie monster diapers, his blanket and some assortment of books - anywhere from 3-8 different ones! he's such a funny and sweet boy! i simply can't get enough!

my maya girl...5 months - really almost 6 months! i'm falling more and more in love with my girl by the day. she's still super demanding - don't even think about putting her down and walking out of sight! and yes, i'm still sleeping all night with her in my arms and no, she isn't taking a bottle...which has been a bit of a challenge with me back to work. we are SO lucky that grandma jan has been able to watch her on mondays and that she's willing to bring her to me 1-2 times to eat. my sister has been watching her for about four hours on tuesdays and daddy has been home with her on thursdays and also bringing her to me 1-2 times a day to eat. that is all changing on monday when she will start in the little torch classroom at the stringer child development center at nike - same classroom that kellen started in a year and a half ago. i have such mixed feelings about it - feels like she's so young to be in group care (kellen started at 9 months), but it will be nice to be able to go over and feed her when she's hungry.

the girl is getting so big and learning new tricks - march 7 she rolled over from back to tummy. she's pivoting all around, reaching for everything, grabbing her toes and really expressing herself with her voice! poor girl had a terrible rash on her face the last month, but i think we finally found the trick to keeping her clear - grandma el's ointment (hate that word!). one of the main reasons for the rash - TWO new teeth. the first one broke through march 12 and the second one march 29. those babies are sharp!!! it's hard to believe that solid foods are right around the corner - where does the time go???

the biggest thing in my world has been starting back to work. i'm supposed to be working part time, but there is a tremendous amount of work to be done right now. i'm feeling more and more that i might as well officially go back to full time, since i'm working it anyway - may as well be paid. especially considering that once maya starts at stringer, i would have to pay nike to work at the part time hours! not such a great feeling! back to work, meant finally a new haircut! bye bye pony tail, hello shorter do! i loved it the first and second day, but i've been having trouble doing it myself and i'm starting to think i'm ready to grow out my bangs.

oh - the BOB's are finally on sale! now i just need to figure out which one i want to get - the orange with 16" wheels or the black with 12" wheels!


we've been on a bit of a pancake kick lately. we've been alternating between two different kinds - this recipe for perfect pancakes and a cornmeal pancake that's made with yogurt, whole wheat flour and well...cornmeal (along with some other key ingredients!). i make a bunch of little "baby" pancakes and kellen eats them right up with a little syrup on the side for dipping. the best part is we freeze the leftovers and have breakfast or snacks for kellen on the go during the week!

my book for book club this month was the day the falls stood still. a great read that i highly recommend. we all met up at flying pie pizza for pizza and beer on a friday night. felt so good to be out of the house on my own...it so rarely happens these days!

i'm drawing a blank on anything else that happened this month - may need to start a written log so that when i finally get around to this i'll remember what we were up to! i'll try to do better next month...but no promises! ha.

things i'm diggin

sometimes things are sooo good you just need to share! here are some things i'm diggin this month:

Cinnamon Bun ice cream by Tillamook

Cinnamon bun ice cream with sticky bun dough, praline pieces and a sweet streusel swirl. not normally a flavor i would choose, but sounded so interested and is OH, so good! (if you click on the link...please disregard the nutritional info...just enjoy the goodness!!!!)

Deal a day sites

i admit...i'm addicted! these sites post a deal (or more) a day and it's like a frenzy because of the "limited" quantity! i'm guessing many of these items are discontinued, out of season or overstock - but they have some GREAT things. reminds me of sample sales at work - people line up for hours ahead of time to score some great deals! some of my faves include: babysteals.com (1 new deal each day), kidsteals.com (1 new deal each day), greenbabybargains.com (1 new deal each day), mamabargains.com (multiple deals throughout the deal, 1 at a time, random), hautelook.com (multiple events on high end brands every day for women, men, kids and home) and gilt.com (another high end site with multiple brands for women, kids, home and gifts...they also have a travel and mens site). if you decide you want in on the action - and haven't registered at hautelook or gilt, let me know because if can send you a link and i think we'll both score some cash if you decide to make a purchase! fair warning - these sites can be addicting...they have some great things to buy!

Relish Meal Planning Service

i read about this on another blog that i read regularly and let me tell you - it's pretty cool! every thursday, they have a new menu with 15 different options. lots of variety - veggie, kid friendly, quick, etc. i believe they also have a gluten free version. anyway...you choose the 4 meals you want to make that week (or more if you want) and then download the shopping list for the week and all the recipes. if you don't like the options for that week, you can look in the archives of hundreds of recipes and choose those. the feature that i think i like the best (besides the shopping list!) is that you can submit your own recipes and then select from those as well. i've entered many of my favorites and they format for you in just a couple of days. oh and you can also adjust for the number of people you are cooking for - 2, 4, 6 or 8 and it adjusts both the recipes and the shopping list. super cool and makes grocery shopping easy peasy and eliminates the nightly grind of what are we going to have for dinner. i am loving it and i haven't even fully utilized it on a regular basis.

Etsy

i'm sure that many of you know about this site of handmade goodness! i just love looking at all the inspiring things that are on here and have made several purchases. very cool to support the individual artist/crafter and get unique, often one of a kind goods in return! things i've purchased include prints for kellen's bedroom, birthday crown, superhero cape, baby announcements, customized notecards, maya's baby book, reusable produce bags, and a big brother to be shirt for k. you can save favorite items and favorite shops. there are thousands and thousands and oh so much eye candy! also lots of inspiration. i found the design for kellen's first birthday invites on etsy, then made them myself!

some things i have my eye on include: these sweet prints, these notecards (would look so cute to have a few framed!), this happy birthday banner, possibly these decals for maya's space, poms (although i think i can make them myself!), and this awesome stuffed digger. there is so much more...but i couldn't possibly list it all! watch out...etsy can also suck you in!

that is what i'm diggin - what are you diggin lately?

you who!

as i mentioned in the post below...we took the kids to a kids rock variety show at the kennedy school last month. it's called you who , and was started by a member of the decemberists who wanted something fun for parents and kids to do in portland. it is held the last sunday of every month and i highly recommend it. it was a great time! there was a face painter, a little art project (noodle and paper flower leis), and lots of dancing, music and fun. we fed the kellen before we went, but you can order pizzas and drinks and eat it in the ballroom. they have all the chairs and tables which are normally in there for the movies around the edge of the room.

before the main show there were two owls, which i think is their mascot, that came out and danced with the kids. kellen was not too sure about them. he wanted to look at them, but not too close! we weren't sure that he would let the lady paint his face, but he marched right up and asked for a tiger. so cute!

when the show started, a guy came out to introduce the various musical acts. he was dressed up in a french attire, spoke with a french accent and was carrying a baguette. he broke off a piece of the baguette and threw it at the crowd. where did it land? right at kellen's feet...but someone else grabbed it. after the next act, he threw another piece and lo and behold...that piece of bread landed at kellen's feet. this time he was not going to let someone else snatch it away from him. he gnawed away at that piece of bread the whole show and loved every bit of it. the next act, all the kids ran to the stage calling for pieces of bread and he threw it all out to the crowd. kellen looked up at us and said, "i already got my bread!". i think it may have been his favorite part of the show = the piece of bread that landed on the nasty floor! our baby girl was a trooper - she hung out in the ergo the entire time and we really didn't hear a peep from her. she even tolerated the ear plugs that made her look like a baby shrek!

our little camera sucks - the flash is so bright and washes everything out so bad...and i'm just too lazy to correct it right now! it's all i can do to get these posted! ha.

i see in may the dandy warhols are playing - maybe we'll have to check it out again. one thing to note - the final act was a little loud. they sell earplugs, but if you have a little one who is sensitive to sound...it might be a little too overwhelming. we actually ended up leaving a bit into the final act, mostly because we were way past naptime...but the loudness was a bit much at the end!

monthly project {four people times twelve} // february

we squeezed in a family foto on the last day of february! seems like such an easy task, but one that just doesn't happen unless you make it happen! it's too easy for one of the kids to be sleeping, to not have showered and be looking like crap or just not having the energy to wrangle two kids for a pictue.

these pictures were taken at mcmenamins kennedy school. we took the kids to a concert aimed at kids & parents called You Who!, which was very cool and requires a post of it's own. afterwards aaron and i ate pulled pork sandwiches from podnahs. the kids were both sleeping, so we picked them up to go and pulled into the parking lot of whole foods and enjoyed them! aaron loves pulled pork sandwiches - it's almost guaranteed that if there is one on the menu he'll order it!

kellen is really coming into his own - oh boy that boy is really learning how to push all the right buttons! he's so cute though and daily he does something that will just melt your heart. i taught him how to give eskimo and butterfly kisses - he thinks butterfly kisses are particularly funny. sometimes we'll be laying on his pillow before bed and he'll turn to face me real close with both of his hands on my face and rub noses. my heart becomes a puddle of goo right there!

oh and he started calling me mom this month. MOM! with attitude. mostly it's still mama or mommy, but every now and then it's MOM! or even sometimes Angie. seriously?! some of his favorite phrases include, "not right now!", "two more minutes" (even if we offer five! ie. bedtime in five minutes.), "more in there?"

this month our household was down and out with the flu and colds for about 2-3 weeks. it was bad! maya seemed to start things off with a slight fever and a little bit of throwing up. her case was MILD compared to kellen who started throwing up on a thursday and didn't stop until sunday. the kid is now skin and bones because he literally sustained on water/juice and applesauce for a week. aaron also got taken down by the virus and didn't emerge from our bedroom for about 36 hours. i don't know how i escaped (knocking on wood), but i did! let me tell you, it was a LONG week though. i thought it would never end. on one of the worst days when all three were sick, i think kellen watched 10 hours of sesame street. no mom of the year awards for that day!

sweet maya finally started laughing! kellen and i were being silly and dancing/singing to the freeze song and she busted out a little belly laugh. super cute! she had the one episode and hasn't done it since. i guess we havent' been funny enough. you know i'll pull out the freeze dance song again if that's what it takes for me to hear that giggle! she's still being SUPER stubborn about taking a bottle. aa says she laughs in his face and then gets pissed. we've tried many different kids, all with no luck. this makes for a stressed out mama who is going back to work part time in 2.5 weeks. makes my heart race just thinking about it.

it was my month to host book club this month. it gets even trickier in our small house with two kids to entertain, but we managed! aaron and kellen went over to visit uncle adam and baby bennett, while maya napped a bit and then enjoyed being held by all the ladies! i made brunch for dinner - spinach and pancetta strata and mushroom cheese frittata, along with bacon, fruit and my homemade cinnamon rolls. we discussed the movie the blind side and then had a gift exchange. kind of random to have a gift exchange, but we usually do one in december for the holidays and last december we decided to buy gifts for kids. we ended up missing the little gift exchange and decided to do it this month instead! fun to get a little gift randomly.

we had fun making heart sugar cookies with kellen on valentines day. he LOVED putting the sprinkles on. i attempted heart shaped pancakes but failed miserably! it doesn't work to just put the cookie cutter on the griddle and pour the batter in - the batter sticks to the cutter and the cutter gets HOT!

kellen went to the dentist this month and for the first time had his teeth actually cleaned! he did so good and we learned a few tricks that have been making our nightly teeth brushing and flossing routine go a little easier. now he just needs to learn to spit!

people are telling me that maya is starting to look more and more like me. not sure if it's true, but i'll take it!!

the BOB's still have not gone on sale at rei! errr!! i even went in and chatted up the sales people - they would just tell me that it would happen soon, but wouldn't give me a date. that was a few weeks ago!

it seems near impossible to get one good picture of the four of us! the first five pictures were self portraits and none were all that good. the second two were taken by andi and we just couldn't get both kids to look at the camera! we'll see if we have better luck next month. either way, i'm happy to have the pictures - imperfections and all!!!