Shutterfly Giveaway

Oh man what a weekend! We had so much fun celebrating Mag's half birthday with Aunt Breeyn. We had cupcakes and sang happy half birthday, it was a regular hootenanny! And of course I have pics to share...

Isn't the bib scrumptious?? Just one of the A-dorable presents from Aunt Bree

A cupcake for my cutie! (no Mags didn't eat it, just in case anyone was alarmed)

Too precious for words

And also, in case you were wondering I did in fact make my self imposed deadline for Mag's six month photo book and if you're interested take a look here. I learned a lot during the process and I would love to make another one for her next six months, but I will try to not procrastinate this time and do a little bit at a time.

And last but definitely not least, if you are looking for some free Valentine's day cards, look no further. I have a gift code for 25 free personalized Shutterfly cards. Here's the card that I made.

Filmstrip Red Valentine's Day Card

Create personalized greeting cards and invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

If you are interested in joining the giveaway just become a public follower of my blog through GFC and leave a comment on this post letting me know that you are following. If you are already a follower, just leave a comment letting me know. In order to get these cards (hopefully) in time, I am going to end the giveaway on Friday, February 4 at 12am. The winner will be chosen through Random.org.

So that's it for now folks, hope this finds you well!

Valentine's Day?

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So with the end of January I start to think about next month and the first thing that pops into my head when I think about February is Valentine's Day.

Over the years I have heard a lot of people complain about Valentine's day. That's it's a stupid commercial holiday created by the card and candy companies and that it shouldn't really count. I can appreciate that it shouldn't be considered one of the big holidays, but I think a holiday created just to celebrate love....what's so bad about that??

I am of the belief that you should try to express your love everyday of the year, but I think it is especially wonderful to have one day set aside to really do it up. Valentine's day lets the tough, unemotional guy or girl have a day when they won't feel embarrassed to express how they really feel. It reminds the beleaguered married couple that they should carve out some time for themselves and cherish the relationship they have. And it helps the family that gets so caught up in the day to day, with a small conversation heart that helps remind them to pause and appreciate the ones around them.

I haven't always had Valentine's on the actual day, but those years I tried to be the best Valentine I could be to myself. And that's important too. Take a moment to stop and remember that you are a part of the equation too, and that you deserve a cut of the love as well. It may sound cliche but if you aren't nice to yourself then you can't really be that nice to others.

Overall, I don't really see why anyone would have that big of a deal with Valentine's day...It's really just about being nice to those around you, appreciating each other and finally love. Because all you need is love....

So for this Valentine's day show someone that you care with a card or a gift. And if you are lucky enough to be on the receiving end of one if these don't forget to send a thank you card.

6 months old

So I am a day late with this and pretty late in the day because I am fervently working on a digital scrapbook for Mags and I am under a bit of a time constraint. When we got our Christmas pics with Santa, we got a gift certificate to Shutterfly and I only have until the 31st to use it. I have run into a few problems with the program I am using, but I think I have fixed most of the problems and things are going pretty smoothly, but like I said I am in a bit of a rush....Nothing like waiting till the last minute, eh Mom?? So in the interest of time, a relatively short month update and I will fill in whatever I missed later.

We made it!!!! The half way mark....I just can't believe it. I honestly feel like just yesterday I was a huge pregnant lady and now I'm the mom of a wonderful little 6 month old. Some people consider this the end of the infant phase and I guess that means that we now have a a full on baby. I am really enjoying this stage so far and I know we have so much more to look forward to.

New things this month:
- We are very quick to flip from our back to our tummy when we are put on our playmat and we have even flipped on our left side a few times. Occasionally we flip back from our tummy to back, but that is rare.
- We are eating cereal twice a day, oatmeal in the morning and rice cereal (yep it's back in the rotation) in the afternoon.
- We will be introducing veggies tomorrow and first up is good ol' green beans. This should be interesting.
- Sitting up time increases just about every day and we can sit for quite sometime barely supported by the boppy pillow.
- Still wearing 6 month clothes, although the 3-6 months are starting to get a little snug. Guess we will be moving up to the 6-9 months soon.

So we are heading to a new pediatrician (the last one was just a family Dr. and wasn't cuttin it in my eyes) and we will get the official stats then. Other than that just the same old, happy, beautiful and wondrous little girl! And in case you need some photographic proof, here it is....




Hope you are having a great Friday and that you have a great weekend!

Absolutely Fabulous

Thanks to Trop 50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 fabulous wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to help grant a friend's wish!


Hmmm my top five bloggers...although I have many blogs that I really enjoy, it isn't too difficult for me to pick a top five. Basically they are all Mommy blogs, because that is where my head and heart is right now and I love to see and hear about other moms' experiences.

So here they are...

#5
Here we go...
This is an awesome blog written by first time mom, Kristi, mainly about her daughter Nora, who is only a few months older than Mags. I find that I can relate very well to things that Kristi is writing about and sometimes I find myself going back in her blog to see what she was doing when Nora was this age or that age. It also doesn't hurt that Kristi is wicked funny and I find myself cracking up all the time.

#4

I love Jenni (from the blog). Again she has two adorable little tikes and her youngest, Brynn is just a few months older than Mags (yep there's a trend). She also hosts this really fun meme, Your Three Words, that I love to link up to. She also lives locally so we share in our Phillies' love!!!!

#3
Cleared for Takeoff
Another of my faves is this blog, about the life of a pilot's wife as told from Katie's perspective. Katie is really cool and her daughter Ellie Kate is adorable. I never realized how difficult the life of a pilot's family could be until I started reading this blog. Also, Katie is super creative and she always has some great tutorials on lots of intersting things.

#2

And here she is ladies and gents, the woman who started it all (well my blog that is). As I've stated before, I stumbled upon "Blair's" blog when I was preggers and she inspired me to start this little venture. I love how open and honest Blair is and her little Harrison is practically edible he's so adorable. Blair is also uber funny and that always sweetens the pot!

And Finally......(drum roll please)

#1


What can I say? This blog inspires me so much. It makes me want to be a better mom, a better photographer, a better crafter, knitter, fashionista, friend, wife...I think you get the gist. You can't read one of Kelle's post and not walk away feeling inspiration, love, wonder, energy, life. Needless to say her daughters Lainey and Nella are beyond words precious and it's so easy to see how much they are loved. This is the blog that I aspire to have one day, and if not at least a pretty good looking knock off.

So there you have it. This time last year I was completely ignorant of these wonderful little pieces of the interwebs and now I can't imagine what I would do without them. They help see this experience of motherhood in a completely different light and I am better for it.

Hope you are having a stupendous Wednesday!

Don't forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to support a friend's wish. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

Your three words

It seems like every time I turn around now, my little, amazing girl is attempting some new feat. Whether it's actually jumping in her jumper (the first time she was in it she just swung around) to flipping herself from her back to her tummy and back and forth....to the piece de resistance yesterday and today when she..... clapped. It might not seem like much to some, but I am ecstatic!

The first clapping sighting was yesterday while I was changing her diaper (I am not sure why but this is also where she started blowing raspberries...I guess she does have a pretty captive audience while she's on her changing pad). Kind of out of nowhere she just started "clapping" her hands together. I don't think she was applauding ol' mom for the stellar cleaning job of the VERY messy diaper, I just think she finally made the connection with her hands. I tried to encourage her to continue, but no dice.

I figured that might have just been a fluke but then she did it again today, also on the changing pad. What a genius! She has always loved when her hands are clapped for her and lately she likes to put her hands on mine when I am clapping. So I guess it was just a matter of time before she attempted it on her own.

Other recent accomplishments....
-eating her oatmeal like a champ and leaning forward for more
- turning herself around in her exersaucer
- finding ways to get to toys that are a little out of reach on her playmat
-sitting up without assistance for longer periods of time

I can't believe all that has occurred in just six little months and I can't wait to see what else is coming up!

Hope you have a great weekend!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Link Up

Hmmmmm what am I loving on this actually sunny, and "warm" Wednesday?

• The fact that the hubs was home with us for the past two days (lots of fun).

• That there are only 8 more days till Mag's 6 month birthday (yep we're celebrating).

• And that means that there are only 10 more days till my bestie comes for a visit.

• Today I am loving that I got a lot accomplished around the house, including laundry folded AND put away, dishwasher emptied, bottles washed, more laundry started, general tidying up...

• And of course I totally loving on our beautiful family and my awesome little girl....
  

This girl? Totally loving on her jumper. She is a jumping fool!

Look at her adorable hippie pants...Thanks Grammy!

Hope this finds you well!

ONEder

So awhile ago I told you guys about the mommy blogger that inspired me to start my own blog. And since then I have encountered a lot of talented, inspirational women, who like me are trying to navigate the tricky waters of motherhood.

One such amazing mommy blogger that I stumbled upon a couple of months ago, is Kelle Hampton of Enjoying the Small Things. I'm sure some of you have heard about her, but I chose to spotlight her now because her beautiful daughter Nella is turning one this weekend and Kelle is asking for a rather unusual birthday gift.

Nella was born with Down Syndrome, which came as a quite a shock to Kelle and her family. After sharing her grief in a touching and moving Birth Story, Kelle bounced back and decided to rock out this amazing opportunity that had been handed to her to step outside of her old comfort zone and really and truly appreciate the big and small things.

Today Kelle and her family are asking her readers to help the Down Syndrome community with a "little" fundraiser. Well it started out little, with Kelle putting the goal at $15,000 (which she expressed some anxiety over), but within four days Kelle's family, friends and readers had smashed through that goal and raised over $50,000. The tally is now at $68,000 with a goal of $75,000.

If you have a minute I ask you to watch the video below. I think it really helps to put it all into perspective and then, if you can, donate. Start the year off right, by giving to those truly in need of our support.




And I can't leave you without a little Mags...I don't have my camera back yet, but my awesome in-laws lent me there's until I get mine back. Seriously I was starting to get the shakes from the withdrawal.

Hope you're having a great Monday!

Your three words

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I could have even add Brigantine to it and really gotten the alliterative juices flowing, but alas a three word limit...

Yep you heard right people, it is is January 14th and we are heading to the beach this weekend.

The shore house is finally finished and we are heading down with the in-laws to break it in. The last time we were there the house was just about finished in terms of construction. Now it's completely finished and even mostly furnished. We are going to help unload a couple of the last pieces and then spend the night on Saturday.

I really think that this may become my second favorite beach getaway (don't worry Mom, OCMD will always have my heart). I feel so lucky that we get the awesome privilege of having many great places to go in the summer. As I've explained before, I LOVE the beach and that is something that I can't wait to share with Mags.

So I still don't have my camera, but hopefully the hubs will let me borrow his because I definitely want to document this!

Hope the week is treating you well and also have a wonderful weekend (ahhhh alliteration).

Heart of Gold

Where were you this time last year? Where were you when you heard about the devastating earthquake that almost decimated Haiti?

I can't say that I can exactly recall how I heard about it, but I do remember watching the news that day and being visually overwhelmed by the images of the mass destruction. I could not believe that it had happened. Immediately following the disaster I also remember all of the relief efforts that began and all of the amazing stories of people trying their hardest to help the situation. There were so many efforts but as the time has gone on the interest has somewhat dwindled.

To say that Haiti is still in desperate need of assistance would be an understatement. That is why I am so delighted to promote the Heart of Haiti project.

These Haitian artisans are using raw material to make beautiful art pieces. From their website "This initiative offers the first sustainable income since the earthquake, enabling artisans to repair homes, pay school fees and feed and clothe their families. With steady income comes better nutrition, improved education and access to healthcare."

They are not asking for a hand out, they are working to make their futures brighter. These artists are using their creativity to help mend what is broken.

You can find out more information here http://bit.ly/HeartofHaiti-ShopforABetterWorld




I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

I'd like to thank the Academy....

Woot Woot! Thank you to Heather over at Mommy only has Two Hands for awarding me the....


I wish I could take more credit, but the true praise should go to Angie over at Strosgirl's Designs. All I did was give her some colors and the scrapbook feel idea and away she went.

There are 4 duties to perform to accept this award:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

7 things about me

1. I am a true Scorpio through and through.
2. I can clap like a seal. (Basically I can clap with one hand...I can flap my fingers and they clap against my palm...weird, I know)
3. My favorite meal is Chicken Divan and I have it every year for my birthday.
4. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher since I first went to school.
5. I love the beach, but find most beach towns depressing in the winter and therefore would not want to live there year round.
6. I was working in the Magic Kingdom on 9/11. Here's the story.
7. I want my daughter to always know how much I love her and never for a moment doubt that.


Ok so now the really hard part...choosing only fifteen stylish blogs from all the amazing blogs that I have been lucky to find over the past couple of months.

So here they are (in no specific order)...

1. Jessica's Coupons
2. The White Whimsies
3. Surviving a Teacher's Salary
4. The Coupon Scoop
5. Just Married with Coupons
6. Marine Parents
7. Our Kids Mom
8. A Little McD
9. Mia Ma Miah's Diaries!
10. Reviewed by Mom
11. Simply Cintia
12. Adventures of a Thrifty Mom
13. Cooking for Little Fingers
14. The Nutritionist Reviews
15. Baby Lovin' Mama

Hope everyone is having a marvelous Monday!!

Your three words

A Look Back

What a difference (almost 5 months) makes. I am still without my camera so after taking some silly pics of Mags today, I took a moment to look back at old pics and found the first pictures, taken when Magster was about 2 weeks old.

It's been 5 months, but I remember that day like it was yesterday. That was the my first day all by myself with Maggie. My mom had been with me for the first week and it made the transition so much smoother. But I have to be completely honest that first day by myself, I was pretty anxious. My mom had been there for any question I had and to help me with everything. Now I was on my own. I was responsible for this little being and she depended on me for everything. Somehow I made it through, with a couple of tears and a lot of smiles.

Flash forward to today and so far what an amazing experience it has been. I have been so blessed that I am able to stay home with little Mags and I really am thankful for that every day. It hasn't always been easy, but nothing worthwhile is. I get the opportunity to watch this little girl grow and blossom.

Speaking of growing, we tried oatmeal for the first time today and I think we have an oatmeal lover. She ate almost twice as much of the oatmeal than she has ever eaten of the rice cereal. It might have been a fluke, so we will see.

This weekend we are keeping it pretty low key. Tomorrow we are doing some shopping and returns. Nothing too exciting, but I like to use the winter to recharge.

What are your weekend plans? Hope that this finds you well!

Update-amundo

Oh my goodness, new year and lots of things to update....

Still can't believe that it is 2011, where has the time gone??? So how did our fam ring in the New Year? Mags made it till 9:45 and Bri and I made it to 10:45pm. Yep partay animals!!!! New Year's day we went and visited some family. Maggie surprises us all the time because we (well I) worry that she will be cranky if she doesn't follow her routine and nap schedule, but 9 times out of 10, she is really flexible. That day she missed a nap but you would never know it. She was the entertainment and she charmed everyone. Everyone was so impressed with her behavior and we couldn't be prouder.

Sorry the pics are a little craptastic. They are cell phone pics b/c I am still without my camera :(.
Oh and the last one, she was wearing really cute pink tights but she got a little hot so we took them off...I swear she's not nekkid and also that's how she's sucking her thumb these days...isn't it adorable????

Another new development on the home front is that we started Maggie on solids. We started with brown rice cereal and right now it is has been slow going. We started giving her 1Tbsp, but that seemed to be too much for her, so we reduced it to 1/2 tbsp. We have been doing that for the past two days and today she did seem to eat a lot more of it. We will probably try the rice for a little bit longer and then see how we fare with oatmeal. Brian's mom seems to remember that he wasn't that fond of rice and preferred oatmeal, so maybe Mags is taking after her Daddy...

Other than that I decided a few months ago that the new year would be the end of the unhealthy eating habits that I have had my entire life. Sounds kind of like a resolution right? Nah...this is a lifestyle change. I have a daughter now and I will not let her grow up seeing me uncomfortable in my own skin. I want to be a role model for Mags and I want her to be proud of me. But even more than that I want to be proud of myself. I have struggled with my weight my entire life and for once I would like to just be done with it. I had it under control a couple of years ago, but I gained a lot of the weight back while pregnant. Luckily I have a super supportive hubby who is joining me in this journey because we both want to be a good example for Maggie.

So as you can see, lots and lots of things going on. It is all great things though and right now I feel so blessed and thankful for everything.

Hope you're enjoying your Tuesday evening!