It's coming!

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Micah's birthday is in about a week. Cue panic as I realize my house is a mess, I haven't finished his birthday gift, and I have a ton of food to make. I've only known this was coming for a year, you know. Not nearly enough time!

Thankfully, his birthday playmat is nearly finished (I'll be creating a post about that hopefully in a day or two) and most of the food I'm planning is super easy. Fruit kabobs and steak/veggie kabobs, and the best part - cake pops in the shape of cupcakes. Micah has been playing with the mold for a week, very excited about his cupcake, so I'm hoping he likes the finished product, too. This is the mold. For the price I just couldn't pass it up! I'm hoping to do red velvet, but since I won't have the funds to do a test run, fingers crossed that they work out like they should.



Today, I took Micah out in a spiffy little suit for his birthday announcement photos. I opted not to do a birthday invite card this year since it will only be family coming to the party, and instead decided to just go take some really fun pictures of him all dressed up. We didn't stay long - it was super hot, the location was in full sunlight so he was squinting a bit, and we had to wake him up from his carseat to get him out. He was still in a really good mood, though, and I got some really hilarious shots.


Kissy face!


Such a sweet little smile.


Acting innocent...we all know better.


I'm two!


My absolute favorite.

E-book winner!

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As surprised as I am by the lack of entries, we have a winner! Diana, please check your email shortly!

Pinteresting Wednesday

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It's that time again!I think we should have a St. Patrick's Day theme this week, don't you?







Source: youtube.com via Erin on Pinterest





Don't forgot to link up at The Vintage Apple!

On an entirely different note, I got the best thing today. I just ordered it on Amazon, so I won't know how much more I love it until it arrives, but just LOOK AT IT. It's awesome.



I'll let you know how much fun I'm having in a week or so, hah.

Pinterest - E-book giveaway!

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I received one or more of the products mentioned for free using Mom Blog Society. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

As an avid user of Pinterest, it isn't terribly surprising that I would be very interested in anything involved with it. As part of the Mom Blog Society, I was offered an opportunity to review a copy of an e-book based on Pinterest, and ways to use it to further a business. Be it a shop, a blog or a photography business, Pinterest can really work wonders to help you build an audience and reach hundreds, even thousands, more viewers than you would the old-fashioned way. It is such a valuable tool.

So when I came across an opportunity to read an e-book all about using Pinterest to build my readership, by Kim Garst, I jumped on it.



As a fairly new blog, my "brand" has not really been built yet. I don't have a ton of followers, or a steady posting on certain days of the week. I usually just do my best to drop in and post something that might be interesting once or twice a week. So using Pinterest to gain attention for my blog is key right now. As I read through the e-book, I found myself clicking back and forth between my Pinterest boards and the PDF so I could make changes as I read. Some of the hints were things I was already doing, but certain key points - like organizing my Pinterest boards so the most active ones were near the top on my profile! - were quickly implemented because they just made so much sense, I had no idea why I hadn't thought of them before.

Kim Garst is just awesome. She has taken a virtual pin-board that most would use as a bookmarking tool, and evolved it into a way to expand a business. Genius. You can find her all over the net!

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kimgarst
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/socialmediabrandinggal

So...would you be interested in getting a copy of this e-book for yourself? You know you want one.

So leave a comment! Name and valid email required so I can contact you if you win. Want a another way to win? Follow me on Facebook and get another entry. I will be using Random.org to choose the winner.

Good luck! Contest ends Saturday, March 17th.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Mom Blog Society. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Can we just skip the rest of the year, please?

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My poor little blog. It started off as a way to show some of the things I made that I found on Pinterest. Instead, I get to come here once a month and talk about how sick everybody is at my house.

Poor Micah. He's had one heck of a year so far. Strep in January, a stomach bug in February, and now in March he has a crazy bad cold. Fever off and on, tons of drainage, and a yucky, loose cough. I'm sure that's just what you wanted to know about, hah. My poor little monkey sounds like a heavy smoker, his voice is nearly gone so even when he cries all that comes out is a squeak. I miss hearing him laugh normally. I can't wait until his little immune system gets beefed up and we stop with the constant illness. It has to be daycare...right?

Do you know I have a project I downloaded last September, and then bought the fabric for in December, started sewing in January, and is STILL NOT DONE? And I keep buying and planning more projects! I clearly have a problem. But I really need to get this first project done.

On another note, I started the Pinterest Challenge with the SITS girls. I'm rather excited because it's my first time joining in with them and of course, Pinterest is, of course, a huge favorite of mine. I look forward to sharing what I look and enjoying Pinterest in a new way.

New cars, new carseats

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It's been one heck of a year so far, and it's only just begun.

Last weekend my husband was hit by another car, barely clipping his front end but ripping his bumper off and bending the frame. (FYI - Elantra's are not the most durable cars on the road.) So the last week has been a long process to find another car after our insurance paid off the balance with the GAP coverage, which I was very thankful we had. But after jumping through a heck of a lot of hoops to get a new loan, we are the proud owners of a brand new Dodge Nitro. I cannot recommend this car enough.



Back when I bought my Mazda5 (more on that in a bit), what I really wanted was a Jeep, preferably a Wrangler or Rubicon four door. Needless to say, they were just a tad out of our new parent price range. This Nitro is so similar to a Jeep for a fraction of the price. It's heavy, strong and durable, and very dependable. It's also surprisingly good on gas, and since my husband will be the primary driver, we likely won't be spending any more on gas than we did with the Elantra.

Somebody else really likes it, too. He got very excited the first time he rode in it. "Truck! It's BIG."



Along with the replaced car, we got a new carseat since you're supposed to replace them after an accident, even though it was minor. We originally had a Graco MyRide65, which was super cushy and reclined pretty far so he was comfortable enough to fall asleep without his head resting on his chest (which I hate - he just looks so uncomfortable that way.) I wanted to get something similar, but that could convert to a booster so it would last him at least a couple of years. Thanks to the insurance I was able to get a Graco Nautilus.



This thing is awesome. We put it in my Mazda5 instead and it fits perfectly in the bucket seat, and it will last him a really long time as it converts to a booster as well. We tried him out in it but he hasn't taken a ride yet, because he was tired and started crying when we put him in it before bed. Hopefully he will enjoy riding in it tomorrow. He really likes my Mazda5, and with the sliding door similar to a van it's the best car I have ever owned. It's comfortable for my size (I'm short at 5'2") and while in most cars everything is out of my reach, in the Mazda5 it's all perfect for the length of my arm and legs. It's the ultimate mommy-mobile, hah.

I guess all things happen for a reason! Now we have a much better, newer car and a fancy new carseat for Micah. But please, life, be good to us in March!