Post It Note Tuesday

Since first running across this idea many weeks ago, I've wanted to do my own installment of Post It Note Tuesday. Originated by the one and only Supah Mommy, Post-it Note Tuesdays are a great way to sum up everything that's on your mind in one little note. They can be lighthearted or satirical. Heck, if hubs' habit of leaving his wet towel on the bathroom floor has got you seeing red, use a Post It to vent. Basically, anything goes---just be creative and have fun!
















What will you say today?

Menu Monday

Now, I'm no June Cleaver or Bree Van de Kamp (make that Bree Hodge for any of you Desperate Housewives aficionados), so finding the time to prepare made from scratch dinners five nights a week is just a bit too ambitious for me. Between the endless diaper changes, the laundry pile so high National Geographic called wanting to schedule an expedition to its summit, and the three trips to the store to purchase that one item I forgot the first two times I was there, dinners need to be must be simple. The fewer the ingredients the better and minimal preparation is key! As all good moms can, my mom read through me faster than a teenage boy with his first Playboy and shared with me her collection of Kraft magazines. If you've never flipped through an issue of Kraft's Taste of Home or Food & Family, you need to add one to your cart the next time you're in line at the supermarket checkout. The magazines are not only full of simple to prepare meals, but ones that will satisfy even the hungriest of husbands. And, though it's been a while since my last one, recipe postings are back---only under a different title. Menu Monday will feature a tasty, and most importantly, simple recipe that will take center stage on my family's dinner table sometime during the week. So go get that mani-pedi you've been wanting, watch that tv show that's been on your DVR since early January, or spend a little more time playing with your kids; I've got dinner covered!

Easy Chinese Stir-Fry

Prep Time- 10 minutes
Total Time- 25 minutes
Makes 4 servings (1 c. each)

What you need:

1 tsp. oil

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into thin slices

3 carrots, sliced

1/3 cup KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Make it:

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat and carrots; cook and stir 5 min.

STIR in dressing and hoisin sauce; stir-fry 7 min. or until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

ADD onions; cook 1 min.

SERVE with rice or noodles.

What's on your menu this week?

Flashback Friday

Borrowing this idea from a friend, I thought it would be fun for Gillian Grace to one day look back and see pictures of Mommy, Daddy, family, and friends from way back when.

Taking you all the way back to 1980...

Mom (Gammie) and Me
Can't help but laugh at the surprised look on my face.

The weather is supposed to be beautiful these next few days, with temps in the upper 60s and plenty of sunshine. Looks like Spring has sprung! Enjoy your weekend!

Follow Me Fridays

Not one of the millions with a Twitter or Facebook account, I am always looking for new ways to meet fellow bloggy friends, and so for the first time, I am participating in a Blog Hop hosted by the Trendy Treehouse.

To participate all you have to do is write a quick post about Follow Me Fridays and visit the Trendy Treehouse to link up. It's that simple!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Penny for your Thoughts

It's that time again...time to go shopping. And as much as I wish I was writing about an upcoming shopping spree at Bloomie's, sadly, it just isn't so. Instead it's time to hit the local baby stores for a few new items and I need your help finding the best products available.

Convertible Car Seats
Crammed into her current car seat tighter than a Kardashian in her skinny jeans, it's time to stop mushing the tush and purchase a new car seat with a little more real estate for Gillian Grace. But with hundreds of car seats with favorable reviews on the market, I'm not even sure where to begin. Can you help? What brand of seat did you purchase for your lil' one? Were you happy with it? What was the price? Would you purchase it again? Have friends or family members purchased a seat you would recommend?

Teething Toys (Sophie the Giraffe)
This toy gets more press on Mommy blogs than George Clooney at a neighborhood PTA meeting, so what's the deal? Besides being French and difficult to locate (I've called every baby boutique in our area), what makes this toy such a must have for teething babies?

Sippy Cups
A while back, I posted about Gillian's newest endeavor---drinking from a sippy cup. Although I still stand behind the afore mentioned Playtex Sipsters, these cups are simply too big and, once full of liquid, too heavy for Gilly's small hands. Another problem is that the Sipster's spout is so different from a bottle's nipple that it seems to confuse Gillian Grace. Instead of sucking, GG gnaws on the spout until she becomes so frustrated at the lack of flow that she tosses the cup to the floor. Which, as you may have guessed, is the end of that. What is your favorite brand of sippy cup and how did you help your wee one learn to drink from one?

Your Baby Can Read
If you have ever been awake scanning the television channels in the middle of the night (and what Mom hasn't) then you are probably familiar with this product. For years I've succumbed to products that lured me in with lofty promises only to wind up disappointed and a few dollars poorer. And as an educator, I must admit that I am both intrigued and skeptical of this program. Understanding that a baby's brain develops at a phenomenal pace, I agree with the program's main premise---"The best and easiest time to learn a language is during the infant and toddler years...when the brain is creating thousands of synapses, or connections, allowing a child to learn both the written word and spoken word simultaneously." I've watched the infomercial dozens of times and spent time perusing the website, as well as reading online reviews. The mixed reviews on the program have given me pause as to the program's overall effectiveness. Never having spoken with anyone that has actually used this product is yet another reason why the credit card has remained tucked way in my wallet. Have you heard of this product? Have you used this product yourself or know of someone that has? If not this product, what strategies, products, and/or programs did you find helpful when teaching your child his/her first words and letter recognition?

Other Products
Every mother has them, the go-to products that they can't imagine living without. For me, it's GG's Chicco DJ baby walker, Floppy seat cover, and our Bumbleride Indie jogging stroller. What are your favorite baby products?

Be sure to give me your two cents...

Not ready for an evening in the ER, giving Gillybean real pennies was simply not an option. So a jumbo penny it had to be. And yes, I did have a little extra time on my hands today, don't hate!

Wordless Wednesday

And the award goes to...

ME!

Worn out from the five a.m. wake up call courtesy of the newspaper delivery man's bad aim and another day doing what I do best, being a stay-at-home-mom, I finally found the time to sort through my inbox. Waiting for me somewhere between the sale reminder emails from Pottery Barn and the latest chain letter from a forward lovin' friend (you know what I'm talking about and you've probably got one too), I discovered a surprise from Ashley Bray. Ashley from The Bray Family blog, has awarded 10 bloggers with two awards, and believe it or not, I am one of the lucky 10! Channeling Vicki from The Real Housewives of Orange County, " Can I get a woohoo?!"

I began our blog almost a year ago at the strong urging of a good friend. "Family and friends need a way to keep up with you during your pregnancy," she said, "plus it's really easy!" Taking her advice (as I usually do) and beginning a blog that has since grown to include followers with whom I've never actually met, has been a rewarding journey. Not only do I enjoy posting and receiving comments on our blog, but I also enjoy reading other family blogs. So many thanks to all my fellow mommy bloggers. You entertain, comfort, and motivate me to solider on through all the ups and downs, perks and pitfalls of motherhood.

Now it's my turn to pass this award on to other bloggers that I consider beautiful. But first the small print---THE RULES:

• Thank and link the person that gave you the award.
• Pass this award onto 10 bloggers you’ve recently discovered and think are fantastic.
• Contact the winners and let them know they’ve won.
• State 10 things about yourself. (I changed this one slightly---from 7 to 10.)
  

So without further adieu here are my Top Ten Favorite Blogs:

10. Wacie's Way
9. Kitchen Belleicious
8. Life from Pippy's Perspective
7. Kevin and Amanda
6. Feels Like Home
5. All things Fluffy, Fashionable, and Famous
4. Living Our Own Fairy Tale
3. Jillian, Inc.
2. The Ross Family, Est. 2007
1. Tales of Little Bitty

Now, 10 things about me:

1. I believe that through God all things are possible.

2. I am an only child. And, yes I am spoiled!

3. I talk to myself when no one is around. Don't worry, they say you're only crazy when you answer.

4. Thanks to randomly tuning into Stephen King's It when I was a child, I have an unhealthy fear of clowns.

5. I have a weakness for 80s hair bands, in particular Bon Jovi. Don't ask why, it just is what it is.

6. I love reality television. I secretly want to be one of Bravo's Real Housewives, but realize that my life on t.v. would be less interesting than watching paint dry.

7. As a former teacher, I've dabbled a bit with the idea of writing my own Children's books, but am unsure of what to do with my ideas.

8. I do not like coffee, but I'm seriously looking into a support group for Diet Coke addicts.

9. Moe's is my Seinfeld Soup Nazi! Having to make decisions quickly is my downfall and the line of hungry patrons breathing down my neck is simply more than I can handle.

10. I have poor depth perception and the bruises to prove it!

We're Back...(Part 2)

It seems as though not a day passes that Gillian Grace isn't doing something new, and the last few weeks were no exception.

Crawling
What began as a yoga move (booty up, legs straight, head down) quickly transitioned into a tummy scoot, and before long became the real deal. Gillian Grace is crawling! She started crawling and has been on the move ever since. The only time GG is still is when she's sleeping, and if you've ever seen her sleep, you'd know that's even a bit of a stretch. Our munchkin is on the go 24/7! By the end of the day, Mommy Gillian Grace is one tired girl!

I'm so flexible!

Tummy Scoot

New Foods
So far Gillian Grace hasn't met a food she didn't like. Okay, well maybe that's not totally accurate. We quickly learned that green veggies, sweet peas in particular, are her kryptonite. And, to be honest after peeling back the seal and taking a whiff myself, I can understand why. Yuck!

Since turning 7 months, GG has been enjoying the increased portion size and variety of Gerber's stage 2 fruits and veggies. Trying to expand her palate just a tad, I picked up some macaroni and cheese one day while grocery shopping. After all, what kid doesn't like mac n' cheese? Well, that would my kid! Gillybean was definitely not a fan of Gerber's take on the classic dish. Three bites into dinner, GG decided she'd had enough and was D-O-N-E!

When I first took a bite, I wasn't so sure...

But, I soon figured out...

That I don't like mac n' cheese!

New Threads
Gillian Grace inherited a jacket that I wore as a baby. It's not the brand of the jacket, nor the style that makes this jacket special. It's the fact that my Dad purchased this jacket for me while he was away on a business trip nearly 30 years ago. As I'm sure is the case in most families, my Dad would rather take a beating than go shopping, much less clothes shopping. So for him to actually have picked something up for his little girl on his own was pretty special. Growing up in Florida, you can count on one hand the number of times I actually got to wear the jacket. The jacket was even loaned to cousins in Virginia and then was eventually returned (and not in the condition it was given) to our family. After being professionally laundered it was put away. Then along came Miss Gillian Grace, and the jacket got a new owner. Dad was so excited to pass along this jacket to Gillian and fortunately with a colder than average winter, she's had plenty of opportunities to wear it. Isn't it funny how one little jacket can mean so much?

I love making Grandad laugh!

Just the two of us...

Snug as a bug in a rug...

Pulling Up
Not only is GG a crawling machine, but she is pulling up on absolutely everything. She is very adventurous and unfortunately, fearless! Good thing is she's pretty resilient. I think the spills and bumps cause more pain for Mommy than GG.

Meet the Neighbors
While playing outside at my parents', Gillian Grace got a chance to meet the little girl that lives next door. I'm not sure what it is about children, but GG is instantly captivated by anyone under 4 feet.

Gillian Grace first meets Kenzie.

I think the fascination is mutual.

So those are the highlights from the past few weeks. And, yes I do consider all these moments highlights. Being a first time stay at home mom, my child is my life. My world is considerably small, revolving mostly around my daughter, husband, and family. For some it may seem mundane and uninteresting, but for me I couldn't imagine a life more fulfilling.

What are the highlights in your life?

We're Back...(Part 1)

After several weeks with little in the way of new posts, I've finally found the time to sit down and blog. So what besides a teething 7 and 1/2 month old has been keeping me too busy to post?
Well, here's a hodgepodge of events from the last week (or two)...

Dining Out
Early in our marriage, Bret and I ate out a lot. We had a fairly impressive stack of take out menus in our kitchen catch all drawer and could've probably dialed the number to Big Lou's pizzeria blindfolded with one hand tied behind our back. Oh how things change! Not as footloose and fancy free as we once were, our dining out habit has been curtailed just a bit. Nowadays dining out takes far more preparation and for lack of a better word, "strategery". And let's just face it, sometimes it just isn't worth all the extra hassle. But at least once a week, we go through all the hoopla and hit a local restaurant for a great family meal. And, every so often, we're fortunate enough to have an extra friend or two tag along.

Blowing raspberries...

Seriously, more pictures? Enough already!

Mrs. Gatewood, Mom (Gammie), and Gillian Grace



Mrs. Gatewood came over for a visit and treated us all to lunch at a local fav, Big Time Diner.

I just love people watchin'!

A little pasta dinner with Gammie and Grandad.

Fridays are my favorite, especially the lunch with Gammie part!

Out of Town
Bret was out of town in Portland, Oregon on business, and as we often do when Daddy is away, Gillian Grace and I headed to my parents' for the week. After all, my man Bon Jovi said it best, "Who says you can't go home, there's only one place they call you one of their own..." Why is it that there are days when I'm home alone with GG that time seems to stand still, but a week spent at my parents' seems to fly by in the blink of an eye? Fortunately for me, Gillian Grace first started showing signs of teething while we were in Pensacola. It was a blessing to have my Mom there to lend a helping hand. While home, I even got to sneak away with the other man in my life, my own Dad, for a half day's trip to Fort Walton and Destin.

Okay Mom, I'm packed and ready!

Shop Til' You Drop
You can ask anyone from family members to former students to name my favorite store and they'll be able to tell you without a second's pause---TARGET! And, it seems that I've done well and successfully passed along my frugalista gene to my lil' one, as she appears to be drawn to the red bullseye as well.



And it was during one of our many weekly runs to Target that I decided to finally leave the stroller in the car and put GG in the buggy. Yes, I know... A real no-brainer for many took a great amount of deliberation on my part. Would she be okay? Was she big enough? Would she slide out? I know, silly right?! Well, needless to say GG loved being in the buggy and our snazzy cart cover allowed me to relax comfortable in knowing that she wouldn't be able to get her mouth near any of the germy cart parts. Ewwww!



More tomorrow...

Click, click, click

Back in December, I registered with an online community of Mommy bloggers aptly named, Top Mommy Blogs. Although our humble little site isn't anywhere near the top 50, we had climbed through the rankings, and at our peak were listed respectfully at #123. Yesterday Top Mommy Blogs reset all of its settings, dropping us way down in the rankings. So once again I need your help! Each time you click on one of the Top Mommy Blog links, our blog gets credit. The more clicks we receive the faster Webbisodes will move through the list of the 1000s of listed blogs. Still not looking to get a top ranking, I just hope to continue gaining more loyal readers and make some more new Mommy bloggin' friends.

So to help us out and give our modest little blog a little more exposure click here, the picture at the beginning of this post, or the icon under "Give me a Boost!" at the bottom of our page and remember to click each time you visit our blog. And most importantly, thanks for checking in to see what we're up to. I continue to be thankful for your interest, your input, and your support.

On a side note, I hope to return with regular posts to the blogosphere next week. Although Gillian Grace still doesn't have a tooth in sight, things seem to have settled down a bit around here. Though I've been promising a new design for weeks, don't expect a new look quite yet. Perhaps the added suspense of impending change will keep you coming back (Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?!).

Have a great weekend!

Vote for me, pretty please!

Voting is so easy, even a baby can do it!

Life on hold...

For days Gillian Grace has not been herself. Not normally a needy baby, Gillian Grace has been clinging to me like Kate Gosselin to fame, leaving me little time for anything else.

At this point we're still not totally 100% certain what is causing this change. We were able to rule out ear infection by gently putting pressure on each ear and since she still seems to have an appetite we can only assume it's not a stomach ache. With not much of a stuffy nose we don't think it's a cold, which leaves us with...drum roll please, TEETHING!

Of course, we've been thinking she was teething off and on for several weeks now. She's shown all the tell tale signs of teething for a while now, but late last week she added crankiness and intermittent sleep to the list of symptoms. I was able to sneak a peek inside GG's mouth and noticed that her bottom front gums are very white. Could teeth be just below the surface?

I've read just about everything I can get my hands on about teething and unfortunately it looks like it's more of a waiting game than anything else. Not exactly music to my ears. We're doing all we can to take the edge off the pain (infant Tylenol, frozen teethers, Baby Orajel, you name it), but it just breaks my heart knowing that Gillybean is uncomfortable.

So for now, life is on hold. The new blog design is still in the works and I've got tons to post from our week hiatus but it will all have to wait until things return to normal (whatever that is) around here.

Nope, no teeth yet!

Pardon Our Progress...

Please excuse the lack of postings and frequent changes around here, I'm busy working on updating our blog. Things should be back to normal shortly. Check back soon and be sure to let me know what you think of our new look.

Gillian Grace is 7 months old!

Dear Gillian Grace,

When I first held you minutes after your birth I thought to myself, it just doesn't get any better than this.

Then later when you smiled at me for the first time and I felt my heart melt I thought to myself, it just doesn't get any better than this.

Then days passed and you began holding my finger when I fed you, reaching for my face when I cradled you, cooing when I sang to you, babbling while I bathed you, patting my knee when I sat near you, and I thought to myself, it just doesn't get any better than this.

But it does get better.

Each day with you is supremely better than the day before and a tease for all that lies ahead.

Happy 7 month birthday, lil' Gillybean!

I love you,
Mom











At 7 months GG is:

• Eating rice cereal with fruit for breakfast
• Consuming between 16 and 24 oz. of formula each day along with a fruit and vegetables at lunch and soon to be dinner
  
• Drinking applejuice and water
• Crawling
• Blowing raspberries
• Scrunching up her nose and squinting her eyes
  
• Sleeping 10 to 12 hours at night
  
• Napping twice a day
• Cruising in her walker
• Grabbing at any and every thing
• Gnawing on teething biscuits
• Sitting up unassisted
• Standing in her crib
• Pulling up on furniture
• Grabbing for faces and hands
• Babbling non-sense words
• Wearing size 12 month clothing and size three diapers
• Laughing all the time
• Smiling at strangers
• Allowing others to hold her
• Fascinated by other babies and children
• Entertained by her own reflection
• Splashing and thrashing in the tub
• Rolling over on her changing table (yikes)
  

P.S. Thanks for the adorable heart dress Mrs. Gatewood! XOXO

Meeska Mouska

M-I-C, See you real soon...K-E-Y, Why because we love you...M-O-U-S-E!

Things may have changed a bit since I first watched the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse but one thing remains the same, kids love it! Gillian Grace has had a fascination with the big eared one since she was a little more than two months old. There isn't a lot on television that can captivate and maintain GG's attention, but just hearing the melody of the Clubhouse jingle is enough to trigger a joyful reaction.



What makes you smile?

Holy Suds, Batman!

Stupid is...

Thinking the warning "High Efficiency detergent only" label on my washer was just a suggestion.



Stupid does...

Using regular detergent anyway.






We all laughed because...

At the end of a long hard day it just felt better than crying or getting mad. We laughed because Gillian Grace came tearing around the corner in her walker covered in the remnants of a teething biscuit and tried to eat the bubbles oozing from our washer. And we laughed because in spite of all the mess and the day to day ups and downs, we have a great life.