Sj's Itty Bitty Living Space

It's not so much that SJ has an "itty bitty living space" (to quote the genie from Aladdin), because her house is 1800 square feet, and that's livable. The thing is, out of that entire house there is just one little corner dedicated to her. I've heard people say "don't bother with things like a nursery, shoes before a child is walking, or a first birthday party because they aren't necessary and the child doesn't care", but you will not find me in that camp. So even though her stuff is in her brother's room and she sleeps in our room I still had to decorate. The colors in Z's room before were red, yellow, green, and blue. My job was to incorporate pink in a way that would not clash with the preexisting primary colors and thanks to Ikea and my mom's craftiness we were able to pull it off with our small budget.
We swapped out some of the blue in the room with updated stuff like a green rug from Ikea and valence made by my mom.

We had a hand-me-down travel bassinet with Z that I loved so much I blogged about it. It wasn't all that cute though so....

we covered it. That's my mom's mad sewing skills right there.

My mom also covered this old glider with red corduroy when I had Z. I added the quilt from Target and one of my best friends made the matching pillow.

We already owned this green table from Ikea and J found the chairs at a used furniture store. He ended up getting them free because the church was buying a ton of other stuff for the coffee shop. Talk about a steal :)

Z had a street sign and clothes hamper with his name on it, along with a poster of a taxi cab photo that I took when I was pregnant with him and planning his room. Naturally I evened it out by giving SJ ALL the same little customized things on her side of the room.


There is actually more, but that's enough details for one blog post even for an HGTV lover like myself. I know her space will grow as she does, but for now I think she likes it.

WFMW: Toddler Haircut

I have been cutting my son's hair his entire life, all two and a half years of it. This time I decided to change things up and instead of the bowl cut that hangs straight down I would take on the challenge of an actual hair style. So I went to beautyandthebath.com found this picture

and voila we have the perfect summer do for this handsome young man.

Here is what it looked like right before I cut it.


You can do your tots locks too. All you need is:

A pair of hair cutting shears, nothing fancy, just small scissors.
Spray bottle to wet down the hair
Highchair, the kind that can recline is preferable that way the back of the chair does not get in the way.
Video to keep them entertained. I use my laptop that way I can cut his hair anywhere in the house. I also reward him with a
lollipop.

I use my fingers as a guide when snipping and from there I just eye ball it to get the hair even and the length I want. I share this as more of an encouragement than a "how to article". I have no training whatsoever and a very squirmy, high energy toddler, so if I can do it anyone can. Although, I have friends that swear they could never cut their kids hair and so maybe it's not for everyone, but it works for me. That's why this post is a part of the Works For Me Wednesday blog carnival over at wearethatfamily.com Check it out to find more "works for me".

Horses, Toilets, and Hair Cuts

I know it's been all about little sis here lately, so I figure it's about time big brother had his own special blog update. He has had a lot going on lately and is more active and cuter than ever! Here a couple still frames of him taken from my flip video camera.

These first shots are of Z with his cousin and one of their horses. She is involved in 4H horse riding competitions and Z was with them for the last one she did so my mother in law took the liberty of signing Z up for some. I don't have any photos of that, but basically he just sat on the horse and was lead around a barrel course. He got 3rd place for his age group and at just 2 years old he is already addicted to the sport. Yee Haw!


He's also been excelling at potty training which is really a sport of it's own. Last week he only had 2 accidents (it's always poop), but that's progress. This is including a trip to the zoo and a 3 hour funeral. Pretty soon he'll be in big boy underwear 24/7.




Last but not least Z got his first hair style. Ever since his first hair cut on his 2nd birthday he's always had the shaggy bowl cut shown above. I wanted to give him something cooler for the summer, but I just can't bring myself to buzz it. So today I gave him a new do and even got him his own bottle of gel (daddy won't share his hair products). We cut off about 3 inches. I had no idea how much hair that boy had until I swept it all up into a pile. I will have pictures later this week. I guess that's all for now though. Hope everyone is having a great summer!

The Messy Mom Swimsuit Edition

A month ago I took on the challenge to find a new swimsuit. I wanted to find something that I felt comfortable wearing after just having a baby and I needed to find it in time for memorial day. Well, thanks to some great leads from facebook friends on where to look and a shopping trip with my mom I can say mission accomplished!

It turns out an overwhelming number of my friends were shopping at Land's End for their swimwear, and now I know why. Although I wouldn't usually think of myself as a "Land's End Girl" they offer the one thing that I've had the hardest time finding and that is swimsuits for real women. The Land's End swimsuits seems to carry a variety of styles to accommodate all different body types and they are DUR-A-BLE. They conceal, tuck, and push up like no other. You will find that they tend to snap into place like a good pair of spanks which makes the price tag worth every penny.

The top I chose is called the Valletta Print Bandeau Twist Tunic Tankini and the bottoms are Valletta Solid Shirred Mini. Together they are $93.00, which was over my budget even with the 30% off sale Sears was having that day. So my mom bought me the suit as an early birthday present and I am so grateful because I know it's one that's going to last.

I am not the only with a new suit though. SJ got her ensemble as baby gifts.



Z's trunks were from a local consignment shop and I used store credit to buy them, so I didn't have to pay a thing. It looks like I got off easy for swimwear this year and just in time for the triple digit weather too. WHOO!

Letters to SJ

I have decided along with the update of SJ milestones I want to write her letters every 3 months while she is still a baby. Like words of love written over her and frozen in time. Perhaps somethings that she might be interested in when she is all grown up. The reason I am making it a part of the blog is because I have found that things are far less likely to disappear when they are on the internet. Thus the reason for not posting questionable material, although that's a lesson for a later date.

Dear Sedona Jean,

You have been a part of our lives for 3 months now and in that time you have completely captured our hearts.

You have the sweetest personality. You love to smile. You love to listen to your brother talk (something I am sure you will tire of eventually, but for now it makes you laugh). No swaddling or sling wraps for you, because you just love to sprawl out and it's been that way since you got here. However, the most unique attribute you have shown us so far is that you absolutely LOVE dangling your head upside down. It's the first thing everyone notices about you. You are truly one of a kind!

The night you came into our lives is a night I will never forget, it was beautiful. No experience can compare. You are a gift from God showing us His love through you daily. I am honored to be your mother and I look forward to all the talks, chick flicks, shopping, and the icecream that is ahead for the two of us. Or maybe you won't like all of those things, and that's okay. Icecream, though, you've got to love icecream. Seriously, it's amazing stuff, but you can't try any until your one. Only 9 months to go girlie!

Love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck,

Mom

The Creatures At The Zoo

Yesterday was half price admission at the Fort Worth zoo and the kids are both free so it made for some economic family fun. The animals were quite entertaining, but in my opinion it was the spectators that were the real spectacle. Here are the different types of human species I observed at the zoo.
Families-
Obviously there are going to be lots of kids at the zoo along with the adults that brought them there. I saw one curly headed drama queen that was so hot she was just certain she was going to die and her parents encouraged her to suck it up. I saw another perky young lady several feet ahead of her family shouting back behind her "Press on troops. We are just a few steps away from the Texas Wild! COME ON! COME ON!" I looked back at what she referred to as the troops including grandparents who looked like they were about to collapse. Then there was one little boy who would rip away from his mom dart down the dirt path, run underneath a rope blockade, not to look at an exhibit, but to check out the m&m vending machine. That one I had to chase after, because he was mine.

Eye Catching Dressers-
There were some Muslim women that were covered head to toe with only the eyes showing. One of them had a baby in a front carrier similar to mine (shown below). Then at the opposite extreme there were woman in bikini tops and teeny tiny shorts. I don't know if they were so hot they couldn't wear normal clothing or if it was mating season and they were trying to attract wild life.

The love birds-
I never knew how high on the charts the zoo would be for the dating scene. I observed many couples walking hand in hand past all the animals. There was one couple in front of us most of the time we were there. The girl had on a sundress and super high wedge heels. She had long blond hair which she wore down of course and everything she saw was SOOOO CUTE.

The Middle age-
This group is in danger of extinction in the zoo world. They are the ones that aren't really a part of the dating scene, their kids are too old for the zoo, but not yet old enough for grand children. People in their 40's and 50's (give or take) are the only ones who are not at the zoo.

Those were my observations. It's not exactly scientific research, but it's the best I could do for one hot summer day. So, what species are you?

Work Is Like A Bowl Of Peaches

Today was my first official day back to work since my maternity leave. I was sent out to the country to photograph an author and before I left he offered me full access to his peach and plum trees. How could I resist. He even helped me pick the scrumptious treats. It feels good to be working again.

I can say that because I am not overloaded. This is because I have cut my monthly assignments in half since having SJ. I think it will be a good balance between photo shoots and my top priority mommy job, however it will take a toll on our budget. I will be making enough money for my car payment and that's it. The idea of being at home more and becoming a frugal fanatic is an appealing concept, but the execution itself is easier said than done. Little things like lattes, a summer pedicure, or even thrift store shopping have got to go. There is no wiggle room unless extra money comes in.

I guess I need to hit the money saving blog circuit again. I feel good about this new season though. It's just another chance to stretch, learn, and grow.