Flash Card Fun

I love mom blogs for many reasons. One of them is the great products I get to learn about that I had no clue were out there. I like to enter giveaways too. I have won some cool stuff over the last few years. When my son was just a infant I won a set of A Modern Eden Alphabet Flash Cards. I thought they were so cute and colorful and planned on framing some of them. Well flash forward two years later and they have been sitting in the closet lol. The last week I have been using them with my son and to my delight and his he has mastered many words. He knew the sounds the animals make since his mother (me) is a silly one and we make animal noises all the time.

He now knows the name and the sound the animal makes of a Cat, Dog, Cow, Chicken, Fish, Pig, Sheep, Monkey, Duck (that was a tricky one can sound other wise lol) Elephant (hes a bit off but hes so close, has the noise down perfect!) Bird and Giraffe of course! He also is so very close to sounding out his own name. He calls himself baby and tells people thats who he is. Its cute but he does need to know his own name. That my goal for the next couple weeks is to help him be able to say his own name clearly and consistently. I know many kids can talk a mile a minute at his age but I have tried to let him develop it on his own but its just so darn cute to hear his little voice. Plus oh my I am tired of playing baby charades to figure out what he means or needs lol.

My Little Artist

My son has become a mini artist the last few months. Thanks to Nana and her present for my sons bday he has been painting and coloring to his delight. I love seeing the concentrated look on his face and him busy at work on his next master piece. He loves to mix the colors and make his own blackish brownish combo when he is done mixing. The bit of a neat freak that I am I find myself totally letting go of those types of habits as time goes on. I just let my son do what he wants with his paints and his drawings. Its funny how having kids makes you realize that messes happen and life will go on amongst the mess. 

I love hanging his creations on the fridge. This last set he made he makes me take them down at least twice a day to show me them to make sure that I see how wonderful they are. He asks me "You See Mama? Pretty!" I always tell him they are very pretty and mommy loves them. 

His latest creations! I proudly hang them on the fridge.

I have been taking pictures of the stuff he has made me in case any of them ever get messed up. I am sure my Mom had tons of art work from all us 5 kids. Now with digital cameras we can take pictures of anything! Film used to cost so much to develop. The other day I found an old roll of film that had not been developed. I have not had a film camera in many many moons lol. It makes me wonder what on earth is on it!!

Do you take pictures of your kids art? 

Do you picture it and toss it or keep it forever?

Big Cat Little Kitty and Meet the Planets by Sylan Dell Publishng Book Review

My son has adored cats since he was only a few months old. I thought this was odd since I am more of a dog person. Plus we have a dog and I am allergic to cats but he insists that cats are cool. I like to get him movies and books about cats to make him happy without having to go into a sneeze fit.

As he has gotten older he has started to realize there is a difference between kitty cats and big cats. We have flash cards and he is starting to catch on to things like Kitty Cats say Meow and Lions say Roaarrr. The book Big Cat Little Kitty has been a perfect learning tool for the comparison of big cats and little cats. Its a cute book that is wonderfully illustrated with comparisons like a jaguar living in the jungle to a kitty who lives near a pond. Its really cute. If you have a cat admirer in your family or want to teach more about animals that are wild and domesticated this is a great book for that.

From the Publisher's site:

Big cats are fierce predators that roam the world from the mountains to the deserts. How are these wild cats that hunt for their food the same as pet cats that might chase a mouse or ball of yarn? How are they different? The award-winning prequel to this book, One Wolf Howls, introduces children to counting and the months of the year as they watch the seasons changing. This sequel introduces children to the days of the week as they travel to seven different world habitats to meet the big cats, and then back home to compare and contrast the domestic cat’s behavior to that of its relative.

We are space fans on our house. Before my son was born we would watch Star Trek and other fun sci-fi shows. Now that I am a mama I seem to be watching more space cartoons that sci-fi lol. Which is fine by me! We read the book Meet the Planets to learn more about the solar system. My son likes to say Moon so thats what he called all the planets in the book. It is a cute book that introduces each of the planets like they are in a fashion contest. It gives facts about them in a creative way. The illustrations are great and very colorful. I learned a few things myself that I did not know. Plus the back pages of the book included interactive question and learning tools to teach more about the Planets.

From the Publisher's website:

Soar into the Solar System to witness the first Favorite Planet Competition, emceed by none other than the former-ninth planet, now known as dwarf planet Pluto. The readers become the judges after the sun can’t pick a favorite and the meteors leave for a shower. Who will the lucky winning planet be? Could it be speedy-messenger Mercury, light-on-his-feet Saturn, or smoking-hot Venus? Readers learn all about each planet as Pluto announces them with short, tongue-in-cheek facts. Children will spend hours searching the art for all the references to famous scientists and people of history, space technology, constellations, art, and classic literature.

 Sylvan Dell Publishing makes many great books to learn from and are filled with great illustrations. I like that each book has a section in the back to further discuss and learn what was in the book. For now my son enjoys the stories and pictures but as he gets older we will be able to teach him more using the included learning resources. Their books are ones we will have for many years. You can look at the other great books they have to purchase on their website Sylvan Dell Publishing.


* I was not paid or compensated for this post. I was sent a free copy of this book for my review by the publisher/PR company. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

Blog Love and How I Learned To Dress Cheap But Chic

In the last year or so I have started reading a lot of blogs. I absolutely love the time I spend looking at, reading , and admiring the blogs that have become my favorites. I am new to the world of writing on this blog, so I tell myself that the time I spend reading other blogs is research. And I try to research as much as I can in a day!

One of my very favorite blogs is called The Gardener's Cottage. The lovely and amazing Janet writes about her life in an old house in California that was once the gardener's cottage on a large estate. Janet's house and down to earth style are utterly charming.

One of the great things about Janet is her ability to find the cheap but chic in everything from Ralph Lauren clothing to cowboy boots to housewares. This lady takes the art of thrift shop and yard sale buying to a new level. She has inspired me to visit my local thrift shops and Goodwill on a regular basis. I love it!

Janet also has a flair for decorating, cooking, and gardening. Check out her blog and I'm sure you'll be charmed, too.

Here are a few of my own favorite things that I have bought at thrift stores, yard sales, or the Goodwill.

I found this lovely vintage shelf at a neighborhood shop. I really love it and am thinking of painting it black or maybe yellow. At $20 it really was a great buy and can be used in any room in the house.

A few years ago my neighbor was selling a bunch of these old chairs for $3 apiece. They are very similar to the vintage, French inspired cafe chairs that cost a lot more. They were an ugly grey when I bought them and I bought four. Now I wish I had bought more. They are all getting a new color and a paint job this summer.

I love this book I found on Vintage Cottages for only $2. It's in excellent condition and I'll add it to my collection of interior design books. After a quick coat of white spray paint, I put this sweet little stature on my dresser. It makes me happy every time I look at her. For a dollar, how could I resist?

I bought all of these tops for a $1.29 each at the Goodwill. Almost every day they have a different colored tag that costs a certain amount of money. Blue tags were $1.29 that day so I only shopped for blue tagged items. The pink shirt was new and still had it's $20 price tag on it.

Wait I forgot I was 30

 Since turning 30 this summer I do not feel like much has changed. I thought I would have some sort of epic awakening like oh I now know the meaning of things or I would gain some sort of insight. Well I still feel the same as I did in my early 20s of course I am wiser but still a big kid at heart.

I even forgot that I am 30 lol it just feels odd to say. I have been filling out a few surveys and where you need to put in your age I had a moment of Wow I am now having to click the 30-39 or 30-35 instead of the under 30 or 20-29. It was a strange moment for me. I know its trivial but just had to share it was so weird to me.

Its Raining......In the Kitchen

It has been raining pretty intense for the last 3 days here in Northern California, which is good the area needed it. We were spoiled with the first 2 weeks of January being at or above 60 degrees. It was awesome! Last night while we were hanging out watching TV I could hear what sounded like running water coming from the kitchen. I thought oh no I left the faucet on! BUT when I went into the kitchen I saw that it was Raining In the Kitchen!! I was shocked to see a dime size hole in the ceiling and a ton of rain steaming down onto the wood floors. I had to quickly find a bucket to catch the rain and clean up the water all over the place. My husband asked what was going on I told him nothing really its just Raining in the Kitchen lol.

So now I need to get a tarp up there until this weather dries out to get it looked at but the positive person I am knows it could be worse and to be thankfully there is a roof over my head even if it does leak.

My 3 New Years Resolutions and How I'm Doing So Far

I'm one of those people who make New Years resolutions every year. Most of the time I have a hard time keeping them because they aren't really very practical. I tend to aim too high and then beat myself up because I've failed.

So this year I decided to make three resolutions that I felt were truly doable if I worked hard on them. I'm finding that effort really does pay off in results. Here are my three resolutions and how I'm doing so far.

1. Get Tech Savvy.

Computers, iphones, cameras, all of it. I am so tired of not feeling "with it" !! My adult children have such an ease in using technology these days, and I am so far behind in navigating this new world. When the eye rolling and muffled laughs that came in response to my endless questions of "How do you do that?" became too much, I decided I need to start learning. It hasn't been easy, but I am starting to understand more and more. I bought myself a new camera, read the instruction book, and I know how to use it! I have a lot more to learn, but slowly and surely, I will get there. So yes, I'm keeping this resolution. Go me!

2. Go For A Walk Everyday.

Walking is one of the best things that we can do for ourselves. It's good for the body and the mind. I started the new year walking a little each day. I didn't get very far, but some of it was uphill so that was good. I have a great pair of walking shoes and there really isn't any reasons for excuses. But then we got hit by a big snow storm last week and that was the perfect excuse! I couldn't walk in a snow storm, right?

I do intend (I think) to start walking again after all the snow is gone. So as far as keeping this resolution? Sad to say, no I haven't.

3. Stop Eating Sweets

I think this one is the hardest one of all! My family had so many treats and goodies and cookies and candies this year at Christmas time. And pies and cakes and a Gingerbread house... Of course I made fudge, too. I've really been indulging my love of sweets for the last couple of months but I knew it was time to stop. I've lost thirty pounds in the last six months and didn't want to see any of it come back. Have I stopped eating sweets? Yes, for the most part I have. I just don't have them around or don't bake any. If I don't see them, I don't eat them. I have been drinking more tea with a splash of flavored coffee creamer and that seems to help with any cravings I might have. I'd say I'm doing pretty well keeping this resolution. But I am a little worried about Valentines Day and all that chocolate that comes with it!

So have you kept your New Years resolutions or are you struggling? The great thing is that we don't have to wait for a new year to be a better us. Each new day has the power to make us a better person. All we can do is try.

Mr. Chewy Website Review Shopping for Dog Food and Treats

Shopping for dog food can sometimes be a literal pain in the back lol. With a toddler and myself shopping I often cant even lift the dog food bag into the cart without asking someone to help. Plus when we go down the dog aisle my son wants to hold and keep all the dog toys we see. Many times I even find myself going to the store for just dog food, that its not a time saver or good on my gas budget.

I have often thought of shopping online for dog food but was not sure which site to pick for a good price and dependable customer service. I really do need to shop from a place that the people are nice. We all work hard for our money and I think its great to spend it at a store where the customer service is great. I found Mr. Chewy and his staff  to be great!

My order from MrChewy.com

My lab eats a ton of food. She is a little piggy more than a dog sometimes. I wanted to make sure I could buy her a big bag online and not have to pay a bunch with shipping. Thankfully with Mr.Chewy.com you get free shipping on your order over $49.

For my order I wanted to buy the regular items I would get for my dog in the store. Regular dog food, dog treats and a bone. I also found a dog food I have not seen in the stores, it had a picture of my dog on it so I had to buy it!

For my lab's regular Dog Food I like to buy her dry food. I think it helps her teeth more than wet food. Plus her tummy. Pedigree is well priced and a brand I trust. She seems to like it too.

Before my son was born I would buy Eukanuba, its expensive, this one I wanted to give the dog for extra nutrition. She is getting a little older so i add a bit of this to her bowl daily. She is a black lab so I was somewhat a sucker for the cute dog on the bag that is breed specific.

I liked to buy her Dog Treats when I buy the food too. That way I can budget her treats to be used the length her food lasts. My dog LOVES Milk-Bone so I always make sure to get her a box anytime I buy food. She also likes bones with a bit of meat on them to chew on. She gets these as a special treat a few times a year. We got her this one as an early Valentines Day gift, since we do love our pup!

Its small that she can enjoy it and its a great price. The bigger ones she does not enjoy as much.

MrChewy.com carries all the well known pet food brands for dogs and cats. Even potty pads, kitty litter and flea and tick supplies. Its a one stop online shop! I love that I ordered it then it showed up at my door. Easy peasy!

As soon as my son gave her the new bone she went to the yard and happily chewed it for hours.

My dog was making me laugh she would not wait for me to put her food into her bin she ate right from it!

You can save time, money and have a happy pet too by shopping at Mr.Chewy.com like we did. You can be a fan of Mr. Chewy on facebook to stay up to date on sales and discounts.

*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine. I was provided the products mentioned in this post to review for this post by the Company / PR Company.

A tasty hot soup recipe for a cold winter day

January is National Soup Month. Did you know that? I think bringing attention to soup is a great idea. Hot soup is one of the most delicious things you can eat at this time of the year.

We have been hit with a big snow storm up here in Seattle the last few days, so it is definitely time to make a yummy pot of soup. I love cooked carrots, so this is one of my favorite recipes and it is so simple to make.

This recipe is from Alice Waters. It is in her wonderful cookbook called The Art Of Simple Food. I adore Alice Waters and have been a fan of hers for many years. Alice is a true advocate and teacher as she shows us we can eat locally, seasonally, and simply. Her philosophy is that if you start with the best quality ingredients available, even the simplest dish can taste extraordinary.

This is the recipe for Carrot Soup.

Melt in a heavy bottomed pot:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

Add:

2 medium onions, sliced

1 thyme sprig

Cook over medium-low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add:

2 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced (about 6 cups)

Season with salt.

Cook for 5 minutes. Cooking the carrots with the onions for a while builds flavor. Add:

6 cups good quality broth (homemade if available)

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. When done, season with salt to taste, and puree if desired.

You can also add other ingredients such as a can of chopped tomatoes, corn or rice. I always add a spoonful of sour creme and fresh herbs just before serving. With the addition of a simple salad and a good hearty bread , this can be a delicious dinner on a cold winter night.

Happy National Soup Month!

1 month already?

Miss Ashley 1 month old, her cheeks are really filling out!

Time is flying.... I cannot believe that Miss Ashley is already 1 month old. WOW! This little girl has enriched our lives so much in just one short month. She is so sweet and so stinking cute!! We love her. Now excuse me while I go snuggle this baby girl before I blink and she is 16! Haha