Light The Night

"Be the brightest house on the block, and "Light the Night" with 89.3, KSBJ!"

This is my last minute Halloween prep. Check out KSBJ to download stickers to place on candy wrappers and such.

We are handing out goldfish and pretzel snack packs this year. It is a nice alternative to all the candy, especially with a street full of little ones like E.

Have a very safe and happy Halloween.

Mommy Monday: Cheesecake Meltdown

As new parents there are many firsts. The first tooth, the first time baby rolls over, the first step. The writing was on the wall, we should have seen it coming, but with as much surprise as the first word spoken out of her sweet little mouth, we were faced with a very public first temper tantrum! I mean we are talking fully loaded tantrum!

After a great morning at church, we were on our way for some lunch and shopping. E was very excited about shopping, especially the idea of visiting Pottery Barn Kids to check out the pink kitchen.
Our first stop was the Cheesecake Factory. We were seated and the hostess graciously took our stroller and parked it with the other strollers (there were a lot of young children in the restaurant that day). As the stroller disappears E has major stroller withdraw. "My stroller! My stroller!”. We tell her that the stroller will come back after lunch; she was OK about it but not thrilled. The waitress was awesome and brought E some bananas and bread pieces while we waited for the food. All was well until E remembered her stroller again, "My stroller! My stroller!". The next step was total distraction. I held her on my lap and told her an elaborate story about a frog, pretty good for off the cuff. This seemed to appease her and we were able to get through half of our lunch without incident.
The next thing we know, E stands up in the booth, holding her tiny pink stuffed dog in her tightly clenched fist, and throws the stuffed toy in a plate of ketchup! I found myself staring in disbelief, mouth wide open, and thinking this is supposed to be other people, not us! Oh but only if it ended there. E proceeds to stiffen up like a board and throw herself under the table! Lucky I had a good hold on her and was able to guide her back up into the seat. On the way back to the seat she grabs my hair and sunglasses in a fit and throws the glasses! At this point we have an audience, so I did the only thing I knew to do at this point, RETREAT!!!! I gathered her and her bag up and told my husband to meet us outside after the check. E and I headed over to the stroller, you know the beloved stroller that started the whole meltdown, where she proceeds to say, "Oh my stroller, thank you, thank you!". What do you say to that? She and I make it outside, and I find myself face to face with my 23 month old, having a talk about what just went down. We talked, hubby emerges from the restaurant and we try and salvage the rest of our day.

We really did have a great day after the Cheesecake meltdown. E was fine for the rest of the day and we came away with another first of many under our belts.

Visit to the local Pumpkin Patch!

It was a beautiful fall day!

Pretty things from Anthropologie

Party Time

I am in party planning mode for E's 2nd b-day party and came across these two fabulous sites!

The TomKat Studio

and

The Party Dress

The House That Cardboard Built Part II

Here are a few photos of E's favorite hang out. The house is still far from fully decorated, but has come a long way from when it was first set up. We have all had a blast with it! All three of us pile in it in the evenings, and play with our cat Ringo as he walks by. E will squeal when he pokes his head in the mail box door on the house, it is too cute!

Budget & Eco Friendly Cleaning

Check out "1001 Uses For White Distilled Vinegar" at Vinegar Tips.

Three of my favorite tips:

"To clean and disinfect baby toys add a good-sized splash of white distilled vinegar to soapy water."

"Kill germs all around the bathroom with a spray of full-strength white distilled vinegar. Wipe clean with a damp cloth."

"Never use white distilled vinegar on marble. The acid can damage the surface."