Cool Kids Giveaway

Have you checked out The Cool Kids Blog yet? She has the best ideas and giveaways!
This week her giveaway is a towel from Tiffany Brown Designs.
The pictures make me want one so bad!

Check 'em out:







Go and checkout her blog, enter the contest here and like Tiffany Brown Designs on Facebook here

Good Luck!

Pinterest


Have you heard of it yet?
FINALLY! I AM A MEMBER!  I feel like I was FINALLY invited to the cool kid party.
I waited all week to get off the waiting list.
Yes, I was on a waiting list for a website.  So far its the best thing ever! Like I need something else to waste do with my naptime freedom. 
What is it you ask? A virtual pin board. Anything you find on the web that you like you can "pin it" and save it for a board. You can pin birthday presents, home decor ideas, recipes, kid ideas, quotes, anything you like.  Its amazing!  Click here to follow my boards.
If you want an invite send me your email in the comments section. I will send you out an invite promptly. The more people on pinterest the more fun it will be!  Tip I learned, write you email address like this - jane at email address dot com to avoid spammers.

The Voice, Already Over for Me?

Did anyone else watch The Voice Tuesday night?
Tim Mahoney was robbed!  I may be biased, as I live in Minnesota and saw him play all the time in college, but I really think he deserved to win over Casey (is that her name?).
She was good, but after re-listening to her audition song and her duet I don't think she knows who she is as an artist yet. She sounded like two different people. Maybe that's what they are looking for, someone to mold into what they want them to be. Not to mention her tight blue dress that made her look 27 and not 18. Is that the reason Adam picked her, sex appeal?  NBC did a great job showing her dad's reaction to her clothing choice.
Minneapolis had very high ratings for the show. I think I read the highest. I wonder if they will go down after this week?
Now on to my next complaint. Blake, picking Patrick over Tyler, really? Tyler was the much better singer and performer. There was some controversy over anti-gay remarks Shelton made on either Twitter or Facebook last week. Was that the reason or was it because Patrick and Blake are both country singers.  I read some articles this morning saying that country music artists don't go out of their genre and stick with their own.
All I know is that I am slowly losing interest in The Voice after last night. This coming from a girl who has stuck with Idol for 11 seasons.

6:15 am, My House

Does anyone else wake up to this?

Its not always food. Sometimes its puzzle pieces, shoes, or books, but its always something.

Mother's Day

Its hard now that I'm a mom. I want to do something special for my mom, but at the same time its my day too! This year we decided to have lunch as a family. Then at night, Paul, Lucy, and I will do something just the three of us. I think its a pretty good deal.

This year I'm getting my mom blush. Weird gift, yes. But she really wants a pinky blush. Last week at Sephora we looked at a few and I have decided on Tarte cheek stain, in Doll Face.  The description on Sephora's website is, sheer, soft pink shimmer/strawberries and cream scented. MMMMM maybe she'll smell like a Strawberry Shortcake doll (the latest obsession at our house).

I have Tarte Blush in Flush. I have to say its my go to blush. Perfect for giving that slight flushed look, but without looking too overdone for a play date at the park.

Today I came across Tina Fey's Prayer For Her Daughter today. I laughed, I cried, I loved:

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels.

What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

 

 

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. To my mom - I love you, thanks for everything, you are the best!



A post on sun...that turned into a rant.

Finally there is SUN! I can't believe how much better seeing the sun makes you feel. Lucy and I were able to get outside and go to the playground with her friend Lily and then we took a walk to get Happy Meals at the *Fry House* as Lucy likes to call it. 
Yes McDonald's. I'm not ashamed that I let Lucy have chicken nuggets and fries sometimes.  Normally I don't like mass facebook quotes, but there is one in particular that makes me smile. Not enough to re-post, only to blog about.

"My curfew was the street lights. My parents called my name, not my cell... I played outside with friends, not online. If I didn't eat what my parents cooked, then I didn't eat. Sanitizer didn't exist, but you COULD get your mouth washed out with soap. I rode a bike without helmet, getting dirty was OK, and neighbors gave a damn as much as your parents did. Re-post if you drank water from a garden hose & survived!"

As much as I want my child to not get sick, not ruin her clothes, be safe, etc I cannot handle how overboard our society has gone. I feel that moderation is the key; whether its regarding food, social activities, or structured activities. Lucy needs time to be a kid. Eat non-organic food, play outside in the mud with friends. She doesn't need to be involved in a different activity every night of the week nor does she need to be kept in the bubble to ensure germs do not enter her nose, land and her hands, etc. 

I look at myself and think I turned out pretty great (thanks mom!). Although maybe if I wouldn't have drank straight from the garden hose I would have had better grades in college...or maybe it was the beer that I drank DURING college.

Reclaimed Wood

I'm on the search for the perfect reclaimed wood dining room table. I can't believe how hard it is to find! When I do find the *perfect* one I can't afford the shipping.
Here are a couple that I have my eye on:

Dwell Smart

Antique Woodworks

Timber-Creek

Etsy

Etsy

Dying Easter Eggs and a couple from Easter

On Lucy Easter Egg Dying: Gap playtime favorites heart shirt, On Easter- Gap White and Black dress from the Havana Collection, Black Cardigan Gap playtime favorites, white tights Circo Target.

Favorite Nail Polish Trend

This past winter I came across OPI's Shattered nail polish. I love it. I tried to take pictures with my iPhone and they were terrible.  What it is, is a black topcoat that you paint over your already painted dry nails. As it dries it shatters across your nails to form a crackled two-texture, two-color finish.

On Facebook this afternoon I came across this from Culture of Cute. New shattered colors!
Definitely worth the $8 for a bottle. Can't wait to try the new summer colors!

Image : Culture of Cute



April 20 - SNOW?!?!

April 20 and we wake up to snow! Ugh! I can't handle anymore winter. I'm sure I say this every year but I swear this is the longest winter ever! We came close to being the third snowiest winter on record. I'm ok settling for fourth if this means we don't wake up to more snow in 2011 until after October.

I did get a chance to wear a pair of boots that I don't wear as ofter as I like. Mostly because I prefer a heel, but wearing heels while playing with Lucy at school isn't the best idea I've ever had.  Love these MIA boots!

One more positive. One last time to listen to my favorite cold weather songs!

Zach Brown Band - Colder Weather

Trip Shakespeare - Snow Day



This is all the positivity I can come up with for SNOW on April 20!

Prayers, Medical Professionals, Medicine and Wonders!

Thanks for all the prayers!  Baby Britta is on her way to recovery!
She was taken off the ECMO machine, the paralyzers, and some of the sedatives she was on.
She opened her eyes to see her mom and dad and squeezed a few fingers over the past couple days.
Prayer and medical professionals and medicine really do work wonders!

I can't imagine how hard it must be for her parents. I worry when Lucy has a fever or a runny nose. I can't even imagine what they have been feeling. I really admire their strength, love, and faith that they have shown during the past two and a half weeks.

If any of you are Twitter followers - follow me on Twitter - clanderson16

Cute

Lucy and her boyfriend at the park

On My Mind

• When is the nausea going to go away?
• Is spring ever going to come?
• Is it November so I can drink a bottle of wine?
• Why is potty training so hard?
• Paul wasn't going to win Idol, but he should have stuck around longer than Haley and Stefano.
• Why won't my two year old nap?
• What is the point of low waisted maternity pants?
• What is it with toddlers and their rain boots?
• I love having great neighbors!
• Coffee and shopping on gloomy days is perfect.
• Why do kids get sick...not just colds but REALLY sick? It makes my heart hurt.

If anyone is interested in keeping up with baby Britta here is link to her caringbridge site Britta Kieger

Prayers Needed!

If everyone could keep my best friend's niece, Britta, in your prayers it would be much appreciated. She's a beautiful 7 month old who has been in Minneapolis Children's ICU for about two weeks. She's had RSV, pneumonia, and a couple other infections that have made her lungs not function properly. She is now on a ECMO machine that has put her lungs on bypass.  Please pray for her and her family. Her older brother and sister are missing her terribly! 

This weekend her brother and sister get to come down and have some quality time with their parents who are now staying at the Ronald McDonald House.  If you are unfamiliar with the Ronald McDonald House it is a "home away from home" for families with a child who has cancer or other life threatening illnesses. This is a non-profit that survives on donations from the community and volunteers who are the "heartbeat of the house."  They offer so much for these families. The average stay for a transplant family is 120 days, while all other families average 54.  Here a list of some of the awesome services they provide:

• House managers available 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day
• Three kitchen stations, a stocked food pantry and a community kitchen for groups to use when preparing nightly meals
• A one-room schoolhouse for patients and siblings to continue their studies. The school has a full-time licensed teacher, a part-time teacher’s aide and is supported by regular weekly volunteers
• A resource room with a library and eight computers allowing parents to work remotely
• A movie theater with movies shown twice a week 
• 24-hour laundry facilities
• Numerous family activities such as BINGO, arts & crafts and a bouncy house
• Two children’s indoor play areas and two outdoor play areas – both fenced in, offering parents an opportunity to relax while their children play 
• A 24-hour workout facility 
• Two game rooms with arcade games, a pool table, foosball and bubble hockey
• A 1⁄2 court gymnasium
• An after-school program for kids that includes cooking, crafts, games, music, art and pet therapy
• A scrapbooking room for families to make new memories
• A large patio area for families to barbecue or enjoy the summer weather
• Bedding, towels and all paper products are provided. Toiletries are also available
• Transportation to Target is provided twice a week
• Extensive video and new release DVD library

If you are looking for volunteer opportunities the Ronald McDonald house sure could use you.
Volunteer

Visits!

Whooohooo I actually had a couple visitors to my blog.
Looks like I will have to start posting again!

In exciting news...I'm pregnant!
Whoohoooo!
Lucy is going to be a big sister! Yippeee!

Due in November!

February Play List

The best way to describe my iPod playlist is, stripper DJ. Classy, I know.
Although not many of the songs below would be classified as such....

Fuck You/Forget you, by Cee Lo Green.  [side note: did anyone else see Gwyneth's shoes during this song at the Grammy's? They were hot!]

Home, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Your Secret, by Seal  [side note: video is sexy]

Grenade, by Bruno Mars

Avett Brothers, Mumford and Sons with Bob Dylan at the Grammy's

February

Well....I almost stopped blogging. I have the winter blues. Its crazy in Minnesota this year. Usually at January 31 we have 25 inches of snow. Last night (January 31) we hit 60 inches.  It started early and it seems we are hammered every other day with snow. It really likes to happen during the morning and evening commutes or when my husband has a test. This makes for a really long day with me and the babe. Being a single parent from 8 am to 7 pm everyday is tough.
Enough belly aching....now that its out of my system...what am I thankful for?

• Fondue with great friends last Saturday
• A beautiful, healthy not so little girl 
• A husband who loves me
• A trip to Milwaukee to see friends next weekend
• New friends that I have met since moving

On My Mind

• Going to the grocery store
• Should I take Lucy to the doctor?
• Is it ever going to stop snowing...is it spring yet?
• Red Savoy's pizza for dinner
• A bottle of white wine
• Under Armour sweatpants
• Spring Clothes
• When is my cold going to go away
• Why do I always want to workout/start a diet when I'm sick?
• The Bachelor
• Secrets

Toddler Tuesday's and Mama's Day Out

Toddler Tuesday's at the Mall of America is the best idea! 10 - 12 is kid time, today the Teddy Bear Band played and tired the kids out. Then its kids eat free at a number of restaurants. We ate at Crave today. It was delish! Once the kids are fed and tired out its mommy time.
Here are a few things I found:

Wrap Cardigan

Woven-back sweater

skinny ultra lounge-pant

10 Things That Make Me Happy: Januray

1. New episodes of Real Housewives on Hulu
2. Listening to Lucy laugh
3. Naptime
4. Peppermint Hot Chocolate
5. Spending time with Puddledaddy
6. Fall evenings and smelling bonfires
7. Laughing with friends
8. Dancing like no one is watching
9. Finding new music
10. Meeting new friends

She works hard for her dinner

Don't you just love her?! She makes everyday so much better. Love you "CeCe"

It can only get better from here

I had a bad night last night. I thought I was doing okay...until I watched Parenthood (the TV show). Two of the parents were trying to explain death to their seven year old daughter. They decided they weren't going to explain the heaven idea. She got so sad that they ended up telling her how we all meet again in heaven. That made me think about heaven. Does it exist like we are told to believe? If it does exist do unborn babies go there. If they do and I make it to heaven will I be reunited with him or her?  Will I know my baby? Even as I type this I start tearing up.
Its been three days since my baby left me and things can only get better right?

On My Mind

• Taking the Christmas decorations down



• Finding a headboard and nightstand for Lucy's room



• Elderflower Liqueuor...is it too early for a drink?



• Gap Kid's Valentine's Day line



• When am I going to stop feeling pregnant...when are my hCG levels going to be at zero?



• Seeing my family from Kansas tomorrow



• Cee Lo Green's song F$%* you and Bruno Mars' song Grenade



• Why is there always and upgrade to Adobe Flash



• Laundry

Try Try Again

Yes it has been a couple days....but I have good reasons (yes reasons) for not posting.
1. My computer broke.
2. I miscarried.

Number two sounds way worse then what it is. I had only known I was pregnant for a week and a half. Not enough time to get used to it. The positive test came on Christmas Eve. A week later the bleeding started; just a little bit at first and today I swear I have bleed out an entire full grown placenta. But I am ok. Not many people knew, parents, family and a few close friends. That's all. I don't mind telling people about my miscarriage, but know that others can be uncomfortable and not know what to say. The most concerning thing has to be that both my mom and my dad told me to, "keep trying." Seriously I feel like next time we "do it" I'm going to be imagining my parents on the side of the bed yelling, "You can do it" "Lift those legs higher!" Gross, I know.

I had what doctors call a blighted ovum. Which means the egg was fertilized but for what whatever reason didn't grow into a baby. The placenta was developing and released hCG which caused the positive pregnancy test. Most blighted ovum's are due to chromosomal abnormality. Which means that my miscarriage was for the best and I am actually grateful that it happened when it did and now further along in my pregnancy.

This is me looking on the bright side. Trust me there was plenty of crying, asking God why, and thinking was there anything I could have done differently.

There is nothing left to do, but try, try again.