think pink

in honor of breast cancer awareness month & more importantly all of the women in our lives that have been affected by this disease ... please think pink & support breast cancer research.  and for all of you wonderful women out there ... remember to do your monthly self breast exams.  

comin' back soon ...

movin'

tomorrow is the big day ...  i'm excited to say my next post will be from colorado!

enjoy your weekend ... i know i'll enjoy mine!

image courtesy of allison kilkerney

road trip with toddlers ... oh my

in just a few short days i will embark on my most fearful journey i've had in a LONG time!  i'm going to attempt to drive across 3 states with my 1.5 year old and my 3.5 year old. now for some of you this may sound like no big deal, but for me this is pure anxiety.  i have been researching ideas and tips for keeping two animals in a cage for 14 hours!  i thought I'd share what i've found out and what i've planned.  i'll have to do a follow-up to let y'all know how these are "road tested" - ha - pun intended. 

stuff to entertain:  

portable dvd player & movies; 

music cd's for sing-a-longs

new books to read; 

color wonder coloring books & markers

small cookie sheets & magnets to play with

etch-a-sketch & doodle-pro

lots of snacks (but not a lot of sugar)

window covers to block some light for nap time

budget stops to get out and move (or run) every 1-2 hours

wish me luck!

kids + moving

with less than a week to go before we move i had an "oh sh*t" moment.  this is going to be a major change for the kids (that wasn't really the moment) and there might be some tools out there that I could buy that might make this major life transition a little easier (that was the moment).  i've been so preoccupied with everything else with the move that i didn't think the kids are going to have to make all new friends, new house, this may cause some anxiety and how can I prepare them (as much as I can) before we actually move.  

So what's a working mom without any free time to do?  www.amazon.com ... stat!!! below are some of the books i ordered this morning.  not sure if they are any good ... but figured couldn't hurt. i also consulted my second "goto" source:  "google" and below are some basics that I found out:

- talk to your kids about it before it happens (even involve them in the decision if possible)

- if they are little use toys to play/act it out

- when you pack their toys make sure they know that you're not throwing them away

- hold off on replacing your kids furniture, they like familiarity

- avoid making other big changes at the time of the move

- after the move get their room set up before the rest of the house

- stick to your same routines (pre-move)

- normal "transition" takes about 6 weeks, some kids shorter some longer

do you know of any ways to help your toddlers understand moving?

dreaming of moving {back} to colorado

i've been just plain giddy lately ... we're in the process of packing the apartment & next week we're closing on our new house and making the move to colorado.  i'm sure it's a combination of getting back to colorado, seeing good friends, decorating a house from scratch ... enjoying the fall season again, ballpark market, first snowfall, octoberfest in breckenridge ... i could go on and on ... 

no excuses

as a working mom i live with guilt on a daily basis, 

i have no excuses for the last couple of months. 

work . house hunting . apartment living . summer activities . moving

what I can say, my friends, is that I will try to be much better in the future about blogging 

not sure if i can commit to every day ... but it will be much more regular. 

image courtesy of gordon keith

signs of summer

with summer approaching ... it reminds me of long days at the beach ... and of course the dreaded swimsuit season.  for me the cover up is as critical as the swimsuit itself - if not more so ... here are a few of my favorites this season ... hum which shall I buy?

victoria's secret . $58

jcrew . $69 {on sale}

anthropologie . $198

nordstroms . $88

organizing your office with peter walsh

i found a great new line of office supplies/accessories.  it's the "[in] place system" by peter walsh sold at office max.  it's a great line of very basic supplies at very reasonable prices.  what I love is that they are all white and then you organize with color.   i'm using the white file folders and the post-it notes!  check them out!

30 {ish} day planning ...

happy may ... here are some of the upcoming events in the next month!!

saturday, may 1st - national scrapbook day

week of may 3rd - teacher appreciation week

wednesday, may 5th - cinco de mayo

sunday, may 9th - mother's day

week of may 10th - police appreciation week

saturday, may 15th - armed forces day

monday, may 31st - memorial day

also may is the american bike month, asthma & allergy month, national bar-b-que month, national salad month, national strawberry month ... among other things. 

image courtesy of www.mdc.edu

favorite cleaning products

if i'm going to spend time cleaning i want to have supplies that are either fun to look at it or smell really good and my latest favorite is the mrs meyers line in baby blossom.  almost makes me want to clean (but not really).  amazon carries almost the whole line ... check it out!

perfect vase

i'm always looking for great gifts!  i stumbled upon this great piece in a magazine several months ago and when I was surfing etsy tonight i found it again.  it's just such a great vase ... i really want to get one!  i think it would make the best housewarming gift too.  it's $48 and you can check them out in the MaidOfClay store on etsy ...

custom monogram vase

fun coffee cup

i'm always on the look for a new fun coffee cup.  it's just something that makes me smile when i use it.  i ran across this one today and it made me smile.  ha ... happy tuesday!

image courtesy of urbanoutfitters.com $16

get well gifts for kids

i'm happy to report my kiddo's came through their recent surgeries with flying colors ... maybe even a little too well - if that's possible.  anyhoo ... through the process we got gifts and we gave gifts to the kids to mark the memorable occasion.  here are some ideas if your little ones are going through anything hospital related ...

books & games ... going to the hospital sticker book $7 - amazon.com

nice, new stuffed animal to cuddle with ... cordy roy elephant - jellycat.com

cozy new pajamas ... burberry plaid pjs $90 - nordstroms.com

movies, movies, movies ... top 10 family movies

something special or fun for them to lift his/her spirits ...  

dress up clothes $49; remote control car $34 - chasing-fireflies.com

sweet treats & fun cups/plates/bowls to put them in ... 

ice cream ball $30; letter & number molds $28 - chasing-fireflies.com

tough day for mom & loves!

my little ones are in for a rough day tomorrow {sad}.  emma is having her tonsils removed and owen's getting tubes in his ears.  i know they generally say it's far worse on the parents (at least that day) and i really think that may be true.  this post is dedicated to them ... my loves!  please feel free to send any & all well wishes and prayers our way.  

p.s  yes owen is going to kill me someday for the bandanas!!

house for sale

there are few things that i really hate in this world ... but selling a house is one of them!  but we've decided that it's the best thing for our family right now.  so i've been spending all of my spare time touching up paint and decluttering closets and cabinets so that we can hit our goal of april 30th.  ugh.  

image courtesy of webblogs.cltv.com

dreaming of the new hgtv green home

i'm in love with the new hgtv dream home.  i just can't think of anything better than a house that's 15 minutes away from a beach and {arguably} the best seafood in the country. also so close to the great shopping & city life in boston, and all of the great historicaly sites ... a photo girl's dream!!  i will be entering to win every day, memory willing.  Click here to sign up too or see more great pictures. 

 hgtv green home 2010

p.s.  if you win can I pretty, pretty please come stay for just a long weekend!! 

happy tax day

in the spirit of our beloved tax day thought i'd pass along my favorite relaxing treat ... aveda tea!  whenever I'm wanting to wind down it's the perfect remedy.