Thoughts of Clover

Publix/Kroger 1/10

2012-01-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

Kroger is having a great 50% off sale, which I have never known them to do! We needed toilet paper this week so I decided to take advantage of the last week of the P&G sale at Kroger (buy 4 participating items, get $4 off instantly) Kroger e-coupons (which I rarely use but decided to give it a go) had a $2 off Tide coupon, so I bought another tide for $2.99 (regularly $8!), there was also a $1 charmin e-coupon, and I bought 2 cover girl eyeshadows for $0.30 each! PLUS, Kroger has this $4 off shopping credit that when you share it with 4 people you get $4 off your next visit loaded to your plus card. I thought it was too good to be true and that there had to be a catch - nope! It went exactly as hoped and $4 came right off my bill! Thanks Kroger, maaaaybe I'll start shopping there more often. Oh, also, there are 10 cans of black beans pictured below. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were part of the 50% off sale going on right now. If you know us, you know we eat a LOT of black beans.

Kroger Trip:
Before coupons: $63
Total Spent (including tax): $21.20
Total Saved: $41.90

I am loving this Green Advantage Flyer sale at Publix this week. The pantiliners are AWESOME money makers! The green advantage store coupons are for $1 off the carefree liners. They only cost $1.07. I also had 8 $1 off manufacturer's coupons from last week's insert - which means I MADE $0.93 on each! That's almost $8 that Publix PAID me! That in itself almost paid for the newspapers!

Publix Trip:
Before Coupons: $47.01
Total Spent (including tax): $13.73
Total Saved: $33.28

Yesterday's Grand Totals:
Before Coupons: $110.01
Spent (including tax): $34.93
Total Saved: $75.18

Publix/Kroger Trip 1/7/12

2012-01-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

It's only been, oh, about 3 months since I blogged last… So I thought I would come back with a BANG! or a BAM! or a GOOD GOD I LOVE SAVING MONEY WITH COUPONS!

Today was a pretty awesome couponing day. I went to Kroger & Publix.

Kroger had the Tide detergent that we use. Regularly $8, on sale for $5.99 plus it was part of their Mega Event, so if you bought 4 participating items you get $4 off instantly, which made them $4.99 each PLUS there was a $2 coupon which made each one $2.99!! I checked the Tide prices at WalMart and the 100 oz one was $12. I got 300 oz for $18! BAM! Plus, Dustin's body wash was $0.49 and free shave gel. Also, if you bought 3 things of gerber juice (which we buy regularly anyway) then a $1 off catalina coupon printed out. So I have $1 towards my next purchase at Kroger!

Then at Publix, Sundown vitamins and Poise panty liners (which Clover called "Pandora's") were great money makers! (I will donate the items we won't use)

Today's totals:

Total before coupons: $178.81

Total spent (including tax) $47.29

Savings $131.52

Kroger Trip:
(Dustin was with me, so he threw in some chips!)
Before coupons: $107
Total Spent (including tax): $38.88
Saved $68.12

Publix Trip:
Before coupons: $71.81
Total Spent (including tax) $8.41
Saved $63.40

And just to give you an idea of how much money I MADE - My total after coupons was $8.41 - the ham alone was $9.50. I also paid full price for the hoagie rolls and chips and the bread was B1G1 for $1.42

(PS I totally want to say BAM! again)

September pictures

2011-10-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

To capture the month of September that FLEW by, I'm going to give you a pictorial review:

Clover had a tea party.

Daddy & Miles dressed in matching UGA clothes

Princess Clover & Princess Ava played together

Co Co got her "ears-a-pierced" (that's how she says it)

she LOVES them

Mommy got a haircut & Clo acted like a goof.

She laughed REALLY hard during a sand war with Mommy.

Mommy won.

She read a little.

Mr.Man did some swinging.

"JonSam" came to visit!

We celebrated Jon's 26th Birthday!

Clover & Ava played on the table.

Sam held MJ while I held Ava True.

He made me smile. again & again.

We went to Stone Mountain

and rode the train.

I carried him in the moby wrap.

Clover & Ava = BFF's 4LIFE

She played in the water.

He had some important meetings.

They dressed alike.

Miles ate solids for the first time!

and looked like a little animal.

he liked the rice cereal.

Miles Jonathon Daugherty turned 6 months old!

and is the sweetest Momma's boy

she danced in a purple skirt.

It was a good month.

Too much caffeine

2011-10-12T16:45:00.001-07:00

For some strange reason, whenever Clover has "loose stools" she says she has had too much caffeine. I really have no idea where that came from because the only "caffeine" she has ever had is from chocolate. Anyway, it makes for some pretty funny stories.

Like, the other day my Mom was getting Clover ready for bed while I was feeding Miles in the other room. I heard Clover shout from the bathroom "Juju! I have caffeineeeee!"

Then today, I told Clover I had to use the restroom while we were at Old Navy and she asked me, "Why Mom? You have caffeine?"

I really should probably correct her, but I like the comic relief.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Publix Trip 10/6/11

2011-10-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

My goal is to save more than I spend, so today was a good day! I got a bunch of campbell's soup for $0.48 each, steamfresh veggies for $0.24 each (I wish we had a bigger freezer!), Air Wick candles for $0.49 each - Reg 6.49 (hello Christmas presents!), Hidden Valley dressing for $0.67, Quaker Instant Oatmeal for $0.49, mueller's pasta for $0.20, Pediasure for $6.39- Reg 10.99, Hall's cough drops for $0.12 each, and more!

Retails: $201.77

Paid: $89.59

Saved: $112.18

Purchased:

12 pack lacroix water

2 liter Dr.Pepper

7 packages of steamfresh vegetables

6 airwick candles

2 boxes publix stick butter

1 package strawberries

2 Hidden Valley farmhouse dressings

1 Hidden Valley original ranch

2 Gerber Apple Carrot juice

Bananas

2 packages publix plates

Red Grapes

2 Horizon 2% milk

1 box Quaker instant oatmeal

6 boxes Mueller’s pasta

2 packages Hall’s cough drops

2 boxes of Fruit Loops
Clorox Bleach

1 bottle of smartwater (not pictured)

2 – 6 packs Pediasure

15 cans Campbell’s hearthealthy soups

Publix softwhite light bulbs

Pampers Wipes

2 packages of Purdue chicken

Publix & Kroger 9/4/11

2011-09-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quick little note about couponing:
1. Our shelves are not stocked with 500 bottles of mustard. That would be dumb.
2. When things go on sale and I have coupons, if it's something we use, I will stock up. For example, ketchup was $0.33 the other day, so I bought 4.
3. I do the shopping for myself, my husband, my Mom and my two kids.
4. If something is free (for example, BBQ sauce today) I will use all of the coupons I have (5) and buy the items, and then give away the ones we won't use.
5. I go to Publix once a week, and Riteaid or CVS about twice a month.6. I check the Southern Savers website more than Facebook or my email. She is the coupon QUEEN!
7. I spend about 2 hours TOTAL a week couponing, and that's only because I enjoy it! :)
8. (and most importantly) I'm going to start posting pictures on my blog of my savings specifically to HELP other people save too! PLEASE ask me questions!

Publix trip today:
Retails $80.42
Paid $38.12
Saved $42.30

In regards to the deodorantL - no, we did not need it. BUT, I made $0.57 on each, which helped me get the $7.89 clinical deodorant for $2.38 (and the rest free!) My husband uses the regular degree, and my brother uses the clinical!

Kroger trip today:
Retails: $19.88
Paid: $5.68
Saved: $14.20

Publix Trip 9/1/11

2011-09-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Bought:
4 12 packs - 2 dr.pepper, 1 diet dr.p, 1 diet pepsi
5 newman's own spaghetti sauce
5 jars of pickles
2 jars of marie's dressing
4 packages of betty crocker cookies
1 carton of Breyer's blasts icecream
2 packs of dixie plates
1 box of pamper's diapers
pamper's sensitive wipes
1 bag of publix tortilla chips (penny item)
1 box of honey nut cheerios
1 pantene shampoo

Tortico-LESS

2011-08-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

Tortico-LESS is the opposite of torticollis.

Torticollis means "twisted neck," and if a child has this condition, their head will be tilted to one side while the chin is turned to the other side. It's also sometimes called wryneck. Babies with torticollis may also develop positional plagiocephaly (flat head shape) because they'll often sleep with their head turned to the side. Miles was diagnosed with this at 2 months old.

Tortico-LESS is what happens when the torticollis is gone. See what I did there? That's Miles now.

At 36 weeks preggo Miles was breech, so they scheduled a c-section "just in case."

I was pretty much determined to turn Miles and get him to come out the "right way" (If you don't know what that is, ask Clover. She will tell you exactly how Miles left my belly.) My friend, Meg, recommended a visit to her chiropractor, who is certified in the proper performance of the Webster Technique. Combined with some exercises to turn him around naturally, I am proud to say that I did not have to have a c-section!

After Miles was diagnosed with torticollis at 2 months old, I made an appointment for him with Dr.Kathryn Hoiriis. She began working with Miles twice a week, and now once a week, and I am THRILLED to say that he has NO tilt, his flat spot is GONE and he is a physical little monkey-man!

Here are two pictures of Miles. The first is at 11 weeks old when his torticollis was at it's peak, and the second was taken just a few days before he turned 5 months old:

It's truly incredible. I feel like I owe so much to Dr. Kathryn.

When I googled the definition of torticollis, I started reading some of the parent forums and saw several similar comments like this:

"You child should see a pediatric physical therapist, as well as get fitted for a helmet if the torticollis is accompanied by plagiocephally (flattened head)."

"My son has Torticollis and a flat head..He recently just got the helmet about 3 months ago and we have seen an amazing transformation already!"

"Physical Therapy is a must- your son will most likely need to wear an infant helmet to help straighten his head out. We are about to go that route with our son who looks to the left and cocks his neck to the left ALL the time. It can be discouraging but it won't be like this forever."

Chiropractic care is so often overlooked. Before I ever saw a chiropractor, or before I knew that there was such a thing as an alternative to the "medicine world", I thought chiropractic care was weird. I've heard so many people say things like, "Chiropractors just want your money. They trick you into thinking you have to go all the time." "One wrong move, and you're paralyzed!"

I can't speak for all chiropractors, but I can say that Dr. Kathryn truly cares about her patients. She saw Miles twice a week in the beginning because WE felt it was best. She's extremely intelligent and knows what she is doing. She talks me through each process she does with Miles and has taught me things I can do with him at home.

A lot of people I have talked to have the misconception that Dr.Hoiriis "cracks" and adjusts Miles like she would an adult. That is not the case at all. Here are some pictures from one of his most recent adjustments: (Miles LOVES her, by the way)

stretches:

He holds his head up SO well now!

This is his "bad spot":

Using the activator method - set all the way to 0. I know this because she double checks it every time:

Cranials - his favorite!

His whole body relaxes

This one is his favorite:

Here is my two cents: Yes, one wrong "crack" and you can be paralyzed. But one wrong medicine, one wrong diagnosis, and a physician can do the same thing. Because of Dr. Kathryn's help, I was able to avoid having a c-section. Because of Dr.Kathryn, Miles has been able to potentially avoid physical therapy, wearing a helmet, seeing other specialists, and is not physically delayed. To me, that is extraordinary. I am a strong supporter of chiropractic care, and both of my children get adjusted regularly.

"Chiropractic care benefits children by correcting the spinal alignment to improve their overall health. Gentle, noninvasive and drug free, chiropractic adjustments treat, resolve and prevent a wide range of health problems. Parents report successful treatment of children's health issues such as acute earache, upper respiratory infection, muscle pain, neck pain and accident trauma. Spinal manipulation for children as young as newborn babies is an alternative treatment for the discomfort of colic and other digestive disorders as well. Parents surveyed by the ICPA reported behavioral improvement for kids who saw a chiropractor, as well as improved sleep and stronger immune systems. Chiropractic America reports that natural, drug-free chiropractic care is sometimes more effective than traditional medical approaches for chronic earache, scoliosis and neck pain. Headaches and sleep disorders of nonspecific causes respond well to spinal adjustments, which affect and repair interrupted neural pathways. Asthma and allergy symptoms and patterns of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also be treatable with chiropractic. Periodic ongoing adjustments at a young age may help stave off the above ailments before they begin. Proper spinal alignment now may delay or prevent degenerative bone or joint disease, such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis

(Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/71159-benefits-chiropractic-care-kids/#ixzz1WfAkJsKr)

My sweet 5 month old

2011-08-25T17:55:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Miles, I had several people tell me that he would probably end up being a “Momma’s boy” and that there was something so special about a mother’s bond with her son. I’ll be honest, I didn’t believe it. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe that I would bond with my son, I just couldn’t imagine it.

It’s true. There is something incredible about having a son. Maybe it’s his sweet demeanor, or how patient he is (as a second child), or how he gets the biggest, most amazing smile when he sees me. Either way, he has my heart.

Miles Jonathon is five months old today. He can roll over from back to front, hold himself up high and has great physical strength. He loves his big sister; they already have such a special bond. When Miles is crying, Clover will say (without thinking or stopping what she’s doing), “Don’t worry little man, I’m right here!” “Oh, buddy, don’t cry!” “I’m coming Mr. Man!” She’ll sing to him, and loves to ~~smother him~~ give him kisses. They smile and laugh at each other. They also cry when each other cries. She loves to show him off, and is already so protective.

I really didn’t think I could be happier than I was before I had Miles, but as cliché as I sound, 5 months ago today, my heart doubled in size.

Publix & Kroger Trip 8/25/11

2011-08-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Total Retail: $228.79

Paid: $88.55

Saved: $140.24

4 count publix greenwise bath tissue - Reg price - $2.39, Paid $0.01

2 – 200 ct Bounty paper towels - Reg price - $3.59 each, Paid $1.49 each

10 – Clorox toilet bowl cleaner – Reg price $1.84 each, Paid $1.17 each

4 cans rotel - Reg price $1.05 each, Paid $0.79 each

1 can Bush’s chili beans -$1.59

2 packets of chili seasoning,- $1.25 each

1 carton of 18eggs - $2.39

1 package of lean ground beef - $3.80

2 loafs of Nature’s Own bread - Reg price - $2.85 each , Paid $0.67 each

1 charmin fresh mates - Reg price - $2.79, Paid $0.49

2 bags of Fritos - Reg price - $3.49 each, Paid $2.49 each

1 ½ gallon of Horizon’s DHA whole milk – Reg price - $4.39, Paid $3.64

9 boxes of 132 ct. Scott’s tissues – Reg price $1.25, Paid $0.29 each

3 boxes of 72 ct. Scott’s tissues – Reg price $1.25, Paid $0.29 each

1 box unsalted butter - $3.19

1 syrup - $2.59

1 sour cream - $1.45

3 disney multi-vitamins - $6.99 each , Paid $2.49 each

1 package of sliced cheese - Reg price - $2.99, Paid $2.50

Bananas - $0.73

Blueberries- Reg price - $3.99, Paid $2.99

Mandarin Oranges - Reg price - $2.65, Paid $1.32

2 cans of beets - Reg price - $1.39 each , Paid $0.79 each

1 can of carrots - Reg price - $1.39, Paid $0.79

1 bottle Ken’s marinade - Reg price - $2.99, Paid $0.49

2 64oz bottles of tomato juice - $1.75 each

4 clean & clear face wash, regular – Reg price $5.55 each, Paid $1.49 each

1 clean & clear face wash morning burst – Reg price $4.83, Paid $2.83

2 Lipton family tea bags - Reg price $2.85 each, Paid $1.13 each

1 minute maid frozen lemonade – Reg price $1.89, Paid $0.00

1 gallon 2% milk - $3.39

4 bottles 50 ct. Advil liquid gel– Reg Price $6.19 each, paid $0

1 bottle 50 ct. Advil gel caplets – Reg Price $ 5.93, paid $0

24 ct. Publix paper plates - $2.39

1 package of shredded cheese - Reg price - $5.49, Paid $4.49

4 boxes Ritz crackers – Reg price $3.09 each, Paid $1.16 each

Breyer’s Blasts ice-cream - Reg Price $5.99, Paid $4.49

(I wasn't able to get all of the items in the picture!)

I have a dream

2011-08-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

Every since Clover was a baby I have made a conscious effort not to give her gender specific toys. Meaning, I did not buy her pink toys or toys that were geared towards girls. Instead, she decided to ignore the blocks and play with dolls, jewelry and anything that could go on her arm like a purse. She decided to like what society has deemed “girl toys” all on her own. And I’m okay with that, because she chose it. I did not choose for her that she should prefer baby dolls to blocks and trucks. Her favorite color is pink because she likes pink, not because I told her pink was a girl color and she needed to like pink. I even go to the extreme to tell her, while I’m painting her nails, that some boys paint their nails too. I pray that my children are raised with enough respect and diversity to treat every person the same, regardless of their race, sexual orientation or gender. I feel like the best way that I can do that is to not say things like, “only girls paint their nails” – because that isn’t true. Or, "only girls carry purses" because that isn’t true either. Or, "only boys do yard work and work with tools"…

When I was little, I picked out a black baby doll at the store. I had no idea that the baby was a black baby; I just knew it was the one I wanted. So my Mom bought her for me. I was oblivious to the fact that people had different skin colors, and probably still would be, if not for other kids teaching me that there was a difference.

I firmly believe that if we stop teaching children that there is such a thing as different races, or that certain sexes have to like certain things, or even that because you are a girl you have to love a boy, they will remain unaware. I realize I sound a little Martin Luther King Jr “I have a dream” here, but seriously. For the longest time Clover loved waffles without syrup. Not because she tried syrup and decided she didn’t like it, but because I never gave her syrup and she only knew what waffles tasted like plain. In the same sense, if she was never taught that there were different races, I feel that she might possibly remain happily oblivious to the fact that there are. She wouldn’t have to decide to not be racist; she just wouldn’t know that there was such a thing.

So, if you ever see Miles with painted toenails, or Clover playing with an Asian baby doll… you will know why.

Clover with my 2 favorite baby dolls from when I was little

Monday, bleach day.

2011-08-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

There are 2 types of Moms -

1. The type that is cool with germs, doesn't mind when their kids are around other sick kids, doesn't use grocery cart covers, or wipe down the booster seats with anti-bacterial wipes, and doesn't mind large crowds of snotty kids.

Yeah, that's not me.

I'm the other type. In my diaper bag I have diaper changing wipes, anti-bacterial wipes, several things of hand-sanitizer (including one without alcohol for Clover) and a blanket specifically designated for diaper changes in germ infested places. I'm that weird-o Mom that if your child sneezes around mine, I notice. If your child sneezes more than once, we might have an issue.

That being said, today was toy cleaning day. Clover even helped me wipe down some of her big toys.

I also need to preface the next picture by saying that I have an extreme love/hate relationship with bleach. I love it because it is the ultimate germ killer. I hate it because I am a natural klutz - and it always ends up ruining something I own. (I have completely destroyed a duvet cover, a t-shirt and a shower mat... all with bleach)

And here's a cute one of Miles getting stuck on his playmat... because, well, he didn't help clean at all.

My name is Jill, and I'm a coupon addict.

2011-08-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

In yesterday's post I mentioned "couponing" and said I would discuss more later. Well, it's later!

Here is the story of my coupon journey:

I kept seeing things about couponing - how people would save crazy amounts of money on name brand items, shopping at drugstores and expensive grocery stores - we grew up buying store brand items at warehouse prices, so this just seemed ridiculous to me. Every time I saw someone post a picture on facebook, where they saved tons of money, I would ask them how they did it, but never really got a response. So one Sunday, I bought the paper. I scoured through the Publix and Kroger ads and tried to match the sales with the coupons. It took me 3 hours and I saved $30. I spent 3 hours ignoring my kids and family for $30? Not worth it.

I almost gave up until a facebook friend mentioned that she knew two ladies that taught a coupon class and referred me to their blog. Two Coupon Cuties

A couple of things on their blog captured my interest:

The Two Coupon Cuties do not eat, breathe, and live coupons 24 hours a day.Who has time to spend all day, every day searching multiple blogs, ordering coupons, clipping coupons, and spending hours in the grocery store? Our goal is to save you money with the use of coupons in the most efficent manner. Not everyone who uses coupons is obsessed'

'Do you want to make your money go further at the grocery store? Do you want to fill your pantry, fridge, & freezer for half the cost? Are you tired of spending hundreds of dollars at the grocery store, & having little to show for it? If so, a Clipinar is just what you need!'

I thought, ~~"oh hell yeah!"~~ "Yes, Please!"and scheduled a class at my house.

That was June 12th. Since then, we have literally saved hundreds of dollars and our "stock pile" has gotten so big that we had to buy an extra shelf for the garage!

A few quick things:
1. Our shelves are not stocked with 500 bottles of mustard. That would be dumb.
2. When things go on sale and I have coupons, if it's something we use, I will stock up. For example, ketchup was $0.33 the other day, so I bought 4.
3. I do the shopping for myself, my husband, my Mom and my two kids.
4. If something is free (for example, BBQ sauce today) I will use all of the coupons I have (5) and buy the items, and then give away the ones we won't use.
5. I go to Publix once a week, and Riteaid or CVS about twice a month.
6. I check the Southern Savers website more than Facebook or my email. She is the coupon QUEEN!
7. I spend about 2 hours TOTAL a week couponing, and that's only because I enjoy it! :)
8. (and most importantly) I'm going to start posting pictures on my blog of my savings specifically to HELP other people save too! PLEASE ask me questions!

Here is today's shopping trip: (I went to CVS, Walgreens, Kroger and Publix - this is EXTREMELY rare, and I only did it because my Mom SO graciously watched my kids for me, plus there were specific items we use at each of those stores with a price worth the trip. For example, Walgreens had my Mom's toothpaste for $0.99 - usually $4. This was actually my first time going to Walgreens)

Retails $165.99 Total out of pocket $67.15 Saved $98.84

Here are some more savings from the past month:

Publix: Retail $209.80, Spent $84.47, Saved $125.33!

RiteAid: Retails $140, Spent $28.50, Saved $111.50!

Publix: retails $69.12, spent $23.20 - saved $45.92!

Princess Olivia

2011-08-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

My friend, Lisa, is expecting her second child (and first girl!!) mid-September! I absolutely love Lisa, so when it came time to plan her baby shower, of course I ~~jumped at the chance~~ asked politely if I could help! (Especially since Clover says she is going to marry Lisa's son, Michael!)

They are naming their sweet baby Oliva and Lisa loves the Oliva the Pig series, so we decided to use that as the theme for the shower!

Here is the banner I made:

I also made tissue paper flowers for each corner:

I was trying to think of how to hang the letters, and my Mom had a brilliant idea of using mini clothespins that she uses for knitting. I painted each clothes pin red and then ~~scorched my fingers~~ hot glued clear marbles to the tops.

Since the co-host was making the large diaper cake (pictured below)

I made 3 little ones! (PS the red flower topper on the first one is a hair clip I made for Olivia !)

One of my favorite baby shower 'games' is BINGO. I think it's a great way to keep everyone involved in the gift opening process. When each guest arrives, the person taking the gifts (I normally designate someone to do this) tapes a number/letter combination to the bottom of the gift. Before the guest of honor opens each gift she reads out the number/letter and each guests marks it off of their "bingo card"

At this shower, instead of playing BINGO, I made OLIVIA cards:

I do a lot of internet shopping and could NOT find red and white lollipop favors (for a decent price) anywhere! So I was super excited when I found these at Michaels! They already come with stickers that say 'thank you' and then there are also blank stickers included. I wrote Olivia Hope on the blank ones.

I also made the cups that I put the lollipops in. I cut the top off of two tall plastic cups, hot glued leftover ribbon from the diaper cakes, and put some red marbles in to keep the cups from falling over.

I LOVE to plan parties (I mean, duh, I have a PR degree), but I'm not a fan of the food preparation. I don't really like cooking in general. So when the co-host said she would handle the food, I knew right away we would make a good team! Here are some pictures of the food table (she did a great job!)

Oh, but I did make some white chocolate covered pretzels!

Besides couponing (more later), my new obsession is Thirty-One. If I could afford to buy an embroidery machine, everything I owned would be embroidered. I use one of the Thirty-One large utility totes as my diaper bag, and love it, and thought Lisa might too (plus, it was a lot of fun to fill the pockets with presents for Oliva and Lisa!)

Here is a picture of my gift to Lisa:

Last, but not least, here is a picture of the stunning Momma-to-be:

Be on the lookout for pictures from our other good friend, Jackie's baby shower (next week!) I have quite a few special things planned for her, and her sweet baby girl that I can't wait to share!

The poopy head club

2011-08-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

So I've been thinking...

I have an almost 3 year old (holy moly!!) and well, she's extreme. Her love is extreme, she's extremely affectionate, her level of loud can be deafening and her tantrums can be pretty exhausting. Clover is smart. Which means her level of understanding requires 'extreme' manipulation sometimes.

The other day, my friend's daughter said "poopy head" or something along those lines, to which my friend rolled her eyes and said, "the joys of daycare." Which got me thinking (hence the creative first line of this post) about discipline. When a child does something wrong, and you react to it, they will most likely do it again just for attention. So sometimes, I ignore certain things Clover does in hopes that she will not repeat it - and sometimes it works. However, other times I feel like I have to react. For instance, Clover said she wanted to 'kill' something the other day, which she has only heard in reference to "killing a bug." I reacted, and maybe it worked, maybe it didn't - it hasn't been long enough to determine that yet.

This is where I think patterns of "bad" behavior begin. I can just picture my friend's daughter in her daycare setting... Another child in class, probably with an older sibling, calls someone else a "poopy head." They probably get in trouble and have to sit in time-out. The other children see this and know that "poopy head" is now in the attention-getting category. They say it when they need attention at school, they come home and say it to get attention from their parents, they teach it to siblings and friends - pretty soon "poopy head" has spread like the flu. Every child is saying it. It's like a secret "poopy head" club.

Enter bad behavior stage 1: learning the thrill. Clover has learned that when I'm nursing Miles, I'm a couch parent. I use words without action. She uses this to her advantage. She'll climb up on the coffee table and give me her sly little I-know-I'm-doing-something-wrong-and-you-can't-stop-me grin. She enjoys it.

As they get older, they need bigger thrills. Cussing, stealing, bullying, talking back, driving too fast, staying out too late, drugs, alcohol, sex...

I don't believe people that do bad things were born to be bad. Yes, part of it is has to do with their personality traits. Some kids need bigger thrills. But I think a bigger part of it has to do with how they were disciplined.

So, what is the right way? How do you prevent children from becoming drug addicts? I have no idea.

I do know that I need to focus on giving my children good attention so they won't crave the bad. I can tell when Clover needs a little bit of extra attention. When she starts to act out, I know a big part of it is lack of attention, specifically from me. I've noticed that when she does something "bad" repeatedly, it is because my reaction is getting louder and more harsh, thus, more attention.

So, in summary: Ignoring your children is bad. It will cause them to act out. Ignoring their "bad" behavior is bad. It will cause them to act out. Reacting to their bad behavior is bad. It will cause them to act out.

Parenting is an amazing and insane ride.

Caden prayer stones

2011-08-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

One of Becca's friends, Rachel Hill made these adorable prayer stones for Caden. Right now I have them listed in my etsy shop but you can also send me an email if you are interested in purchasing! (JillMDaugherty@gmail.com)

These stones can be shared with people who want to remember to pray for Caden. They serve as a reminder to pray whenever you see it on your desk, feel it in your pocket, etc. In addition, the stones are really wonderful for small children to give them something tangible to pray over.

The stones can either be mailed or picked up. (For large orders, additional shipping costs may apply)

100% of the proceeds will go to Becca and Adam:

1 prayer stone - $3

A jar of 5 stones - $7

A heart shaped dish with 20 stones - $20

Caden Thomas

2011-08-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

Caden Thomas was born on Wednesday, August 3rd 10:01am at 7 lbs 12 oz 20 inches long. At first everything looked great, but then they found he has a severe Aortic Stenosis, as well as a narrowing in a portion of his aorta, and a mild stenosis as well. At 7 days old, he has already had extensive open heart surgery and is still fighting. Caden's parents, Becca and Adam, are two of the most incredible people I've ever known. Their faith is breathtakingly inspiring. I only hope that I would be half as strong and half as faithful as they are. Please pray for Caden and for his parents and for his big sister, Jayci.

To read more, and stay updated, I encourage you to visit their blog: The Stanley Clan

www.thestanleyclan.blogspot.com

There is also a facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/candlesforcaden

A fund has also been set up if you would like to donate: http://www.giveforward.com/cadensheartofspirit

Here is another way to help:

http://thestanleyclan.blogspot.com/2011/08/note-from-blueprint-58.html

Lastly, if you would like a button for your blog like the one above:

Oh, and did I mention that they serve in inner city Atlanta mentoring to kids, and just signed the contract on their house the day before Caden was born (a process that took OVER a year) in the city to be closer to "their kids". Not to mention, they had just invited a pregnant 14 year old girl to live with them...

Told you they are incredible. Not to mention, humble.

Daughter Date

2011-07-31T19:39:00.001-07:00

I decided that Clover and I needed some alone time together. So this weekend, Dustin and Miles stayed home while Clover and I went on a date.

I took her to one of those little frozen yogurt places where you pick your flavor and toppings. Surprisingly, she was pretty quiet the whole time. I think she was exhausted from soccer tots that morning. We still had a great time together!

First bite of her first frozen yogurt treat.

She wasn't crazy about it, but she loved the gummy worms on top!

She's such a little people watcher! It was raining outside and she was very interested in seeing who had an umbrella and who didn't.

I am SO in love with this picture. And even more with the little girl in it. She's amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Funny. Witty. She can make you cry from laughing so hard. Sweet. Oh so loving. Affectionate. Aware. Smart. Passionate. Emotional. Clever. Adorable. Creative.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

4th of July

2011-07-03T20:00:00.001-07:00

My sweet babies:

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2011-06-22T07:14:00.001-07:00

I'm not a very materialistic person, but I do have a few material possessions that I would run to get in the event of a fire:

1. My Mac book pro. How I survived without it, I'm not sure. A tad dramatic, but seriously, if you have one, you understand.

2. While we're on the subject of apple products, I also love my iPhone - even though it is an unlocked 3Gs that needs to be updates, it's still awesome

3. And my apple tv... (notice a trend here? I blame my brother)

4. My Dyson vacuum. Again, if you have one, you get it.

5. My glider. When I was pregnant with Clover, my step-mom told me I needed a really good glider. As a gift from my Dad and Step-Mom, I got a really nice one. I've pretty much used it everyday for 2 years and 7 months. It's worth it to get a nice one.

That's my "materialistic post" - you will probably never see another one.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Material Girl

feeling sad

2011-06-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just feel really sad. I want to take my children and go deep underground away from hurt, pain, sickness, people… yes, I know that wouldn’t do them any good. I know they would miss out on all of the good things in life: family, love, friendships, happiness… But sometimes, I don’t care. Sometimes, I have the most intense desire to wrap my arms around them and shield them from anything that could possibly cause them pain. I imagine living in a bomb shelter like in the movie Blast from the Past. How perfect would that be? Even better, how amazing would it be to be 100% sure that nothing bad would ever happen to your children? To be positive that they would never get a life threatening illness, or even a minor illness that caused them pain? To be sure that they would find love without heartache? Or be certain that they would live to be 100, and then die peacefully in their sleep?

Being a parent make you feel emotions that I cannot accurately describe in words. It is the single most rewarding and gratifying feeling I’ve ever felt. It is a love so intense that you completely forget about your own needs. But it is also petrifying. It is a paralyzing need to protect, with no reassurance that even your best efforts will keep your children safe.

So sometimes, I feel sad.

Especially because I realize that they WILL feel pain. They WILL get sick. They WILL get their heartbroken.

And I WILL have to be strong enough to mend their wounds and offer them comfort that no one else can, while also internalizing their pain.

I was checking out at WalMart today and the guy forgot to ring up one of my items. My Mom was behind me, so she said she would just pay for it. He obviously didn’t understand and rang it up and told me my total. I repeated myself that my Mom was going to pay and wondered why he wasn’t paying attention. Then, I realized he had a hearing aid in and probably couldn’t hear me. And I felt like an ass. Not because I was rude to him, because I wasn’t. I wouldn’t be. But because in my head, I was annoyed. I was hot, and tired, and distracted. I was struggling with being annoyed with Clover’s constant need for attention, and being annoyed with myself because I was tired and couldn’t give her the attention she needed AND deserved. I was frustrated because Miles was hungry and I wasn’t responding to his needs fast enough. And I was irritated because the guy just couldn’t get it right. When all along he couldn’t hear me. I felt like someone had slapped me in the face.

I wasn’t rude or impatient TO him, but I’m sure people are. I’m sure he’s been made fun of. I’m sure he’s struggled. I’m sure there are things that he can’t do because of his hearing loss. And I’m sure if he were my son, it would absolutely break my heart. I would want to take the struggle away from him. Make sure that no one made fun of him. Be angry that he had to struggle when others didn’t. It made me sad and angry that he couldn’t hear my desperate efforts to thank him, which might somehow make up for the fact that he was “different”. Maybe if he saw my smile, and heard me thank him, his hearing would magically be healed and no one would ever make fun of him again…

I remember last summer I would frequently see a boy walking in a neighborhood that I often walked by. I’m not sure what was wrong with him (as ignorant as that sounds), but he had some sort of disease that caused him to walk differently. However, he was always so happy and friendly. And every time I saw him wave, my heart felt like someone was crushing it with a brick. I felt the kids taunt him in school. I felt society call him “retarded” and point to him. I felt people treat him differently because he looked different. He may have never personally felt any of that, but I felt it for him. And I’m sure he has a parent who feels it too.

I can’t watch people struggle. I can’t look at a lot of old people. I can’t ignore people in wheel chairs, or people with diseases, or people with a mental illness, or kids with bad parents, or racism, or hatred, or people making fun of other people. I physically cannot ignore it. It makes me so incredibly sad. I want to go to that person and be the one stranger who doesn’t treat them like they’re “special.” I want to be the one person who doesn’t make fun of them. I want to love them. I want to hug them and shield them and bring them down into my giant bomb shelter and protect them from others. I want to take their pain away. I want to heal them.

And it makes me SO sad because I can’t. They will get made fun of. Society is cruel. People are cruel. And I can’t protect anyone from it. Not even my own children.

My favorite things

2011-06-05T19:49:00.001-07:00

I love the way Clover puckers her lips when she wants a kiss. And that I can tell her "wait, there's one more thing I need from you, and she automatically knows it's a kiss.

I love when she holds her arms out and says "come here Mr Man" to Miles (like I'm just going to hand him to her!)

I love when Miles "sings" along with me.

My heart melts when my touch and words are enough to take away my children's cries.

I love the way Clover adores her brother. Every time I tell her we're going to go see someone she asks excitedly "and show them my baby brother Miles?"

I love when Clover wakes up and says "good morning Momma" and gives me a kiss. Sometimes on my leg. One time on my shoulder.

I love my sweet boy's toothless smile.

I cherish every moment with them. Even the ones through sleepy eyes and a foggy brain.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Airport Visit

2011-05-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

My brother hasn't been able to visit since last Christmas - almost 6 months ago - which has been the longest we've ever gone without seeing each other. In case you don't remember from this post, Jon is my best friend, so it's been hard. Especially since Miles Jonathon was born 8 weeks ago (tomorrow) and Jon hasn't been able to meet his godson yet...

SO, when Jon and his girlfriend, Sam, called to let me know they had a 2 hour lay-over scheduled in Atlanta on Tuesday we jumped at the chance to go see them! It was such a nice visit! Clover loves them so much!

Miles and his Godparents :)

Clover-ella

2011-05-07T01:19:00.000-07:00

Clover loves to dress up, especially like a fairy or a princess! Yesterday she told me she was Cinderella and needed me to find her glass slippers! Have I mentioned how fun this girl is??

After her Cinderella attire was complete she told me I could take her picture. So I took full advantage of this rare occasion!

A moment in my life

2011-05-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Clover had finally closed her eyes for nap time and Miles was peacefully nursing.

It was the day's first moment of quiet stillness.

I breathed a little sign of relief and opened a delicious looking reese's cup I found in the fridge and had snuck upstairs.

Just as the wrapper was opened, Clover's eyes popped open and she said "Mom, what are you eating? Is that chocolate? I like chocolate! I want a bite!"

Now she is wide awake and has jolted her brother from his peaceful breast milk coma.

I still ate the reese's - and it was worth it.

She did it again!

2011-05-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

Once again, Meg (of Thoughts of Megan) took some amazing pictures of my family! This was Miles' first professional photo shoot and I think he had a pretty good time! He's 10 days old in these pictures.

DWTS

2011-05-04T02:19:00.001-07:00

Since I spend so much time awake throughout the night nursing Miles, I added a few new shows to my DVR lineup to help keep me awake. One new show, Dancing With The Stars. Yes, I know it's not a "new" show, but it's new for me because this is my first season watching it.

I LOVE Chelsea and Mark! I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually called in to vote yesterday just because I want them to win! Not only is Chelsea an awesome dancer, but they have the neatest, most creative dances!

Kirstie Alley is doing surprisingly well and looks awesome! Although, why does she always look stoned?? And thank goodness she quit wearing her hair down and in her face! Also, I'm pretty sure she might be sleeping with her partner.

I also love Hines and Romeo...

I think I'm addicted!

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Pee pee in the potty, pee pee in the potty!

2011-05-03T04:05:00.001-07:00

Clover turned 2 last November and Miles was due April 5th, so if I was going to have Clover potty trained before Miles came I had a window between November and March...which I missed. I didn't want to even attempt to potty train unless I knew she was ready.

Last Monday, I decided it just needed to happen. My friend Meg (maybe this blog should be called 'Thoughts of Meg' since I talk about her so much!) recommended a 3 day potty training method which worked great for her daughter. It's basically a "cold turkey" method, meaning you throw away all the diapers, go straight to underwear and skip the waste-of-money-pull-ups. The concept is that you and your child need to understand the signs of having to go to the bathroom without wearing a "back up method" like diapers or pull ups as a safety net.

Two weekends before potty training boot camp, my Aunt and Granny came to visit and Clover picked out a bunch of different underwear (tinkerbell, Fancy Nancy - you know, the essentials!) Clover told us all she wasn't ready to wear them yet, but understood that she was going to in 2 weeks.

Day 1 of potty training resulted in 3 accidents and a TON of full on tantrums. She threw a fit every time I made her sit on the potty. BUT, she also had 3 successful pee pee's in the potty and was in awe of herself every time she went!

Day 2 and 3 were much more successful. Only one small accident each day and she only threw a tantrum about sitting on the potty about half the time.

By Day 4, she knew when she had to go potty, would take the initiative and go by herself, no longer threw tantrums over sitting on the potty, and stayed completely dry during nap and bedtime!

She is SO proud of herself and loves to show off her undies!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

iPhone blogging

2011-05-03T03:44:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm officially a mother of two! Which means, I don't really have a lot of time to blog...so, I downloaded the blogger app from my phone in an attempt to blog more - and to give me something to do while I'm feeding my little man in the middle of the night!

Speaking of my little man, allow me to introduce Miles Jonathon
Born March 25th
8 lbs 5 oz
20 1/2 inches long

(my good friend Meg took his picture, of course!)

He'll be 6 weeks old this Friday and I must say, is quite the handsome little guy.

Clover is such a great big sister and loves to "help" me with Miles. She also loves to sing to him and give him lots of kisses (which are sometimes inadvertently head-butts!)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Blizzard of 2011

2011-01-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

Not to be confused with The Blizzard of 2010 on January 8, 2010.

Yes, everyone panicked. Every county in the metro area closed schools, majority of businesses were closed and people up north are probably laughing at us... BUT, in the south's defense - we aren't really equipped to handle snow. We don't have shovels, or snow plows or lots of salt trucks (whatever they're really called). Majority of our cars are not 4 wheel drive. Our stores don't even sell sleds! So, while it's a tad dramatic to call 4-7 inches of snow "Storm Watch 2011", there is a little room for understanding...

We actually got about 4-5 inches of snow (I didn't measure)! AND Clover enjoyed it way more than she did last year.

Here are some pictures of us playing in the snow today:

On a side note - it is HARD to layer maternity clothes! I'm 28 weeks tomorrow (is it just me, or has this pregnancy flown by?!?) so I had a hard time finding clothes to keep me warm! By the time we came inside, my booty was totally numb! We had fun though!

Goodbye to 2010 and pacifiers and hello big girl bed and 2011!

2011-01-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

2010 and pacifiers:

I had previously planned that 2 years old was the magic age to get rid of the pacifier, or “baba” as Clover calls them. A few days after her birthday, Clover and I had a talk about how she was a big girl and didn’t need her pacifier anymore and that only babies use pacifiers. I told her that we were going to put all of her baba’s into a box and the “passy fairy” (she had just had a fairy themed birthday party) was going to take them and save them for her baby brother. The next day she helped me decorate a box, collect all of her pacifiers and put them in the box. Before we sealed it, she picked out one special pacifier. We then sealed the box and set it on the mantle and headed to the mall with her “special baba.” We went to the build-a-bear factory (yes, waste of money, but also a cute and creative concept – plus, they have good coupons!) where her “Baba Bear” was born. We put a recording thing (not sure the technical name) in the bear’s hand so that when you squeeze it you hear me say “I’m a big girl now, no baba’s!” and then Clover says “no baba’s!” Before sealing her new bear, she placed her special pacifier inside of it.

Yes, I agree, that sounds like a big ordeal just to get rid of pacifiers, but here is my reasoning behind it.
1. She loved her baba’s and it was to the point where she would pretend to get hurt just so she could ask for her baba. She wanted one all the time, and everywhere (which I wouldn’t allow) and therefore threw massive amounts of tantrums because of the stupid pacifier.
2. Taking into account her deep love for her baba, I wanted to do something special, that she could be a part of, to remember her pacifier and ease the transition. So, we had her make her Baba Bear. That way she knew that baba was in there and could be with her at bedtime, AND she could squeeze the hand to remind her of why she didn’t need baba’s anymore. Plus, it gave her something to show off and be proud of.
3. I like to thoroughly explain things to Clover because even if she doesn’t understand all of what I’m saying, she at least gets part of it. For instance, I don’t just tell her “No! Do not play on the fireplace!” I calmly (at first) tell her “Clover, you cannot play on the fireplace because it is dangerous. You can fall and get hurt and that would not be good.” Etc. So, I felt like if we reiterated a few key points about why she couldn’t have a pacifier anymore, than she would better understand it and have an easier time with the change.

Key Points (just in case you’re taking notes or are confused):
1. She is a big girl and doesn’t need pacifiers anymore.
2. Only babies use pacifiers (and since she is going to have a baby brother around March or April we decided it would be silly to pretend like the pacifiers were broken or just magically disappeared considering she would see other babies with them)
3. She can always have her “special baba” with her when she needs it because she put it inside of her Baba Bear.

All-in-all, the whole process worked out wonderfully. She fell asleep for naptime on the way home from the mall with her baba inside her new Baba Bear.

She only asked for her baba once that night, and then squeezed the hand of Baba Bear to remind her that she was a big girl and didn’t need a baba anymore. The next night, I did catch her trying to undress the bear to get the baba out, but once I explained to her that it was stuck in there and we couldn’t get it out, she was okay.

She loves her Baba Bear. She squeezes his hand every night and repeats “I’m a big girl now, no baba’s! No baba’s!” and loves to show her bear off. If she sees another child with a pacifier she says “I no have baba’s. I’m a big girl. The passy fairy saved them for baby Miles.” She has never once tried to take baby Hudson’s (my bff’s baby) pacifier (she did once, when she still had hers) and loves to make sure he has it if he needs it.

It was a great transition, and I honestly feel like it was the way that we did the whole process.

2011 plus the big girl bed:

If you’ve been reading my blog since the beginning (which I’m pretty sure only my Granny has), then you will know about our initial “sleeping issues” we had when Clover was a baby. Until she was about 9 months old, Dustin and I (mainly Dustin because he can sleep anywhere and in any position) took turns holding her while we slept. I refused to sleep in the bed with her because I was petrified of SIDS. Finally, at around 9 or 10 months, I let her sleep in the bed with me. And low and behold, we all slept! It was magical. From that point on, Clover became my #1 cuddle buddy. I loved co-sleeping. The one time she’s thrown up, it was in the middle of the night, and because we co-slept, I was able to hear her start to throw up and sit her up immediately. Another time, I felt her trembling in her sleep, so I felt her head only to discover that she was burning up. Turns out that she had a 103 fever. I wonder how long that fever would have gone untreated had she been in her own bed in another room… I also feel like co-sleeping gave us a chance to “cuddle” at night and gave her the attention and affection that she needed to be carefree and confident during the day.

Well, with baby #2 due in 13 short weeks, not to mention that Clover really enjoys sleeping sideways in bed AND she has recently added 4 bears and 2 small puppies in addition to her blankie and froggy – I decided it was time to move her to her own bed.

In true Jill fashion, I explained what was going to happen. We went shopping and picked out her own “big girl bed” bedding and Juju gave it to her for Christmas. She helped us put the bedding on her bed, move the bedrail from my bed to hers and she moved all of her animals and night time pals into her new bed. She also picked out a tinkerbell nightlight for her big girl room! Her first night in the bed, I explained to her that I was going to lay with her until she fell asleep and then I would move into my bed. I showed her where the monitor was and told her that if she needed me in the middle of the night, I could hear her in the monitor. I said that when she woke up in the morning she could say “Mommy, I’m awake” and I would come in and get her.

She whimpered a little when I told her I was going to go into my bed, but after reiterating the key points (I don’t need to spell those out this time), she was okay with it and easily fell asleep. She woke up once around 2 am crying, and I came in and she fell back to sleep. At 630 am the next morning I heard a little voice over the monitor say “Momma, I’m awake! Momma, I’m awake!” It was the cutest thing in the world.

It has now been over a week and Clover naps and sleeps all night long in her big girl bed. She loves to show off her bed, room and nightlight to anyone who comes over. She also loves to tell everyone about her bed and that when she wakes up she says “Momma, I’m awake.”

Her new big girl bed:

Testing out her new bed (notice Baba Bear?):

Sound asleep in her bed!

I’m just so proud of my sweet girl and how well she has accepted such big changes in her life. She makes me so proud!

Next up, potty training!

Christmas dresses

2010-12-15T05:23:00.000-08:00

Apparently I have a thing for cute Christmas dresses for Clover. That, and people like to buy them for her! She just looks so stinkin cute in them!

This one is from Grandma and Grandpa Daugherty

This one is from Aunt Jeannie and Uncle Ben

Don't worry, I think she had at least 1 more... I just haven't gotten a good picture of her in it yet!

4 month recap!

2010-12-15T05:11:00.000-08:00

I'm a bad blogger...Well really, I'm a tired blogger.

Pregnant + stay-at-home Mom to a 2 year old = my free time is spent sleeping with Clover (because really, the only "free time" I have is when she's asleep, and most of the time, I can barely keep my eyes open at that point).

Needless to say, here are some highlights since my last post... on September 3rd - ouch.

September:

Well, most of September (until I was 13 weeks and 1 day pregnant) was spent feeling like crap, trying not to throw up, and trying to keep my eyes open, all while playing with Clover and feeling guilty when I let her watch tv because all I wanted to do was lay on the couch.

We also spent quite a few days at the "beach" at a lake close to our house. Clover loved the water and the sand!

October:

The first week of October we took an unplanned trip out to Arkansas to see Dustin’s parents. He had a week off work (that was also unplanned) so we decided if he had to use his vacation time, we had better go on a vacation!

Dustin's parents gave Clover a bike for her birthday!

Clover also went on a boat for the first time and learned how to fish!

Here is an attempt at a picture with Clover's great-grandparents. It wasn't working out very well (and this was the best picture!)

October 12th – Jon and Sam came to visit! Sam is Jon’s girlfriend, and Clover is absolutely in love with her (well, so am I)!

October 16th – Hudson, or as Clover calls him “handsome man”, was baptized.

October 20th – I took Ava and Clover to Atlanta’s Botanical Gardens. They had a blast running all through the children’s garden there.

Mid-October – Clover enjoyed a few trips to the pumpkin patch! She loved picking out her own pumpkin, and helping carve our pumpkin!

October 31st - Clover got her first infection - a uti...so sad :( but, she was in good enough spirits to dress up as Jessie from Toy Story and go trick-or-treating with her friends!

November:

November 6th – Clover 2nd birthday party with her friends! It was a fairy theme and she had a blast!! (I don't have a lot of pictures from her party yet! more later!)

photo by the amazing Meg Davidson

November 9th - Clover Anne turned 2!

November 10th - we found out baby # 2 is a boy! His name will be Miles Jonathon (Jonathon after my brother)

Thanksgiving week - We went to visit our family in Indiana! It was Dustin's 1st time there, and his 1st time meeting a lot of my family! (some of them were starting to question if he really existed)

November 29th – December 6th – Dustin’s parents came for a visit! We took them with us to storytime at the library (where Clover knows every single song and has such a blast at), we went to see the movie Tangled (CUTE movie!), saw Santa at the mall and went to the Woodstock Christmas Parade!

December:

December 5th – my good friend, Megan, took some wonderful family pictures of us! If you’re anywhere in the Atlanta area, I would HIGHLY recommend her. (www.megdavidsonphotography.com) Not because she is my friend, but because she is a wonderful photographer. She is amazing with kids, knows exactly when to take the best, candid shots, and shoots beautiful photos. (plus, she’s reasonably priced!) Seriously, she got my stubborn 2 year to smile in all of the shots and we were only there about 20 minutes! I can’t get Clover to actually stand still, look at the camera AND do a normal smile… EVER!

23 weeks pregnant

December 7th – Clover had an ultrasound at Scottish Rite – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Since she had the previous uti (and I have a strong history of them and other kidney/bladder issues) they wanted to do an ultrasound of her kidneys and bladder to make sure everything is okay. She did amazing during the ultrasound. Smiled, laughed… made me so proud… but then, they did another test to check for reflux in the bladder. This one involved a catheter… and radiation… which meant that I (being pregnant) couldn’t be in the room during the radiation. It was one of the worst experiences I’ve had so far as a parent. I had to stand outside of the room for about 8 minutes listening to my baby scream my name over and over again. Oh, I sobbed. They are so great with children though, right when I walked back into the room, she was all smiles and so proud of herself! She left with a bear with a clover leaf on it (which she now calls her “hospital bear”), a reindeer mug, a sticker and a pink balloon. Oh, and perfectly normal test results!

December 8th – Clover decorated an ornament and painted Christmas pictures with a few of her best friends.

December 9th – My baby sister, Ava True, turned 4! She is growing up SO fast. I just love watching her and Clover play together now. They are so sweet to each other and Ava is so patient with Clover.

Well, that's quite a recap! Hopefully it makes up for the past couple of months ;)

A little message from Clover...

2010-09-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

That's right, Clover is going to be a big sister in April - Baby #2 is on the way!

Check out my new blog dedicated to Baby D http://babydaugherty.blogspot.com/

With Love

2010-08-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

It's my cousin Rachel's 27th Birthday today and Clover has a special message she wanted to share with her fellow redhead!

HAPPY 27th BIRTHDAY RACHEL!!

(tweet Rachel to send her your own birthday message!)

Fernbank

2010-08-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

While Dustin was out of town last week, Clover and I spent the night at my Dad and Melina's house a couple of nights. She always has so much fun playing with Ava. On Thursday Melina, Ava, Clover and I all went to Fernbank Museum and had so much fun looking and interacting with all the exhibits and then watching the IMAX showing of Lions of the Klahari.

walking the dinosaur tracks:

Excited about the big dinosaurs!

Dancing in the lights:

They're electric!

Pedicures

2010-08-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA for awhile because Dustin has been working like a mad man, and Clover has been teething - she finally cut 2 of the 4 "eyeteeth", but is still working on the other 2. Which means, if you look at her funny, she flips out. So I haven't been doing much on the computer lately...

Anyway, last weekend my Mom, Juju, took us to get pedicures! Clover sat on my lap and stuck her feet in the water and loved it. She also sat perfectly still on Juju's lap while they painted her nails.

(sorry for the iPhone shots)

World Breastfeeding Week

2010-08-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

This week is World Breastfeeding Week, and in honor of it, I am going to share a little bit from a past post I wrote when Clover stopped breastfeeding at 17 months old:

"To Clover:
Breastfeeding you was an amazing journey. At first, you struggled to latch on, but we figured it out. Sometimes it was painful and overwhelming. You never really took to a bottle, so I was pretty much on demand at all hours. Even when I was sick, there was no one else to “do my job” for me. There were nights when I was so tired I cried when you wanted to nurse every hour and half, but once you started eating, and I watched your satisfied little body mold into mine, I relaxed and became thankful that I was able and selfless enough to provide that for you. Sometimes you would nurse for ten minutes and sometimes an hour (especially when we were out and I really wanted you to eat fast). I diligently took my prenatal vitamin every day because I knew you needed those vitamins. I avoided caffeine and sugar because it had a negative effect on you. I took criticism from people close to me when I continued to nurse you past your 1st birthday; but I also found lots of encouragement too. I knew it was right for you. When your tired little eyes looked up at me at night and you made the sign for “milk”, I felt comforted that I could give you what you wanted. I would nurse you to sleep and then hold you, sometimes for hours, while you slept in my arms. And while it was sometimes hard, there was never a moment that I wished I wasn’t doing it, or that I doubted it was the right thing for you. I will never forget the time I spent nursing you, and I will always cherish it."

Clover-isms

2010-07-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

I realize these might not be as funny to you as they are to me, and I might not be able to write the story as well as I could tell it - but I'm sharing them anyway.

Clover has learned to prolong bedtime by asking for some water, or milk, or cereal, or goldfish - or really, anything she can think of. I usually say something like "no, no goldfish, it's time for bed, you can have some goldfish tomorrow" and she leaves it at that. Sometimes though, I can tell she's really thirsty when she repeatedly asks for some milk after about a 15 minute span, so I'll yell out "Dustin" (who is usually sitting in the living room) and ask him to bring Clover some milk. About a week ago, she decided to skip the middle man (me) and just yelled out "DUSTIN!!! MILK!"

The other day I asked Clover what her name was, (to which she normally pats herself on the chest and says "Clo Clo") and she smiled and said "Princess"

With a very serious look on her face, Clover will wave her finger in the air and shout "RIGHT BACK! Bye!"and leave the room.

The other day, Dustin was sitting on the floor playing with Clover and she was standing next to him. All of a sudden he passed gas and she jumped in front of him, pointed down (towards where the "toot" came from) and said "oh! poop!!"

Mr. Stubborn has arrived!

2010-07-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

My best friend, Jessika, was due on July 10th with her first baby boy. Well, July 10th came!...and went. No baby. Finally, on July 16th Jessika was sent to the hospital to be induced, because of low amniotic fluid, and Mr. Hudson made his grand appearance at 11:06 am Saturday, July 17th.

Here are a few pictures of all 8.8lbs, 20 inches of him! He is absolutely adorable!

funny and true

2010-07-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

I won't do this very often (share random links), but I saw this on a friend's fb page and thought it was funny and true.

http://www.cracked.com/article_15231_7-reasons-21st-century-making-you-miserable.html

P.S. Hudson is finally here!! Pictures coming soon!

take me out to the ball game

2010-07-15T06:31:00.000-07:00

One of the things I admire most about kids is their quickness to make friends. Clover can be anywhere, see a kid her age, and instantly they’re friends. Half the time she sees Layne, there’s no “Hi Layne!” “Hi Clover!” they just walk right up to each other and start holding hands. They skip the unnecessary opening lines and just jump right into playing together. I love it.

My best friend, Jessika, and I became friends in a similar way and I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the first year our little brothers played baseball and Jon had been invited to play on the traveling all star team. My Mom kept telling me that the coach of the all star team had a daughter my age. So one game, I saw her playing by the water fountain with her other brother. I walked up said “Hi, my Mom said we should be friends”, she shrugged and said “okay!” and literally, we’ve been friends every since. At least 20 years of friendship started like that.

Jon and I loved hanging out with Jessika and her two brothers, Tyler and Sonny. Jon and Tyler are the same age, Jessika and I are a month and five days apart, and Sonny is in between the four of us. So, we all got along great.

Eventually, we went to different high schools and the boys stopped playing baseball together. Jon quit playing after high school, but Tyler kept going full force. He now catches for the Chicago White Sox on their Triple-A minor league team, the Charlotte Knights (in other words, the level right below the majors).

Last weekend the Charlotte Knights played the Gwinnett Braves, and we got to go watch Tyler play! He scored 2 runs, 1 of which was a home run, and they beat the Braves! It was so much fun watching him play and I was so proud of him!

This was Clover’s 1st baseball game, and she really enjoyed the french fries, the Gwinnett Bear, saying “go Tyler!” and the bear and giant finger Daddy bought her!

The Home Run Hit:

Jessi will be so mad at me for posting this picture, but seriously, how cute is her little belly??

(btw, she is 5 days overdue and being induced Sunday! Can't WAIT to meet Hudson!)

Apprehension & Insanity

2010-07-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

Apprehension:
So I finally took the plunge and networked my blog with facebook. I’ve been tempted to do this a couple of time, but then stopped, because the apprehension of advertising my blog and anyone reading it (some of my inner-most feelings) scared me. I’m not the type of person to jump right out there and express my opinions. I don’t talk politics, religion, race or any sort of “sensitive” subjects with most people. I hate feeling judged and would be horrified if someone judged me based on a quick statement out of my mouth about President Obama or Christianity. However, when I find someone who shares a certain view that I do, I get really excited and will pretty much talk their ear off about it.

My blog is where I share those opinions and it leaves me feeling refreshed, yet exposed and vulnerable. What if I offend someone who reads it? What if someone judges me because I am such a breastfeeding advocate (in my personal life) that they are scared to talk to me because they think breastfeeding is gross?

If that ever happens, I’m sorry.

I’m a very open-minded person. I really try not to judge people that are different than me. Please don’t be offended by my opinions – but this is one of the only places I will share them (unless you agree with me).

Insanity:
I feel like in my last couple of blogs that I make motherhood sound like a fairytale. I only express how amazing it is, and how much I love it. I want to let you know a few secrets. Sometimes, I feel like I am going to have a psychotic breakdown. Sometimes, I get so frustrated with Clover that it scares me. Sometimes, I repeat the part in “I’ll Love You Forever” when it says “Sometimes his mother would say, ‘this kid is driving me crazy!’” in my head and can absolutely relate. Oftentimes, I lose my patience.

But the point is that I love her. She is my world. And I will take the bad over nothing any day.

20 Months

2010-07-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning the kitchen tonight and heard Clover saying “waalk-ing shoes” over and over again…so I turned around and found this:

She had put my “walking shoes” on by herself (and on the right feet, I might add) and thought she was hot stuff. She walked up and down the hallway chanting “walking shoes” and laughing.

That’s my 20 month old.

I really can’t express what an amazing little girl is. Every day is different. Every day she leaves me awestruck by a new development. I have a note in my phone entitled “Clover-isms” so I can remember all the goofy little things she does.

Here are a few recent ones:

Yesterday, we were leaving the bank and a guy was blocking me, so I mumbled, “Can’t see buddy!” and heard Clover in the backseat saying “can’t see ohhh buddy!”

Then today (we are house-sitting for my Dad), my Dad’s dog barked in the middle of her nap. She woke up, sat up, said “shh” with a very serious look on her face, and then laid back down and went back to sleep!

Then later this evening, she was getting tired and wanted me to hold her. Instead of saying “hold you Momma” or “up” like she normally does, she put her arms up and said “eat you Momma.”

She’s so much fun to be around. Even on days (like today) when she tests me so badly and pushes me right to the point of wanting to scream (like playing in the dog’s water bowls or climbing up on the dining room chair and trying to stand up – both of which, she did several times today.)

Her new favorite songs: (I’m ashamed to admit) she loves Usher’s OMG and likes to sing along… She also loves the Happy Birthday song and says “Happy, to you” while bobbing her head.

She loves loves loves the pool. On a daily basis she goes and gets our pool bag, gets our sunscreen out and bathing suits, brings them to me and says “swim!” She also likes to jump in the pool, and actually goes under water! She is such a water baby.

Her favorite animals at the zoo are the giraffes.

She has some pretty sweet dance moves.

She loves Curious George.

She peed in the potty for the first time! She also really enjoys randomly taking all her clothes off, including her diaper, and running around naked. She gets really mad if you try to put her diaper back on.

She saw her first movie, Toy Story 3, in the movie theater.

She is now obsessed with Ava’s Woody doll and says “looody” We bought her a small Jessie doll in hopes that she won’t be too depressed once we leave my Dad’s house and Ava’s Woody doll stays. She loves Jessie and sleeps with her every night now.

She can count to 10 (although she usually skips the number 1 and starts with 2) and can sing most of the ABC’s.

She tried her first plum and loved it.

She went bowling for the first time and saw her first fireworks show.

She still desperately wants a bike.

The Great Balancing Act

2010-07-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

When I was little my Mom told me she twirled the baton in the circus. She didn’t just come right out and say “hey guys, I twirled the baton in the circus!” It was probably more like a quick response to a series of questions I was firing at her and she answered with “because I was in the circus” - to which I’m sure I didn’t just accept the response and let it go… I’m almost positive I asked another series of questions which led to an exasperated response of, “yes, I twirled the baton in the circus!”

Needless to say, I believed that my Mom twirled the baton in the circus, and literally told everyone I knew, until I was 12. The only reason I stopped when I was 12 was because my Mom happened to be in my presence when I was telling someone about her astounding past and said, “No I didn’t!”

Reflecting back on my Mom’s storytelling days, I may consider telling Clover that I too was in the circus; because let me just express how much of a balancing act motherhood can be.

In case you don’t already know by now, I’m about as hands-on as a Mom as they come. I still rock my 20 month old to sleep at night, she still sleeps with me, my Mom has babysat her a total of 2 times (and has been her only babysitter) and I breastfed her until she was almost 18 months old. Sure, to some parents that might sound like a lot of work. And sometimes it really is. But more importantly, in my opinion, it’s called being a parent. I’m not saying you need to be 100% attached to your child at all times to be a good parent, and I’m not saying that I am so attached to my daughter that I don’t trust anyone else to watch her, or feel like I don't need time apart from her and her from me. What I’m trying to express is how much I truly enjoy being with her, 99% of the time (it’s not always peaches and cream).

I’ve always enjoyed my space, my alone time, being by myself. Yes, I’m an extrovert and I love being around people. But believe it or not, I have always valued my time alone too. I love painting and making things, reading for hours, researching on the computer, reading blogs, organizing things, sewing, knitting and even laying on the couch watching a good movie. All of which, I enjoy doing alone.

I also enjoy being with Clover. I love laughing with her, dancing with her, taking her to story time, play dates, play groups, the pool, the zoo, playgrounds, etc. I feel like each adventure teaches her something new, and that is so important. I love to expose her to new things and surroundings, and best of all, I love watching and experiencing this with her.

The Great Balancing Act is that there are only 24 hours in each day, and at some point, I need to sleep. And occasionally I need to shower. And just once each day, I like to go to bathroom by myself.

So, I spend the days with Clover and the nights by myself. Sure, I can’t paint, read for hours, browse on the computer, watch a movie and sleep at least 6 hours all in one night. I’ve had to learn to make mental and physical lists of everything I want to do, for myself, and pick one each night.

Sometimes I get frustrated because I feel like the nights are only so long, and I want more alone time. However, I also don’t want to give up any of my time with Clover to do something else. I don’t want to miss out on any cute “new” things she does just because I want to read a good book. Most often, I struggle with wanting to do something for myself. I’ll paint at the dining room table while Clover watches Curious George and plays by herself in the living room. I know it’s good for her to play alone, but then I feel guilty after awhile, like I’m ignoring her.

Sure, I could get a babysitter and have a few hours alone. Honestly though, I would hate the feeling of someone else playing with her, laughing at her, experiencing things with her.

I’ve been trying to get in shape and have been walking at night. Sometimes I walk after Clover goes to bed, but I don’t like to walk in the dark, and I’ve increased my mileage, so it’s better if I walk after dinner when Dustin is home. I know it’s great for them to spend time together, and I am happy that they have that time. But each night when I’m out on a walk, I can’t help but think about how much fun they’re having during bath time. How I’m missing her cute little laughs as he struggles to brush her teeth. How cute and snuggly she looks in her pajamas. I want to be there too.

I wish I could hit pause on life so I could do it all. Hit pause right after dinner, go for a long walk, un-pause when I get home and not miss out on any of her nightly routine. Instead, I try to alternate days of short walks with Clover in the stroller, and nights of long walks when Dustin gets her ready for bed.

It’s hard, but she’s only this age once. I know years from now, I’ll be wishing to spend more time with her and less time alone. I know, God willing, that I will have plenty of time in my future to paint or read a good book. I am also positive that I will never be able to re-live this time with Clover.

The Great Balancing Act.

I think I’ll give Barnum & Bailey a call and see if they want to include me in their show.

Independence Day Fun

2010-07-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

We started off this year's Independence Day celebration with some red, white and blue paintings last Friday! Clover absolutely loves to paint and takes it very seriously. She usually starts off with the paint brush, and once she's more comfortable with the paint, she ends up using her hands! Here are some painting pictures:

The middle painting is hers too - we have already contacted Harvard.

(just kidding)

Since I have a very girly daughter, of course we had to have red and blue toenails!

On the 4th of July, we went up to a nice local park (where Dustin and I got married actually) and had a picnic dinner with our friends Matt and Jessika (and Hudson in Jessi's belly - she's due in 4 days!).

Not only were we celebrating America's birthday, but the day was also monumental for another reason... Clover tasted her first cupcake! This wasn't just her first cupcake. It was her first taste of dessert ever. I scraped the icing off the top and gave her a little piece of it (I didn't want to sugar overload her). Funny that she stuck it right in her mouth, no questions, but when I try to get her to try other foods...

Right after this last picture, she gave the piece of cupcake back to me and said "done!" The best of both world's - she tried her first "cake", didn't eat much, and gave it back to her Momma that didn't really want her to have it in the first place! That's my girl!

Last 4th of July Clover was only about 7 months old, so we skipped the fireworks...but this year we decided to take her to her first fireworks show! She's really shown some "fearless" tendencies (except for scary strangers), so I really wasn't worried that the fireworks would scare her... and I was right! She loved them! She clapped after almost every single one and said "ohh!"

If Independence Day was this fun, I can't wait until Christmas this year!

Coconut Water

2010-07-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

I was browsing through the Eco Logical Mom blog yesterday and saw a post that mentioned coconut water being really good for hydration. I had never heard of it before, so I did some google research and found some very interesting facts about it.

Drinking coconut water has many benefits. Coconut Water is naturally
* Low in Carbs (cool)
* 99% Fat Free (awesome)
* Low in sugars (even better!)

Coconut water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help

1. Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
2. Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage.
3. Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells.
4. Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising.
5. Raise your metabolism.
6. Promote weight loss.
7. Boost your immune system.
8. Detoxify and fight viruses.
9. Cleanse your digestive tract.
10. Control diabetes.
11. Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS.
12. Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer.
13. Treat kidney and urethral stones.
14. Boost poor circulation.

So, I decided to try it out. I’m really bad about not drinking enough water in the beginning of the day and then I get really thirsty at night (probably because I’m dehydrated), so I drink a bunch of water at night and then I have to get up to pee about 2 times in the middle of the night – annoying! I usually don’t start to really gulp down the water until around mid-afternoon when I start to feel crummy – again, probably because I’m dehydrated.

Anyway, on to the coconut water:

Regular, plain coconut water is…. GROSS!! Sounds like it might taste good, but no, it doesn’t. Too bad I bought a big thing of it… (I’ll use it in a smoothie or something)

However, they do make coconut water with different fruits added, and those are much, much better. I have tried peach and mango, and Acai and Pomegranate as well. The peach and mango is by far my favorite. The acai and pomegranate isn’t as bad as plain coconut water, but it isn’t that great tasting either. I’ll keep you posted on the other flavors.

Oh, and in case anyone is really interested, Kroger actually sells coconut water in their organic section. Thank you Kroger, you’re much closer (and probably cheaper) than Whole Foods!

Jillian Jiggs

2010-07-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite book series when I was little was Jillian Jiggs. I originally fell in love with the books because my name is Jill (no, my real name is not Jillian), but then fell in love with them because they are cute little books.

Clover only has enough hair for two little pigtails, and they look OH so cute! The first time I put her hair in pigtails she reminded me of Jillian Jiggs!

Clover especially reminds me of Jillian Jiggs when they show her in one book as a toddler:

My own little "Jillian Jiggs":

prayer request (updated)

2010-06-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

I put up a prayer request yesterday for our sweet little friend, Layne...When I went to update it last night, I accidentally deleted it and thought "well, no one really reads my blog anyway"... I thought wrong! 2 emails this morning asking about little Layne!!

So, here's the update:

2 night ago, Layne started vomiting uncontrollably, vomiting blood, and then couldn't breathe and went limp in her Momma's arms. (you have chills, don't you? As a Mom, I can't imagine what Megan must have felt) 911 arrived and transported Layne to the nearest hospital. After many tests, they decided that she needed to be transferred to another hospital for emergency surgery for intestinal blockage. Once at the new hospital, they decided to wait on surgery and run some other tests.

Clover and I got to go visit little Layne-fish yesterday, and she was in much better spirits - color on her cheeks, giggling with Clover, requesting food, etc.

Instead of trying to put it in my own words, this was Megan's fb status last night when Layne got to go home:

"Layne has been released and we are home watching her. Right now we are still awaiting test results back for a possible egg and/or dairy allergy. They are also fairly certain she has Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. But, it will take time to determine the severity. She also continues to have trouble with severe constipation, so we are watching to be sure the nociception they saw on the x-ray does not return. It's a very frustrating set of circumstances because we can't 'fix' her and just have to wait and define patterns.

I am feeling a bit down knowing that the GI issues I've battled have obviously not skipped a generation. Never wanted my kids to go through this crap :(

THANK YOU EVERYONE for all your thoughts, well wishes, prayers, vibes and messages. We felt the love. And, Layne is feeling quite a bit better."

Please continue to pray for this amazing family and beautiful little girl!

"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything

that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or

more are gathered together in My Name, I am there in the midst of them." -- Matthew 18: 19-20

STRIKE!

2010-06-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, she didn’t get a strike, but Clover DID go bowling for the first time yesterday and had a blast! We went with our bff’s Megan and Layne (and Landon, too!) They put bumpers up on the sides of the alley and then a little ramp in the front so the girls could put the ball on the ramp and push it towards the pins! It was a little close to naptime, so Clover didn’t quite last til the very end, but she still had so much fun. After she woke up from her nap, in a sleepy haze she said “layyneee… balllll”, so I think she may have dreamed about her first bowling adventure.

Here are some great pictures Megan took:

Clover and Layne checking out their bowling shoes:

Clover's were a size too big, but so cute!

My little bowler:

Water Break:

and this is how she ended the bowling game...

I'm forever grateful for Megan capturing these precious "1st" moments! She has such a gift of photography and I'm constantly impressed by her work!

Just a little bonus

2010-06-24T10:30:00.001-07:00

Remember the bonus questions on tests in high school? You could miss five real test questions, but answer the un-related bonus questions and still get a 100% on the test.

I wish life was like that.

For instance, when you do something totally selfless and for someone else, you should get an extra surprise $100 in your checking account. Or if you pick up the nasty little spider and put him outside instead of flushing him down the toilet, the bonus would be all the other little spiders would leave your house and never return.

Now, the key to the “bonus” is that you never know if and when it’s going to happen. But when you do something really selfless and “bonus worthy”, without expecting something in return, then BAM! a surprise bonus magically appears!

I’ve been working out for the past month and trying to eat better. I’ll just throw it all out there… I’m the biggest I’ve ever been and I honestly need to lose about forty pounds. The hard part isn’t working out. I love the feeling I get after accomplishing a really hard, hot, long 4 mile walk. I just wish there were a few little bonuses. Like last night when Dustin wanted pizza for dinner and I decided (a little reluctantly) to make whole wheat spaghetti, a romaine lettuce salad and grilled vegetables for dinner instead. Yes, it was SO much better for me than pizza, but I think I also deserved a little extra weight loss for my efforts. Not much, just a little bonus weight shed for doing something better for my body.

Hypocritical Mind

2010-06-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

I’m an optimistic person. I try to see the positive in most things and people. I try not to dwell on the bad, and I try to have a positive outlook on life.

That being said, I am an incredibly bitchy person sometimes. I have a million pet peeves. I have a hard time seeing things I don’t agree with and letting them go.

It’s weird.

So, my mind often thinks random thoughts like this:

“Wow, that lady is really fat. I pray to God I never look that fat. Why the hell is she eating McDonald's? Doesn’t she know that will just make her more fat? Gross….Well, you know, I wouldn’t want someone to think that about me. I’m sorry. At least she’s walking. Or maybe that’s all she can afford. That’s mean to call her fat…”

It’s been hot hear in Georgia. Hot and humid. Hot and disgusting. Hot and sweaty. And just HOT.

And the AC doesn’t work in either of our cars. It makes me so mad I want to just give my car away. Yesterday I needed to go to the store, so I figured if Clover and I were going to be drenched in sweat by the time we got there and back home, we might as well walk. So, we walked the 2.7 miles (mainly uphill one way) in the blistering heat. I’m not sure why I thought that would be better than driving with no AC, but I felt good about the exercise.

I'm also very conflicted right now. I hate my car. I want to get rid of it and get a new car with AC. I don’t care if we have to do away with trash service, the bug guy (aka the exterminator) and a few other luxuries – just so long as we have a car with working air conditioner.

Then…I feel like I’m not grateful for what I have. We have two cars that work. The one I want to get rid of is paid off and gets good gas mileage. It’s only a couple more months of summer and then it will be cold again.

But, did I mention that the driver’s side window quit working too?

2010 Baby Bowl

2010-06-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

My best friend, Jessika, and her husband Matt are expecting a baby boy in early July! Of course I couldn't resist throwing her a baby shower!! It was a co-ed shower, so in order to incorporate the boys, we decided to do a super bowl theme and call it "Baby Bowl".

Here are some pictures of the football theme diaper cake I made for them! They are doing a lot of guitar type things in his room, so I added a mini guitar to the cake!

Jessika’s friend, Laura, helped me plan the shower and took care of all the food! We had wings, mini-egg rolls (Jessika’s favorite), several dips and chips, fruit tray, veggies trays and more!

For the decorations, we kept things simple, yet detailed. The diaper cake was the center piece of the food table. I also found two football flags at a craft store. I originally could not find any table cloths that I liked, but immediately fell in love with the flags and decided to use them as table cloths!

One of my biggest philosophies is “why buy something if you can make it?” So for the Baby Bowl sign I searched and searched for some great cardstock paper with footballs on it. I finally found some at a scrapbook store and cut it down for the background of each letter. I then printed green letters and mounted them to the football paper. The roman numerals represent Jessika’s due date.

I love the way the sign turned out!

Being a co-ed shower, I didn’t want to bore the boys with too many games. So when they guests arrived, I had a piggy bank set up near the food and drinks for people to donate to baby Hudson’s college fund. It was a cute way to involve the guests from the beginning and start the little one’s college savings off right! I also made a “Guess the Kick Off Date and Time” calendar for everyone to guess when Hudson will be born.

The first “real” game was an instant hit. I bought 6 bottles that Matt and Jessika had previously registered for (so they could take home after the shower), and also brought 7 others from home. We filled 12 bottles with beer and 1 with sprite (so that Jessika could play the game too). The goal was to see who could drink all of the beer out of the bottle first. Everyone was a little apprehensive about playing the game at first, but once I went around and handed out the bottles, they were excited to play.

What guy can resist a challenge? The game was hilarious and a lot of fun.

Jessika, and the winner:

(that's right, all the competitive guys got beaten by a girl!)

Next, we had everyone group off into groups of 4 or 5 people. I had Matt and Jessika head into the living room where the present opening would soon take place (and this allowed a nice little break for Jessika to prop her feet up!) Back in the kitchen, I gave each group a plain white bib. I then set out a bunch of fabric markers and different iron-on pictures. I told each group to design a bib for Hudson and afterward Matt and Jessika would choose their favorite bib and that team would win. Each team member was required to write their name on the back of their team’s bib. This was a great way to not only give the parents-to-be a bunch of bibs, but they were also bibs that their friends had designed AND it was a good remembrance of everyone who came to their baby shower!

After the teams were done decorating their bibs, everyone moved into the living room. Matt and Jessika picked a 1st and 2nd place bib and each team member got a football water bottle as a prize.

The last game was Baby Bingo. This game is my favorite way to involve everyone in the present opening, and prevent glazed over eyes during the process (especially for the boys). Prior to the shower, I printed out BINGO cards and randomly wrote in numbers 1-6 under each letter. I then printed out little pieces of paper with B1-B6, etc. on them. When each guest arrived with a present, my “assistant” (Laura’s son), took each present into the other room and taped a number/letter on it. Before each present was opened, Matt called each number/letter out until we had a winner! The guests were so into the Bingo game that they wanted to continue to play for a 2nd place winner!

Overall, the shower went smoothly, everyone had fun (even the guys) and Matt and Jessika had a blast! I can’t WAIT to meet their little Hudson!

If you're looking for a party planner (specializing in children's parties and baby showers), send me an email for more information!

JillMDaugherty@gmail.com

Also, I designed the invitation, but for professional graphic design:

JVanMat1@mac.com

And lastly, for event photography, please contact:

md@theothermegan.com

19 months old hurts!

2010-06-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Clover turned 19 months old today, and ended the day with a massively large shiner on her forehead. She was running around playing with Daddy and slipped and fell head first onto the hardwood floors.

Other than the huge goose egg, I think Clover is really going to like being 19 months old.

She is so smart, so fun, so sweet...and so independent and challenging at times.

Teeth: At 17 months old she had 6 teeth, by 18 months old she had 12. She still has 12.

Favorite books: One week, the only book she would let me read at bedtime was Outside Over There - over and over again. When Miss Opinionated allows me to read other books, her current favorites are Peter Spit a Seed at Sue, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where the Wild Things Are, In The Night Kitchen, The Pout Pout Fish and Goodnight Moon.

She loves to "sing" and has become really good at "singing along". She especially likes to sing the abc's, twinkle twinkle little star, open shut them, and ring around the rosie (which sounds a little like "do blah da djklow fjkldow DOWN").

She is now a pro at repeating things she hears. Like the other day when a car cut me off and I slammed on my breaks and said "shit!"... she repeated "shit! shit! shit!" about five times... She might still say it on occasion...

She loves Curious George and Sesame Street.

Her favorite foods are black beans, cheerios, any and all fruit, and pizza.

She loves music and is a really good ~~fist pumper~~ dancer.

She loves going to the zoo, playing at the park, lounging in the pool, playing with jewelry and carrying purses, singing, dancing, painting, reading and going out to eat with JuJu.

She desperately wants a bike.

I leave you with a few cute photos my ever talented friend, Megan, took of her and Layne in the pool the other day! How cute are they?

My First I Heart Faces Entry

2010-06-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

Although I frequent the I Heart Faces Photography blog and enjoy looking at all the contest entries each week, I have never actually entered – Why?

First, I'm definitely a beginner photographer. I only own a point and shoot (albeit a really nice point and shoot that I love and am extremely grateful for!) Second, I’m a little shy to put myself out there for others to critique. I was an art major for two years in college, and peer critiques can be intimidating.

However, this week’s theme, “Play” really jumped out at me and I decided to enter!

Clover has really started to develop an imagination and I absolutely love watching her play, actually play, with toys. I immediately thought of a picture I took when we were in Indiana when she was “feeding” her doll. I love the way her mouth is wide open while she pretended to share her snack with her doll.

We Belong in the Zoo

2010-06-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

My Dad and Step-Mom, Melina, got us a zoo family membership for Christmas! When Dustin's parents were in town a month ago we went for the first time.

Clover loves the zoo. She has always been really into different animals and animal sounds, so this is a great place to take her! Her favorites are the giraffes and monkeys. In fact, I didn't even know she could say giraffe until I was unloading the dishwasher the other day (ha! who am I kidding? I was probably checking my blog) and she was watching Sesame Street and started yelling "ERRAFFE! ERRAFFE!" I thought, wow, that sure sounds like giraffe, and sure enough there were giraffes on the tv!

my baby sister, Ava True; my step-daughter, Rylee; and Clover Anne

Clover and I definitely belong in the zoo!

Clover loved the petting zoo! My fearless child walked right up to each animal and tried to poke their eyes out.

and this is just a pretty funny blooper:

Our 2nd trip to the zoo was with my good friend, Megan, her husband, Brent, and their two kids - Layne and Landon. Layne is a year older than Clover and Clover absolutely loves her. Megan has become a great friend to me and we share so many qualities, ideas, parenting styles, thoughts, dreams... ok, kidding on the last part...but our birthdays are exactly one month apart. Anyway, the funny part is, neither of us is that girly... But our daughters? They are 100% girls. Love jewelry, love purses, love pink. They are 2 peas in a pod.

On this particular trip-to-the-zoo day, Clover decided that she had to wear 4 of her plastic bracelets into the zoo. I told her she needed to make sure to share them with Layne. Well guess who ~~walked~~ pranced in with her own plastic necklace...

The lighting is horrible, but the subjects are adorable! (too cheesy?)

I just love her hair in pig tails:

And by the way, I'm sure my pictures don't even compare to the ones Megan took! She's an extremely talented photographer. Me? Not so much.

I took the plunge...

2010-06-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try cloth diapers for awhile now (nevermind the fact that Clover was 18 months old when I started) and everything I read said to just dig right in. I guess, like most things in life, you'll never know til you try.

So, I asked lots of opinions, read several blogs (like this one), forms (Mothering.com is my favorite) and decided that I might like the pocket diapers the best. Why? Because they dry the fastest and are the closest design to disposable.

My first buy was the Tiny Tush Elite One-Size. After using it for a few days, and thinking it was pretty cool, I decided I probably needed another one. So my 2nd buy was Bum Genius 3.0, which I read is a favorite amongst cloth diaper Mommas. Even though I read that the snap ones are better than velcro, I still went with the velcro. Also, (if you are a rule follower don't read this) I wash them normally, with regular detergent, without a 2nd rinse and I lay them out to dry. I know, I know, the instructions say not to do any of that except lay them out to dry (the one rule I follow). But honestly, I don't care if they last 10 years. I don't have the money to buy special detergent. I don't have the time to set my washer to another rinse cycle, and frankly I want it to be as easy as possible.

Anyway, after using 2 diapers most days for a couple of weeks, I can honestly say I like them a lot! They're easy, soft on the little butts, last longer than disposables, don't sag down when they're wet and I'm helping the environment! My only complaint about the one-size diaper is that there are snaps on the outsides of the diapers (to adjust the sizes) and I think they push up against Clover's leg sometimes. However, they don't leave marks and she doesn't seem to notice. Also, I like the Tiny Tush one better than the Bum Genius 3.0.

Some of my initial fears:

1. Cleaning up after poop! I think it's gross and unsanitary. I don't want to wash it or touch it.

How I've adapted - I try to put Clover in the cloth diapers when I know she probably won't poo (since she's older, she tends to only do it about once a day). However, she has pooped in them twice and each time I flushed the poo down the toilet (sorry if this is TMI for you!), threw them in the wash with some towels, washed them on hot and added some bleach and then washed them again on cold without bleach. Yes, they say no bleach, but again, who wants to follow EVERY rule?? I'm using them at least, right?

2. They are expensive and I won't be saving any money.

Here's the breakdown:
2 cloth diapers = $35.90
A box of 140 Pampers Cruisers diapers = $41
Use two a day for a month saves about 60-70 disposable diapers, a MONTH. After 2-3 months, you are already breaking even and saving money! Plus, you don't have to keep buying more, like you do with disposables!

So, my advice, if you've even been entertaining the idea of trying out at least one cloth diaper, go for it! Yes, you might spend $18 on a diaper, but after you break even, each time you use it, you're saving money! In fact, I'm thinking next paycheck, I might get Clover another Tiny Tush diaper!

Allow Me To Introduce You...

2010-05-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

To a couple of my family members! These are more pictures from our trip to Indiana. Can you tell how much fun we had??

First, a little background. My Grandma (Mom's Mom) is Shirley, or Granny, or Grandma O. My Mom's Dad is Grandpa Jack. They have 4 daughters - Pam, Cheryl, Judy (my Mom), and Lucy. Aunt Pam has 2 daughters, Stacy and Joy. Aunt Cheryl has Kaelan and Ben (and 2 step-son's), and Aunt Lucy has 2 kids, Rachel and Isaac.

My Mom and her sisters - (from left to right) Pam, Lucy, Judy, Cheryl

and my beautiful Granny

My Mom, Aunt Cheryl and Aunt Lucy were all pregnant and had babies in 1983. Cheryl had Ben on February 6th, then I was born June 6th and then Lucy had Rachel on August 26th. Needless to say, we have taken a gazillion pictures together growing up. I'm pretty sure we could do the pose in our sleep.

and 2 from when we were little:

Next up, my little cousin, Ziva Marie who is Isaac (Lucy's son) and Karyn's adorable little girl!

Rachel and Chad's son is Oliver, who Clover calls "Olllaah". He's a very smart, sweet, goofy little boy and Clover loved playing with him.

Would you like to know where Clover gets her red hair from? Everyone, and I mean everyone, kept saying that Clover could be Rachel's daughter.

Here are some handsome boys: Isaac, Kaelan, Jon, and Ben

My cousin Ben is engaged to Natalia, or as my Dad thinks I say every time I say her name "an Italian", which she's not, she's Russian! Here's a picture of Ben and "an Italian":

And last, but not least, (can you tell I like pictures?? and showing them off??) a group shot from the day.

By now you've "met" everyone but the two boys on the left, Matt and Nick (my Aunt Cheryl's step-sons), and the guy behind me holding Oliver. We're not sure who he is and why he's holding Oliver...

Okay, I joke, that's Chad, Rachel's husband. Also, Isaac's wife, Karyn is in between Rachel (the other red head) and "an italian" (Natalia).

A Special Little Visit

2010-05-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

When we were in Indiana, Jon and I went to visit the cemetery where some of our family members are buried. We specifically went to pay our respects to our late Nana and Papaw, my Dad’s parents. I know some people aren’t close to their grandparents and extended families, but we are. It was really hard on our whole family when my Nana and Papaw died, and I still long to see them one more time. Spend one more Christmas in their old house. Have just one more family dinner with my Dad’s four siblings, their kids, and my grandparents. Most of my fondest childhood memories are of visits to Indiana. If you ever pass by my house at Christmas time and see the big huge lights that we use, it is because those are the ones my Papaw used.

This was Clover’s first real trip to visit Nana and Papaw. (The first time she went she was about six months old and was sound asleep in the car, so it didn’t count.) It was so strange and neat how at peace she was when we were there. She stood in front of their graves and I told her to say “Hi Papaw” and she said “Papaw” clear as day, then I told her to say “Hi Nana” and she said “Nana” as well. As we were getting ready to leave, I told her to tell them bye and that she loved them, and she leaned over and kissed the grave, and I was fortunate enough to capture the precious moment in a picture.

Clover's New Smile

2010-05-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Clover loves cameras and having her picture taken! Here are a few pictures of her "new smile" that she does when I say "Clover, can you smile for the camera?"

And here is another fun face she makes! My friend Meg (from the other megan photography) got a GREAT shot (as always) on our trip to the zoo the other day!

Well life on the farm is kinda laid back...

2010-05-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

Something that has become very near to my heart lately is healthy living; both for our bodies and for the Earth. Yes, I know, I sound like a tree hugger - and I'll be honest, I think I might be...

One of my biggest inspirations for healthy living is my cousin, Rachel. Growing up we always joked that I was the "city girl" and she was the "country girl", and it's true. She lives in the middle of the country, on a farm, with her brother and wife as her neighbors on the farm next to her, and her parents on a farm just down the street.

Rachel’s parents own a butcher shop called Moody Meats. The difference in their product is that it's "free-range chicken, eggs, beef and pork, using land that had once been dedicated to corn and soybeans". No hormones, no antibiotics, no pesticides...pure, meat. If you saw the Jamie Oliver episode where he demonstrated what a processed chicken nugget is made out of, you would never eat one again. The biggest argument against eating organic is that it's more expensive. Processed food is cheap. Frozen processed food is cheap and it lasts a long time. Seems like a no-brainer... go for the cheap stuff.

But, here's the thing:

Cheap, processed food equals unhealthy eating habits. Unhealthy eating habits lead to unhealthy people. Unhealthy people lead to more medicine and doctor's visits. More medicine and doctor's visits lead to higher insurance costs. Higher insurance costs equals millions of people without health insurance. (I know, you're thinking "Wow! Jill is a genius! But, I didn't think of this myself...just another seed dear ol' Rachel planted in my head.)

Yes, eating healthy can be expensive. So is health insurance and medical bills. Dustin's job offers benefits, but for family health insurance through his company it would cost us $900 a month for insurance - so, we do without. Therefore, we have to learn to take care of ourselves in the first place, which means spending just a little bit more money each month on better food. Want to know the secret to lowering medical bills and insurance premiums? Take care of yourself to begin with! "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." (Jim Rohn)

Anyway, my little rant about healthy eating was to tell you about our visit to the farm while we were in Indiana. When Jon and I were little we used to LOVE to stay on the farm. Truthfully, one of our favorite things to do was pee outside and run around naked – simply because we could! Don’t worry, I didn’t run around naked or pee outside this time. But we did get to see their sheep, baby lambs, chickens and cows, play in the big open fields, breathe in the sweet, fresh air and play in Oliver’s sandbox with the blissful sounds of nature surrounding us.

IU stinks!

2010-05-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

Clover and I went on a little vaca to Indiana the beginning on May to visit family. Majority of my family (Mom and Dad's side) lives in Indiana, so we LOVE going to visit. This particular visit was to celebrate my cousin Kaelan's graduation from IU (plus, the big celebration party fell on his 22nd birthday, Mother's Day AND Clover's 18 month birthday)!

Kaelan's Mom, my Aunt Cheryl (my Mom's older sister and one of my favorite women in the world - She is also one of the two people Clover was named after - Cheryl Anne - Clover Anne. The other person Clover was named after is my Granny - Shirley Anne) is a Purdue alumni. In fact, she just won a Civil Engineering Alumni Achievement Award, which is a huge honor, and she is one of the school of engineering advisory council members. So naturally her kids would want to follow in her steps and go to Purdue, right?

Wrong. Not, Kaelan. He decided he would go to one of Purdue's rival schools - IU! Still, she is extremely proud of him, as we all are, for graduating with a degree in telecommunications and a minor in music!

CONGRATULATIONS KAELAN!

(on a little side note: Clover sat through the entire 3 hour long graduation with hardly a peep!! SO proud of my girl!)

The End of an Era

2010-05-19T05:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, not quite an era, but a pretty significant amount of time…

While Clover and I were in Indiana, she decided to stop nursing. She’s been pretty great (and I’ve been pretty lucky, I might add) about weaning herself. When she didn’t need a particular afternoon feeding, she made it crystal clear. Then, when she only needed to nurse twice a day, she made that clear too. Well the second morning we were in Indiana, she also made it clear that she was done nursing; for good. Don’t worry, for all you nursing advocates out there, I didn’t give up right away. I asked her morning and night for about ten days if she wanted to nurse, and each time got a definite “NO”.

My goal was to breastfeed Clover until she was at least 18 months old and stop around two years, depending on what she wanted/needed. So, when she decided she was done a week before her 18 month birthday, I should have been happy. I made it to my 18 month goal and she decided, on her own, that she was done… but honestly, my heart was a little bit broken. Yes, nursing is hard sometimes and can be a great challenge. For instance, I was the only one who could nurse her to sleep at night. However, I was providing such an amazing thing for my daughter and I loved it. I loved that I could do that for her, and that I was the only person who could. We were happily in a breastfeeding pattern for almost 18 months and then all of a sudden, she slammed on the breaks. No warning, no yellow light, no huge sign that said “CAUTION! YOUR BABY IS NOT QUITE A BABY ANYMORE!”

Everyone says “they grow up so fast” and I know firsthand how true that is, but what no one tells you is that sometimes it can absolutely take your breath away. One day they are a helpless little baby thriving on only your breastmilk, and then the next day, they are an independent 18 month old who doesn’t need breastmilk anymore and has an opinion on everything.

So, to Clover:

Breastfeeding you was an amazing journey. At first, you struggled to latch on, but we figured it out. Sometimes it was painful and overwhelming. You never really took to a bottle, so I was pretty much on demand at all hours. Even when I was sick, there was no one else to “do my job” for me. There were nights when I was so tired I cried when you wanted to nurse every hour and half, but once you started eating, and I watched your satisfied little body mold into mine, I relaxed and became thankful that I was able and selfless enough to provide that for you. Sometimes you would nurse for ten minutes and sometimes an hour (especially when we were out and I really wanted you to eat fast). I diligently took my prenatal vitamin every day because I knew you needed those vitamins. I avoided caffeine and sugar because it had a negative effect on you. I took criticism from people close to me when I continued to nurse you past your 1st birthday; but I also found lots of encouragement too. I knew it was right for you. When your tired little eyes looked up at me at night and you made the sign for “milk”, I felt comforted that I could give you what you wanted. I would nurse you to sleep and then hold you, sometimes for hours, while you slept in my arms. And while it was sometimes hard, there was never a moment that I wished I wasn’t doing it, or that I doubted it was the right thing for you. I will never forget the time I spent nursing you, and I will always cherish it.

MIA

2010-05-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

I know I've been MIA for the past 20 days, and I just wanted to let all my avid blog readers (aka my Granny) know that I have about 400 new pictures to edit and share and 5 new posts to write! Clover and I were in Indiana for 10 days and then Dustin's parents came to visit from Arkansa, so we've had a jam packed past couple of weeks! Stay tuned for stories and pictures!

Please Excuse My Hairy Legs

2010-04-26T19:12:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard the theory that people tend to “let themselves go” when they’re in a relationship or when they get married? Where they once took extra special care of themselves when they were single and even early on in the relationship, and then slowly they stopped?

I used to actually like to get dressed up (this does not include wearing any sort of heel – my feet were not made to walk in heels. I just can’t do it), I loved getting my hair did (yes, Granny, I meant to say hair did – it’s a cool thing to say – probably in one of Ben’s songs), I used to wear fake eyelashes all the time (SO weird if you know me now), I enjoyed putting make-up on, wearing jewelry, buying jewelry to match certain outfits, etc.

My Mom stopped by the other day when Clover and I were playing outside. I was wearing a pair of light blue work out capri’s covered in dried paint, a mismatched tank top and my rain boots. She looked me up and down and told me I should move to a farm.

I haven’t had my hair colored since Clover was born. Most days I don’t wear makeup and I would rather dress like I live on a farm. I don’t wear any jewelry, except my wedding band when I go out in public. The only shoes I wear are comfortable ones. ~~And let’s not forget the couple extra pounds I’ve packed on.~~

The thing is, I don’t feel like it’s because I’ve let myself go. I feel like I’ve changed because everything about me has changed. It’s not because I don’t have time to get my hair done, it’s because I choose to spend my time differently.

I realized this tonight when I took a break from sewing some awesome headbands to shave my legs (they were lookin pretty rough, and I really want to wear shorts without feeling like I have man legs). I was actually annoyed that I had to take time away from sewing to shave my legs. The whole time I was thinking how much more I would rather be sewing, or blogging, or painting, or reading, or cuddling in bed with Clover… or watching House (I love that show).

Where I once used to express my creativity by the jewelry I wore, now I make cute headbands for little girls. Those are the things I enjoy now, and it’s not because I’ve “let myself go”, or because I’m married and don’t care, or because I’m a Mom.

So, if you ever see my hairy man legs peaking through my shorts, please excuse them, I had more important things to do.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not a Earth loving hippie, but yes, I do love the Earth - I mean, don't YOU care about the air quality that you breathe? Or the gross, humid, global warming? In honor of Earth day, here are 40 ways you can GO GREEN!

40 Easy Ways to Go Greener at Home – Besides Recycling

1. Plant an herb garden. It’s good to have a reminder around of where our food originates.
2. Switch all your lightbulbs to CFLs (or at least switch a few).
3. Create a homemade compost bin for $15.
4. Switch one appliance to an energy efficient model (look for the “energy star” label).
5. Stop using disposable bags – order some reusable bags, or make your own. My favorites are Envirosax and Flip & Tumble.
6. Buy an inexpensive reusable water bottle, and stop buying plastic disposable bottles. Then watch The Story of Bottled Water, a short movie about the bottled water phenomena.
7. Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot.
8. Turn off lights when you leave the room.
9. Don’t turn on lights at all for as long as you can — open your curtains and enjoy natural light.
10. Drive the speed limit, and combine all your errands for the week in one trip.
11. Better yet, walk or ride a bike to your errands that are two miles or closer.
12. Support your local economy and shop at your farmer’s market.
13. Turn off your computer completely at night.
14. Research whether you can sign up for green power from your utility company.
15. Pay as many bills as possible online.
16. Put a stop to unsolicited mail — sign up to opt out of pre-screened credit card offers. While you’re at it, go ahead and make sure you’re on the “do not call” list, just to make your life more peaceful.
17. Reuse scrap paper. Print on two sides, or let your kids color on the back side of used paper.
18. Conduct a quick energy audit of your home.
19. Subscribe to good eco-friendly blogs. My favorites are The Daily Green, TreeHugger, and Keeper of the Home. Of course, you gotta subscribe to Simple Organic.
20. Before buying anything new, first check your local Craigslist or Freecycle.
21. Support local restaurants that use food derived less than 100 miles away, and learn more about the benefits of eating locally.
22. Fix leaky faucets.
23. Make your own household cleaners.
24. Line dry your laundry.
25. Watch The Story of Stuff with your kids, and talk about the impact your household trash has on our landfills.
26. Learn with your kids about another country or culture, expanding your knowledge to other sides of the world.
28. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater.
29. Unplug unused chargers and appliances.
30. Repurpose something – turn one of your well-worn t-shirts into basic play pants for your baby. Or save egg cartons for paint wells, seed starters, treasure boxes, or a myriad of other crafts.
31. Collect rainwater, and use it to water your houseplants and garden.
32. Switch to cloth diapers – or at least do a combination with disposables.
33. Switch to shade-grown coffee with the “Fair Trade” label.
34. Use a Diva Cup for your monthly cycles.
35. Use cloth instead of paper to clean your kitchen. Be frugal, and make these rags out of old towels and t-shirts.
36. Use cloth napkins daily instead of paper.
37. Read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and open your eyes to the way conventional food is processed. Watch Food, Inc. while you’re at it.
38. Repurpose glass jars as leftover containers and bulk storage, especially in the kitchen.
39. Five-minute showers – make it a goal for yourself.
40. Donate to – and shop at – thrift stores such as Goodwill. You’ll be recycling perfectly usable items, and you’ll be supporting your local economy.

Food Revolution For An Addict

2010-04-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

I’m a food addict. I love the taste of food, the act of eating, the social aspect of eating and the comfort of eating. Food is not just food to me. It is both a reward, and a way for me to rebel. You know when you’re little and you make it through a tough week of school and homework, and then on Friday it is pizza and soda night and you get to eat in front of the tv while watching “Are You Afraid of the Dark” with your awesome little brother? Maybe yours wasn’t quite the same, either way, you catch my drift. Those “special” nights were awesome. Another favorite night for me when I was little was going to my Dad’s house. We either had pizza (obviously my favorite food) or macaroni and we rented movies from blockbuster, ate in front of the tv, and got to spend time with our Dad. It was Heaven.

Somewhere along the way, I subconsciously associated the food I was eating with the “awesome” and “heavenly” way I was feeling during those special nights. Similar to the “high” shoppers get when they buy something, even if it is a 25 cent piece of gum, I get the same type of “high” when I eat pizza, or drink soda. It’s not about the food; it’s about the way the food makes me feel. If I’m having a bad day, I comfort myself with a Dr.Pepper.

My Mom was great at rewarding us with things other than food, and I really admire that about her. However, there were still many other situations that I was rewarded with food or candy. In school, teachers often rewarded with candy. Birthday parties, holidays, most types of celebration – all involve “treats”, cake, candy, ice cream, pizza, soda…junk, junk, junk. How could I not naturally have grown up enjoying the feeling that went along with these foods? How could I have avoided loving these foods because of the feelings that came along with them?

Sometimes, when I’ve done really well avoiding the awful foods, I get a little irritated. I feel almost like I’m being punished because I can’t have the foods I want (thus the feelings that go along with the foods). I rebel and reward myself with the food I want. It honestly feels good to ignore the nagging voice that says “it’s bad for you” and to get “high” off the food instead.

If you’ve never seen the show, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I would HIGHLY recommend it. It’s about a chef from England who wants to change the way American’s eat (specifically children in our school systems). In the most recent episode, he is having a battle with flavored milk (which has more sugar in it than a soda) that is being offered to kids in elementary schools. His argument is, if that’s their only choice and if they don’t know any differently, they will drink the regular milk.

I agree with him 100%. At Clover’s 1st birthday party, she didn’t have cake. I made her a no dairy, no egg, naturally sweeten with apples, cupcake. Yes, I was that Mom. I still have never given her any sort of cake, ice cream, candy...We try not to let her eat processed foods or unnecessary sugars (the kid does love pizza and an occasional french fry) . Her diet consists of fruits, veggies, grains, and a little bit of dairy. Maybe people think that’s weird and I’m okay with that. I just feel like if she doesn’t know any better, what is the harm? How will it harm her to learn to prefer fruit over cake? Or water over soda?

I have no judgment towards parents who allow their children to have sugar. I just know where my weight struggle comes from (bad food) and don’t want Clover to struggle with the same issues. If I have to be ridiculed because I’m that Mom that packs different foods for my daughter to eat, or doesn’t allow her to partake in the cake at birthday’s parties, then I am okay with that too.

The other night, some friends of ours were at my Mom’s house for dinner. Everyone was eating dessert and Clover wanted to taste some of the ice cream I was eating. Part of me thought, what’s the harm in one bite? Well chances are that one bite will taste good and then she’ll want more. So instead, I gave her a cracker, and she pranced around the room happily eating her cracker, thinking that she had something just as cool as everyone else.

17 Months Old

2010-04-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

17 Months Old:

I have 6 teeth, but I'm currently working on about 5 more.

I love my "Momma", "Dada", "JuJu" (my Mom), Uncle Jonny, "Aaaa" (Ava AND Anastyn), "Papa" (my Dad), "MiMi" (my step-mom, Melina), "Jeh" (Uncle Jeff), "Nii" (Nick), "Isst" (Christi) and all of my play group friends.

I love to make different animal sounds. My favorite animals are dogs and birds. JuJu taught me how to listen to the birds.

I have "boo boo's" on both of my knees, but I still love to play outside.

I love to read, play with bubbles, paint, dance, swing, slide, get dirty and eat.

My favorite songs are "open, shut them", "if you're happy and you know it", "feel good" by the Gorillaz, "diaper dance" and ANY Johnny Cash.

My favorite foods are black beans, most fruit (especially strawberries, blueberries, cantelope, apples, oranges, bananas and grapes), yogurt, green smoothies, pizza, and "gold golds" (gold fish) and "crack" (crackers)

I love my Baby Signing Time DVD's

I am a total, 100%, girl. I love dresses, hair bows, jewelry, bags, shoes, and I even prefer my pink "ba ba's" (pacifier's) over the green ones.

I can't sleep with out my froggy.

Being 17 Months Old is AWESOME.

Easter Photo Shoot

2010-04-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

My friend, Becca, took some really cute pictures of Clover the other day at our play group's Easter Egg Hunt. Clover was in such a grumpy mood (I know, gasp to everyone who thinks she always smiles!) She had a red-headed photo shoot that morning (more on that later), then she only took a 30 minute nap and then we went to the Easter Egg Hunt. Even though she was Miss Grump Pants, Becca still managed to get some GREAT shots!

I love this attempt at a group picture... oh, life with toddlers!

Free, like a bird.

2010-04-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am definitely a sucker for a bargain. I also love to buy used things. (I just won a 9 inch portable dvd player on eBay for $23!) My husband calls me a hoarder because I won’t throw anything away. I will give it away to someone who needs it, or sell it, but I will NOT just throw it away. My Great-Grandma Alman was the same way. I remember going to her house when we were little and she would tell us to pick out some “school supplies” from her cabinet. These “supplies” were often 2 inch long chewed up pencils. Excitedly, I would pick out a few favorites (the ones that still had half the eraser on them), but my Mom always made me put them back.

I’m not really a hoarder. I know this because I have seen the show about hoarders and I am definitely not like that. I do have some emotional attachment to certain items, but I am also physically capable of getting rid of things I don’t use.

My cousin Rachel got me hooked on her friend Sara’s blog (both blogs previously mentioned in my shout-out post). I am fascinated by Sara’s blog sometimes. Not because they live out of an RV, but because all of their belongings fit into that RV! She recently wrote a post on her blog called Simplify Saturday. Every Saturday they go through their RV and get rid of things they don’t use. She said, “If you don’t love it, it’s gone. If it doesn’t fit you very well, it’s gone. You will feel free…like a bird.”

I wanted to feel free like bird too! So, a couple of weeks ago, I cleaned out our closets. I’m not talking about getting rid of a couple shirts; I literally cleaned out half of my closet. I had so many clothes that either didn’t fit me anymore, and I was hoping some day they would, or that were so out of style, but I knew I spent a lot of money on so I couldn’t get rid of it. I had clothes and shoes that I’ve owned since high school and college! Dustin has tried to get rid of clothes of his in the past, and I wouldn’t let him because I knew they were nice… well, I let him. We sorted through our dvd collection and took out the ones we hadn’t watched in years (I mean seriously, why did I feel emotionally attached to the Spider Man series?) and put them in the garage for our garage sale. I didn’t realize how cluttered my house was with items that I might someday use. After loading up the garage, I really did feel like a huge weight was lifted off my chest. I really did feel free. I felt like I could breathe again.

It was just a start. Truly getting rid of things, purging, is hard. Especially when you know how much it cost, or if it was a gift and you feel guilty getting rid of it, or if you think you might need it someday. I had two boxes of hangers (baby and adult) in our garage sale and marked them as free. As two woman emptied the box out I started to panic a little and actually thought about stopping them and saying I needed to keep a few. Then, I realized that a 10 pack of hangers usually cost about a dollar. If I truly needed more hangers someday, I could go buy some. OR, I could clean out my closet again….

Love Blooms Here

2010-04-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

I am constantly in awe of Clover. The things that she learns, the way her mind develops and the things that she understands continue to amaze me every day.

We decided that Wednesday would be a great day to plant some flowers. So, we went to home depot to browse the garden section and pick out our favorite ones. Really, Clover just liked pointing to all the different flowers and didn’t show a preference, but I wanted to test out my gardening skills on the least expensive, lower maintenance flowers. We loaded our car with our chosen flowers, a bag of special soil that the very helpful lady recommended and a little shovel to dig a hole for the flowers (I’m sure it has a fancy garden tool name).

The weather was perfect and it was early evening (post snack and pre dinner, so Clover wasn’t hungry) and we got started. Right away, I realized my first mistake, I needed a bigger shovel. My second mistake, Clover needed her own shovel because she really did enjoy helping. Third, I didn’t buy enough flowers.

We had a wonderful time though. In so many aspects, Clover is truly my child – being messy is one of the traits she inherited from me. She had an absolute blast playing in the dirt. Once I ripped the bag of soil open, she dug right in. She loved taking handfuls of dirt out and rubbing them all over herself. She also enjoyed making little piles of dirt on my legs saying “Mama!” with a gleam in her eye and a big smile on her face (like she was doing me a huge favor) while covering my leg with dirt. At one point she even took a handful and put it down my shirt saying “boo boo’s”, which is what she calls boobies.

The end result was a tiny little garden and a happy and fulfilled Mama and Clover.

*Please note: Clover did NOT eat any dirt - she is currently working on 5 new teeth and is drooling like a maniac, so the dirt kept sticking to her wet face! Don't worry Granny, she's done with the sand/dirt eating for good!*

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. ~Claude Monet

Blog shout-outs

2010-03-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

I love reading other people's blogs, and thought you might like to as well! So, here are some shout-outs to some of my favorite blogs!

My cousin Rachel - such an amazing writer - I laugh (and sometimes cry) almost every time I read one of her entries.

My Aunt Pam - just started one today!

My good friend Megan - wonderful Atlanta photographer

I Heart Faces - A photography blog/online community with great tips and fun contests!

Rachel's friend, Sara - another wonderful woman with a contagious outlook on life - love her blog for health tips, Momma advice and cool giveaways and contests!

The Stanley Clan - a very inspirational blog about a family who mentors inner-city kids

Curtis Baker - another great Atlanta photographer

There ya go! For your viewing pleasure! (and now you know what I do during Clover's naptime!)

A single Mom?

2010-03-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

Dustin has been working out of town during the week for the past couple of months, so it's just been me and Clover against the world (okay, maybe just against the squirrels living in our chimney) while he's gone. My friends and I joke that I'm a single Mom during the week. Sometimes it is a challenge - like the nights when Clover is whinny and clingy and just won't entertain herself so I can make some dinner, when all I really want to do is space out in a hot bath for a little while - but we manage. The hardest is when Clover wakes up from her nap and says "Da Da" with her face all lit up with excitement...and he's not there. It breaks my heart.

Sometimes I really do feel like I can empathize with other single Mom's raising their kids on their own. But the truth is, I'm not a single Mom.

Last week, I came down with either a bad case of food poisoning or a bad stomach flu. Either way, it was not good (and it ruined St.Patrick's Day!) I was literally up all night. If I was truly a single Mom, I wouldn't have my husband to call crying when I couldn't stop throwing up. Even though I am physically alone to parent Clover during the week when he is gone, I'm not truly alone as a parent. He is always there as a support. Whether it be texting me throughout the day just to see how things are going, or "talking" to Clover on the phone when she wakes up from her nap looking for him, he is there for me. He still helps me make decisions as a parent, I still have someone by my side no matter what and Clover still has a Dad involved in her life as much as he can be, even from long distance. He's a wonderful Dad and a wonderful husband.

So, on those hard days when a single Mom would have no one to turn to, I can call Dustin and vent my frustrations and he can promise that he will be home soon to help. I'm not a single Mom and I have no idea how it feels to be one.

Little Bears

2010-03-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little review for Marietta/Kennesaw/Woodstock area Mom's. There's a great place called Little Bears Indoor Playground off of Cobb Pkwy in Kennesaw. I'm not all about sharing little germies, and normally if the title said "indoor playground" I would picture a room with a bunch of dirty toys that kids pass around and put in their mouths. Yes, Little Bears does have some of that, but the difference is, they're CLEAN!

The best thing about Little Bears is that you can tell they've really put a lot of thought into it. (It must have been created by a Mom!)

Here is how they have thought of Mommy's and kiddies' needs:

1. They give discounts to Mommy groups (just shoot them an email and tell them you're coming!)

2. Feeding Time: There is an area with big tables for the adults and little picnic tables for the kids. They have highchairs (that they keep clean!) They offer free coffee, and have sodas and snacks for sale. They have a refrigerator, a microwave and even a bottle warmer for your convenience! There is also cable tv and free wireless internet! (I'm telling you, they've thought of it all!)

3. Clean bathrooms with changing tables and step stools.

4. There are two plastic play sets, with three slides, one giant bouncy with a slide, several soft mats and large blocks to crawl on and build, a dress-up area, lots of push toys and Clover's favorite, a bubble machine. All of which is in a big, open space that can easily been seen from the snack ("grown up") area.

LOVE this place (in case you can't tell) and would highly recommend it. Super nice, really clean, spacious, well planned and convenient. This indoor playground is one of my favorite places to take Clover.

Oh, and socks are required, but if you forget yours because you wore rainboots (like I did today), they will sell you a pair of NEW (and nice - not crappy, gross ones) for $1.

hours
prices
directions

Have I mentioned Ava True?

2010-03-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

I know this blog is entitled "Thoughts of Clover", but I include a lot of other things about my life as well. I've already written a few posts about my brother, but have failed to really mention my 3 year old baby sister, Ava True. Ava was truly (no pun intended) my first real love. I learned so much from her. One of my favorite things, that makes my heart swell like the grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, is when I watch Ava and Clover play together. Clover thinks Ava is so cool, and I'm sure that feeling will continue as they get older.

And in keeping with the theme of my last post, The Dirtier, The Better, here are some pictures of Clover playing in the sand box with Ava.

The Dirtier, The Better

2010-03-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

One major difference between Dustin and me is that I’m not afraid of getting messy, and he hates messes! He literally will follow me around the kitchen cleaning up after me. If Clover drops her spill-proof cup, he whips it up, even when he’s driving. I shovel the food in Clover’s mouth as fast as she’ll eat it (because sometimes when you stop, she loses interest); he takes his time and wipes her mouth in between bites. We’re total opposites. It drives him crazy when I make a mess; it drives me crazy when he obsesses over the mess!

I think it is important for Clover to experience as many (safe) things as possible. When she discovered the toilet paper, I let her pull it all off the roll and throw it around the bathroom. I let her play with play-doh, even though half of it ends up in her mouth. I let her paint. I encourage her to feed herself, even as she excitedly throws yogurt everywhere

When Clover and I used to go to the park, I had to assist her around much of the equipment. Lately, however, she has really been all over the place when we go. She loves to climb all over the equipment, go down the slides by herself (backwards), sit down in the sand and just explore. I love it. The only downside is that she gets SO dirty. She is usually covered in dirt almost from head to toe.

Today we had a little picnic in the park in between playing. It is a gorgeous day out, and much warmer than the snowy weather we’ve been having. We both had a blast.