What's in Your Purse?

My bloggy pal Christina at Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe, did a post about things she carries around with her. I love when people show what is in their purse. As women, we tend to carry the things we absolutely need on a daily basis. Some women are more organized and have just a few essentials. And then there are those of us who are more like Mary Poppins (I am the latter). So here is a look inside my bag. 

1. Purse. I got it at Target right after I had the baby. I wanted something that was big enough to hold all my stuff and lots of pockets for the baby's stuff. 
2. Sunglasses. I cannot be without sunglasses. My motto has been the bigger the better, but these ones are pretty tame compared to some of the ginormo ones I used to wear! The best place I find cheap sunglasses are TJMaxx and Target.
3. Wallet. I used to have really big wallets but I found this one and it's made a huge difference. I got this one at Marshall's. It's great because it holds everything I need and yet, when I don't want to carry my purse somewhere I can just grab the wallet and go. (That's my cutie husband in his school picture! 8the Grade Math teachers are so hot!)
4. Sequined Pouch. I got this from Sephora with some stuff I bought. I carry lots of essentials including way too many lip glosses (more on that later)
5. Bath & Body Works Hand Creme. I have been wearing Warm Vanilla Sugar for years, and I like this because it goes on soft and makes my hands feel so much better. 
6. Rosebud Salve. I use this for everything! Lips, nails, hand creme, and  diaper creme in a pinch. It's pure genius and it smells like lovely roses!
7. Papaya Enzymes. The tin is from GNC, but when I ran out I just filled it with Papaya pills I have at home. My mom has been giving me these for tummy aches since I was a little girl. It's just a natural way to help my upset stomach. (like when I eat too much dairy! eeek!)
8. Hair ties. With my long curly unruly hair, I need to get my crazy locks up and out of my face! I'm lost without them! 
9. A picture of my sweet baby boy. This one was from Christmas, but I just love his smile!

My purse has this awesome front zipper pocket that is perfect for holding some diaper essentials! I really dislike carrying a diaper bag with me, so if I don't have to carry one, even better! My baby pocket holds a couple of diapers, a little thing of wipes, burp cloth\changing pad and a Onesie and pair of socks for an emergency clothing change.

GUILTY PLEASURE!!!

I admit I have a thing for lip gloss and lip products. I'm trying to get better, but somehow I just keep accumulating more! Stop the Insanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (The Aquaphor is great for both chapped lips and diaper rash!)

This is so wrong! Help!

1.  Erin Condren daily planner. I was fortunate to get a discount and I was able to buy the planner. This planner is AWESOME! Keeps me organized and on schedule. Plus it has lots of space to write out goals and ideas for my blog and home. 
2. Magazines. I love Bon Appetit because I love cooking and baking so much! I drool when I read this!
3.  Books. I love to read! So I like to have a book on me at all times. Not that I ever have any down time with the baby, but sometimes when I'm waiting at the doctor, dentist, DMV, etc., I like to be able to read. I am currently reading March by Geraldine Brooks. It's a fictional perspective of Mr. March (The father of the Little Women by Louisa May Alcott) during the Civil War. It's fascinating! 
4.  Smart Phone. I recently jumped on the smart phone bandwagon. We would have never been able to do this, but my mom said we could be on her family plan. It was actually cheaper to get a smart phone with all the data, text and unlimited calls, then it would've been to have cheapy junky phones with no extras on our own plan. I really wanted an iPhone but TMobile doesn't carry them. But I like what I got (Galaxy S) and it works pretty swell. I got the cover for $2 on Amazon! 

A Minnesota Winter Must!!
(Target)

So... What's in your purse? What is something you ALWAYS have to carry with you at all times? Any guilty pleasures????

Bring on the Snow!

Today my little monkey pal and I went to Trader Joe's to gear up for Blizzard Storm 2012. (I doubt it will be anything special) 

We stocked up on our favorite things and my mom was there and she paid for our cart! She even got me tulips. I heart my mom! 

I pretty much do all my shopping at TJ's now. I mean it's reasonably priced, yummy food and lots of organic options! (and no, Trader Joe's is not paying me to write this)

We love their Turkey Meatballs & TJ's Marinara, Veggies Samosas, Goat Yogurt and Gorgonzola Crackers. And their Strawberry Yogurt O's cereal is killer! I could eat a bowl for every meal! 

There is a whole website dedicated to Trader Joe's. The blog is called What's Good at Trader Joe's.   Lots of great reviews! 

What do you like at Trader Joe's? Any favorites? 

Speaking of favorites, who was your favorite last night at the Academy Awards. I thought Michelle Williams looked so gorgeous! Love that dress! 

I thought it was awesome she went to the awards with her Dawson's Creek pal, Busy Phillips! I secretly was hoping that Katie Holmes would pop out of the crowd and join them! 

source

I've Fallen & I Can't Get Up!

Head first into the toy chest.

Urkel in the house!

Bathroom Makeover Is Finished!

So the bathroom is finally finished with all the little touches that make it cozy. I'm not even sure what you would call my decorating style. I find so many styles to be beautiful so I tend to throw quite a few together. I love Country, Vintage, Modern, Eclectic and Shabby Chic. My decorating style is evolving and this bathroom, to me, encompasses all the styles I love. 
But really, anything is a HUGE difference compared to what it used to look like!!!! 

You all remember the before:

And now the after:

I still need a rug and maybe some fun accent towels. And it would be great to paint the trim white, but I just don't know if that is going to happen anytime soon. For now though, I am pleased as punch at the changes!

Hometown Canvas Art

Recently, I took part in a Valentine Exchange with some bloggers. I got matched up with Jennifer over at Finding My Way in Texas.  Jennifer told me that she was from Canada, but was now living in Texas. And she was getting married! So of course I wanted to make her something that symbolized where she is from and where her husband is from. I've seen these made all over the internet, so I thought I would make my own. 

I used vinyl on my Silhouette Cameo machine to create Texas and Ontario. I made sure that when it cut out the State\Province that it would also cut out a heart located where they were from. Once I had the cut outs, I put them on a canvas and painted over them. When they were dry, I pulled off the vinyl and I was finished. 

This was so fun and easy to make and I already have some more of these projects up my sleeve for friends and family. 

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Blog Love!

Our sick hiatus is over!! Poor baby caught a nasty cold with a fever. It was so heartbreaking to see him so miserable. But now we are all so much better and it's time to clean the house. When the whole family has been sick for 3 weeks, not a lot gets done around the ol' casa. I posted on Facebook yesterday that I found a dust bunny that was bigger than the baby!! No lie! It was huge and gross and inspiring me to clean! 
But before I get moving, I wanted to highlight a few of my new favorite blogs. I hope you pop by and say hello!  

• Cassie from Primitive and Proper
• Aimee from It's Overflowing
• Rose from Fragment (Consider Revising)
• April from Blackheart Betty
• Christina from Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe
• Alicia from La Famille
• Megan from Miss Madison's Charmed Life
• Shannon from Upon a Dream

Anyone got anything exciting besides cleaning going on this weekend? I hope it's a good one! 

V to the alentine's Day!

Country Living

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Little Bit of This and That!

We had a great weekend! And the of course the highlight was meeting Chompu, my cousin's daughter!

Kyle and Kelly have been waiting a looooong time for this sweet precious girl and it was so amazing to see her bouncing on their couch, full of smiles!  Of course now Everett has a life long playmate and a new BFF! Cousin Besties are really the BEST! 

Friday, E had his 9 month check-up and according to the doc, he is the healthiest happiest child she had seen all day. He is almost 22lbs and 28inches tall. Such a big boy, but then again his dad is no small fry, so it makes sense.
We went out for Thai food (our favorite) and E loved it too! That's my boy!

I have to share this recipe that I made to bring over to Kyle & Kelly's house.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Mangoes and Cilantro Lime Dressing. 

The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch

I sampled it before I brought it over and i thought it was delicious! I love all the colors and pops of flavors! Plus it is uber healthy, so you can eat a ton of it and not feel bad at all! Stop by and say Hi to Shelby and her blog! She is awesome! 

And of course I am thinking of my Grandma Barbara today. She has been gone for two years now, but I think about her often. Last week came the addition of another great-grandchild. 

Little Isla was born to my cousins Chris and Jen! 

7 Great Grandkids now! 

Drew, Levi, "P" (Chompu), Una, Everett, Evan & Isla

We have no plans for Valentine's day. And I'm okay with that. Just hanging out with my boys. That is pretty sweet. 

What does everyone else have going on for Valentine's Day? Anything fun or romantic?

Happy Friday!

Etsy: The Love Shop

We've been so sick lately, flu and colds and icky stuff. But we are on the mend! PTL! It's the weekend! Whoo Hoooo!! 

Anyone have anything awesome going on this weekend? 

9 Months!

Little baby Bubba is 9 months old today! just three short months from the big ONE year.
I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and do a little Everett update like my cousins are doing with their kiddos.

• Everett is constantly on the move. He crawls, stands, cruises and likes to bounce when he sits on your lap. I'm thinking he will be a very rambunctious boy when he is older. 
• I took him to a 3 and under play area recently and I've never seen him happier. He so much wants to be a big boy and he loves to watch the older kids play. Going to the community center will be a weekly adventure. 
• He's pretty mellow, but sometimes when he really wants something or if you take something away from him he "Hulks" out. Meaning he raises his clenched fists in the air and starts shaking them and going ARRRRRRRR! Like the Incredible Hulk. 
• He loves to eat what we eat.  He loves Chipotle's black beans, rice and chicken. He also likes Veggie Samosas, Spaghetti & turkey meatballs, garlic & herb chicken and veggie potstickers. He is a big water drinker too!
• His new name is Hurricane Everett. In a matter of seconds he will take a perfectly tidy and organized room and tear it apart. Nothing is safe! And everything is trashed. 
• He's got a great sense of humor. Laughs at you when you hiccup and cry. (true story!) 
• E is super ticklish and has a sweet little laugh! 
• He will cuddle with you when he is not on the move and loves to give big open mouth kisses. 
• Everett is great at taking naps now, usually around 2 a day. But he still gets up in the middle of the night. (sigh) 
• He has pretty much gotten over his Stranger Danger, but is still shy and cautious when he first meets someone. 
• He has no teeth yet.

Getting it Together...

The sickness bug has hit! UGH! First the flu, then a cold. Thankfully Everett has been okay and no sickness! We are on the mend, but the house is trashed! How does that happen? There are three of us living in this house and by the end of the day the house can look like a huge mess! I blame a lot of it on Hurricane Everett. He can destroy a room in a matter of seconds. It's really amazing the chaos he can create... and he can't even walk yet!  
(and yet I find it endearing at the same time. I love that he is such an active little boy) 


I have been working on organizing many of the rooms in this house. It seems like when we moved in here all we did was throw stuff in closets and under sinks and walk away. Now a year later, I've had enough. No space is safe. It feels so good to throw, donate and organize things. I never understand why we didn't do it sooner. 
I really like the saying, "A place for everything and everything in it's space". Sounds a bit Mary Poppins-ish, but it's so true. 


Recently, I have been working on the craft room (well let's be real and call it a multi-purpose room) But I've always wanted a craft room, so that is what I pretend it to be.   I finally have got all my crafting supplies in neat cubbies, containers and shelves. And when I walk it, it doesn't feel so chaotic and uninspiring. 

Sample paints at Home Depot for 5 cents each! 5 cents!

New England!

I am always excited when the Patriots are in the Super Bowl! Years ago I used to live in New Hampshire, so of course I love all things New England. 

• Autumn
• Rock Walls
• The Old Man of the Mountain
• Maple Syrup
• Lobster
• Ben & Jerry's
• Portland, ME
• The Patriots
• Dunkin' Donuts
• Robert Frost & Emily Dickenson
• Little Women
• Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket Island
• The Mountains (White & Green)
• Rachel & Her Family 
• Wicked

Let My Love Open the Door

Today I was organizing some stuff in the office (craft room\guest room) and the speakers to the computer weren't working. So I had to sing my own songs. yikes! I came across some doors I had pulled off of a cabinet that I was now using to hold fabric. Looking at the doors, the Pete Townshend song Let My Love Open the Door, popped into my head. And the light bulb went off! Why not put the lyrics on the door? 

So with my handy dandy Silhouette Cameo I made the letters out of vinyl and attached them to the door. 

I really love the way it turned out and now I have some art for the bathroom! 

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Reuben Bites

Awhile back I had bought all the ingredients to make a Reuben Sandwich. Both my husband and I love Reubens and we really like to make them at home, because then we can make them just how we like them! 

While we were making them, I had an idea to make them into mini appetizer bites. Just something simple to pop into the oven and have a little snack. They were DELICIOUS!!! These would also be perfect for a party or a quick snack. 

Ingredients:

• Corned Beef (or you could use Turkey)
• Sauerkraut
• Thousand Island Dressing
• Swiss Cheese
• Baguette 

Turn your oven's broiler on (it crisps up the cheese the best!). 

Spread the Thousand Island Dressing on the Baguette followed by the sauerkraut, corned beef and Swiss cheese. 

Place under broiler for about maybe 10 minutes, until cheese is nice and bubbly! 

Let stand until ready to eat and ENJOY! 

Linked up at:
It's Overflowing, Midweek Fiesta, The 36th Avenue