Alex left for Vegas yesterday, so I am once again flying solo for a couple of weeks. Hopefully this will be two weeks full of good behavior. I've already said my prayers, crossed my fingers, and done a little rain dance. I like to cover all my bases. And so far, so good. Except for last night, when one of my beasties pooped on the stairs and then in the bath tub. I'll let you guess which one.

Spoiler.

We have some fun things planned for this weekend, so hopefully we won't go stir crazy. I didn't post much this week simply because I didn't really feel like it. I have been working on some upcoming items for the Etsy shop, so that's been taking up a lot of my spare time lately. Other than that, I started a diet on Monday. It's not a diet as in a fad diet; it's the old diet known as "stop eating like such a fat-ass." So far it's going pretty well, but I'm dying on the inside a little. My body does not know what to do without candy. I'll keep you posted on whether or not I make it through the weekend. Eek. 

Here's a round up of some fun stuff for this Friday:

• I'm crushing hard on this denim top. I think it would be great for late Summer all the way thru Fall. I love the chambray and the sleeve length, and it would go with almost everything! 
• Big Brother. Okay, hear me out, because I know I have staunchly claimed to loathe reality television. And I do..man, I do. But it's not every day when you know a person on a reality tv show. One of Alex's high school/college friends is a house guest on this season of Big Brother, so we pretty much have to watch it, right? And I'll admit that it's kind of addictive. And it's really fun to cheer on a person who you actually know. Plus, Summer is full of crap television and re-runs, so at least there's something on to look forward to. Speaking of, have I mentioned I'm ready for Fall?
• I'm a hat girl. Panama hats are my personal favorites, mainly because Alex says fedoras remind him of Snooki, and that's the last thing I want to remind anybody of. Typically panama hats look a little more relaxed than fedoras, and I prefer the wider brim. I have a favorite straw one for Summer, but I am on the hunt for a felt one for Fall. This one has caught my eye lately. I like the shape, the brown leather strap, and the price. Plus that means it's even less that I have to wash my hair. #momlife.

• This post made me laugh out loud when I read it. Having two toddlers has made me into a functional hot mess, and I tell myself daily that this is the day I'm going to get my sh*t together. And then I promise it's going to be tomorrow.
• I am in LOVE with this adorable deer printed dress! What a cute piece for Vivi to sport for late Summer/early Fall. This one is going on our back-to-school wish list for sure. 
• Did you read that news story a couple of weeks ago about the owner of a diner yelling at a toddler for pitching a fit? There was a lot of controversy surrounding it, with people applauding her and then other people saying she was way out of line. But honestly, my biggest outrage with the whole situation was that the parents would let their child scream in a restaurant to begin with. This post hits the nail on the head. I thought this was just common sense and common courtesy, but I guess not? It's kind of a guide on how-to not be a parenting asshole. Read it. Live it.
• I recently mentioned how obsessed I am with cherries right now, but that I need a cherry pitter. Enter this guy. It pits up to four cherries at a time, and it can go in the dishwasher. Now it's cherries all the time for everybody around here!
• These shoes are unique; they aren't quite sandals, but they aren't quite booties. So they would be perfect for the next few months where the calendar says it's Fall, but the weather says it's Summer. They'd be a splurge, but they're fun!
• I have been searching for a solution for lunch box packing. I have used plastic baggies and tiny tupperware for the past year when I pack Bobby's lunch, and trying to fit everything in his lunch box is like playing a real-life game of Tetris. Except something usually leaks. So I started investigating bento boxes and found one I love. Bentgo Kids is a bento box for toddlers and children that has many different compartments for different foods, and each part is individually sealed off. There's even a little place where you can put condiments like ketchup or ranch dressing, and the best part is that the seals keep anything from leaking--even within each compartment. Also, you can remove the tray and wash it in the dishwasher. That's a huge win for me! It's a little pricey, but totally worth it in the long run. 
• Another great buy for tots is the Nalgene Kids sippy cup. It's made for on-the-go with a clip, so it's perfect for packing for school. It never leaks and it holds a ton of liquid, making it our favorite sippy cup hands-down! 
• Aren't these beautiful earrings? They remind me of oysters. Speaking of oysters, I'm ready to eat them and sit by a bonfire with a cold beverage. And last but certainly not least....
• 35 DAYS TIL COLLEGE FOOTBALL KICKOFF!!!! I am literally counting down the seconds on an iPad app, and I couldn't be more excited! 

I hope you have a great weekend full of fun and air conditioning! XOXO

 

Wet, Hot, American Summer

I haven't written a ton of posts lately because life has been crazy, and we are soaking every bit of Summer that is left until nursery school begins next month. Once that happens, I'm officially done with Summer and its disgustingness. 

We have been busy doing lots of nothing. We've spent hours playing in the dirt outside; we've put the pool to good use; and we have beat the hell out of every splash pad in a 20-mile radius. Some of our old friends came and visited us recently, bringing along their toddler, who is a little older than Vivi. We had the best time just drinking some beers, hanging around the house and pool with them, and catching up. I love those friends who you can go awhile without seeing, yet nothing ever changes. Plus, it was so fun watching our beasties play. The three kiddos had so much fun together! And I think Vivi has found the man she is going to marry. He is awfully forward, but I don't want to be the person who comes between true love :)

And yes, if there's a child picking his nose somewhere, I'll bet you $10 that he is my spawn.

 I made a peanut butter cake recently that was to die for--recipe to come soon!

The kiddos are bronze everywhere except where their little swim diapers cover, but there's nothing better than getting mooned by a bright, white baby derriere. 

Seriously, her affinity for dirt is beginning to get out of hand.

 My favorite thing about Summer is all the fresh fruits that are in season. We've been putting strawberries (and homemade whipped cream) on top of nearly everything! Berries are so good in a summer salad, too, so I've been trying to eat a lot more of those lately. But fresh shortcakes are so much more fun.

Another fruit I'm really into now is cherries. I don't know how I've ignored them for so long. I guess the labor-intensiveness of getting the pit out has kept me away from them in the past, but I have decided to get over my laziness and turn a negative into a positive. I'm a snacker, especially after dinner. I eat because I get bored and want something to do with my hands. So I've started eating cherries instead of candy. It takes a while to take the stem off and get the pit out, so it gives me something mindless to do when I'm bored and want to eat. I figure eating cherries has got to be healthier than the Reddi-Whip orgies I have in the middle of the night sometimes, right? Baby steps. 

We've been taking fresh fruit outside and having picnics in the late afternoons once it starts to cool off. I don't love being outside in the heat, so the only way I can bribe myself into it is if food is involved.  Unfortunately, the kiddos have become intrigued with cherries lately, as well. They aren't as kid friendly as most fruits, so I'm now on the hunt for a cherry pitter. Until I find that, they're a mama-only fruit. My picnic blanket got covered in seeds and juice.

Lesson learned. 

There aren't many days left in July, and then comes my most-dreaded month of August, which I am choosing to just completely ignore altogether this year. It's been a great, wet, hot, American Summer, but I'm kind of over it now. Have I mentioned we're ready for Fall?!

Hope you have a great week!

Fifteen Months

I haven't done a Vivi post in a while, because it's a bit insufferable when parents go on and on with the monthly stickers after the first birthday. But toddlers change so much between their first and second birthdays that I'm afraid I may forget it all if I don't write it down. So I've decided to update this year in quarters; every three months sounds fair, yes? 

The biggest thing I have to say about this age is this- You've never faced real life struggles until you've had to put pants on a one year old.

Our little Vivs is fifteen months old now, and she is quick to prove that she isn't just a little baby anymore! She has gotten taller and has thinned out considerably in the last few months. I'm sad that the only rolls I have left to nibble on are her juicy thighs. She wears 18-24 months in most clothes, although Summer time weather down here in Florida means that she prances around in her size 5 diapers about 75% of the time. And she's cool with that until she decides to get frisky and remove it. She's become a Diaper Houdini lately. Have you ever cleaned a mushed poop out of a Persian rug? I have. Good times.

Vivien has collected quite a few nicknames that have stuck with her. On any given day, she will respond to: Vivi, Vivs, Vivi-Cat, Wivvers, Little Bit, Bit, Vivzilla, and Vivi the Destructor. Bobby calls her "Sissy," or more frequently, "Hey! No!" She appears to get some kind of twisted pleasure out of destroying his train sets or stealing the remote control and turning Thomas the Tank Engine off. And there's always hell to pay for that. She's become a master at taking a hit and then turning on the crocodile tears for me if she sees that I am nearby. I can tell that this brother/sister duo is going to give me a run for my money. But with that said, they do love each other (I think), and they give each other plenty of sugar.

 ruffle swim diaper // Corolle baby doll // makeup mirror // Hello Kitty Shopping Cart // BabyLit Romeo & Juliet // party play set // slice and bake cookies

I try to get them to steer away from conflict by providing them with plenty of individual toys and activities. There are many girl toys that Vivi loves right now. She plays in her toy kitchen every day, although she does less "cooking" than she does redecorating the play area with plastic food. The Melissa and Doug wooden sugar cookie set is a hit with both kids. They bring those out every day, and they are great for imaginative play. Vivi's cousins gave her the Hello Kitty shopping cart, which is adorable in itself, but the itty bitty coffee cup that goes with it puts the whole thing over the top!   

Other winners have been the makeup mirror and the VTech dessert party, as well as the Fisher Price Little People Dollhouse. Bobby has the Little People Barnyard, and we like to turn our living room into a town with the train tracks taking the farmers from their house to their farm, by way of an awesome block city that we build. There's a chance we have too much time on our hands. 

Vivi has just recently begun to show interest in her baby doll, and she loves it! The other day she strutted up holding her doll and said "baby!" Then she hugged her and gave her a big kiss. It was the sweetest thing I think I've ever seen her do. She's also become interested in books lately, which I'm really excited about. Bobby would not sit down and look at a book until he was about two, so I'm thrilled that she's doing it earlier. I guess there truly are differences between boys and girls. Bobby was always way too busy to sit down and watch a movie or look at a book at this age, but Viv is happy to chill with a pile of books or a little Sesame Street. We especially like the Baby Lit books for her age; they have tons of fun colors and things for babies to learn, but they are indulgent to a lit nerd parent like myself. 

Another thing that has been getting lots of use during these warm months are cloth swim diapers. I'm all for disposable regular diapers, and even disposable swim diapers if we are out in public, but the cloth ones are awesome if you have a pool at home (or even if you do a lot of sprinkler running). My kids are pretty regular with their "movements," so I have rarely encountered a pool poop anyway. The cloth swim diapers are washable and reusable, and they really take away the need to wear another swimsuit on top of the diaper! So it kills two birds with one stone. Bobby looks European when he wears his little speedo, and Viv looks like a priss with the ruffles on the back of hers :)

 Her favorite foods are cheese, pancakes, peaches, berries, pepperoni, watermelon, pretzels, and milk. She's open to tasting most food at this point, but she enjoys fervently throwing most of it on the floor and then looking at us with large doe eyes.

 She talks a lot more than Bobby did at this age (again, I think it's just the difference between boys and girls), and she's quick to pick up anything you tell her. Her favorite things to say are "night night" and "thank you," as well as "baby" and "oh, wow!" If we say "cat," "dog," or "cow," she will respond "meow," "woof," and "moo," respectively. She also says "mad, mad, mad" when she is pissed (if I ask her "Are you mad?"). So maybe she's gonna be one of those people who is in tune with her feelings. :)

 Her favorite activities include eating dirt, terrorizing Siri, watching Sesame Street (big-time Elmo crush right now), eating snacks that she has hidden around the house, digging in the trash, reading books, bath time, jumping on the couch, eating popsicles, gnawing on sidewalk chalk, playing in sand, and being Vivi the DestructOR to Bobby's train sets.

She also appears to have taken to gardening. 

star romper // 'merica moccasins

And her duck face is still on point.

 Least favorite activities include diaper changes, sitting still, being outside but not allowed to play in dirt, getting hazed by her brother, when Mommy leaves (which is unfortunately never), and having to watch the same damn episode of Thomas the Tank Engine over and over.

 I can tell that she really wants to be a big girl and prove herself to her brother and her friends who are just a little bit older. She loves wearing her necklace and her baby bracelet, and she no longer fights wearing bows in her hair. Speaking of hair, I think she may be a curly girl!

  ribbon neckalce // moccs, sold out but similar here

 She sleeps like a champ from 7:30-7:30, and she takes one day time nap. She can point to her nose and say "nose." She kisses herself in the mirror. And she can do much more yoga than I can. Aside from the messes that ensue from her brimming curiosity, this age rocks! Looking forward to much more fun in the months to come!

Back to (Nursery) School : Backpacks

Wooohoooo, back to school time is on the horizon, and this mama couldn't be more excited to taste those two days-a-week of freedom! Okay, okay, when I say school, what I mean is nursery school. And boy, nursery school is where it's at! Bobby has been going to a Mother's Day Out program/nursery school for the last year, and it has been nothing short of awesome for everyone involved. Except maybe the teachers. ;)

It has been great having him in a structured environment around other children from 9:30am-2pm twice a week. It was rough for the first couple of weeks, but he finally got used to it, and now he loves playing with his friends. The social benefits are huge for him. And the mental health benefits are huge for me! I have really enjoyed having some one-on-one time with Viv, as well as some time to clean/shop/run errands/take a fat morning nap. 

This new school year will be starting next month, and Bob will move up to the 2-3 yr old classroom, while Vivi starts fresh in the toddler classroom. I am a little sad to give up my one-on-one mornings with Viv, but I know it's going to be so good for her to socialize with other little kiddos her own age. And it'll mean that I get two mornings a week completely to myself. SCORE.

Since the new school year is just around the corner, it's time to start shopping for toddler backpacks! Here is a round-up of a few of my faves.

 backpack book // Skip Hop Dino // Sunglasses Backpack // Rocket Backpack // Thayer Dino Backpack // Skip Hop Frog

tulle ruffle backpack // Skip Hop Kitty // Skip Hop Unicorn // Skip Hop pouches // Skip Hop Lady Bug // Kitty Foldover Backpack

Bobby currently has the Skip Hop dinosaur, and it's been a great little bag. All of these are adorable. I'm really into the whimsical unicorns for Vivi. Pottery Barn Kids has the cutest unicorn backpack (and it even has a real "mane"), but I may end up going with the Skip Hop unicorn backpack instead. The main reason I love the Skip Hop bags so much is because they have a thermos pouch pocket on the outside of the bag. Our school requires kids to have two cups, which means you usually run out of space to put the cups. So these bags have a perfect place to store a sippy cup for easy access! 

So many fun choices, and we haven't even discussed lunch pails and bento boxes yet! Stay tuned for that riveting post ;)

Happy Hump Day!

Black & White Vibes

Summer is dead to me after the 4th of July. I can get on board with it from May-Independence Day, but after America has had her birthday celebration, it's time to put up the fireworks and move on to football season. After the 4th has passed, I begin to ache for cooler weather and sweatshirts and fires and oysters and football. Unfortunately, we still have the obnoxious month of August to get through, and Mother Nature will not pick up on my hints for another couple of months (or, if you are in the South, until January). Sigh. But that doesn't mean that a girl has to give up dreaming. 

I have lately found myself shifting away from neons and tropical colors and gravitating toward the classic colors of black and white. It's all I've been wearing lately, but that could be because they don't make yoga pants in any other colors :)

 Black and white is a great color combo to bridge the time between late Summer and early Fall. It can still work with gold and pineapple accessories, but it also makes me a little giddy for black cats and witches. 

I seriously cannot wait for Fall. How many more days??

star romper // spike studs // floral crochet crop top // panama hat // leopard printed body suit // nesting dolls // mini melissa flower flats // printed tote // feather pocket t-shirt (boy)

Vivi's gonna need those nesting dolls ASAP!

Pop Stars

It's been hotter than hell lately, and we have been looking for fun ways to beat the heat. My kiddos love popsicles, which got me thinking that it may be a good way to sneak some extra fruit into their diets.

I invested in this popsicle maker, which I really like because it makes 10 popsicles at once. We started out doing mixed fruit pops using berries, kiwi, peaches, and juice. I must admit, however, that the kiwi wasn't my favorite addition, and I will not be repeating that fruit again. It looks pretty, though!

   Any extra help you can get is a bonus. And remember that it's good to keep knives out of reach ;)

 The next batch I tried were watermelon pops. These are easy; it's just pureed watermelon with a squirt of lime juice and a couple of chopped mint leaves!

 

And the final batch were yogurt pops. I tried these two different ways. I pureed plain yogurt with fresh peaches and a little agave nectar, and then I poured them into the molds for some yummy peach smoothie pops. The other yogurt pops were the simplest of all. They made from blueberry yogurt poured straight into the mold and layered with some fresh blueberries.
I'm looking for a good recipe for homemade chocolate pudding to see how that freezes next. I'll keep you posted.

  
I had fun making these, and the kids love them. Best of all is that I feel good about them eating something homemade with some real fruit in it.

Unfortunately, there's always going to be someone mean to take your splintery popsicle sticks away from you. So bear that in mind.

 

Happy Hump Day!