A little late...but still THANKFUL!!

Ok...I know I'm a little late on the "what I'm thankful for" bandwagon, but I told myself I would do this so here goes. Thanksgiving just passed and my family and I got to enjoy TWO amazing dinners with two different kinds of family for me. Our first thanksgiving was with what I like to call my "West Coast Family" which is a wonderful group of friends that welcomed me into their group over 4 years ago when Dustin and I met. I don't think, since I lived 3,000 miles away at the time, that they thought I'd become a REAL member of this family but sure enough 4 years + baby max later we all got to sit down and enjoy a special meal together. That I am so thankful for. It's holidays when I miss my family the most. I called my dad before I went over to our Friendsgiving and got all teary and choked up hearing about the fun times being had at my aunts house. So another thing I'm thankful for = unlimited calling nationwide (thanks AT&T /$115 mo later), to be able to call my dad, all choked up, and tell him I miss him so much on a holiday.
So we had a great meal with great people (and dogs),lots of laughs, and my awesome (if I do say so myself) chocolate trifle. Mmmmm....#3 of what I'm thankful for= an amazing Mumma who is the best person I know, who taught me how to make this dessert to share with my west coast fam. My mom rocks. Seriously. We have this insane connection where when I was a teenager and would walk in the house, she would know from the other side of the house that something was wrong. And even now 3,000 miles apart, she answers my call astonished because she was just dialing my number. I love you Mumma. I hope I am JUST like you for max. So thankful you're mine.

So my west coast family Friendsgiving was perfect. Everyone brought a few dishes to add to all of the work our host and hostess had already cooking. Talk about great hosts #4 thing I'm thankful for= friends in our life in beautiful, loving,googley relationships. Everyone knows what I mean. You see those couples who have been together forever but still are smiling, laughing at each others every joke, making eyes across the table, helping each other do dishes, just straight up IN LOVE. We all get in robot mode sometimes and forget to put in a little extra effort and love in our relationships and I think it's amazing to be reminded of how much you love your significant other. Seeing two people in love reminds me how in love I am too. So thankful for that. #5 thankful thing= my love. My soulmate. My best friend. My baby daddy. I love you and am thankful for you. You know me better than anyone. You  work your ass off. You pay those bills, and even though I complain about not getting flowers often enough, you're still my #1. And always will be. I'm SO thankful you're mine :) you gave me what I dreamed about my entire life, our little Maxi poo. #6 obviously. My sweet sweet boy. I'm so thankful the universe chose me to be your Mumma. I love everything about you from head to toe. You. Are. Perfection. I will be thankful for you until the day I die. My first baby (you'll always be my favorite, just don't tell the others when they get here!).

So on to our second Thanksgiving, my in-laws not by law (yet). We headed out to the peninsula to Dustin's parents where we had an amazing meal and lots of laughs. #7- my almost in-laws. They welcomed me in to the family from the very beginning. They fell out of their chairs ecstatic when we announced we were pregnant. They spoil max with so much love it's insanely wonderful. They are just wonderful people that I am extremely thankful for. While we were there Max really developed some strong feelings for their dog, Dude. And to this day talks about him multiple times a day. We had a dog when I was younger and it was my little brothers best friend. They had secret talks about things, a really special connection, and I think as years go by, Max and Dude just might have this serious love for each other. I hope. It's really sweet :) #8 and #9 thankful things- Dude-to make Max sooo happy, to this day. And my little brother MJ. My bro, the coolest uncle, rad skateboarder, super sweet guy. I love you to death and hate how far apart we live. I'm so proud of you, with the things you have accomplished so far in your twenty years. You rock. I know Max will always look up to you.

This year having 2 Thanksgivings was super fun. It's one of my favorite holidays. It's kind of sad to think it takes a day of stuffing our faces to remind us to be thankful for things. There are so many things to be thankful for all year and we should all be making a bigger effort to make them known. So here's a few more from me:
#10- my sissy- I'm so glad you are on this side of the states with me. I love you to the moon and you are such a good sister. Such a good aunt. And good friend. Love you. Thankful for our laughing moments together.
#11- friends near and far- I'm not the kinda girl with 7,000 contacts in my iPhone of everyone I've ever met. I'm the kind of girl with a small group that I seriously consider my family members. And I tell them that. I'm thankful for all of you. I love you.
#12-family (not so near) mostly far- I miss you, and think of each of you ALOT. Maybe one day flights will be affordable again (which I would totally be thankful for) and we can see each other more. I'd like that so much :)

our amazing feast at the "Friendsgiving"

Max, Grandpa and DUDE! @Thanksgiving #2

So I sum this post up with this....I am so thankful for everything in my life. It would take days to write it all down. The universe has given me a pretty awesome life to live in a pretty healthy body to do so and I totally love my life. And everything/everyone in it. :)

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! Can't wait to Christmas BLOG! Whoohooo!!!!!!

Coming soon.....Xmas crafting, Homemade Xmas gifts, and Xmas baking! Betcha cant wait!

XOX, The Thankful Mumma

Happy 2nd Halloween BooBoo!

As I posted before in a prior blog I wanted to do a comparison of Max's past two pumpkin patch photo shoots. I know once I have this put together I will probably cry, but here goes.



Max- 3 months old, fitting right in the nook of my arm.



We had so much fun this year, just Max and I, at Carleton Farms pumpkin patch in Lake Stevens, WA. There was acres and acres of pumpkins, a perfect area set up with hay bails for photos, a petting zoo, a corn maze, and a cute little gift shop filled with yummy goodies (including fresh corn on the cob....YUM!) It was a great afternoon with my little man and I took PLENTY of photos to show you all!





I remember propping you up against these pumpkins!





15 months old-walking himself through the patch! And proud of it!



sick of the monster outfit....



sick of the puppy outfit...

Maxi- I hope you are enjoying all of our little adventures that we have been going on. I have absolutely loved every second that I have been able to stay at home with you and plan fun things for us to do and see!!! The pumpkin patch this year is definitely high up on my list of AWESOME things we got to do! I will keep planning fun surprises through the holidays for me and you! I'm so glad I have this special time with you. I love you to the moon! Happy Halloween Booboo! You were the best puppy EVER!







Fall Crafting!

While being the "unemployed mama" that I am, Max and I have had plenty of time to do some Fall Crafting! I found some great ideas via Pinterest (obviously) that I wanted to share with everyone!

My obvious favorite crafts to do with my little man are ones that involve hand or foot prints! I never want to forget how tiny his little piggys or fingers once were! So I went down to the good old Dollar Tree store the other day to stock up on everything we needed to get a little crafty! Found lots of different construction paper books, googley eyes, and finger paints.

Max's scary spider!

we also made turkey handprints, and I had him "color in" a pumpkin

I wanted to make a space in his bedroom where we could hang up all of his beautiful artwork! All I could find in my office was holiday ribbon, but it doesn't really matter because you cant see it anyway! At the Dollar Tree I picked up some clothespins and hung them right up above his changing table! :)

@ Carleton Farms pumpkin patch

Will be doing another post about our pumpkin patch adventure once I load all of the pix off my camera! They came out INCREDIBLE and I cant wait to compare our new ones to last years! :)) Stay tuned folks...

LOVE, Max's Mumma  XOX

October-National Remembrance Month

October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day for all babies who have gone too soon, from early pregnancy through infant death. I think that this day is an important one to share even though it may seem uncomfortable or "taboo" for certain people. From personal experience, and having a lot of friends/family that have had to deal with losing a baby too soon, I think it helps everyone to talk about their loss and feelings.

Facts:
-1 in every 3 pregnancies ends in a loss
-An estimated 500,000 miscarriages happen each year
-1 in every 148 babies are stillborn
-3 in every 1,000 babies die shortly after birth

These numbers amaze me. I remember feeling like I had no one in my world that knew what I was going through or feeling. And these numbers show that it happens all the time, all around us. That is why I think its so important to have just 1 day out of the year where we squeeze our babies we have REALLY tight, and give a hug to the friends and family who you know that have lost one or more.

While doing some reading on this subject I found something that seemed really amazing! Its called the International Wave of Light:
"The International Wave of Light invites participants from around the world to light a candle in honor of Pregnancy And Infant Loss Remembrance Day, starting at 1900 hours on October 15 in their respective time zones, and to leave the candle burning for at least an hour. The result is a continuous chain of light spanning the globe for a 24 hour period in honor and remembrance of the children who die during pregnancy or shortly after birth"
I read about this too late in the night to actually do it, but thought it was really special and could maybe do it next year. 

There are a lot of resources that I have found like: support groups, organized walks, releasing of ballons, butterflies and doves in certain areas, and blogs. I think that the more that we talk about this, the more comfortable everyone will become with it. And with those shocking numbers above I would think that a lot of women are dealing or have dealt with this. Us Mamas are STRONG and can get through anything with the support of each other in my opinion! :)))

***I didn't write this blog to be sad or depressing, I wrote it because this day touches me and my little family and I wanted to share that, so maybe one other mommy reading this can feel like she has a friend that knows what shes going or has gone through. :) ***

Below I have listed some great websites for support and info on infant/pregnancy loss:
http://www.stillbirthday.com/
www.october15th.com

Deals and Steals!

On a walk with girlfriends today around Greenlake we found ourselves chatting about where to buy the cheapest diapers, groceries etc. and my gf Anna told me I should be doing a blog about this very thing! So here it is girl! :)

For some reason there is a very negative stigma surrounding one of my favorite places....GROCERY OUTLET! For those of you not on the west coast let me fill you in on this little gem! Its a grocery store with AMAZING prices on everyday things you would normally buy at Safeway, Hannaford etc. The way they are able to do this is here:

"We source product opportunistically. Simply put, we buy brand name products directly from their manufacturers for pennies on the dollar. When a manufacturer has surplus inventory like excess packaging or manufacturing overruns they call Grocery Outlet first.About 75% of our product is sourced this way. Some of our greatest buys are in Health and Beauty Care, Wine, Frozen Foods, Organics and Produce. To ensure that the basics are always available at Grocery Outlet, some product is sourced conventionally, like other grocery stores. Because we cannot source these products opportunistically, the savings may not be as phenomenal; however, we think it’s important to provide them for your convenience—to save you that extra trip." -groceryoutlet.com. 

Yes! You did read that right! There is ALOT of organic items at the Grocery Outlet! I shop there every week! The only thing you have to keep in mind is that you wont find the same things every time you go. So if there's something you really like you should stock up! And there's always a few things I end up needing to get at another store because they just don't have it (sour cream, or random things for a specific recipe). But for you Mamas out there, they DO carry diapers, some locations have jarred organic baby food, and a great juice selection. Also they have great things for packing in older kids lunches! You can literally leave that store with an entire cart of groceries for 50-60$! Thats without coupons! Which they also have! :))) Its the only place that I buy my cleaning supplies too! And you'll never guess what I got on my last excursion to Grocery Outlet..... Max's Halloween costume! For only $9.99!!!! WHOOHOO!

So for those of you against the good old "gross out" explain to me why? I go there every week. It is always clean, organized, and the staff is super friendly and helpful! I get amazing deals on the same food that everyone else is buying and eating. So I don't really know why there is that "stigma". Except that maybe you have a chip on your shoulder and don't want to be seen with those BRIGHT YELLOW bags that they send you home with! HAHA!

So check it out folks! I'm sure you will fall in love with it as much as I have! :))

LOVE, The Bargain Mumma XO

Unemployed Mama

Well....as of this past Saturday the Spa where I was working closed down and laid off all of its employees. I know...harsh. BUT...there is a GOOD THING in all of this! I have a lead on a new job that would start in December, which means I can stay home with my precious booboo for 3 whole months!

For anyone that knows me, knows that being a stay-at-home mama is a DREAM for me! Of course then reality hits and I have bills to pay, clothes to buy, and am not a big fan of being on a strict budget. Sooo...I work! And I love it. I love helping people care for their skins needs, waxing away all of those unsightly hairs, and massaging away the pain and tension of their day. But I think this whole "unemployment situation" is a much needed break from making everyone else feel and look amazing, and focus on ME AND MAX feeling amazing!

So now that I have SO much time on my hands I'm trying to come up with fun things we can fill our days with for the next 3 cold dreary months!(bleck!) Of course there's my Fall list (see previous blog post) but I need more! This week we have had lots of lunch and breakfast dates with some of our favorite people. And towards the end of the week we will walk around Greenlake with friends, check out the Greenlake indoor play area, and maybe even hit up Story Time at the Greenwood Library! So send me your ideas, or great things going on in the next few months, or fun things you do at home with your kiddos for me and Max to try!

Should have plenty of time to blog now! :)
LOVE, The Well Rested Mama! XO

FALL=FUN!!!

I think everyone else is on board with me when I say that Fall is THE BEST season ever! (maybe not the best weather here in Seattle, but absolutely amazing back east in NH) Even though it might just be rainy and grey here on the West Coast, there are plenty of fun things to do and great outfits to wear this time of year!

I have a list of things Im looking forward to doing with Max this Fall. Apple picking, visiting the pumpkin patch, picking out a Halloween costume,decorating the house in our fall decor!!!! And the list goes on! Last year I dressed Max in his Halloween costume and did a little photoshoot at the pumpkin patch! Which I think will have to be a yearly occasion! The pictures came out amazing, and he was so tiny! I cant wait to compare when we do it again this year! Here are a few from last year that i absolutely love!

so tiny!

this one is my favorite! it is framed in our living room!

not a happy camper....but it makes this pik even cuter!

Another thing I would like to try this fall is making my own wreath for my front door! I know I can find all my  supplies at Hobby Lobby, but I need some inspiration for what I want it to look like! Here are a few that I absolutely LOVE!

would put a "B" for our last name...love it!

could make a small one like this as a centerpiece, and a bigger version for the door.

definitely different then ones you see everywhere!

And of course I have to add in a few of my favorite Fall styles when it comes to my everyday outfits for work and for home/play! Now I just need some extra moolah to revamp my closet a bit! ;)

via Pinterest- this would be perfect for work! must find flat adorable boots this year!

via Pinterest- how cute over booties, or under tall boots with a bit peeking out?!

via Pinterest- this sweater looks AMAZING...again with the boots-DELISH!

Well there ya have it! My fall list of things to do and buy! I will post about making my wreath and our pumpkin patch photo shoot as soon as I can!

Oh and P.S- would this make me a horrible mother???!!! Because I think it is TOOOO FREAKIN CUTE!

Max would probably kill me 15 years from now, but it might just be worth it! GAH!!!!

If it's not messy, then it's not fun!

my finger paints!

 For Max's first birthday party I made homemade finger paints for all of the kids to take home in their goodie bags! It was so easy and FUN to make I wanted to share the recipe so all of you can make it at home! Its great to use on a canvas or paper, but even better in the BATHTUB! (no clean-up for mama!) And its technically "edible" although I'm not suggesting to eat ALOT of it because it would be pretty gross! But no need to worry when your little booboo shoves a fistful in his mouth! :) Another perk: you probably have everything you'd need already in your kitchen cupboards!

Recipe:
3 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 C Cornstarch
2 C Water

Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Warm until mixture thickens. Cool and pour into containers ( I used plastic baby food containers for mine). And add whatever food coloring you want! (I also added a little dishsoap to mine which makes it even easier cleanup).

quite the artist! :)

Perfect craft for a rainy Seattle day...which lets face it Mommies, they are about the begin! ugh! So get crafty and start PAINTING! :)

xo

NH/ME Family Vacation

So off to NH we went as a family vacation that was going to include one of my best friends weddings, family visits, lots of lobster, and even more LOVE!

Max got to visit a few airports along the way, which let me tell you, was not the greatest idea on my part. Our first flight from Seattle to Boston had a layover in Chicago....on the red-eye. Which meant Max had 2 hours of sleep at home, followed by 2 hours of sleep on the plane, followed by COMPLETE METLDOWNS the rest of the many hours until we arrived in Portsmouth NH. I think I have sworn off traveling when babies are this young. I'm sure he was thinking "WTF are we doing awake at this hour? What are all these other freaks doing around me? This big tin can is NOISY and not condusive to my sleep Mumma! And last but not least GET ME THE F*** OUT OF HERE".

We finally arrived at my Moms house in NH, "DeeDee" as Max refers to her. He was thrilled to be somewhere he could crawl around, play with new toys, and get lots of snuggles. DeeDee was thrilled too!

DeeDee and Maxi

 The following day we headed up to Bar Harbor, ME where my gf's wedding and rehearsal was. Another travel day for Max....7 hours of travel that is! A few meltdowns along the way but overall he did fine. Especially with the insane amount of entertaining DeeDee was doing! :)

DeeDee and Max at the wedding

all the bridesmaids with the beautiful bride (me on the right)

loving the background

Our next adventure after leaving Maine, was to head to Grantham NH to visit Maxs "Bumpa"! We had a blast spending the day and even got a visit in from Maxs Great Grammy Eva! We spent the afternoon at a great little private beach. Although Max slept the entire time! As shown below! Poor baby was just too tired from all of our adventures!

tuckered out!

Our trip was absolutely wonderful being able to visit with my family and friends that I miss so much! Having Max has made it even harder being far away from them! We definitely miss all the love and snuggles being 3,000 miles away! But at the same time, it makes seeing everyone that much more special!

max,me and uncle MJ

Our trip came to the end way too fast! And we all definitely felt like we needed a vacation...from our vacation! It took Max about 3 days at home to get readjusted, but then he decided to start sleeping through the night out of no where! 2 out of 3 nights he slept for 11-12 hours straight! Maybe we need to take vacations more often?! :)

A HUGE thank you to all of my friends and family that welcomed us and took care of us while we were there! An even BIGGER thank you to my Mumma "DeeDee" for taking such good care of Max while Dustin and I attended the rehearsal and wedding of Kristen and James. We couldnt have made this trip happen without the help and support of our east coast family! We miss you so much already everyone! Looking forward to our next NH vacation already! xxoo

Love Letter To My 1 year old Maxi

(right after you were born...exhausted! it was a tough 18 hours for you too!)



WOW! A year has flown bye hasnt it my sweet boy??!! I cant imagine what my life was like without you! You have changed me and your Daddys life in such beautiful ways! Ill never forget the day that you made your entrance into our world! 7/15/11 at 2:10 in the afternoon after 18 hours of hard labor and 40 minutes of pushing there you were. The nurses and midwife left the room immediately for 3 perfect hours for me and your Daddy to inspect, kiss and snuggle every single inch of your 6 pound 15oz 19 1/2 inches! And you....were...PERFECTION!

Over the past year you have made me laugh, cry, worry, and grow with you. I wouldnt change a single second of any of it. (Even the nursing every 3 hours, hundreds of poopy diapers, spit up, laundry,exhaustion and straight up crazyness that being a new mommy brings).

I have nursed you now for 13 months and find it just amazing how much you've grown! At your last checkup you were 23.5 pounds! And are currently trending some really cute 12-18 mo clothes! I love our special quiet time at night when I get to be alone with you in your rocking chair and nurse you to sleep. You pull your little feet to your head, you play with my hair and rub my face. It's the BEST part of my day. And I hope it's one of yours too!:)

(@ the Woodland Park Zoo!)

We have taken you on some pretty great adventures this past year: home to NH for your first Thanksgiving, out to the Olympic Penninsula to your Grandma and Grandpas for your first Christmas and Easter, lots of playdates with your favorite friends (Charlie and Ellery). Youve been to the Seattle Zoo and Aquarium ALOT! And we are headed to NH again NEXT WEEK! You will get to see all of your family and meet some NEW FRIENDS! Im really excited for this vacation with you and your Daddy, but Im a little nervous about our plane rides now that you are on the move! Im sure we will have a blast though!

(lunchdate with your g/f Ellery)

*LOVE*

Overall I have to tell you that this has been the craziest, most exhausting, challenging, thrilling and just BEST year of my life! You are my favorite person in the whole world and I just couldnt imagine my life without you in it! Mumma loves you VERY much! Now lets go on VACATION!!!!! :)))

*Next post will be all about our fun trip to NH!!!!*

Maxs First Birthday



tablecloth: found at Big Lots (3$) added felt shapes for ice cream cones and pom poms for cherries. Glued on with fabric glue from JoAnns (10$). Treats: flat bottom ice cream cones filled with cake mix, baked and frosted. Rice Krispie Stars on a stick, with a chocolate drizzle, wrapped in cellophane. Sugar cookies with cone shape in frosting. Ice Cream toppings (mini reeses, M&Ms, star shaped marshmellows,gummy bears) All treats are in disposable 9X13 tins, wrapped in matching wrapping paper (EASY CLEANUP AND STORAGE!) And little cone plastic dishes for ice cream, found at DollarTree! (1$!!!)

Well...its official! My baby boy, is no longer considered a "baby", but a TODDLER! Thanks to Pinterest, and others ideas I had, I think I threw him a pretty killer first birthday party! As he starts his first year as a toddler, I thought I would start my first year as a "blogger"!! Im so excited to be able to share the fun things we do, and places we go with all of you! So a special thanks to my Mumma, fiance' Dustin, and great friend/pastry chef Tanner to helping my dreams of Maxs first birthday party come to fruition!

Maxs personal birthday cake! Since everyone else at the party got their "cake in a cone"!



Personal Goodie Bags: found at DollarTree! Added cone pictures, and party words with the same glue I used for tablecloth. Filled bags with homemade finger paints, ice cream stickers, a BIG ice cream cone cookie, ice cream cone shaped bubbles, and other fun little toys and treats.

So there you have it! Lots of effort went in to my little mans first party! Including two nights of midnight baking in preparation for the big day! But it was ALL worth it! And as you can see I did it on quite the BUDGET! My plan every year after reflecting on his birthday is to write him a little letter that maybe someday he will read and appreciate! :) So theres the next blog post coming to you! My love note to my ONE YEAR OLD baby! Happy Birthday Beautiful Boy! Mumma loves you!