tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28282682870374680812024-02-20T10:54:28.010-05:00Seeking Sparklemy story of things that make life sparkle—from improvements to my home to adventures in parenting, and the art & design that fuels my creative soul.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-26261964935954302622018-02-18T09:01:00.000-05:002018-02-19T10:31:54.054-05:00Hello Again!Allow me to reintroduce myself.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "pt sans narrow"; font-size: 17.6px;">I'm Jen, an interior architect and graphic designer. I started documenting my home improvement journey in the summer of 2010, when I bought my first house with my ex-husband. In the fall of 2012, with the birth of my son Leo, I began my biggest project yet, motherhood.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "pt sans narrow"; font-size: 17.6px;">It's been awhile since I've shared. The timing of my last post coincides with the beginning of the end of my marriage. It was a time of necessary internal focus to work through the transition of my family, and make sure that we all got through the necessary changes in the healthiest way possible. I may talk more about this process on these pages, I may not. I have yet to decide how much I want to share. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "pt sans narrow"; font-size: 17.6px;">What I do know is that I am on the other side now. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "pt sans narrow"; font-size: 17.6px;">My spirit has taken a beating. But I continue to make small changes & add finishing touches to my home while I re-design my life and seek out that sparkle once again. I'm ready to shine. And one of the things that has always made me feel full is writing about things that make me do so. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "pt sans narrow"; font-size: 17.6px;">I've begun contributing small articles to <a href="https://30seconds.com/jen_m_i/tips/">30seconds</a>, an online community that strives to make life better through quick tips and essays. It's made made me realize how much I miss the feeling of my fingers clicking across the keyboard. And how much more I actually have to say. I'm limited there to 1200 characters, and it's a challenge! If you are interested in checking out any of my tips, please see the feed in the upper right hand corner of this page. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "pt sans narrow"; font-size: 17.6px;">I welcome you back to my story of things that make life sparkle—from improvements to my home that make it look beautiful and function better, to adventures in parenting that make my heart sing on a daily basis, and the art & design that fuels my creative soul.</span><br />
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-20487773258366642542014-09-15T15:00:00.000-04:002014-09-15T15:00:04.551-04:00Our Sparkling Summer Adventures - Part Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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If you have stopped by to visit recently, then you know we've had quite a busy summer. In addition to the <a href="http://seeking-sparkle.blogspot.com/2014/09/our-sparkling-summer-adventures-part-one.html">Part One</a> and <a href="http://seeking-sparkle.blogspot.com/2014/09/our-sparkling-summer-adventures-part-two.html">Part Two</a>, I have a few more Sparkling Adventures to tell you about. </div>
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My BFF lives in the southern part of the state. We are always looking for ways to meet up halfway between us, especially since the arrival of her second adopted son who is only a few months older than Leo. This summer, we met up for a fantastic play date at the <a href="http://www.childrensmuseumineaston.org/home0.aspx">Easton Children's Museum.</a> This is a charming little museum built in an old fire house. They have plenty of activities that reference the former use of the building, including the fire pole that kids can climb from the first floor, and watch from the second floor through a piece of plexiglass. It is a favorite activity of our friend S. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leo and I watched S climb the fire pole from the plexi-glass covered hole in the floor. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S managed to fit himself INSIDE the mailbox. Quite a sight from one of my favorite kiddos!</td></tr>
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The museum also has a really great outdoor play space with making use of natural elements. There were musical instruments made from planks of wood, and a big pile of logs and sticks that could be used for building. Probably the favorite element outdoors was the tree fort. This was the moment when I realized that my baby could climb a ladder higher than my head. Deep. Breath. In. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leo and M had tons of fun making music (or banging??)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't help but call this one "Lord of the Flies, Jr." (no idea who the blond is)</td></tr>
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Another destination we hit once or twice is one of <a href="http://www.ikea.com/">my favorite places on earth</a>. It turns out it's also good for quite a bit of toddler fun. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.<br />
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Boston is also known as a really bike friendly place. There are tons of trails along converted railroad right-of-ways, and along the Charles River in Boston and in our own town. We've made good use of the bike seat that Leo gave Greg for Christmas with several great rides around the area, including the <a href="http://www.minutemanbikeway.org/">Minuteman Bikeway</a>, Memorial Drive in Cambridge of which a portion is closed to cars on Sundays, and the <a href="http://www.esplanadeassociation.org/">Esplandae</a>. </div>
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A favorite repeat destination is a local farm and ice cream stand with this signature tractor in the lawn. Leo never got excited about the ice cream, but he was always excited to visit this old vehicle. </div>
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Aside from our many trips to Walden Pond, we did fit in a few trips to the ocean as well. I already mentioned our trip to Revere Beach for the sandcastle competition. We also had a quick stroll there early one Sunday, early in the summer. We closed out the summer with a trip to my favorite beach, <a href="http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-south/horseneck-beach-state-reservation.html">Horseneck</a> — which has traditionally been the only beach in the state (aside from the Vineyard) with water warm enough for me to get in up to my knees. I think I mentioned previously that I grew up with a pool...that usually had 85 degree water! The day was over-cast, but we had a great time playing in the sand, and a few waves as well. The lack of sunshine helped to minimize the typical holiday weekend crowds. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Revere Beach, early June</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseneck Beack, Labor Day Weekend</td></tr>
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And there you have it. That pretty much sums up our adventure filled summer. Though we did fit in one last warm weather water focused outing after Labor Day passed. If you remember, in Part One, I mentioned that we hadn't returned to <a href="http://www.bostoncentral.com/activities/water/p1102.php">Beaver Brook</a> since our first visit early in the summer because Leo didn't enjoy the sprinklers. I decided to give it one last try when I heard it was still running during the very steamy week we had immediately after the holiday weekend. This time, it was a huge hit, and I can't wait for summer to start all over again so I can hear some more of those squeals of delight! In the meantime, we will have to look into some fall weather fun to fill out time. I'll be sure to come back and tell you all about it.<br />
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Happy Fall Y'all!</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-11280582606041536002014-09-08T15:00:00.000-04:002014-09-08T15:00:00.945-04:00Our Sparkling Summer Adventures - Part TwoIn my last post, I shared just a few of our <a href="http://seeking-sparkle.blogspot.com/2014/09/our-sparkling-summer-adventures-part-one.html">Sparkling Summer Adventures.</a> I realized as I was writing, that we had so much fun this summer, one post just wasn't going to cut it. So, without further ado, here's the second installment.<br />
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Because I became so enamored with Walden Pond (how can you blame me...I could sit in the water and be happy while Leo played in the sand at the edge. Heaven!) we didn't make it to as many of the cool local splash pads in our area as I would have liked. We took one trip to <a href="http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-boston/beaver-brook-reservation.html">Beaver Brook Reservation</a>, which has a great playground and sprinkler park, with sprays of water mixed in with giant boulders. But, Leo was not very into the sprinklers this summer. He didn't seem to know that he could run away from the stream of water. Instead, he would freeze in place and get an exasperated look on his face. Let's face it, half of the reason I go to these places is so I can get wet too. So once I discovered he was comfortable at the pond, that was the destination of choice. Last week, however it was a very hot day. We had just been to the pond, and I had one more splash pad on my list to check out. The <a href="http://www.bostoncentral.com/activities/artesani_wading_pool/p1940.php">Artesani Playground</a> right on the Charles River. Again, within twenty minutes of my house. I had been told that this wading pool had a graduated entrance, similar to a beach, and the water sprays only in the center, so it's easy enough to avoid. Add in the scenic location along with river with geese and kayaks to watch and rocks to throw, as well as to playgrounds, and you've got a mini toddler heaven. Leo probably most enjoyed throwing rocks into the river, but he did make a few friends by sharing his toys in the pool.<br />
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Another event we happened upon last minute through the wonders of FB friends, is the <a href="http://www.4hmiddlesexfair.org/">Middlessex County 4H Fair</a> in Westford. This was a charming little event that was not overly crowded, and had tons of activities geared toward children. Leo rode a school bus shuttle from the parking lot, got a balloon monkey from a clown, went in a bouncy house, watched a rabbit race (Lady Go Go was the winner), and rode a pony. And of course, we saw plenty more sheep, cows, pigs, chicken and horseys. I will definitely keep my eye out for this event next summer. I think it is traditionally one of the last weekends in August.<br />
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A favorite destination any time of year, is the <a href="http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/">Boston Children's Museum</a>. Leo and I spent a few fun Saturday mornings there while Greg had to work. While it's a great rainy day destination, we really enjoyed hanging out on the waterfront outside as well, eating our lunch, people watching, and of course...climbing. I never quite know what exhibit is going to grab Leo's attention during a given visit. One of our visits happened to be during Critter Day. There were several therapy dogs on sight. This was a great opportunity for Leo to get to know some very calm and friendly dogs. He's always been excited to see doggies, but when the reality of getting close enough to pet them sets in, he usually shies away.<br />
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Over the Fourth of July holiday week, Granny came to visit. We took her on a <a href="http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/whale-watch/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwspCgBRCiwOjBxeCcm-kBEiQAooz6t3X50m6hhvkgazpTBchk-1zAKJcKABOHYny35aMYYYwaAsvR8P8HAQ">whale watch</a> to celebrate her birthday. Leo was probably a but young for this adventure, but we had a lovely, if not stomach turning boat ride. If you recall, the Fourth this year was a complete rain out. Our trip was the day before, and I think the seas were already starting to show signs of the storm. Unfortunately, the impending storm also messed with the typical feeding patterns of the whales, and it was an unsuccessful trip. Though we didn't get to see any whales, we did see a shark just before we had to turn back for shore. Because of the no-show whales, we got a rain check that we can use again any time in the future. So, we'll be able to take another trip someday when Leo will be able to better understand what is going on. All in all, we were quite satisfied with the outcome of our adventure. </div>
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Leo's Gramma grew up in Revere, so every year we hear about the sand castle festival at <a href="http://reverebeach.com/">Revere Beach</a>. This year, Uncle Jeff joined us for some fun in the sand, and a tour of the entries. We didn't check out the rides, but in a few years, I'm sure Leo will enjoy those very much. He's a daredevil and he seems to like being dizzy, so I have a feeling they will be right up his alley. For now, a little digging in the dirt does quite nicely. </div>
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Now, I know you are thinking, wow, this was a jammed packed summer. But you know what? I'm even not done yet. Seriously. It was a blast. And I'll be back with one more installment to fill you in on the rest of the details. </div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-86136760083382537522014-09-01T21:33:00.001-04:002014-09-01T22:06:10.171-04:00Our Sparkling Summer Adventures - Part One<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzsrETylbPyUr3NL60XtMzsikgvGyCozf3wl1L_iXNwCOs9SCD7eBkf8eLAtFtn6N96CrPERxQhAximTS2vv1hiG1Zm5NnbHitjgGtDOXbRlQGOUTBX1U9gUgq8fnjtFpqhIZsls11Ws/s1600/IMG_8204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzsrETylbPyUr3NL60XtMzsikgvGyCozf3wl1L_iXNwCOs9SCD7eBkf8eLAtFtn6N96CrPERxQhAximTS2vv1hiG1Zm5NnbHitjgGtDOXbRlQGOUTBX1U9gUgq8fnjtFpqhIZsls11Ws/s1600/IMG_8204.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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Labor Day is often considered to be the last official day of summer. Anyone who knows me and my love of swimming knows that I will hold on to any day above 75 for as long as I can, and try to find ways to get wet. But still, it seems like a fitting time to reflect on what has been a summer that truly sparkled.<br />
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I've been so busy going on adventures with my boys, that I haven't managed to visit this space as often as I might like. Though, I think I mentioned when summing up my <a href="http://seeking-sparkle.blogspot.com/2014/07/100happydays.html">100 Happy Days Challenge</a>, that I'm ok with that, because I've been living in the moment, and really enjoying myself. Still, I want to share some of our adventures for nostalgia's sake, and for others with small children in the Boston area who are looking for great things to do with their kids.<br />
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So, here we go...in no particular order, our Sparkling Summer Adventures - Part One. (Yeah, I realized as I was writing this that it was going to get way too long for one post!)<br />
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One amazing place Leo and I frequented is <a href="http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-north/walden-pond-state-reservation.html">Walden Pond</a>. Yes the very one made famous by Thoreau. I always knew it wasn't far from my house. But when I discovered that it's a less than twenty minute drive through the beautiful country side of Lincoln, and only $5.00 to park, it became a go to destination. And you can bet I will be buying a season parking pass next summer. The pond is beautiful, surrounded by forest, with crystal clear sparkling water. There is plenty of sandy beach perfect for toddlers. And you can even find some spots that stay shady for most of the morning. Depending on your comfort level, there are guarded and unguarded parts of the pond, which is also a popular destination for distance swimmers training for triathlon and such. We found our way to the unguarded area often, because it was less crowded, and Leo was able to engage in one of his favorite activities, throwing rocks.<br />
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Walden Pond is a perfect destination for toddlers, not only because there are so. many. other. toddlers, but because the water is warm, and shallow, and there are no waves. It was incredible to watch Leo's comfort level with the water increase with each visit. He was able to wade in to a depth that made him feel comfortable without needed to dodge waves, or just jump into a pool from a ladder where his feet wouldn't touch the ground. One thing we did learn though, is that no matter how many interesting toys we brought of our own, the ones that belong to someone else are always more desirable. At least we made a few friends this way.<br />
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Greg and I both took a week off from work in August. We were able to get away to Martha's Vineyard for two nights with a group of our friends who go every year. The rest of the week, we had a fantastic staycation with the little man. We made it our mission to check out a few new destinations.<br />
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The new<a href="http://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/boston/"> Legoland Discovery Center</a> kept us busy one morning. It was fun, but I'm not sure it exactly lived up to the hype. It really felt like a lego themed indoor play ground, with a price tag much higher than your typical Gymboree. The entry sequence was tedious. We reserved tickets online, but then still had to wait in a line for about 20 minutes to check in at the register. Then we had to wait in a line to get our picture taken while we also waited for the elevator. Then we had to wait in a holding room outside the elevator once we got upstairs. Then we had to watch a movie which was billed as the lego factory tour. Then, we were finally released into the space, and greeted with yet another line to get on one of the two rides. If there was a way to by pass all the waiting, it was in fact a fun lego playground. Though, I think Leo will enjoy it more in a few years, as he was too small for one of the rides, and not confident enough to go in the climbing structure alone. I couldn't go with him. But Greg loved the fact that there was a shake table so he could test the ability of his duplo structure to withstand earthquakes. The highlight for big "kids" had to be the miniature Boston complete with a basement level Cheers bar. We also had a lot of fun building lego cars and racing them against others. And, as always, Leo had a blast running around and checking out his new surroundings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at least they provided some entertainment for the kids waiting in line</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the line after checking in, waiting to get a photo taken, and then board the elevators beyond</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leo was too afraid to go down the slide at the top because it was an enclosed pipe and he couldn't see the end!</td></tr>
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Another incredible destination we discovered that week is <a href="http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/drumlin-farm">Drumlin Farm</a>. It's a working farm and wildlife sanctuary, also less than 20 minutes from our house, in Lincoln. I have to say, finding good toddler entertainment has led me to act like a tourist in my own back yard. I've learned about so many amazing places that I'd either never been to or never even heard of in my now, officially, 16 years of living in Boston.<br />
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Anyway, back to Drumlin Farm. It was great! Leo loved running along the paths, watching all the other kids and wandering from barn to barn. We got to go on a hay ride. He now says "hay ride" every time he sees a tractor. There were sheep, cows, horses, chickens, pigs, you name it. He pointed them all out, and said "cluck, cluck, cluck...," as we walked past the length of the chicken coop. It was easy to navigate, and stroller friendly, for the most part. And the scenery was beautiful. I kept exclaiming to Greg..."can you believe this place is so close to Boston?" We will definitely be making a trip back in the fall to see the animals and check out the pretty fall colors.<br />
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He even managed to find some rocks and a puddle to throw them into! </div>
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The main events of our staycation seems like a natural place to pause. Stay tuned for the next installment of Sparkling Summer Fun!</div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-77888416273189660622014-07-23T15:27:00.002-04:002014-07-23T15:27:16.209-04:00In Defense of Mommy MagicA few months ago, when I actually started writing this post, there was an article making it's way around social media hubs about how the author is done making her kid's childhood magical. It talked about the pressure moms put on ourselves these days to create picture perfect childhood moments and memories that are Pinterest and blog worthy, and that the motivations behind these efforts might be less about the children, and more about creating a perfect mommy image.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me and my mommy</td></tr>
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There was some talk that the birthday parties and craft activities are purely for the moms's benefit, as the children are too young to remember these activities. Well, I know my mom created lots of magic in my childhood, and I do remember some of if from before the age of three. She used to cut up various shapes out of colored construction paper and let me paste them on to another sheet, encouraging my creativity. I know I had plenty of time to be curious on my own as well, as I'm often reminded with stories of messes created with honey, oatmeal and toilet paper. But the thing I can actually remember happening in the house I lived in until I was three is playing those construction paper shapes my mom cut for me.<br />
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She planned elaborate birthday parties, and when I was old enough, I joined in the planning. As soon as Christmas was packed away, we would spend the next three months inventing games like Garfield Bingo made from copies of comics saved from the paper, and crafting individual favors like personalized autograph books for my celebrity themed birthday party. We would shop together at discount stores for the perfect assortment of prizes to be awarded for all of our games.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKnw1HtrH7T9nZIDfoa0POqw0vIJz8skKE25KekuQDvOVClQTquQ0Rb3weKPBiKhnnKHtwB7YLCjUHGNksbxpRzwNwF51XqVtNchFUTWCJiCk5-vTKR9OtzlGbpGAbcBqvwXbvsxpsj8/s1600/Misc8.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKnw1HtrH7T9nZIDfoa0POqw0vIJz8skKE25KekuQDvOVClQTquQ0Rb3weKPBiKhnnKHtwB7YLCjUHGNksbxpRzwNwF51XqVtNchFUTWCJiCk5-vTKR9OtzlGbpGAbcBqvwXbvsxpsj8/s1600/Misc8.tif" height="400" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of those embarrassing photos</td></tr>
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The birthday magic continued well into adolescence, and even to this day. On my 16th birthday, my mom conspired with my best friends to embarrass me throughout the school day. Yes, with her, magic does sometimes go hand in hand with humiliation! She printed a selection of baby and toddler photos of me, wrapped them up, and had a different friend hand me one along with a balloon, at the beginning of each class all day long. Of course, the rule was that everyone around needed to see baby Jenny. By the end of the day, I was walking around with an enormous bunch of balloons, and was loving every minute of the attention.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">decorating my own cake at 38 years old</td></tr>
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I always decorated my own birthday cakes, as well as making the games, favors and invitations. Last year, my mom was visiting on my 38th birthday. She baked my favorite cake and then sat me down at the dining room table with frosting and a variety of decorations, excited to see what I would come up with.<br />
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So, you see, even to this day, I appreciate the magic that my mom has always brought to my life.<br />
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I understand that kids need free time to use their own imaginations, to explore and be creative, but they also need to feel special and loved, and to know that their parents will go to special efforts just for them. There is a lot of pressure on women to have it all—to create magic childhoods, gourmet clean food meals, keep a perfectly naturally cleaned and organized house, all while maintaining a gratifying career outside the household. While I might appear to have the crafty/artsy/picture perfect birthday party side of things under control from what you see on this blog, let me just tell you, that I do not excel in all of these areas. For way too long, dinners around here were frozen chicken and frozen sweet potato fries on a cookie sheet with frozen broccoli in the microwave. Clean laundry sits in baskets for days, and I am the queen of Clorox wipes.<br />
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I am a designer, an artist and a crafter, and I enjoy creating magic for my son using my skill set hoping to instill an appreciation for these things in him—something we can enjoy together for years to come. Magic can come from a lot of places. A mom who is an excellent chef can create shared cooking experiences. A mom who is an athlete can shoot hoops or kick the soccer ball with her kids. All of these things are magical.<br />
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I share these magical moments here because I enjoy searching resources just like this one to get new ideas, and I imagine there are people out there like me who feel the same way. I want other moms to be inspired and to know it doesn't have to be difficult to create a little crafty magic, and it doesn't have to be perfect. Do I have a secret hope that my efforts will be considered worthy of a pin? Would I love to be able to make a business out of my artsy/crafty designerness someday? Sure. Is this my main motivation for creating magic for Leo? Not in the least, or I would be a heck of a lot more up to date with sharing what we've been up to than I am.<br />
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So, here's to Mommy Magic. Because, isn't seeing a gleeful smile as the result of our efforts one of the best gifts of parenthood after all?<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-78836150037097156532014-07-18T23:45:00.003-04:002014-07-18T23:45:52.549-04:00#100happydays<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
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I did it! I completed the <a href="http://100happydays.com/">100 Days of Happy Challenge</a>, and I disappeared from here for almost as long. I guess I've been very busy being happy. Ironically, one of the things that I learned while documenting all those happy moments, is that it's much more satisfying to simply enjoy those moments, rather than worrying so much about documenting those moments. </div>
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Now, of course, I still have a head full of blog posts that I'd like to write one of these days. Maybe I'll get to them someday...when it's not so beautiful outside.</div>
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I really enjoyed this challenge. I learned a lot. I think I do, like many, spend too much time in front of screens, obsessing over various forms of social media and other mindless apps. So, why was it so satisfying to use this method to document happiness?</div>
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For starters, because I knew that I needed to have a picture of a happy moment to post at the end of the day, each morning, I would think about my day to identify the moments I thought had potential. This created a feeling of anticipation as the day progressed. I'd say, the anticipation of happiness puts one in a pretty good frame of mind to face the day!</div>
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Secondly, as much as I am trying to be in the moment more often, the action of consciously pausing to document happiness gave me the opportunity to recognize and embrace it. Life as a working mom with a toddler can go by in such a blur, I often don't know what day it is, let alone why I walked into a room half of the time. It's easy to get caught in the grind and forget to appreciate how awesome life truly is. </div>
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But you know what? Life is pretty awesome. </div>
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With that...here's a recap of my 100 Happy Days & some the common themes that make me happy. <span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<b style="color: purple; font-size: xx-large;">in my work</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">playing </span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0RYtQleFkV3Q3gmOMp-cfxm_qVtdJ81nTfV8prMHbGZmsjWC3W59yBygucTQymwM9wI-t5c-fUQw79rIW1vUrRdMhoWcR6TdxethqazPZifpNeCEEUO1wudcIQe0aQqWbxBlHOHd29c/s1600/IMG_7985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0RYtQleFkV3Q3gmOMp-cfxm_qVtdJ81nTfV8prMHbGZmsjWC3W59yBygucTQymwM9wI-t5c-fUQw79rIW1vUrRdMhoWcR6TdxethqazPZifpNeCEEUO1wudcIQe0aQqWbxBlHOHd29c/s1600/IMG_7985.JPG" height="200" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></b></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJdSJfUQUUig00TOK7IKw4lLjNszoM7EBryQPo0Jkta6sra11CHU-wEmYfjI5cQ7MyVv92hVlJI0Y5c43MihsrfounX6jrABcQqsbHQB35Zecwk8S03182TWVzGhfcmI8s3Z5XgjDBEk/s1600/IMG_7994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJdSJfUQUUig00TOK7IKw4lLjNszoM7EBryQPo0Jkta6sra11CHU-wEmYfjI5cQ7MyVv92hVlJI0Y5c43MihsrfounX6jrABcQqsbHQB35Zecwk8S03182TWVzGhfcmI8s3Z5XgjDBEk/s1600/IMG_7994.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>family time</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">coloring</span></b><b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREr72o8lO2rt97UpyQ3tOkSIzy1s1w_y_iaKbx9KswepflSdifPGxmQ15heh72AJmsPIHQ1JJ8KcYkVfmAGItWSXaP0dem9PIA12rbvE76mUAYxNcU0cnP_VaCQnPphNKI3VJFw4WyUA/s1600/IMG_8136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREr72o8lO2rt97UpyQ3tOkSIzy1s1w_y_iaKbx9KswepflSdifPGxmQ15heh72AJmsPIHQ1JJ8KcYkVfmAGItWSXaP0dem9PIA12rbvE76mUAYxNcU0cnP_VaCQnPphNKI3VJFw4WyUA/s1600/IMG_8136.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a><b><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">this guy</span> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjynSd1-e2oSmc2xuEkxpKHtojoWc_PwynkbmMEqQD_-UBfGiV7lCHTwR3XmDC93DlPsCoWpfXMcAr-viobSb2wmwkhnaXfLAB5CdBfC_sKpX1jUlS-tLOq-eeMIpA5ZOtEWnO5xIyJU/s1600/IMG_8266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjynSd1-e2oSmc2xuEkxpKHtojoWc_PwynkbmMEqQD_-UBfGiV7lCHTwR3XmDC93DlPsCoWpfXMcAr-viobSb2wmwkhnaXfLAB5CdBfC_sKpX1jUlS-tLOq-eeMIpA5ZOtEWnO5xIyJU/s1600/IMG_8266.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGHMlHAZGVy0qwPUnlLxpPaPKuFsZrqe_CMcQyjJ-LCNNOjGIfDiaZvgDf6YEqmRwiJ4PDC9TmQ7bo_Q80Lk196XdhExVFe6LwwFMOYTNRdQ7QfkUui3f4Dcpug8xslvgEksTB0kLW70/s1600/IMG_8253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGHMlHAZGVy0qwPUnlLxpPaPKuFsZrqe_CMcQyjJ-LCNNOjGIfDiaZvgDf6YEqmRwiJ4PDC9TmQ7bo_Q80Lk196XdhExVFe6LwwFMOYTNRdQ7QfkUui3f4Dcpug8xslvgEksTB0kLW70/s1600/IMG_8253.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>making </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>my home </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOA19WA3-ZOTQst8VWgi7dlNsK4LZlHZDwrk97I5IEXGpgt2qlVAdNtKpzZYqyZixvfBvGsAsVzR1ktPXU6TNw4VVwsjB75O2GIhT0jpnNj-6JMkKsbw9yvVdrQ11EAfVHJZt6XPJ0wfM/s1600/IMG_8324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOA19WA3-ZOTQst8VWgi7dlNsK4LZlHZDwrk97I5IEXGpgt2qlVAdNtKpzZYqyZixvfBvGsAsVzR1ktPXU6TNw4VVwsjB75O2GIhT0jpnNj-6JMkKsbw9yvVdrQ11EAfVHJZt6XPJ0wfM/s1600/IMG_8324.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkWKANcmw5LrzOPkErryE7cKCQ5f5zZizSg0KMy-tUjOwezDXTbsWwUfqFF15ZowNeXx6DmMIOVBOdIuGnV4QFnWx7ObCLrpsQ07nO4zwPMi4EnDyWHekCU8k1wkV4rVwIhIWeKGphcM/s1600/IMG_8306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkWKANcmw5LrzOPkErryE7cKCQ5f5zZizSg0KMy-tUjOwezDXTbsWwUfqFF15ZowNeXx6DmMIOVBOdIuGnV4QFnWx7ObCLrpsQ07nO4zwPMi4EnDyWHekCU8k1wkV4rVwIhIWeKGphcM/s1600/IMG_8306.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a><b><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">flowers</span> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRH1ZiqKOpmrCAm9cFQRzXzUQQaZCjzjNjj8xAyElLKzAxZyWatO4gc-dmka7TpOWXIF9ciewcjxDm52BBrhX-0vF5azD9CHcDI3gvH17E95gfHTTMui-g-NMF7jTG9EiCTAlGcPXOkes/s1600/IMG_8363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRH1ZiqKOpmrCAm9cFQRzXzUQQaZCjzjNjj8xAyElLKzAxZyWatO4gc-dmka7TpOWXIF9ciewcjxDm52BBrhX-0vF5azD9CHcDI3gvH17E95gfHTTMui-g-NMF7jTG9EiCTAlGcPXOkes/s1600/IMG_8363.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXpDPem1WPYrOeVAsJcIZqJt3hkPUMkz_BU2X9xfI-9nK2vpdC6282sf415lTTsPjMIMOd5cs-TpMQXEjgYcTJNvd_n6x70WlwEnhiAlOWV9bGkG8EyRssauFVe0MC91aMP70BRj5anQ/s1600/IMG_8358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXpDPem1WPYrOeVAsJcIZqJt3hkPUMkz_BU2X9xfI-9nK2vpdC6282sf415lTTsPjMIMOd5cs-TpMQXEjgYcTJNvd_n6x70WlwEnhiAlOWV9bGkG8EyRssauFVe0MC91aMP70BRj5anQ/s1600/IMG_8358.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a><b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzDm8yMJpsfHf6hLavfEWjMZcFJNgdBLmIeGRP1u3hWZJ-WVi8-RnXrmJyd8ZajI78u5n_Q_n6rmKVupmf31CXiuQuBDkBhg88BhL-zbpWp0rUWpQAD5lM-TwM1mN5zs3lO7dfHU57W0/s1600/IMG_8389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzDm8yMJpsfHf6hLavfEWjMZcFJNgdBLmIeGRP1u3hWZJ-WVi8-RnXrmJyd8ZajI78u5n_Q_n6rmKVupmf31CXiuQuBDkBhg88BhL-zbpWp0rUWpQAD5lM-TwM1mN5zs3lO7dfHU57W0/s1600/IMG_8389.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmVsH2bkcJmo1qxYdYFg0k-oDQzNG7vqO2cLlMxaVbW-YH5H-F6AAvYjGG7_ozS1qBBOAUI9bKAyUgaVu1BsATw7BCtKK0e9_DmpNf7TLE5lJgUs7Tp-2UhE3e59mfp3lSH_vtYBPt2Y/s1600/IMG_8408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmVsH2bkcJmo1qxYdYFg0k-oDQzNG7vqO2cLlMxaVbW-YH5H-F6AAvYjGG7_ozS1qBBOAUI9bKAyUgaVu1BsATw7BCtKK0e9_DmpNf7TLE5lJgUs7Tp-2UhE3e59mfp3lSH_vtYBPt2Y/s1600/IMG_8408.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jVg_sQHG1ofZbwGtXk-YQXl1TIZ7qem5y-Dkuo9T6FCOiJf7z4j41F32oKacF9Ilxh62N5EdMTm2au9tYa_OSlL9AMjUUaGkBaefqmlpMyspBo79O-9-j_2fnV69fTOVFzzh4pamEDw/s1600/IMG_8396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jVg_sQHG1ofZbwGtXk-YQXl1TIZ7qem5y-Dkuo9T6FCOiJf7z4j41F32oKacF9Ilxh62N5EdMTm2au9tYa_OSlL9AMjUUaGkBaefqmlpMyspBo79O-9-j_2fnV69fTOVFzzh4pamEDw/s1600/IMG_8396.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>watching </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>leo explore</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>& learn </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqccR8FEJdOQ2MHjyzGOm-bq7FebylYbntDGNiKmF-U7I3C2RAYO3jFprzPjnMqiIOKrVw_cKjx4haIMKl13jb1VTDvSv5NPHvekd_KPt2mNUdkKjNkCzjLORWHd1zEtAuBYNFEOy_jz4/s1600/IMG_8422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqccR8FEJdOQ2MHjyzGOm-bq7FebylYbntDGNiKmF-U7I3C2RAYO3jFprzPjnMqiIOKrVw_cKjx4haIMKl13jb1VTDvSv5NPHvekd_KPt2mNUdkKjNkCzjLORWHd1zEtAuBYNFEOy_jz4/s1600/IMG_8422.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-i7dwP9GFkDdqncr8mqEqguJFiZdkUaa-V_pbQRD0rOEWg62ZAhQbjL4v6gMOv8y09I_UpsyijomJ4wkX0Fqbw1CqY3MHtQ6gxKFabzjmEB685qzkcDKTDM1wd1UyWnl6blYOrdOUy0/s1600/IMG_8415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-i7dwP9GFkDdqncr8mqEqguJFiZdkUaa-V_pbQRD0rOEWg62ZAhQbjL4v6gMOv8y09I_UpsyijomJ4wkX0Fqbw1CqY3MHtQ6gxKFabzjmEB685qzkcDKTDM1wd1UyWnl6blYOrdOUy0/s1600/IMG_8415.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a><b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIfC-Zsu3eHS7rtzUAZ0K7BlTVpBb25k8NzsNtSSE_S73aK_VtF9nbmmPERMFX70LXhCaJkLY5mKKDxbdBH8UrqI47iZi05BHJJxs950u9BnqAscPKJkLAyIJvOqy7efS5CdH22Ze_9Q/s1600/IMG_8429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIfC-Zsu3eHS7rtzUAZ0K7BlTVpBb25k8NzsNtSSE_S73aK_VtF9nbmmPERMFX70LXhCaJkLY5mKKDxbdBH8UrqI47iZi05BHJJxs950u9BnqAscPKJkLAyIJvOqy7efS5CdH22Ze_9Q/s1600/IMG_8429.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rPBUtj57VVWNPYyuuo7S-bYGaNI95CM0Qxx-ViRx0ZZ0G2e9vYJQhBjXhXXQpJu6NCFaMTEHWO3OhjG0H18phSZhi10pzp9oPSDDi6PAab9fiHaqRXbT0T1XlIhjy3l8RLF5LqoKr1o/s1600/IMG_8426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rPBUtj57VVWNPYyuuo7S-bYGaNI95CM0Qxx-ViRx0ZZ0G2e9vYJQhBjXhXXQpJu6NCFaMTEHWO3OhjG0H18phSZhi10pzp9oPSDDi6PAab9fiHaqRXbT0T1XlIhjy3l8RLF5LqoKr1o/s1600/IMG_8426.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">being in </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">the water </span></b><b> </b></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;">artsy crafty design</span> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPx6_ufBbKhryu-M4ToDtnk7ddaHLWYFENq_QqfaHDuqXzQ9a8iNfX25SCFihrk9KwWfBUAFEqChebPJ7V83yqOYiEM6twx-f1IL8p5elkbh-nB647nXcC-PmKJMp8ZJQQKLhvwY8VkQ/s1600/IMG_8697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPx6_ufBbKhryu-M4ToDtnk7ddaHLWYFENq_QqfaHDuqXzQ9a8iNfX25SCFihrk9KwWfBUAFEqChebPJ7V83yqOYiEM6twx-f1IL8p5elkbh-nB647nXcC-PmKJMp8ZJQQKLhvwY8VkQ/s1600/IMG_8697.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></b></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>family time </b></span></div>
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<b style="text-align: left;">Day 8: </b><span style="text-align: left;">Dinner at Friendly's equals many things to be happy about. Not having to cook or clean up the kitchen, happy memories of my high school friends and all the time we spent together at the Friendly's in our home town, and of course, the brownie sundae that I was so happy about, I forgot to take a picture of it until I was done!</span></div>
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<b>Day 9:</b> A beautiful, warm, sunny spring day watching my happy kitty soaking up the sun, and my happy boy enjoying some kitty cuddles. </div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0VdCgu75fMHJT3xHqr8fiuRDXlbhRuPYD-aCaaea7plIkpWqiX1SNH5GYX1ADGoFW1tXNfPV1UskLyP4mrmRE434Y3oRw8HW3-m32EWB0e5oAGd-3q-VzNO64BxD3q8hZddg2BNpjMo/s640/blogger-image--2034455790.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<b>Day 10: </b>Another beautiful day spent outside, watching my little man beginning to discover his yard. </div>
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<b>Day 11: </b>Getting to the last line of a ridiculous spreadsheet of furniture items for my project that I spent three days checking. Pure relief!</div>
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<b>Day 12:</b> Looking at my toes when they are freshly painted pink always makes me smile. </div>
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<b>Day 13:</b> Introducing my little man to the wonders of dying easter eggs!</div>
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<b>Day 14:</b> Picking up this guy from school on any old ordinary work day is always one of the best moments of the day. I especially love watching all of his good-bye high-five rituals with his buddies. And on this particular day, I learned that one little boy talks about L all the time at home. His mom was excited to finally see who her sone had been talking about. So sweet. </div>
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<b>Day 15:</b> Making easter cupcakes to satisfy an urge for my favorite cake that I've been having since my birthday. </div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-47068364810591561512014-04-14T22:10:00.002-04:002014-04-14T22:12:51.359-04:00My Little Bro<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILEdCPDoxuoosm49imiRMn4NQ3x9N7u94o3HuV-3mqCaTPFCcKPxntUhknuUSDo5mKM452y9Uew9Q8uYVyw31W3KgYnus0EjuKob_5hwbxijTlHxDtidJ4yJE3Ju3EYYCv6ID39mILEI/s1600/Giveyoursisterahug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILEdCPDoxuoosm49imiRMn4NQ3x9N7u94o3HuV-3mqCaTPFCcKPxntUhknuUSDo5mKM452y9Uew9Q8uYVyw31W3KgYnus0EjuKob_5hwbxijTlHxDtidJ4yJE3Ju3EYYCv6ID39mILEI/s1600/Giveyoursisterahug.jpg" height="640" width="614" /></a><br />
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In case you haven't noticed, apparently it was National Sibling Day last week, or something. Yeah, I'd never heard of it before either, but if you were anywhere on Facebook in the last week, it was hard to miss. I find it amusing how quickly the Facebook herd takes over, how many people were posting pictures of themselves with their siblings just because everyone else was.<br />
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At first, I thought it was a little cheesy.<br />
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Then, I started to miss my little brother.<br />
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And when I realized that National Sibling Day lands exactly halfway in between our birthdays. It started to seem fitting to write a little bit about him. Especially since I haven't yet figured out what to send him for his birthday this year, not to mention the fact that he just moved, and I don't have his address, so I don't even know where to send it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Baby Willy with my Mom</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Willy with our Papa</td></tr>
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For a good part of the last fifteen years, he's lived abroad somewhere, and I've been lucky to see him once or twice a year. He's lived a pretty interesting life, living in so many exotic places that Greg can't help but speculate that he's some kind of super-secret spy. Burma, Indonesia, Italy, Iraq, the Dominican Republic, and now England—most recently renting a house from Ozzy Osbourne. Quite a list, right?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">On a Cruise in the Caribbean</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Meeting up in Venice<br />
(ordering squid in it's own black ink sauce just to gross out my overly picky friends!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">In Venice</td></tr>
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At least I've had the chance to visit him in Italy and England. One of the best adventures we ever had together was traveling around Italy for a few days and getting in to a huge fight over who was going to carry all of my stuff while walking up a huge hill in Perugia. He won. He got to carry all my stuff!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">My High School Graduation</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXhmUmtEPBzaA4iB5GnEb6Kn0eUqsG-VEgbySso_JSWalzUmMcnxvrnYEfyOb-3w4tYsYr83Af5PvJpEeNgyBwZZASAIirdIMfSNJ-B8xj5v2ZkF7ZvdjKc_ZRx0LG3W_obIzmj6PAWc/s1600/Misc3+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXhmUmtEPBzaA4iB5GnEb6Kn0eUqsG-VEgbySso_JSWalzUmMcnxvrnYEfyOb-3w4tYsYr83Af5PvJpEeNgyBwZZASAIirdIMfSNJ-B8xj5v2ZkF7ZvdjKc_ZRx0LG3W_obIzmj6PAWc/s1600/Misc3+-+Version+2.jpg" height="534" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Will's High School Graduation</td></tr>
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<tr><td><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjiP6zyN_p6DDRPH0IBfI7fv6FQITnRpu77IIG4zEQaO0wfj_gnM_6J3hCF2NcNvrWBSJxjR-ze4LLXboJ-UeNUSm-xFNhusyH4QjycuGEUrMmqO5WFvIzL73pCf7WcsTdf1ML5cQqwA/s1600/Jen&Will.tif" height="448" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Will's Undergraduate Graduation from Hopkins</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjiP6zyN_p6DDRPH0IBfI7fv6FQITnRpu77IIG4zEQaO0wfj_gnM_6J3hCF2NcNvrWBSJxjR-ze4LLXboJ-UeNUSm-xFNhusyH4QjycuGEUrMmqO5WFvIzL73pCf7WcsTdf1ML5cQqwA/s1600/Jen&Will.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5oej6zH_wuyVD-qKB6co3jw3SPp9UMpoX9YbxaZuaF_VteIeisKBda2DkIbCE3YlrKXBJ7Kxf9UrgHY3IpAFDsAiB01-qm-NwOPLe1D0C504NqFwzFJzqyNiJzsZu6D4xbw0UsFIC7Q/s1600/Jen+and+Will+SAIS+Grad2001.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5oej6zH_wuyVD-qKB6co3jw3SPp9UMpoX9YbxaZuaF_VteIeisKBda2DkIbCE3YlrKXBJ7Kxf9UrgHY3IpAFDsAiB01-qm-NwOPLe1D0C504NqFwzFJzqyNiJzsZu6D4xbw0UsFIC7Q/s1600/Jen+and+Will+SAIS+Grad2001.tif" height="640" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Will's Masters Graduation from Hopkins</td></tr>
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I love to brag about him with his degrees from Johns Hopkins and Harvard Business School. Oh, and he's quite handsome, and his wife is gorgeous. They're both brilliant, amazing chefs, and really fun to hang out with.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngejRxmSO15K1qD_DXeIWyDkpYLxpYFsA6hLLywZrq2kP0aeznB6mkOo81JWLCKRMOUYjJRVeIFh4vwvdHAJ4cDp7_cD8tYXm5EPml6gDheRt-Fc5yfoAVM1cOWfoOJXOt7u77NW7-4w/s1600/W&R+007_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngejRxmSO15K1qD_DXeIWyDkpYLxpYFsA6hLLywZrq2kP0aeznB6mkOo81JWLCKRMOUYjJRVeIFh4vwvdHAJ4cDp7_cD8tYXm5EPml6gDheRt-Fc5yfoAVM1cOWfoOJXOt7u77NW7-4w/s1600/W&R+007_3.jpg" height="640" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Will & Robin at their Senior Prom<br />
(oh, did I forget to mention that they're high school sweethearts too?)</td></tr>
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<tr><td><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyTaLWX9bledSlG_pQGpiep3dsZTS9QC49e5Y2aRLkPh3yKoZM5ZpVXqBB9B4pfHDmZpgZ6Oz53BjeJjdJYhtpjukiyDkrxAcZmMMlMFdm0OY-4tnaiDEKi7Kv01X_1NTVH2XuXDq64A/s1600/W&R+017_3.jpg" height="446" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Robin, Will and Me on a 4th of July Hay Ride in the Mid-90s</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyTaLWX9bledSlG_pQGpiep3dsZTS9QC49e5Y2aRLkPh3yKoZM5ZpVXqBB9B4pfHDmZpgZ6Oz53BjeJjdJYhtpjukiyDkrxAcZmMMlMFdm0OY-4tnaiDEKi7Kv01X_1NTVH2XuXDq64A/s1600/W&R+017_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwsY7KrTR973xpjJIs0pBYRuAfA2pHED4VDwPrpHmYTq14RuvocGCCdawYUfyyYKSOvKZDSFOrOy2rsMc_d5xvR-dWw5ZTDY7n4VdRc5AXczD3pLeME4JgTRexklWHGxiv0rhD3IlTdU/s1600/Will+&+Robin+007_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwsY7KrTR973xpjJIs0pBYRuAfA2pHED4VDwPrpHmYTq14RuvocGCCdawYUfyyYKSOvKZDSFOrOy2rsMc_d5xvR-dWw5ZTDY7n4VdRc5AXczD3pLeME4JgTRexklWHGxiv0rhD3IlTdU/s1600/Will+&+Robin+007_2.jpg" height="640" width="394" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Robin, Will & Me at a Family Wedding in 1997</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUyYcs-bqwRhXK3Pku0FJwmsyYFxzon8LMi2t4KNZ31jMB2yVLRZ7IK2cQDKNl7Y3GcsR5blS3MOt_DfW4XH85kAvwMyJxsQVRNkRVMByppUInipdLxe_9DACb5EwkvVSzXmz4OM6Huo/s1600/0358_IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUyYcs-bqwRhXK3Pku0FJwmsyYFxzon8LMi2t4KNZ31jMB2yVLRZ7IK2cQDKNl7Y3GcsR5blS3MOt_DfW4XH85kAvwMyJxsQVRNkRVMByppUInipdLxe_9DACb5EwkvVSzXmz4OM6Huo/s1600/0358_IMG.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Will & Robin at My Wedding in 2008</td></tr>
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Having Leo has definitely made me miss Will, my awesome sister-in-love Robin, and my niece and nephew more and more every day. One of my biggest dreams is that They will move back here someday. I can imagine all the fun we cold have, watching our kids grow up together. One can only hope, right? I so so so want Leo to have a close relationship with his cousins and his Aunt and Uncle.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMWKiCHFFSBW2YRWFhf2R2vEnHOU3um1I9zg-YVujL5W3o9pt5OPP0szeEHhil-aU3-xL5ND_03UQm4wXvNx62htvLdYJbbBNZgedsLVVq_7Rkqqv0-ze4WvIkV18-sBLPQeZBI_XLAI/s1600/IMG_1255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMWKiCHFFSBW2YRWFhf2R2vEnHOU3um1I9zg-YVujL5W3o9pt5OPP0szeEHhil-aU3-xL5ND_03UQm4wXvNx62htvLdYJbbBNZgedsLVVq_7Rkqqv0-ze4WvIkV18-sBLPQeZBI_XLAI/s1600/IMG_1255.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Leo and his Cousins</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuQwHtF8FrY2nbmmbcZQ5Ig41euiqhEd-1B0_J79VPUeOMm4WB60kbUHAtMeHtSov-ag8SMWplTRDJxFx8Ghertb-ITe5CC8RdfRkLrgNDNmq5T3MXBPQqYIa3eVYvFGJXL906vIr11s/s1600/IMG_0249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuQwHtF8FrY2nbmmbcZQ5Ig41euiqhEd-1B0_J79VPUeOMm4WB60kbUHAtMeHtSov-ag8SMWplTRDJxFx8Ghertb-ITe5CC8RdfRkLrgNDNmq5T3MXBPQqYIa3eVYvFGJXL906vIr11s/s1600/IMG_0249.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Uncle Will with Leo at Two Weeks</td></tr>
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I miss you, my big little brother. I hope your birthday is wonderful. I'm sure it will be sunny. You are spending it in Spain after all.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilToxNmmonD3y18aD3yRCfAePVlDRgGXpvXjTMUWn1x1pvHhobfhjrzDRKl9cWZ_K0qxPGTH7gb4z1-_zhq9jt6vWhmL1F2uxKkweUe8KPIJginJpA8MX7HicPFR9zH5OKSB79JWfRQIo/s1600/0383_IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilToxNmmonD3y18aD3yRCfAePVlDRgGXpvXjTMUWn1x1pvHhobfhjrzDRKl9cWZ_K0qxPGTH7gb4z1-_zhq9jt6vWhmL1F2uxKkweUe8KPIJginJpA8MX7HicPFR9zH5OKSB79JWfRQIo/s1600/0383_IMG.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">My Wedding, 2008</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2sfQnBWtzDZUrYjD86xqEs4NWNkvrRikQojdeMZZtMr5vndpkyzmMbcSpc3ppq9U7k3-3yAy3VmxqrGLJb7151yl1-bYs_YN_QjOE4bU8BkGaVzLq3VfFy60pv60Kjdf1zITP8IHhw8/s1600/Misc5+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2sfQnBWtzDZUrYjD86xqEs4NWNkvrRikQojdeMZZtMr5vndpkyzmMbcSpc3ppq9U7k3-3yAy3VmxqrGLJb7151yl1-bYs_YN_QjOE4bU8BkGaVzLq3VfFy60pv60Kjdf1zITP8IHhw8/s1600/Misc5+-+Version+2.jpg" height="640" width="438" /></a></div>
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You will always be my little brother. </div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-63136649995166440612014-04-10T21:31:00.000-04:002014-04-10T21:31:29.529-04:00Days 3-7<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A week in, I am enjoying the 100 Happy Days Challenge so far. I haven't missed a day yet on Instagram, but I am thinking that I will probably stick to a weekly (or so) recap here. So, here's what the rest of my first week looked like. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> Day 3</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGh3kvxft2B3xMhKPlq4XkgcOyBjylm2abpNUAyBpOI67FZlfuHowAmpIjizG7L3UlA2IY1kdtrwmjt81qq4AS7bewTT4oeYyq3p5Yv98Xo7pKlHWcnOTSWv4uhqxK7kFvWEIv-eUwV8/s640/blogger-image-908107358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGh3kvxft2B3xMhKPlq4XkgcOyBjylm2abpNUAyBpOI67FZlfuHowAmpIjizG7L3UlA2IY1kdtrwmjt81qq4AS7bewTT4oeYyq3p5Yv98Xo7pKlHWcnOTSWv4uhqxK7kFvWEIv-eUwV8/s640/blogger-image-908107358.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We are on a bit of a spring cleaning kick, inspired by the 40 Bags in 40 Days that I've seen a lot of people taking on lately. Today, we focused on clearing and cleaning all the surfaces in our kitchen and dining room. We've had a lot of lost stuff hanging out for way too long. Prime example, my stack of snowflake plates had previously been taking up residence on this shelf in our dining room. It felt really good to see the house looking so nice and orderly. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Day 4</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekpZeryJCHFqF9CfIeXraudn13bqtHucZNUpdbCOvsi7oNtUuNPUXFsQjzVRlEumc2mLUFw0GMKHcLVSeWyyUmaWk-BeE7id_vmHbl-VJchHWqnIiSHoAR7BZgRdm4PH4JlkqOYOlxLs/s640/blogger-image-715599901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekpZeryJCHFqF9CfIeXraudn13bqtHucZNUpdbCOvsi7oNtUuNPUXFsQjzVRlEumc2mLUFw0GMKHcLVSeWyyUmaWk-BeE7id_vmHbl-VJchHWqnIiSHoAR7BZgRdm4PH4JlkqOYOlxLs/s640/blogger-image-715599901.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Today, I was preparing for a big client presentation, and I fearing it was going to be a late night at the office. But guess what? Things went fairly smoothly, so I was thrilled to actually make it home in time for dinner. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Day 5</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWchZ-dSVURt58FJPri_2_ECsKU2USGj5m9B8jzijHAQHpMgpYu45RmUpIKCOn4gWmFPZBWqauvt0wfRnQg7E2iPL-tB5Y4LDmzDwHVUatmORU19MAmr3gF-2_DWnf7ZZ2Tw5n3T0Hpg/s640/blogger-image-2146198984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWchZ-dSVURt58FJPri_2_ECsKU2USGj5m9B8jzijHAQHpMgpYu45RmUpIKCOn4gWmFPZBWqauvt0wfRnQg7E2iPL-tB5Y4LDmzDwHVUatmORU19MAmr3gF-2_DWnf7ZZ2Tw5n3T0Hpg/s640/blogger-image-2146198984.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Today, I travelled to Salisbury, MD, and back. It was a 20 hour day, and it was not easy. But, the presentation went well, and that is something to be happy about. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Day 6</b></span><br />
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Leo ran a few errands with me today, and we found ourselves near one of my favorite places. He was kind, and cooperated while I shopped...unsupervised by Greg! Heaven!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Day 7</b></span></div>
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Today, I attended a lunch meeting, so I didn't make it outside to grab food like I usually do. After the meeting, I took a quick spin around the building. A few minutes to catch my breath, and take in the beautiful view along the river. </div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-57168350499097483972014-04-05T18:58:00.001-04:002014-04-10T20:43:29.862-04:00Day 2: the aquarium<div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, my boys and I went on a birthday weekend adventure to the New England Aquarium. I haven't been there since I was a kid and today, I got to experience it through the eyes of my kid! </span></div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-66586431661210803632014-04-03T21:39:00.000-04:002014-04-04T19:47:01.156-04:00First Annual 39thToday is my birthday! I'm calling it my first annual 39th, because, yeah, I might just decide to stop here. We'll see in another year.<br>
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Anyway, life is good these days, so in honor of my birthday, I've decided to take on a little challenge. Have you heard of <a href="http://100happydays.com/">100happydays.com</a>? I've seen a few friends participating and have been tempted to join in. This seems like a perfect day to start.<br>
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The idea is to take a photo each day of something that makes me happy, and to share it via some sort of social media with #100happydays. I will be posting my pictures initially on <a href="http://instagram.com/jen_m_i">Instagram</a>, but I think I will post them here as well. After all, finding things to be happy about feels sparkly, doesn't it?<br>
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Here's the first of many happy moments to come.<br>
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A proper post about our basement renovation is well over due. But, it's still very much a work in progress, with a lot of ceiling, trim and finishing work left to do. We are constantly working on various design features. And someday...maybe we'll be done. Here's one we completed recently. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUAn3laoNMi7XZwqcwB5qRBYkATTE3pbsnJmmxkUeIuj_4VioMmP3iYI5gEwCQ24feQHG7fhyeSmPfiQxvx0td6sQaVg-Z0x_QpSTxg5IQkGp4Hs0gvosrx6zSdH0dwkYqo16DdA63IY/s640/blogger-image-2126436092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUAn3laoNMi7XZwqcwB5qRBYkATTE3pbsnJmmxkUeIuj_4VioMmP3iYI5gEwCQ24feQHG7fhyeSmPfiQxvx0td6sQaVg-Z0x_QpSTxg5IQkGp4Hs0gvosrx6zSdH0dwkYqo16DdA63IY/s640/blogger-image-2126436092.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This door goes to the one storage/mechanical closet in the room. The closet takes up one entire wall of the play corner, which minimizes our storage capacity, so we decided to make the door something we can play with. </div>
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Magnetic primer and chalkboard paint to the rescue!</div>
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We started with a new hollow core door because the original one had a hole cut out where we used to have a cat door. This closet used to house the kitty litter box before Leo was born, but we wanted to keep that mess well away from the play area, so the kitty door wasn't needed anymore after we made the move. It was much easier to start with a new door instead of trying to patch the hole, especially since we wanted a nice surface for chalk. </div>
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The magnetic primer was definitely a challenge to use. I missed the recommendation to have the paint stirred at the store, so I spent a loooong time stirring to get the solid blob of iron filings to become something resembling paint. </div>
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The instructions said three thin coats would produce the best results, but after reading some reviews online, and finding mixed success, I decided to use the entire can. After the first three coats, I concentrated more on the areas where I thought we would be more likely to use magnets. All in all, it turned out to be about seven coats. Good thing it was just a door! And since it was a new one, we were able to set it up on some saw horses in the garage, so I did the painting flat instead of vertically, which made the process much easier. </div>
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After all of those coats of primer, I was relieved that one coat of chalk board paint seemed to do the trick/ Probably because I had such a nice black base coat! The chalk board paint needed to cure for three days before it was ready for writing. So, about a week after I started painting, Greg had the door hung back in place. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8owQtDMpLPhfaH-KrVOB7mf394M0IBQzTj957mOrvDAF8bZP1jj2MzKUHBk84WcNAt4TmGclKakRdP8lEix0MjaWHsDgnsXlcbgpW56i9qjcBIO6I5NW-9Nom47M6-pJTAfhrrY7iGA/s640/blogger-image-540055253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8owQtDMpLPhfaH-KrVOB7mf394M0IBQzTj957mOrvDAF8bZP1jj2MzKUHBk84WcNAt4TmGclKakRdP8lEix0MjaWHsDgnsXlcbgpW56i9qjcBIO6I5NW-9Nom47M6-pJTAfhrrY7iGA/s640/blogger-image-540055253.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I had to "prime"the chalk board by rubbing it completely with a piece of chalk, and then wiping it off. Apparently, this helps ensure even erasability later on. Then, we were ready to draw!<br />
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The magnetic surface isn't the strongest. It will probably be hard to hold up pieces of paper without getting those super strong rare earth magnets, which aren't really recommended to be around children. But, thin business card style magnets work like a charm, as do the magnetic sleeve picture frames I got to display a few family photos. (That's Leo and his cousin G when we visited England last spring.)<br />
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We're already putting our new chalk/magnet board to great use!<br />
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-5775139310978182672014-03-20T16:00:00.000-04:002014-03-20T16:00:01.696-04:00Bubble Paint<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Leo and I are home together on Wednesdays. I love that I get some extra time with my little man. I usually try to plan something fun for us to do, whether it's an outing, or some type of play experience that we haven't had before. </div>
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I spend a lot of time perusing Pinterest to come up with simple and fun ideas. I came across the idea to make bath time finger paints the other day. Leo does a lot of painting at school, so I thought he would enjoy this. I can't seem to find the source for this recipe, and there are many other recipes for bath paint using shaving cream or corn starch. But the one I read used baby powder and baby bubble bath. </div>
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I had both of these things on hand, so I figured why not. I had purchased an enormous bottle of baby powder when we were preparing for Leo's arrival when I felt like I needed supplies to be ready. I didn't realize that using talc based baby powder has fallen out of favor, so it was great to find a use for this huge bottle (well, aside from helping to remove sand from our legs at the beach—try it, it works!) I read that you can also use water, but the bubble bath adds a bubble element, which sounded fun. I just mixed the two together until I had a consistency I was happy with. </div>
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My goal with this blog is to try and share new fun things, without harping on making the process look perfectly beautiful. So, while a lot of other recipes show a beautiful rainbow of paint displayed in a muffin tin, I rummaged through my Tupperware drawer for three small containers, and kept it simple with the three primary colors. A few drops of food coloring was all it took. </div>
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It was a big hit. Leo scooped every last drop of paint out of those containers, and then he filled them with water and dumped them out a few times. Nothing like a multi-functional toy, right?</div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-47808218257172783722014-03-13T16:00:00.001-04:002014-03-13T16:00:02.120-04:00What is that?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg565p2PztVKSV7axsWiNg3pIeai5Vv8ylkN-6RNcwsjsFd1hINNf7pow09R3s1S4fz5iAcgMmhc6k8OaFqa4-FxRdBVUxTSkdAdGxVirZRWPfeaeVGiG6kZ13Xx9EWWuqUJhByTioFpqU/s1600/IMG_7100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg565p2PztVKSV7axsWiNg3pIeai5Vv8ylkN-6RNcwsjsFd1hINNf7pow09R3s1S4fz5iAcgMmhc6k8OaFqa4-FxRdBVUxTSkdAdGxVirZRWPfeaeVGiG6kZ13Xx9EWWuqUJhByTioFpqU/s1600/IMG_7100.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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I received this same question multiple times after posting a video of Leo enjoying this experience on Facebook. I had planned a post on a different homemade play experience, but given the reaction on FB, I thought I would document this topic right away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-5aYGBcHnq6Q4BA2OzU1vCa9RmkIO7XLEJ3Zhs3lNxsONxIspW6tEGPyWZ6MLEUb1PKoJe2WhgA-RAzMr94izJ6uaPLrKSvz00QTLDnUFoaJGUAzmi5ubD35bNG2BonKmuoH5I_uV5U/s1600/IMG_7103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-5aYGBcHnq6Q4BA2OzU1vCa9RmkIO7XLEJ3Zhs3lNxsONxIspW6tEGPyWZ6MLEUb1PKoJe2WhgA-RAzMr94izJ6uaPLrKSvz00QTLDnUFoaJGUAzmi5ubD35bNG2BonKmuoH5I_uV5U/s1600/IMG_7103.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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So what is it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDdeF8p5D6LeB1u4MqFNubCqkmsytc-PXbKjrjT5xhStgF1KaZI75RbV_Cu4Sgkf1krtiaPci2Vd0HBc-_-sfW5t7h2uNi-HblVQjiHt9lljNuYrtk8Akobbe8jSy_dpjdRuGSCnE0gg/s1600/IMG_7084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDdeF8p5D6LeB1u4MqFNubCqkmsytc-PXbKjrjT5xhStgF1KaZI75RbV_Cu4Sgkf1krtiaPci2Vd0HBc-_-sfW5t7h2uNi-HblVQjiHt9lljNuYrtk8Akobbe8jSy_dpjdRuGSCnE0gg/s1600/IMG_7084.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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They are tapioca pearls—giant (well, relatively speaking compared to what's normally in tapioca pudding), beads of tapioca that are commonly found in a beverage called bubble tea. Yes, I have heard of that. No, I've never tried it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonupE5DeLZMcspc-eKL1wTbql0eIAcnQWuRBvDDsGPIIeWzBk9YSFWSIDBhnWSPgWMe2OJS2e65xaXbtD5lG-ZCoVDWF_geWa4H2aYpUVQlcTez_P5w_ucLF2RTntnhT2m3LSELQpw3g/s1600/IMG_7085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonupE5DeLZMcspc-eKL1wTbql0eIAcnQWuRBvDDsGPIIeWzBk9YSFWSIDBhnWSPgWMe2OJS2e65xaXbtD5lG-ZCoVDWF_geWa4H2aYpUVQlcTez_P5w_ucLF2RTntnhT2m3LSELQpw3g/s1600/IMG_7085.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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As is true of many of my crafty endeavors lately, I stumbled upon <a href="http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2014/02/edible-water-beads.html">this idea</a> on Pinterest. I immediately went to Amazon to purchase some Tapioca Pearls. It was important to get the quick cook type, which require boiling for only 5 minutes to be ready. I prepared them while Leo was eating his lunch. And then we let them cool while we took a nap!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2P9U9jMdbyA9VOggkROxzA8xfVHD6dDdyERuWgQZDVByh5szR5Gl0wSUG4NtGvzUlxcNRSgbhfdJg8rfPYJqmo4ojWixXlkoseYmYtF6nzO5e04be2nR1iR8iGOsszPR1Tbqw3KrREVc/s1600/IMG_7093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2P9U9jMdbyA9VOggkROxzA8xfVHD6dDdyERuWgQZDVByh5szR5Gl0wSUG4NtGvzUlxcNRSgbhfdJg8rfPYJqmo4ojWixXlkoseYmYtF6nzO5e04be2nR1iR8iGOsszPR1Tbqw3KrREVc/s1600/IMG_7093.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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When we got up from our nap, I scooped the pearls out of the pot, and put them into a cookie sheet. As you can see, some of them come colored, and I couldn't help myself but to sort them accordingly. I then added two drops of food coloring to each pile. I didn't want to add too much color since we were planning to play with with our hands. I wasn't sure how well the color would stick, and I wanted to avoid having too much get on our hands. They would be just as fun to play with if you skipped the food coloring if you are concerned about the mess.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jv3SpLs7Yn5Sh0kbROqW1WeCk68HQT8ZXZjyJvKwRcFkv7g74-W_c50ShlBpxUd2xlSYKcA2B6Qp7mhjFQ3e4VSbwdiD_uc9vVGanBDJyZ6xUw28tXaTkXQs4UUWPlHjSdJp_fRSfMs/s1600/IMG_7094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jv3SpLs7Yn5Sh0kbROqW1WeCk68HQT8ZXZjyJvKwRcFkv7g74-W_c50ShlBpxUd2xlSYKcA2B6Qp7mhjFQ3e4VSbwdiD_uc9vVGanBDJyZ6xUw28tXaTkXQs4UUWPlHjSdJp_fRSfMs/s1600/IMG_7094.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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When the pearls were ready to go, I got Leo settled at the table with a tray full of containers, spoons, a bit of water, etc. and started scooping out our new toy. They are a little bit sticky, which is kind of fun in it's own right, but when they wet, the stickiness seems to go away, and they are a little easier to handle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8xbxSGmteoqO8dNKHGfYwxWQuzl1CpzK0l9Zi5ChyphenhyphenjrHVHKOmqUgrn4HGULHXt0x495PYJS7rZWnRLH94lfE6IaPe0SDjehNllWcaiEhRhF-IwWdNZj1PVnli7CBpMcRPOn4dT9ys0g/s1600/IMG_7096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8xbxSGmteoqO8dNKHGfYwxWQuzl1CpzK0l9Zi5ChyphenhyphenjrHVHKOmqUgrn4HGULHXt0x495PYJS7rZWnRLH94lfE6IaPe0SDjehNllWcaiEhRhF-IwWdNZj1PVnli7CBpMcRPOn4dT9ys0g/s1600/IMG_7096.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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Leo played with these for about an hour. He picked them up and put them in containers, he scooped them and dumped them. He put them one at a time into the spout of the cup, and then used a straw or whisk to shove them through when they got stuck. He did taste a few, but elected not to eat them, which I thought was a wise choice, even though they are technically edible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4cR3r20GGCl2snSgrOXTvXVRt3V7NYzLXMRCoQvDmyMJyV1jxMxic4q4Y74u3b62SfkdbhuHnv5VqGNF1wWYvEp3dRkkKcZDazROZ9PODIJQ6R4QongxIQbCx2JJ-e4WXy2D2yyYmgA/s1600/photo-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4cR3r20GGCl2snSgrOXTvXVRt3V7NYzLXMRCoQvDmyMJyV1jxMxic4q4Y74u3b62SfkdbhuHnv5VqGNF1wWYvEp3dRkkKcZDazROZ9PODIJQ6R4QongxIQbCx2JJ-e4WXy2D2yyYmgA/s1600/photo-5.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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When we were done, Leo was soaking wet, but his hands were not stained a rainbow of color. The color stayed put on the pearls, and slowly rinsed away in the water. And what's a change of clothes for an hour of fun?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1v8Ou7fLzweZyF9SyVsoJ88NxD4wvgUiiDcmeoTl77O9mVhPKoibpJTmElo4KzI0mk8RIg23dzvWRt0COsRxV13TF1Mvr2oBAki55hJywQ2ungJtzAX7VBw0KReENM6V2OydkVIG8uE/s1600/IMG_7108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1v8Ou7fLzweZyF9SyVsoJ88NxD4wvgUiiDcmeoTl77O9mVhPKoibpJTmElo4KzI0mk8RIg23dzvWRt0COsRxV13TF1Mvr2oBAki55hJywQ2ungJtzAX7VBw0KReENM6V2OydkVIG8uE/s1600/IMG_7108.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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The best part is that we only used half of them. I saved the other half in the fridge to play with later this weekend. I'm not sure how long they will keep, they are food based after all, but I'm sure we will get at least one more session out of them.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-32146016246626345902014-03-06T15:00:00.000-05:002014-03-06T15:00:02.293-05:00Mommy Must Haves - Vol. #1Moms are constantly asking each other for advice. Especially first time moms. I mean, none of us really know what we're doing right? There's nothing quite like the on-the-job <strike>making-it-up-as-you-go</strike> training that comes with parenthood.<br />
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I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but I have managed to shepherd an infant safely to toddlerhood, and along the way I've been keeping a mental list of some of our favorite products. This is what I hope is the first installment of my list of <b>Mommy Must Haves.</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.homedics.com/media/catalog/product/cache/12/image/625x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/s/ss-2000_detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.homedics.com/media/catalog/product/cache/12/image/625x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/s/ss-2000_detail.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.homedics.com/sleep-relaxation/soundspas/soundspar.html">HoMedics Sounds Spa</a></div>
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I think somewhere along the way, most new parents these days are exposed to the five S concept from "The Happiest Baby on the Block." Shhhhhhing, or white noise is one of the key concepts. The idea is that babies are comforted by white noise as it reminds them of being in the womb. We received this white noise machine as a gift, and it's awesome. I think it helped all of us sleep better. What's great about it is when you turn it on, it stays on. It also has a timer if you don't want to leave it on. But, I'm told that when the white noise stops, babies wake up, so why would you want to do that? It also has a selection of different sounds, so you can experiment with the one you or your baby likes best. We used the ocean for awhile, but have pretty consistently stuck with the rain for quite some time. </div>
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For the first six months, Leo slept in our room, so we all got the benefits of the white noise. Greg and I are a little bit addicted, as we used to turn a fan on and point it at the wall just for this purpose. Now, this lives in Leo's room, and it's used every night, and for naps. I swear, when we turn it on, he starts to yawn. I think it also helps drown out the sounds from the rest of the house. And, Greg and I still get to hear the rain fall every night through the baby monitor. </div>
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<a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=21909166&mr:keyword=&mr:trackingCode=94E70267-7315-E311-A497-90E2BA285E75&mr:match=&mr:adType=pla&mr:filter=38524430806&cagpspn=plab_16145560&mr:referralID=NA&mr:ad=35201295526&mr:device=c&camp=PLAPPC-_-PID16145560&KPID=16145560">First Years Deluxe Reclining Feeding Seat</a><br />
If you are at all familiar with our <a href="http://seeking-sparkle.blogspot.com/2012/09/then-now-dining-room.html">dining room</a>, then you know we have a high table with bar stools. This made the question of what to do for a high chair a little bit complicated. I knew that I wanted Leo to feel like a part of family meals as early as possible. If we purchased a typical highchair, Leo would have ended up a lot lower than our table.<br />
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Enter this chair, which easily straps on to any chair. So, not only do we use it on our bar stools, but we are able to take it with us when we visit friends and family who don't have a high chair. We use it with outside with our deck chairs in the summer.<br />
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The next cool feature is the recline. This chair tilts to accommodate infants who can't hold themselves yet. Because of this, Leo was joining us at the dinner table at only a few weeks old. It's also great for bottle feeding once they can hold their own bottle.<br />
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The straps come off easily, so we can throw them in the wash every few weeks. And since Leo has started feeding himself, we actually chose to remove the padding, even though it's washable, because it makes it much easier to wipe down the chair.<br />
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<a href="http://www.adenandanais.com/en-us/productlanding/4615/baby/swaddles/classic/swaddle+classic.aspx">aden + anais muslin swaddle blankets</a><br />
We have several of these muslin blankets. They are light weight and get softer with every washing. When I was nursing, I constantly had these near by as burp cloths. We never used them as swaddles, but many people love them for that. They were great in the summer as a light blanket, to throw down on the ground for a place to play, to drape over the stroller or car seat to help block out the sunlight. Basically, the uses are endless. We still keep one stashed in the diaper bag because you never know when your going to have a mess to wipe up.<br />
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<a href="http://demandware.edgesuite.net/aamk_prd/on/demandware.static/Sites-Carters-Site/Sites-carters_master_catalog/default/v1393761668891/hi-res/111A049_Default.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://demandware.edgesuite.net/aamk_prd/on/demandware.static/Sites-Carters-Site/Sites-carters_master_catalog/default/v1393761668891/hi-res/111A049_Default.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-baby-sale-bodysuits/V_111A049.html">Side Snap T-Shirts</a><br />
When we were in the hospital when Leo was born, they dressed the babies in t-shirts like this. They are sort of like a wrap dress, with a snap on the side inside, and then snaps on the other side on the top layer. They were great because with all the diaper changes, there was nothing to undo to get to the diaper. Also, in the very early days, before the cord falls off, these shirts don't interfere with that sensitive area. I never would have known about the shirts if we hadn't seen them at the hospital, but only days after we returned home, we had ordered half a dozen on Amazon. We used them as undershirts under Leo's sleepers for several months. We wanted him to have that extra layer, but like I said, it was nice not to have to undo a onesie for those early middle of the night diaper changes.<br />
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<a href="http://www.summerinfant.com/swaddleme2pkcottonsmallmedium">Summer Infant SwaddleMe</a><br />
Another one of the five Ss I mentioned before is swaddling. I think most new parents hear about the benefits of swaddling infants. It is comforting because it makes them feel like they are still wrapped up tight in the womb. Figuring out how to tie a swaddle that one come undone over night is not an easy task. There are a bunch of different swaddle products that try to make it easier. This one was one of our favorites. It's a big pouch with flaps that wrap around sort of like a straight jacket, and fasten with velcro. It was just so easy. And it doesn't hurt that it makes babies look like adorable little glow worms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHG_12mgTNaYMKLuu0WNw6v9MoDfmnd97s1oK391anXlENMZLCg7J7zYuxD3otq1OWRYLzr8p3mlROdpzS2o0AieFxbGF0gjVU-Lid0eklMpXomLzij2RZXK-uRSLuS2aHirFcXCQ4Dk/s1600/IMG_2379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHG_12mgTNaYMKLuu0WNw6v9MoDfmnd97s1oK391anXlENMZLCg7J7zYuxD3otq1OWRYLzr8p3mlROdpzS2o0AieFxbGF0gjVU-Lid0eklMpXomLzij2RZXK-uRSLuS2aHirFcXCQ4Dk/s1600/IMG_2379.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Another reason we liked this particular swaddle is because it's possible to wrap up the baby's arms without putting their legs in the pocket. This makes it possible to actually strap babies in to swings, strollers, etc. while their arms are swaddled. All of those five point harnessed are useless without legs.<br />
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So there you have it. A small list of items I would not want to be without were I to do it all over again. What are your Mommy Must Haves?<br />
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-7540823154423039892014-02-28T09:00:00.000-05:002014-03-02T10:23:27.986-05:00Two LipsOne of my favorite riddles/jokes as a kid was this:<br>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What flower do you always carry with you? </span></span></div>
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Sometimes, it's amazing what some new gloss for those two lips can do for an outlook on life. There's just a certain feeling the first time you put on a new lip color.<br>
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There is a CVS right by my office, and I sometimes I spend a few minutes browsing on the way to my favorite lunch spot. Recently, I found this <a href="http://www.revlon.com/Revlon-Home/Products/Lips/Lipcolor/Revlon-ColorBurst-Matte-Balm.aspx#">new matte lip crayon from Revlon</a>. I have one of the lip stains that looks similar, and loved it. Light, bright color with a subtle minty undertone. And there's something about the crayon aspect that I love as well.<br>
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The matte balm...love! Goes on like velvet, so smooth, and amazingly matte. It barely feels like anything is there.<br>
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The color I got is called Shameless. After I put it on, I shamelessly sat in my car and took a few selfies.<br>
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Anyway, I'm not trying to sell Revlon or anything, just found a fun little product that made me smile, so I thought I'd share.<br>
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Enjoy!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-84741958952043166312014-02-21T09:00:00.000-05:002014-02-21T09:00:00.153-05:00Christmas Past<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes, it's true, Christmas has come and gone. But, it is one of my favorite times of year, and was my more recent opportunity to make my home beautiful, so I'm going to share it.<br />
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We kicked off the season this year with an advent activity for Leo. I borrowed the idea from my good friend Christine. Since Leo didn't really understand what Christmas is all about, I thought the idea of reading a story each day about winter and the holiday season might help learn about what was coming. So, I wrapped up a Christmas or winter themed book for each day of December until the 24th. Thanks to my reading teacher Mom, I only had to purchase about half a dozen books to have enough. </div>
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I made simple paper labels and attached with silver washi tape. The crafty designer in me wanted to make them more designy and complicated, but similar to the approach I am taking with the blog, I opted for just getting the job done. I set all the books up on a shelf in Leo's room, with a mini tinsel tree. Each night, as part of our bedtime routine, we would find the right book and Leo would open it while we put on his pjs. In addition to being a way to learn about the season, it also helped him learn about the concept of opening presents. </div>
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Of course, the last book we opened on Christmas Eve was a board book version of <i>'Twas the Night Before Christmas. </i></div>
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We all gathered on the sofa to read the story together, sporting our new Christmas PJs. All in all, I think the storybook advent was a big hit and we will probably make it an annual tradition. </div>
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This Christmas was the first time that Greg and I actually hosted the holiday dinner. My mom came to stay with us, and it was just the four of us for Christmas Eve. Here's what the table looked like for our dinner on the 24th. </div>
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If you are familiar with our <a href="http://seeking-sparkle.blogspot.com/search/label/Dining%20Room">dining room</a>, you might remember that we typically have a bar height table with stools. We only have 6 stools, and we were expecting 8 people total for our Christmas dinner, my mom, and Greg's parents, grandfather and brother in addition to the three of us. We ended up buying an 8ft folding table to use for the event. It will come in handy in the future for all sorts of indoor and outdoor parties. I couldn't bear the thought of all of us sitting on boring gray folding chairs, which we already had, so I decided to paint them. There are some better shots further down. You can see that my Christmas colors are not the typical red and green. I use teal, lime green, purple (big surprise), pink and a little red. I love this whimsical mix of colors and how they look festive, but at home with the decor I always have in my house. So, for the chairs, I did each of lime, teal, purple and pink. The plates on the table came from Target a few years ago. I made the placemats back then as well, from wrapping paper covered in contact paper. You can get a better view of those <a href="http://seeking-sparkle.blogspot.com/2011/12/halls-are-decked.html">here</a>.<br />
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Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without cookies. I usually make dozens upon dozens of frosted sugar cookies. I still made a few of those, but I also wanted to make some that might appeal a little more to Leo. I got the idea for these peanut butter cookie reindeer from Pinterest of course.<br />
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After we finished reading our story, we got some of those cookies ready to leave out for Santa! I'm pretty sure he liked them. </div>
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Before I tell you about our morning, here's a look at some of the other holiday decor around the house. </div>
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I loved the way this turned out. I strung a bunch of shatter proof bulbs with baker's twine from the chandelier in our dining room. It made the room feel a little like Christmas in Wonderland. </div>
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We have always like colored lights on our tree. I love the way the colors of the ornaments I used complement the lights so nicely. Above, you see the ornament I bought Leo for his first Christmas last year. It was perfect, as one of my favorite names for him is "Peanut."</div>
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I set the table for Christmas dinner with our real dishes, instead of my melamine snowflake set. I didn't have enough snowflakes, and I wanted to be a little more formal. These are the dishes we use every day, but they are nice enough for special occasions. </div>
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For place cards, I used my favorite sugar cookies. I have a set of little letter cutters I used to create the names. </div>
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The placemats were made with some silver vinyl fabric that was left over from this year's fashion show. I thought it looked a like snow. I just used basic plastic tablecloths from a party store, layering a clear with white snowflakes over a blue. All in all, I was pretty pleased with my first Christmas dinner. It whimsical and fun, which suits my personality perfectly. </div>
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One more idea from Pinterest were these Grinch fruit kabobs. Even though Leo doesn't know the grinch, he loves fruit. And the adults got a kick out of the reference.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-nBWl5KV-0LPsFcCZ2e3o6PkXZegyZbmKQxoaNwK08JYbjB5Wbc89amOhCxk_SLcX3qDKT6XeW7iA9OeK-fJHjqwATyx_oi4VuJ-kuurcPVScYHksuRaZULZfTvHKUXWuOgFzEB4sKM/s1600/IMG_6118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-nBWl5KV-0LPsFcCZ2e3o6PkXZegyZbmKQxoaNwK08JYbjB5Wbc89amOhCxk_SLcX3qDKT6XeW7iA9OeK-fJHjqwATyx_oi4VuJ-kuurcPVScYHksuRaZULZfTvHKUXWuOgFzEB4sKM/s1600/IMG_6118.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, now that you've seen what the house looked like, here' a few shots of Leo discovering what Santa left behind. </div>
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Before I go, here's a look at the basement. We've been having so much fun family time down there in our new family/play room. I wanted to make sure we were feeling the spirit of the season when we were down there as well. </div>
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I used similar colors down here, but went heavier on the red of course, because it's one of the featured colors in the room. The room still needs a lot of finishing touches, but I thought this decor added a lot for the month of December. Of course, now that all of it has come down, I'm itching to get moving on more of those finishing touches. I will be sure to share them as we go!<br />
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But that is not the whole story. </div>
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Friday, I grabbed the stack of Valentines and put them in an envelope to go in Leo's bag. Then I realized that I forgot to make the Valentine snack I had promised to send in for the party. Because yeah, getting things ready ahead of time, not my forte. So, I got busy creating these. Of course, I had to embellish the container to make it feel more festive with my new favorite craft supply, washi tape. </div>
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And...promptly forgot to put the envelope of Valentines in Leo's bag. </div>
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Mom fail!</div>
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I felt a little bit better when I picked Leo up that afternoon and discovered that the only Valentine he received was from his teacher. The kids in his class really are a little young for this tradition, so I guess none of them participated. Oh well. I will still be sending in the cards next week for a little belated surprise. I'm sure they will still be appreciated. </div>
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So yeah, I might be good at making things look good. But supermom, far from it!</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-35788812456232127082014-02-14T09:00:00.000-05:002014-02-14T09:00:03.309-05:00Hearts, Dinosaurs and Washi Tape<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_S8YA8spxInbB3fQIsk-Uphb84yZLqXkO2pbxkOI0CX3gl4v3TVC_J6IuuQqRuLxH4403RhcxxyrhyFq9BpAzkrivoVWPXmTBlIaoHdf579ZKmEv0kzRZhMcsSkcuhVluxV5QMJhy7M/s1600/IMG_6742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_S8YA8spxInbB3fQIsk-Uphb84yZLqXkO2pbxkOI0CX3gl4v3TVC_J6IuuQqRuLxH4403RhcxxyrhyFq9BpAzkrivoVWPXmTBlIaoHdf579ZKmEv0kzRZhMcsSkcuhVluxV5QMJhy7M/s1600/IMG_6742.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><div>
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When I was in fourth grade, my heart was broken when my teacher decided to have us make a donation to charity instead of passing out Valentine cards in class. I already had the supplies I was going to use to make mine—a heart shaped pad of paper with beautiful red, pink, purple and blue sheets, and stickers to decorate with. I never got to use them. So, imagine my delight when I picked Leo up from school the other day and his teacher told me she'd be sending me a list of names of the kids in the class. <div>
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I get to make Valentines! </div>
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I mean, Leo's a little young to do it himself, right? I fully expect to let him take the lead when he is older, but I do hope to pass along my love of art and design. It's never too early to get started, right?</div>
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I did what any good crafter does these days. I consulted Pinterest for inspiration. I had a rough idea of doing something with dinosaurs, thanks to a suggestion from my mom. When I found the phrase, "dino-mite," I came up with my idea. </div>
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To ensure Leo had the option to participate, I printed the outlines of the dinosaur on to a red piece of paper. Then, I got out a some chalk pencils to see what he would do. I quickly realized that I needed to tape the paper down or he would just push it around without making any marks. I got out some washi tape and decided to tape the paper to the floor. Leo made a few marks, but mostly seemed interested in carrying around as many of the pencils as he could fit into one hand. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5O6QqggNTg2sTj0O8A0AeQ-CQXatV4ezKlXiCJRjtuCOSdzZu7aqUNzD4Nv8Xe9JEfHQxl3cSQyXZ9L2nMCN1ulvDUtLsCrsU7dNFCr3fEBvuZj5JLGlHQYvJy2DrQNAOeqwSUdVyt3s/s1600/IMG_6720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5O6QqggNTg2sTj0O8A0AeQ-CQXatV4ezKlXiCJRjtuCOSdzZu7aqUNzD4Nv8Xe9JEfHQxl3cSQyXZ9L2nMCN1ulvDUtLsCrsU7dNFCr3fEBvuZj5JLGlHQYvJy2DrQNAOeqwSUdVyt3s/s1600/IMG_6720.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I set about printing the card backgrounds and left Leo to do his thing. When I looked back down at the floor, he had taken a longer piece of the pink washi tape and put it on the paper. I decided to go with it, and got out a few more rolls I thought would coordinate. I ripped off some pieces for him to put down, and tried to encourage him to color a little bit more on the paper. </div>
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He mostly seemed interested in doing this...</div>
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He did decide he wanted to sit on my lap and see what I was doing when I was gluing the dinosaurs on to the cards. </div>
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The introduction of the washi tape into the design inspired me to take it further. I always new that I was going to add up side down hearts as spikes on the dinos' backs, but I hadn't quite figured out how I was going to do that. I had planned to print, cut, and glue them. Using washi tape allowed me to eliminate a few steps. All I had to do was cut them and stick them down. I will admit, it's a little tricky to cut smaller than half inch hearts out of tape, but I love the way they turned out. Hopefully Leo's friends will too! </div>
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Happy Valentine's Day everyone!</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-36651178474714185532014-02-07T11:09:00.001-05:002014-02-07T11:18:02.278-05:00Sequins and Skates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's not my intention that every single post I write from now on will be able something that literally sparkles, but it just so happens that a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the Men's Free Skate at the 2014 US National Figure Skating Championship which was held in Boston this year. It doesn't get much more sparkly than a figure skating event. </div>
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The tickets were a Christmas gift from my awesome husband, and what a perfect gift it was. Anyone who has known me for any length of time understands that I have just a small obsession with the sport of figure skating. And, with the Olympics getting started, this was the competition that decided who the US would be sending to compete. I have to say, I was quite satisfied with the outcome of the competition. I'm very much looking forward to watching Jeremy Abbot and Jason Brown competing over the next few days, along with the rest of the skaters. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZealNvJyk7rtDxLI6KDM6Z3LrmJXOswOrorncg3GZs_yeL-IejCb6H5bdwdvfT0bZOWmZXKHf49OfHltf5qcU0j3snU0-p-5IvinBs83mkDmlLBtMIPTcA3mbclf1VKsQcrAYbKmoXXM/s1600/IMG_6449.jpg" height="480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold Medalist — Jeremy Abbot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Medalist — Jason Brown</td></tr>
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Just as exciting as watching the competition, was the people watching. Our seats were in the first row of the club level, at center ice, so we were one section up behind the judges. Apparently, the section immediately behind the judges is where they VIPs are seated. When we first arrived at the event, we were looking for a place to eat, and wandered by the press area. We walked right past Paul Wylie. But I nearly started to hyperventilate when he literally walked up and sate directly in front of us. I'm talking, I could have reached over the railing and patted him on the head. Oh, how I wanted to! I did get up the courage to ask for his autograph before we left at the end of the competition. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Wylie</td></tr>
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After Paul sat down, I heard some women near by talking about Kristi Yamaguchi eating popcorn just like the rest of us. I started scanning the crowd. Wouldn't you know, four rows in front of Paul, was his 1992 Olympic teammate. I actually caught her in profile and recognized her eyelashes. (Obsessed, I told you). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-d2wlKFVc7kevmwYGY56iaGnKwULeZ7-S_9nC975Vc6TqPEklifOjZaKm2q7T6wUZeC2x5jOnbC_UX_Tb_t0iFwKn5Fbb3O5J3l5LOPwMfvxZTxQnEslD_3-PaCxVAPfl8q3VnDgofng/s1600/IMG_6382+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-d2wlKFVc7kevmwYGY56iaGnKwULeZ7-S_9nC975Vc6TqPEklifOjZaKm2q7T6wUZeC2x5jOnbC_UX_Tb_t0iFwKn5Fbb3O5J3l5LOPwMfvxZTxQnEslD_3-PaCxVAPfl8q3VnDgofng/s1600/IMG_6382+-+Version+2.jpg" height="640" width="534" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kristi Yamaguchi</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3GvqKAtybuYN1ayclyHp5x8Yh9N9nPldXuoL4PdwtmPQMET4Upb6Nepm_0w0GozvDUYprKPEV-g_toncllSaQ4nVZ2qhaQz189CzQrotiQOYFGSG9_0nHgI79uBQ8-urewWwfI2BBiE/s1600/IMG_6383+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3GvqKAtybuYN1ayclyHp5x8Yh9N9nPldXuoL4PdwtmPQMET4Upb6Nepm_0w0GozvDUYprKPEV-g_toncllSaQ4nVZ2qhaQz189CzQrotiQOYFGSG9_0nHgI79uBQ8-urewWwfI2BBiE/s1600/IMG_6383+-+Version+2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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A few minutes later, an elderly gentleman entered Kristi's row. It was Dick Button. Most people who watched in the last two decades know him as a commentator. He was also an Olympic gold medalist back in his day. Kristi stood up to let him by. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCER9-xkWNpSHojiZBS-tY8S92ylRMj1HoMp_dIEsaQpLhbInzseINyG39d86d0B1HhKtUC7Sedk4jq2Zg-6GpUsWzhwH8HCjv-ryxngkpJq7jKfAqelDU5cv_ydzaofktk-TmPr6VGA/s1600/IMG_6395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCER9-xkWNpSHojiZBS-tY8S92ylRMj1HoMp_dIEsaQpLhbInzseINyG39d86d0B1HhKtUC7Sedk4jq2Zg-6GpUsWzhwH8HCjv-ryxngkpJq7jKfAqelDU5cv_ydzaofktk-TmPr6VGA/s1600/IMG_6395.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Dick Button & Kristi Yamaguchi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmpBCaOehVgxQ_ii3ioJ42B3aoVuWJ4MxVKsLsUIMPKfAJ2vYuTkCxyu4bJZBQhZKhNmHKBSQO9uPlR2xjiJcCzd7zO1y4N4QHEF_pARfLAFEGtlpHrBnk9qNaOrOULsNGFJbrueQ0dY/s1600/IMG_6400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmpBCaOehVgxQ_ii3ioJ42B3aoVuWJ4MxVKsLsUIMPKfAJ2vYuTkCxyu4bJZBQhZKhNmHKBSQO9uPlR2xjiJcCzd7zO1y4N4QHEF_pARfLAFEGtlpHrBnk9qNaOrOULsNGFJbrueQ0dY/s1600/IMG_6400.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy Hamill</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYR75PLNcl7Q46__Bi1H40PvBOYqBEcv4eCLGI94CQQ2chXM05GW-Srq5hMfQdAjG-NJQAn8qWkRF4ZTowzel07n7htXvyJb5c20-q0JHeM-7gE4-oOPECuoTiKpdy1mqLvCdP1iKiKY/s1600/IMG_6404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYR75PLNcl7Q46__Bi1H40PvBOYqBEcv4eCLGI94CQQ2chXM05GW-Srq5hMfQdAjG-NJQAn8qWkRF4ZTowzel07n7htXvyJb5c20-q0JHeM-7gE4-oOPECuoTiKpdy1mqLvCdP1iKiKY/s1600/IMG_6404.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Kristi, Dick & Dorothy</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rwqpz-z5exi6SC5aCoWapd0Ibwc65umBLtpDvl1E71fQziaFLkE3b-y6A4L95gH_bEhNKfTgoC2DVjvy5i9kDEMXUXaReph5aPtUkfQRkIhx5LtZ3ZxUqc2mAXpFzGodCZeER-72P2A/s1600/IMG_6431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rwqpz-z5exi6SC5aCoWapd0Ibwc65umBLtpDvl1E71fQziaFLkE3b-y6A4L95gH_bEhNKfTgoC2DVjvy5i9kDEMXUXaReph5aPtUkfQRkIhx5LtZ3ZxUqc2mAXpFzGodCZeER-72P2A/s1600/IMG_6431.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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He sat down right between Kristi and...Dorothy Hamil! And then I saw her turn around to talk to a man behind her. Brian Boitano! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0iyhjpHkny6-2n1LIsSHkC7xt_d6KpVsyDqfTH1UIvGuU31XQkd1zU81AzyhLP7Ih_bQnA4KYVEQTXlIy3Up3DPdgZjGmCGcPZQfDWs33vscVCpgsOp4Bns1PgU0llH4PAKFkgetDjU/s1600/IMG_6377+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0iyhjpHkny6-2n1LIsSHkC7xt_d6KpVsyDqfTH1UIvGuU31XQkd1zU81AzyhLP7Ih_bQnA4KYVEQTXlIy3Up3DPdgZjGmCGcPZQfDWs33vscVCpgsOp4Bns1PgU0llH4PAKFkgetDjU/s1600/IMG_6377+-+Version+2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy Hamill & Brian Boitano</td></tr>
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I also saw a woman with a fur coat and perfect blond chignon. I had to do a little googling on my phone to figure out that it was Carol Heiss, another skater turned coach. And of course, where there is a televised skating event, there is Scott Hamilton, though he was a bit further away. </div>
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During the event, Paul Wylie was sitting next to a petite woman, who looked familiar. But I just couldn't place her. I had a hunch she was a pairs skater from the past. I keep picturing her with late 80s/early 90s poofy bangs and a schrunchy bun on the top of her head. When I was home later, I did a little research through old US Nationals results, and determined that she was Calla Urbanski, who skated pairs with Rocky Marvel. They were national champions a few times, and also competed at the Olympics in 1992, which explains why she and Paul seemed to be such good buddies. </div>
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Needless to say, I was pretty star struck. It was an amazing experience. And after seeing the energy in the audience when Jason Brown was on the ice, I cannot wait to see him competing in the next few days!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XUmdK49G76a1kl8LB6lafPAt9pQ7i2iUT_n1AIcEV4BAyCZs4-vUHJRRu-Z_cDSzQkMH5_noIiD7bZapTI6v1t3Cl6ucM5dzSwNDletzCJbtl_pfQJ89Exyts_0MlkL3apVz8svViKQ/s1600/IMG_2768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XUmdK49G76a1kl8LB6lafPAt9pQ7i2iUT_n1AIcEV4BAyCZs4-vUHJRRu-Z_cDSzQkMH5_noIiD7bZapTI6v1t3Cl6ucM5dzSwNDletzCJbtl_pfQJ89Exyts_0MlkL3apVz8svViKQ/s1600/IMG_2768.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's been a long time since I've been around these parts. I've been missing writing, and keeping track of all that we're up to around the house, and with our precious little peanut. I decided I could use a little inspiration, and this space could use a little overhaul. So, with my first post of the new year, I introduce you to my new blog...Seeking Sparkle. </div>
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It's taken a long time for me to get to this place in my life, a happily married, home-owning, working mom of a toddler. It was a bumpy road that dulled my spirit. But I made it. I'm here. Living and enjoying my life, and feeling like myself for the first time in a long while. I sparkle again!</div>
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And so, I decided to revamp this space, to share things that make life sparkle—from improvements to our home that make it look beautiful and function better, and adventures in parenting that make my heart sing on a daily basis, to art & design that fuels my creative soul. </div>
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I'm trying not to over think this, as I have a tendency to do, so I'm jumping right in. It doesn't look perfect. There's no fancy logo or background...yet. I don't want to put too much pressure on myself, or to get hung up on having the perfect photography to illustrate what I have to say. I just want to write again, to seek out sparkle, and to share it. </div>
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And what better place to start than with a recap of Leo's first birthday party this past October?!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qoepaMBgDkWhtTBAViSNnPJfghyVtCKXWGZQBToOV3A-lPQHNRm6gWElwtNn3rFIY8dwlJPEUKOLdc36m95tQfRqniVKOTm92XbyQiuvR73w_SBLc4uhf54lZ4yl620YVZJw-Syk2Jk/s1600/monster+bash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qoepaMBgDkWhtTBAViSNnPJfghyVtCKXWGZQBToOV3A-lPQHNRm6gWElwtNn3rFIY8dwlJPEUKOLdc36m95tQfRqniVKOTm92XbyQiuvR73w_SBLc4uhf54lZ4yl620YVZJw-Syk2Jk/s1600/monster+bash.jpg" height="400" width="375" /></a></div>
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I have always loved planning parties. And every good party begins with a great invitation, right? I put my design skills to work and created a gang of silly monster characters to adorn the invites, and the party decor as well. Above, is the front of the invite, with the specifics cropped off. Below, is the back. I got them printed at <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/anemone_design*"><span class="s1">Zazzle.</span></a> a site where I have sold my designs, and printed cards, etc. for years. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUgwqXNInIaihlA_5ocQ5wHW4BzfEYAQJOraN_12wF5vYKtvGWiIyJxk_10DjauYRxQ70uovNZ0G-mS1uLq-2h1St6P8YYVH0UU9aByfQbBEKK_GFu_Xl6LkRDmOh1XS6lPgcZ6NDfLY/s1600/Leo+Invite+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUgwqXNInIaihlA_5ocQ5wHW4BzfEYAQJOraN_12wF5vYKtvGWiIyJxk_10DjauYRxQ70uovNZ0G-mS1uLq-2h1St6P8YYVH0UU9aByfQbBEKK_GFu_Xl6LkRDmOh1XS6lPgcZ6NDfLY/s1600/Leo+Invite+Back.jpg" height="400" width="288" /></a></div>
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We actually ended up having two parties. One for family, and one for friends. Our house is not large, and there was just no way to fit everyone all at once. Some people choose to rent space so that they can fit all of their guests. But we had been working so hard on our basement family room remodel (several more posts need to come on that), so we really wanted to have the party(ies) at home.</div>
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An important part of any birthday party, but especially a first, is the cake, right? I have only made a few layer cakes in my life...inspired by a wedding gift from my aunt, a crystal cake platter. She told me that my Gram used to serve birthday cakes on one just like it. And so began my journey into round layer cakes. The good news about a Monster Bash, is that a monster cake can be a bit messy, and no one will notice. So, I decided to be brave, and take on not only a layer cake, but a tiered layer cake, as well as a separate smash cake for the birthday boy to enjoy. I searched for inspiration on Pinterest, and came up with my design.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_-q6VvI1gMnSGz8qQXo37xAAI7hSDdZdPTrUWCfm67SIa1skhfGMVTTIoz-Kojl8G1YcusYjbU6oPLlnro2OJUZCpAHPH9kEXoJr3uPZctoU4nBdBTvif9cjGKwAORQu2iW-g-Yme0U/s1600/IMG_2542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_-q6VvI1gMnSGz8qQXo37xAAI7hSDdZdPTrUWCfm67SIa1skhfGMVTTIoz-Kojl8G1YcusYjbU6oPLlnro2OJUZCpAHPH9kEXoJr3uPZctoU4nBdBTvif9cjGKwAORQu2iW-g-Yme0U/s1600/IMG_2542.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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I bought some high quality icing dyes to get the saturated colors I was looking for. The eyes were plastic party favors. I just piped the frosting on in dollop after dollop, and it ended up looking like a stack of hairy monsters. But the monsters weren't just colorful on the outside. I had fun dying the cakes as well. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUj0uAVoe0YplrAvVgE_6rKgmxCc5SVHJhz-MdkbFroN2upVrFQ9FUccHf4qpWE37KQM4Ww6AGZ5F9QjZV7H-wxmJ3x_kZPwSQjd_AhX5kT_7FnPFpEp67oMKmqSBMtt_pG-LUn6h1nhA/s1600/IMG_5443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUj0uAVoe0YplrAvVgE_6rKgmxCc5SVHJhz-MdkbFroN2upVrFQ9FUccHf4qpWE37KQM4Ww6AGZ5F9QjZV7H-wxmJ3x_kZPwSQjd_AhX5kT_7FnPFpEp67oMKmqSBMtt_pG-LUn6h1nhA/s1600/IMG_5443.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Leo's smash cake was created from sticking a few cupcakes together in a pile of frosting. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMNb5q-ZEbOE0lz9Z8lem32JfA-_DUijRnaXT3TdelFv2Nk9RA9ZP7E6Alok-j713aicKSNJfYc535C266VJCLrv4EhbKscwez8Ty5LTCG_RBGF8Yp7JUsX1J2lGSzN_H8PhMg_PIzjw/s1600/1378062_10202467847323774_678527676_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMNb5q-ZEbOE0lz9Z8lem32JfA-_DUijRnaXT3TdelFv2Nk9RA9ZP7E6Alok-j713aicKSNJfYc535C266VJCLrv4EhbKscwez8Ty5LTCG_RBGF8Yp7JUsX1J2lGSzN_H8PhMg_PIzjw/s1600/1378062_10202467847323774_678527676_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The party was in the afternoon, so we kept the food simple, just some snacks and drinks, and of course, the cake. The theme was carried through all of it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GhA-rTJ5-0mA609IKSu6rgFO-uAOq8Um7AO9lh1DoaLsUoWEKMYEbqlKib69ICxBbvDjjY9NuJT2xg4fv97Q7uEzYUBmw7Nd0YO2q-LmAE13kFpG_bXHo_-Dm8C4N4ugSpgEC8h5ab8/s1600/IMG_2536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GhA-rTJ5-0mA609IKSu6rgFO-uAOq8Um7AO9lh1DoaLsUoWEKMYEbqlKib69ICxBbvDjjY9NuJT2xg4fv97Q7uEzYUBmw7Nd0YO2q-LmAE13kFpG_bXHo_-Dm8C4N4ugSpgEC8h5ab8/s1600/IMG_2536.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I bought a cheap plastic bowl from a party store to use for our "Bug Juice" punch. (Lemon/lime soda, rainbow sherbet and a little green food coloring). I used stickers in two colors to create eye balls looking into and out of the bowl. All the stickers were on the outside of the bowl so they wouldn't get wet. I started with the small black circle, then the larger white, then another small black on top. This made it seem like the eyes were looking both into and out of the bowl. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ51IhIpcFmj8kZJsbCxLphl79Bbjc8A0jc4eH3h9VItaCCKUWZ1wVt3kbFvqETBfaexV-aJTaPKgO2o9l3ek2uFFq0p1suLPGYuLtM7cou8P1ufK5ZSNg_aCy3JiIcSyCzYrFO9rPEDY/s1600/IMG_2778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ51IhIpcFmj8kZJsbCxLphl79Bbjc8A0jc4eH3h9VItaCCKUWZ1wVt3kbFvqETBfaexV-aJTaPKgO2o9l3ek2uFFq0p1suLPGYuLtM7cou8P1ufK5ZSNg_aCy3JiIcSyCzYrFO9rPEDY/s1600/IMG_2778.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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We threw in some creepy crawlies from the dollar section at Target. They look like something a monster might snack on, right?</div>
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<span class="s2"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlUNud6ivBw8fQMCVkpMI4A9NHrWzTYRyQDsOOefwz19A7OcbqmB6biCoh1I9i6aWh7OoR6VjZzYtlZHfmdmG3NXp6G0z-_aRynvzSF75L8UZNm1ezQi3DWBwwsdDTMebs6DvSiV5iy4/s1600/IMG_2538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlUNud6ivBw8fQMCVkpMI4A9NHrWzTYRyQDsOOefwz19A7OcbqmB6biCoh1I9i6aWh7OoR6VjZzYtlZHfmdmG3NXp6G0z-_aRynvzSF75L8UZNm1ezQi3DWBwwsdDTMebs6DvSiV5iy4/s1600/IMG_2538.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I used the same stickers to create eyes on the cups, which were accented with colorful paper straws, that stuck out like antenna. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeX4VOBRcyfDPVU1ffja4hOzz-zx8Hxnut8aZ9v0UapDZ4SR_XPhHpMKUKKK09yb1ldRjYl590105VCTQkalFVHWVs2JqBdPX6RrQQKfAx_Ltb44H19heq1RFWxguQthgFnMURgBPE3Es/s1600/IMG_2546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeX4VOBRcyfDPVU1ffja4hOzz-zx8Hxnut8aZ9v0UapDZ4SR_XPhHpMKUKKK09yb1ldRjYl590105VCTQkalFVHWVs2JqBdPX6RrQQKfAx_Ltb44H19heq1RFWxguQthgFnMURgBPE3Es/s1600/IMG_2546.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I found these monster squirt balls on Amazon, which were perfect for favors. </div>
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And these monster beach balls, which we hung from the ceiling like balloons.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfti9_YFyCIvKl-qn2tw4kvCvRh_XkVE_vIUFlZWX-dnR293fkrtRFQsV2G5vT8S6L_JESt_VIZMGN9B091V5QzxXu2kp6rXfSgQlxi1n54DE-1Cu96d7jolAoyk2spDinJJd8TBKxcS8/s1600/IMG_2543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfti9_YFyCIvKl-qn2tw4kvCvRh_XkVE_vIUFlZWX-dnR293fkrtRFQsV2G5vT8S6L_JESt_VIZMGN9B091V5QzxXu2kp6rXfSgQlxi1n54DE-1Cu96d7jolAoyk2spDinJJd8TBKxcS8/s1600/IMG_2543.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also have a new obsession with washi tape. I bought a few rolls that complimented the colors of my monsters and made a few of these garlands by looping the tape around baker's twine. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kT0D21_LDLeJr6tm0FEEk3UYN3EIHkCAwZOScv6Bg5JK1gD-IICQUA0ZTrgeva03g7U5hc5JwqdIXN66PGuEhEoMle8ABO05NWEhTn-dexK2pll89kckcj49i2EPjLmn1Fqj_ImXNts/s1600/IMG_2545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kT0D21_LDLeJr6tm0FEEk3UYN3EIHkCAwZOScv6Bg5JK1gD-IICQUA0ZTrgeva03g7U5hc5JwqdIXN66PGuEhEoMle8ABO05NWEhTn-dexK2pll89kckcj49i2EPjLmn1Fqj_ImXNts/s1600/IMG_2545.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also used the tape to hang up my collection of weekly instagram photos on a blank spot on the dining room wall. (I'll confess, they are still hanging there, three months later!) You can see that I also mixed in my five monster characters to fill out the space, and make a complete grid. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjrhT0FOVix-ksZGHhjVV-hJ-nN47-1yceOBZzA9u7MI22EUBEh_b-eZgCNrkISs37QKeqjYxfgdwRpcofyXEqNA4vAUGYHHuW2l4AZ3v1LJmKod9DOL2Lpr6Q1PhDjwmk2zE5lR_P8A/s1600/IMG_5474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjrhT0FOVix-ksZGHhjVV-hJ-nN47-1yceOBZzA9u7MI22EUBEh_b-eZgCNrkISs37QKeqjYxfgdwRpcofyXEqNA4vAUGYHHuW2l4AZ3v1LJmKod9DOL2Lpr6Q1PhDjwmk2zE5lR_P8A/s1600/IMG_5474.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Since Leo's birthday is in October, and monsters are a Halloween-ish theme, I decided that our pumpkins should get into the spirit of the party as well. I painted each one with the same faces as the five monster characters. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eGKTE-bB3WsVEfOxekrA2F8u6G_3dn5SvM01GyoRqlXGKjhpKABfq2s9-n71E5FYKu1D9BrSjIpjosWsZTJy3Rakekq_R8G-carXEHzwSeUSgmur4kyJtOch10niGK-sJbZxqX9vgng/s1600/IMG_2775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eGKTE-bB3WsVEfOxekrA2F8u6G_3dn5SvM01GyoRqlXGKjhpKABfq2s9-n71E5FYKu1D9BrSjIpjosWsZTJy3Rakekq_R8G-carXEHzwSeUSgmur4kyJtOch10niGK-sJbZxqX9vgng/s1600/IMG_2775.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Every birthday boy needs something special to wear too. So, I used Zazzle again to make a T-shirt for Leo to wear. It was practically too small before he even got to wear it. (hint: Zazzle clothing runs small!) But, I still think he wore it pretty darn well.</div>
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The first party, with family, was mostly grown-ups, but we still wanted to have some party games. We decided to create a March Madness style bracket to determine the best monster. Everyone got to vote for each pairing...with the final match up being Frankenstein vs. Oscar the Grouch. Frank was the winner with this crowd....and with Greg. He got a Monster Bash T-shirt too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9z7QpmMapNQ1U72CSQe85lsA5pYU8Z9SDONi_vMfnhTbNVtCvHMJs8nXkHpHFF8-xjCrRkfzo9znidjxjG_CwaJ-ocgbDBljiz5vNg8ytZOP3v6_in7sku5lIUzjM7CITIDh1gTSCZM/s1600/IMG_2577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9z7QpmMapNQ1U72CSQe85lsA5pYU8Z9SDONi_vMfnhTbNVtCvHMJs8nXkHpHFF8-xjCrRkfzo9znidjxjG_CwaJ-ocgbDBljiz5vNg8ytZOP3v6_in7sku5lIUzjM7CITIDh1gTSCZM/s1600/IMG_2577.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally, it was time for the birthday boy to take his seat and have his first taste of cake.</div>
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Turns out, he liked it!</div>
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A week later, it was time to do it all again. </div>
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Yes, there were two more cakes. </div>
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To keep it interesting, I used a different combination of colors the second time around. </div>
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The party for our friends took place more in the basement family room, since there were many more children in attendance. We also had more monster snacks this time around. </div>
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We made the same "Bug Juice" punch. There were "Monster Eyeballs" made out of deviled eggs with green colored filling, and black olive pupils. "Monster Mouths" were slices of apple held together with peanut butter, and almond slices for teeth. Platters of fruits and veggies were arranged as monster faces. </div>
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At this party, we played "Monster Madness" again. This time, Cookie Monster was the winner. We had some additional games as well. </div>
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"Feed Frank" was a bean bag toss challenge. </div>
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For "Pin the Eye on the Monster," the kids were invited to color their own eyeball before pining it on the target. I also found color your own monster face lunch bags in the dollar section of Target, and had those set up for decorating as well.</div>
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It turned out that "Feed Frank" offered more entertainment than we anticipated!</div>
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And finally, it was time for cake once more. Thankfully, Leo did not come to expect his own cake every weekend, but he has become quite the cookie monster over the holidays!</div>
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So there you have it folks, two wonderful Monster Bashes celebrating our most magical little Leo. I think it's safe to say that an amazing time was had by all...both times. But before I could let the monsters go, there was one more project to take case of...the thank you notes. Again, I used Zazzle to print up some post cards, with this little poem Greg wrote. </div>
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(Yes, I'm a cheesy mom. I'll admit it. Leo was a monster for Halloween!)</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-3004404956963094892013-01-27T21:56:00.000-05:002013-01-27T21:56:00.054-05:00A Whole QuarterThat's right, Leo turned three months old this month. That's a whole quarter of a year! In fact, it was two weeks ago, so he's already three and a half months. Time does fly. And it's not surprising in the least that with the excitement of Christmas, I neglected to tell you about his second month. So, how about we cover them both at once?<br />
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Our little peanut continues to be an awesome little guy. He is so much more active now and we have a lot of fun together. He loves to play on the floor and bat at his toys. He's gotten really good at grabbing on to a few balls that he got for Christmas, and is always trying to shove them in his mouth despite the fact that they are much too big. When that doesn't work, he's pretty happy to shove his whole fist in there along with the endless drool!</div>
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He loves toys that light up and play music or make other noises. He kicks his feet in delight! He is enjoying being upright more often, and has started to spend time in his bumbo seat and exersaucer. He rolled over from front to back for the first time right before Christmas, and has repeated this feat a half a dozen times since. We have yet to catch it on video. He's clearly not predictable! But he does excel at tummy time, and his head strength was compared to that of a four month old at his two month appointment. </div>
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He is an amazing little guy who smiles a lot, and looks inquisitively at the world around him. When he's not smiling, his brow is often furrowed with concentration. He chatters all the time, mostly just vowel sounds so far. </div>
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In December, he weighed in at 12 lbs. and was 24 inches tall. But my scientific measurements using the bathroom scale, he is already close to 15 lbs. He's comfortably in his 3-6 month sized clothes already. It broke my heart just a little bit to pack up his smaller things. My little guy is getting big so fast!</div>
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We had a wonderful holiday, and managed to see most of our family. Leo was thoroughly spoiled by everyone! We're looking forward to seeing how he'll change in the months to come!</div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-31946098735491430302013-01-25T21:26:00.002-05:002013-01-25T21:26:41.364-05:00Merry Christmas! (Belated!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This was supposed to post the week of Christmas. </div>
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But, it's not too late for a Happy New Year wish, right?</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo complements of my awesome friend <a href="http://www.12450miles.com/">Christine Conrad Lane</a>. Design by me.</span></i></div>
<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-64858415495586887022012-11-15T08:46:00.001-05:002012-11-15T08:46:23.311-05:00One Month with Leo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Despite the fact that my scheduled posts in the month of October made it look like we were up to something, the only project that has been going on in these parts for the last month is adapting to life with Leo.<br />
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He's an amazing little man, and we're getting used to our new way of life, revolving entirely around him of course. He pretty much does what he's supposed to, eats, sleeps and poops. He loves his swing, walks in the stroller, and does great in the car — he even survived his first trip to Granny's without needing to get out of the car seat for the entire three hours! My mom calls him a magic baby. I would have to agree.<br />
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He's up over 2 pounds from his hospital low, weighing in at 10 lbs. 10 oz. most recently. We're just starting to get an unprompted, non-gas related smile or two, and some coos that sound different than his initial squawks and grunts. He seems to have amazing head strength already, and when he's awake, he's incredibly alert.<br />
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We can't wait to see what the next month brings!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828268287037468081.post-50697032002274295572012-10-31T21:06:00.000-04:002012-10-31T21:06:00.114-04:00Enclosing the Shed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now that the deck was operational, it was time to focus on enclosing the shed structure underneath so that we could reclaim the garage for my car before Luigi arrived. There is still some finish trim work to do on the deck itself, as well as staining the decking itself. But, we decided these things could wait in favor of garage space. </div>
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The first step on the enclosure was to finish create another masonry wall along one side of the shed where the ground will slope down from the patio to the back yard. It took a few days of work for Greg to finish. </div>
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Above, you can see the finished masonry wall with the stud framing in place. Below, you can see Greg and a few coworkers building that portion of framing. </div>
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It's kind of a funny story how they came to help on a Saturday in mid-July. Every summer, Greg's company has a charity fund raiser, which involves a silent auction where various employees donate prizes. Some are as elaborate as a week in a time share, or a plane ride. This year, there was a group of people who got together to volunteer one day of handymen time to help finish projects around the house. Needless to say, Greg was determined to win this prize, and basically stuffed the box with $40 worth of raffle tickets. $40 for 4 people to help with house projects for a day sounds like an awesome deal to me. As it turned out, we weren't able to schedule all 4 of the at once, which actually worked to our benefit. We were able to spread some of the projects around. On this particular day, Reem and Mike were over, and not only did the help Greg with this wall, but they also painted Luigi's nursery and a bunch of trim in our stairwell! </div>
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The shed continued to progress through the rest of July and August, and Greg started stashing stuff in there before it was fully enclosed. </div>
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Casey and Dan, the other two of Greg's coworker/handymen came on a Saturday in August, and not only did they load the dumpster of all the constuction debris, they helped to finish all the walls and built the three doors that provide access into the shed. </div>
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It looks like a great place to store stuff, doesn't it?</div>
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16052241082206189624noreply@blogger.com0