via etsy.com
Just had to post about this cute little ETSY shop called The Fuzzy Noggin (http://www.etsy.com/shop/adrienneengar?ref=seller_info). This is an adorable hat for the summer time.
Showing posts with label Children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Children. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Always have your camera close by!
Posted via email from Kinder-Kouture
I know it looks like I am forcing the kids to pose, but actually I am not. The kids enjoy our little drives to nowhere. Yesterday we parked next to a small airport and watched little planes take off, ate wild blackberries, and found this beautiful field to take pictures. It was a lot of fun, and by the time we were done, we could not wait to do it again. It's better then sitting at home and doing nothing.
I know it looks like I am forcing the kids to pose, but actually I am not. The kids enjoy our little drives to nowhere. Yesterday we parked next to a small airport and watched little planes take off, ate wild blackberries, and found this beautiful field to take pictures. It was a lot of fun, and by the time we were done, we could not wait to do it again. It's better then sitting at home and doing nothing.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Ottobre Pear Shorts
I have had this denim for ages. I was always waiting for him to reach the great age where I hear the words "these are so cool"! Yup, this washed out, bleached out, denim is cool, and he loves it. So I tried the new short patterns from the 3/10 Ottobre issue. I did not put a knit waistband on the pants. I just made my own pattern. I did not think the knit would hold up the pants, so I cut a waistband out of the same material and attached it. Then I added elastic to make the pants fit. They are a tad long for my taste, but at least I know his knees (and believe me they are always bruised at this age) will be protected. I am not too fond of the high hem, but next time I know better and will do it differently.
BTW, someone asked about what Photoshop version I used. I am currently using CS4, however CS5 is due to come out shortly, and I will most likely upgrade.
What a day can do....
Things that made me smile today.....♥♥♥♥
- the sun (we had muddy weather all weekend)
- realizing friends stick by you no matter what, and some don't
- talking to DH this morning
- seeing how excited Nicolas was to have class pictures today
I woke up this morning tired and pretty grumpy. I had such an awful night last night. Thunderstorms were raging, and the sound of the dishwasher got on my nerves. I assume I woke up at least three times. However, I was excited to see blue skies and sunshine this morning, no matter how late we were running. For some reason, my iphone "alarm clock" app was not working. I saw the lady at student pick-up hand Nicolas a Tardy card as he walked inside the school. OOPS.
I was supposed to get busy on the house, laundry and do some sewing, but my mood was lazy, so I blogged for awhile and then picked myself up and did what needed to be done reluctantly. After Nicolas comes home we will have to go teacher shopping. Ok, what is it with Teacher Appreciation Week. I have four teachers, and to give them a gift every day is ridiculous. I would prefer to buy them one gift each and make it worth every penny then buying them flowers, candy, books, and bath items???? That is absurd. I do appreciate the work they do, but I think spending that much money is a joke. For flowers alone, I would spend about $30 for all four teachers. The question I have, is will the teachers look down upon the students or the parents for not participating? I tell you what, I want a Mother's week. I want Bath items, flowers, candy, sweets and a gift too. Why do moms only get one day a year? LOL. I told you I was grumpy.
Ok, hopefully I can post pictures of the Ottobre shorts I have been working on. I hate when a project has been lying on my desk for this long. He needs shorts, and this is such a cool denim material.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Mommy Thoughts
First of all, I scheduled in some me time. One morning - 5 hours - in which I could do anything I wanted. I could watch tv, read a book, sew or whatever else my heart desired. It relaxes me. Makes it easier to breathe, and deal with my grumpiness. I usually take a day in the middle of the week, to help me relax, and to better cope with the stress at the end of the week. The one thing I have to learn to do is turn off my phone. This will help me to get more accomplished, really take the time for me, and not get bogged down with anything worrisome. I admire people who can do that so easily, without worrying about hurting people's feelings.
Second of all, I scheduled a cleaning day. Mondays work the best. You usually have a lot of energy on Monday, and get more done then on Fridays, and it is easier to maintain over the entire week. Whenever I clean on Fridays, the house stays clean 24 hours, and then when the kids are home over the weekend, I find myself going at it again. This burns me out. Since I usually schedule kiddie events in the afternoons during the week, the house is easier to maintain. We go grocery shopping together, playdates, ice cream parlor, bike riding or play in the backyard. Whatever we do, the kids are tired during the week from school, and homework and playing, so the house usually does not get so messy. A quick declutter and clean up and everything has been put away.
I noticed that it was important to rest up a bit during the day. I have long days, since I am both mommy and daddy at the moment. My day usually starts at 6am and goes until 11pm. I get tired usually between 4-6pm. So I try to relax when Nicolas gets home from school.
I also always keep the kitchen clean, and make my beds. It is amazing how good it makes you feel when your kitchen is clean. While I cook, I clean up the kitchen. I put the dishwasher on every night. I load it with pots and pans, and everything I can. Each morning I empty it while the kids are eating breakfast.
I also vacuum every other day. It really does not take that long, and even if I do half the house in the morning and half at night, there is nothing worse then gritty floors.
I make the beds every morning before taking the kids to school. It just makes me feel better to know that the beds are made and I am ready to go. I wish I could say I have a perfect record, but believe me there are days when not even I can get out of bed in the morning. That is ok. I try to stick to my rules as often as I can.
The kids are pretty self-sufficient in the morning. Nicolas gets dressed, brushes his teeth, and makes his bed. Olivia sits and watches Barney. I am usually making lunch and breakfast. I don't call the kids to the table until everything is ready, and I can walk away to tend to my own morning ritual. The kids know that I decide what is for breakfast, and that they eat what they get, or they will go hungry until lunch. I do know what they like, so I always try to make them something that they both enjoy. I won't make them each a separate meal because that is teaching them that they always get what they want. If they choose to be a picky eater........well that is another topic completely. I used to have one, and I quickly dealt with it, and since then he is more willing to try everything.
I also found a way to solicit the help of the kids to clean up. On Saturday, we planned a beach day, a trip to the bookstore and the grocery store. However, the house was a mess, and I was not willing to come home to that mess. I mean seriously, when it is finally time for me to relax, I don't want to be surrounded by clothing, shoes, toys and whatever else the kids have decided to dump. So instead of leaving early in the morning, I told them that the house had to be cleaned first. Nicolas is not a problem anymore, but it took two time-outs for me to get Olivia to see the light. I just put her in her room, and told her that she could not come out until her things were picked up. I got them both to clean up the playroom, and their own rooms. Once they were finished I gave them each individual little jobs to do around the house. Nicolas took out the garbage. Olivia cleaned the back glass door. Little things, that I would have done, but could easily be done by both of them. We did not leave until after lunch, but the house was perfectly clean, and two loads of laundry were done, and I knew that I would be able to come home in the evening and relax in a nice and clean environment. As it should be.
Third, I took care of business. All too often, we would prefer to be writing someone in Facebook or texting a friend before we clean. Seriously, I would much rather hide out in my sewing room. However, the important stuff does not go away. As a matter of fact, as time goes by, the anxiety rises, and the important stuff is still sitting there waiting to be accomplished. If you choose not to clean your house, give it a week, and you have twice the mess to clean up. A lot of times, I would prefer to do the entire 10 loads of laundry instead of battling one a night. That is me. However, it is not the smart way to do business, it is just my way. The change has to happen in us first. Yes, we all know the sayings "No work, no play!" "No pain, no gain". If I am stressed out on Monday, because my car light is bright red and long overdue for an inspection, how do you think I feel three weeks later. And wouldn't you know it, when I have no choice but to the get car fixed, I also have 20 other things that I have to attend to? Of course. Get the important things done. First things first. Forget the shopping, forget the kids field trip, the bills have to be paid, otherwise you may be looking at a bigger mess.
Fourth, keep a list. A grocery list, a to-do list, and a wish list. I keep everything in my iphone which syncs with my computer, so when I am on the phone I can just look at my week and know what I need to do, and whether or not I can find time for anything else. A list just helps make things easier. I usually update my lists at night before I go to bed. My iphone has an APP for my grocery lists, which is great, because I always have it with me, and can remember things I would usually forget.
Fifth, learn to say no. I love going on playmates with the kids. This usually means I get to talk to an adult for a little while, and the kids get to enjoy themselves with other kids. A perfect solution. However, too much of a good thing isn't always what is best for you. Last week I had to turn several things down in order to get done what really needed to get done. In the end it was worth it. I can't have my cake and eat it too.
Lastly, I had to learn to go to bed early. That is not an easy thing for me. Remember, I am both mom and dad. So I my evenings are pretty stressful, and when I finally get to say Aaaaaah, the kids are asleep, I also have to put away the dinner dishes, close up the house, clean up the bathtub, and so on. I usually don't get to relax until about 8:30pm. However, I made it a point to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, and that makes my life so much easier. The one night I did not do it last week, was the one day when I needed to feel my best, and I was at my worst. So, lesson learned. Going to bed earlier just means that I had to rethink my evening workflow. I was feeding the kids dinner at 6, which meant that bathtime was at 6:30 and bedtime reading was at 7. If things did not go according to plan, the kids were late in getting to bed, and I was getting grumpier by the minute. Now I cook an hour earlier, and that gives me some time to clean up the kitchen with the kids before we get into the bath. The kids are still in bed at 7, but my kitchen is clean, and I don't have so much to do at night, which means I have more time to relax. Yes, the kids go to bed at the same time every night. No matter what. We always read for about 1/2 hour, and sometimes sing some songs, but lights are always out at 7:30. That does not always mean that they are sleeping at 8, but they have a routine and structure, so I never have problems there. The problem is me.
I love the fact that last week was such a breeze. It really shows me that not the kids, or the house, or the responsibility was the problem, but that I was the problem. I am the one who decides on my fate, and the end result. I make our life easier and maintainable. All I needed to do was view the whole thing differently, and by golly it got a lot easier. That made me feel really good. No, it made me very happy. Everyone needs structure, not just our kids. Sticking to a schedule during certain days and times of the week was really not that hard. You just have to want it.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Mommy all the way....all day.....right to the end.
What do you get when you combine two little girls, cupcakes, and lots of toys...........well of course lots of giggles.
Our poor little friend was diagnosed with pneumonia and a double ear infection a few days ago, so she was not willing to smile as much as I wanted. Olivia however, was happy to be with her "best friend"! By the way, she is talking to "daddy" on the phone, and we also called Avery's mom.
Oh my afternoon got even better, I babysat the brother for the afternoon, while mommy took Avery to the doctor yet again. Garrett is actually Nicolas' best friend. Now you know the whole story. Believe me the kids fell into bed tonight, and Olivia fell asleep in the car, once we surprised them with a trip to Baskin Robbins. It was a well deserved caloric intake! The kids were more then excited to look at the fireman and firetruck.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Way too many things going on here....
Oh the sweetness of summer. The kids never get enough watermelon. The bigger the slice the happier the faces.
This week is going to be a wild one for me. Today I sat at the Honda dealership for two hours waiting to get the car fixed. A pure pleasure. However, it does always give me the time to read, and since they have a huge 50" Flat screen TV, I was also updated on the news. Most of it seemed shocking to me. However, yes I did spend an hour reading a great book. Really great info regarding photographing children, and some beautiful photos to see. I am thoroughly enjoying this read.
Once that was done, I swung by Joann's to pick up some fabric that I needed. Well, actually I bought some more of that blue and white print to make a top for my niece. Her birthday is coming soon, so I wanted to make her some cute outfits. In the process I found this.
Did you know that JA carries Ralph Lauren Home Decorating fabrics? This is the perfect denim weight, and it does not wrinkle, so I cannot wait to make a pair of pants out of this or maybe a skirt for Olivia.
I needed white denim for my nieces outfit, and found this lovely flower fabric. Combined with my orange and white polka dot fabric, this will be cute.
If there is one meal I skip each day it is lunch. Why? Because I can never think of anything good to eat. This book was $5 at checkout. Marked down, and the recipes look delicious.
So tomorrow I am babysitting the two girls on the photo I posted yesterday. I am either going to take them to the bookstore, or I will take a bikeride with both of them. Whatever we do, it will be fun. In the meantime, my friend will get to spend the morning with her son, and maybe get an hour to herself (much needed). Just like me, her husband is off working in another state, and unlike me her daughter only goes to daycare twice a week. So she has her hands full. Thursday I have another appointment. Friday I have a field trip with my son's school. Busy, busy, busy. However Saturday...if everything goes well, we will head to the beach and have a FUN day.
Oh, I almost forgot. I finished these pants tonight. Another fabric from JA that I bought last year. However, I saw it again today. I used the same japanese pants pattern that I used here (http://kinderkouture.blogspot.com/2010/04/ottobre-and-japanese-pants.html). Perfect fit, and I love the length. I think it is time for a haircut. I just don't like the long hair on her.
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