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home decor 2
09.26.11

Picture frame re-do!

Can I just say that I am SO excited good shows are back on TV!?  I stayed up way too late tonight catching up on some of my favorites.  Just when I didn’t think I could handle one more movie picked out by my movie obsessed husband (who thinks that Armageddon should have been up for an Oscar) my shows start up again and come to my rescue!  Oh how I’ve missed them.  Anyway, just popping in to share the way I updated a few frames.  A while ago I shared my kitchen shelf re-do and since then have been trying to lighten up a few other things in my house.

These black frames, like so much of my house, have been feeling a bit dark.  

So I painted them yellow.  A nice happy yellow.  
And then I used some sandpaper to distress them a bit.

Here are the frames BEFORE.  Black frames, cream ribbon, dark pictures from our Italy trip.  Nothing wrong with this look, just not the direction I’m going right now with my home decor.

And here they are AFTER!  The yellow brightened things up a bit.  I also changed the ribbon to match the aqua wall in my kitchen.  And of course, added the pumpkin patch pictures of my little stud.  I’m going to start changing these pics each season.  
But for now I am loving walking into my dining room and seeing my little man at the Patch.  :)
A lighter, brighter, happier look!  It also coordinates great with my Fall mantel.  
Which I’ll have to share tomorrow.  
Because tonight I stayed up watching TV way too late to blog any further.
Did I already mention that?
:)
xoxo, Erin
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fashion2
09.23.11

Fashion Friday

The comments after yesterday’s post were so sweet.  They made me want to shout “non-cookers unite!”  Which makes me smile because it reminds me of when I quit teaching school to stay home with Ellie.  I was so burned out and exhausted at the end of each day.  Kenny would walk in the door from work and I’d go on and on about how hard it was staying home with a baby.  He took me as seriously as he always does and would throw his arms up in the air and yell “Housewives unite!”  (Which didn’t even make sense.)  Then he’d laugh hysterically at himself and I’d do my best to NOT smile or laugh or make any indication that I was even slightly amused.  I must have been slightly amused though because I can’t even think about that now without smiling. 
(Don’t tell Kenny)  
Anyway!  On to the clothes!  This was a bit of a boring fashion week and several days I forgot to take pictures.  But I’ll show you what I’ve got!
This shirt I actually wore last week.  I like the sleeves and cinched waist.  Bought it from Forever 21 and I always wear it with a black top underneath because it is so short.  

Wore it with my light colored Sevens.  I love the pocket on this pair.  I love the pockets on all of my Seven jeans.  Have I mentioned that I love Sevens?  

On our way to ballet!  Addie said “mom, why are you taking a picture of the mirror!?”  We had a nice little science/photography/fashion lesson.  If you want to call it that.  :)
I bought a new dress this week!  At TJ Maxx of all places!  I was hunting for more white pitchers there (kind of obsessed with them lately) and passed by this dress (for only 20 bucks!) on my way out of the store.  I had Kole with me and he was so past ready for a nap.  I knew I didn’t have time to try it on.  
But I love navy and I loved the fun collar and of course you know I loved the belt.  So I bought it without trying it on even though my number one rule with clothes is to ALWAYS try them on.     

And of course I got home and tried it on and I can’t decide if I like it!?  It’s a gunny sack dress and the belt sits high on my waist and while I do think it’s different and fun, I’m not sure if it’s very flattering on me.  

But trying it on did make me excited to start wearing my favorite tall black boots again!  Verdict is still out.  I may return it.  And buy more white pitchers instead.

 Wore another top from Forever 21 that I’ve had forever.  Since I was 21.
(no, I’m never going to get tired of that one.)  

I usually wear this sweater shirt with my long white shorts from The Limited.  These shorts are super cute as long as I wear a sandal with some kind of heel.   They do NOT work with flip flops or flats.  Funny how shoes change the look from classy to matronly.  Don’t underestimate the power of the right pair of shoes!! 
 
Or the power of a good reading buddy.  
Or the power of a good reading buddy in similar stripes.  This boy is by far and away my hottest fashion accessory this season.  He makes every outfit look good.  :)

Another favorite top.  This shirt is from Old Navy and I’ve had it for years!  I’m surprised at how well it has held up.  
 Wore it with my Citizens and wedges.  I will never get rid of this purple shirt and I’ll tell you why…

This is me and my purple shirt in Venice, Italy 2007.  (Went a little crazy with the curling iron on that trip.)  Kenny and I spent 10 days in Italy to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.  I bought this purple shirt for the trip.  Ellie was three years old and Addison was only one and I was SO stressed about leaving the girls for that long!  I was also nervous about leaving the country. What if something happened and we couldn’t get back to them!?  What if we died on the plane!?  What if they were so sad and heartbroken without me!?  I was a nervous wreak for months leading up to the trip and for the whole plane ride there.  We arrived late at night and I woke up the next morning feeling so much better.  And we were in Venice, Italy!!!  And my mom called and said the girls were fine!  Hadn’t even noticed we were gone!  And I put on my new purple shirt (that felt very Venice-like to me) and we spent the whole day exploring the most beautiful city I have ever seen.  And it was just the two of us!  And I felt like I had been shot out of a cannon with no one to take care of but myself!  And we were suddenly like newlyweds again!  Laughing and holding hands.  It was a magical day.  In a magical city.  Wearing my magical purple shirt.  The whole trip was just… magical.  So I have happy memories every time I wear this shirt and will never get rid of it.

Man.  I could sure use a little Italy right about now.  But a weekend will have to do!  
Hope yours is magical.  
:)

**Linking up at The Pleated Poppy

xoxo, Erin
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Food and Cooking...or lack thereof
09.22.11

Questions answered

You are all too kind!  Really.  Some of the sweetest comments yesterday!  On a post about my fridge of all things!  Seriously, I had a long day with my kiddos yesterday and I can’t even tell you how much your sweet comments cheered me up last night.  I was too tired to post so I just read my comments a few times and then went to bed with a smile on my face.  :)   Because several of you asked some really good questions after my organized fridge post I thought I’d answer them on the blog for anyone else who may be interested.   
So basically what I’m saying is that I’m rambling and I’m about to ramble some more.

{A few questions and answers}  

“Hi Erin – I’ve been wondering with your not cooking much thing, what do your children and Kenny eat for dinners?  I’ve picked up from previous posts that you eat Lean Cuisine meals quite a lot and you feed the kids early before Kenny gets home?…”


K.  I get this question a lot.  It makes me laugh.  Because it’s a really good question!  What does that crazy lady who hates cooking feed her family!?  :)  Well.  I’m going to be totally honest with you.  BRUTALLY honest.  And I am NOT saying this is what anyone else should do.  In fact, when it comes to food and cooking you should just do the opposite of whatever I’m doing!  But here’s what happens around here.  Kenny spends his lunch hour most days at really fancy restaurants wining and dining clients on the firm.  (Poor guy, right!?)  He eats a big meal for lunch so he never wants to eat a big meal for dinner (Kenny and I both try to stay healthy and maintain our weight).  So most nights, he actually prefers that I don’t cook a big meal (true story).  He usually comes home from work late, reads to the girls and tucks them in bed and then eats something simple like a bowl of oatmeal or cereal with yogurt.  That’s when I have my Lean Cuisine and some salad.  I like to eat later when he’s home so I can actually enjoy my meal and visit with my husband.  (Dinner time with my kids at the stage we are in is NOT enjoyable – I’m too busy serving everyone, cleaning up all of the food Kole has thrown across the kitchen, and forcing the girls eat their veggies.  No time to even think about eating myself!)  I feed my kids around 5:30 because they all go to bed at 7:00.  My girls are picky eaters so we have several simple meals I make them.  They probably aren’t the healthiest and I’m sure I could be feeding them a better variety, but it is what it is right now.  I’m doing the best I can to survive most days with Kole and food is NOT my strong suit.  Here is what I often throw together for the kiddos:

– Cheese tortilla (Quesidila)
– Pasta (sometimes with a little Prego sauce, sometimes with just a little butter)
– Spaghetti (pretty similar! – noodles and sauce)
– Ramen noodles
– Mac & Cheese
– Pizza (we usually order pizza on Friday nights)
– a variety of little snack foods (some turkey, apple, cheese, broccoli, etc. – they like to eat this meal with toothpicks :)
– dinosaur chicken nuggets, strawberries and corn on the cob (a favorite)
– grilled cheese sandwiches
– waffles
– Eating Right Chicken Chow Mein

Like I said, not always the healthiest.  But I do always add a fruit and vegetable.  Mostly to ease my guilt for not cooking a big healthy meal!

I was wondering what your family eats??  I’m all for fast easy dinners if you have suggestions!


Despite the fact that I despise cooking, I do realize that I’m the mom and a big part of my “mom role” is to feed my family.  So I do try to cook.  I cook a real meal at least once a week.  Sometimes twice if I’m feeling especially domestic!  I’ve posted recipes of several of the meals I turn to when I’m feeling like I really should cook something.  These are all simple and fast and pretty kid friendly!

Mexican Chalupas
Pepperoni Pasta
Cashew Chicken
Fajitas
Tri Color Pasta
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas (I found the recipe for the Enchiladas I recently posted about!)

I have a few more staples and I’m sure I’ll get around to posting them at some point!

You should do a post on what you pack in the girls’ lunches!  I have the hardest time figuring out what to pack for my kiddos!


This is a great idea!!  For somebody else to post about!  ;)  I struggle with this too.  Here are a few things I often pack for my girls lunches but it is nothing special and I’m always looking for new ideas.

– bread & turkey (they like them separate, not together like a sandwich)
– pasta (just like at dinner – with some sauce or plain with a little butter)
– always a fruit (I rotate apple slices, grapes, peaches, a nectarine, or strawberries)
– always a veggie (usually carrot sticks, celery sticks or sugar snap peas)
– yogurt
– string cheese
– jello
– some type of cracker or pretzels
– ice water
– princess fruit snacks  :)

Most days I add a note on a napkin with little drawings.  My girls love the drawings!

“I LOVE the idea of prepping everything as soon as you get it home!!  May I ask how long do most things keep when you prep them?  Also after you rinse them do you dry them before storing them in the fridge?  I know that sounds like a simple question but I have never done this!”


I think that is a great question!  I don’t dry the food.  I just rinse everything off really good in a drainer and then toss it in some Gladware.  It stays pretty fresh and keeps for most of the week.  I don’t know exactly how long because we usually eat it all within three or four days and I’m back to the store for more!

“I love that you seem to have learned to embrace the “not cooking” part of you instead of apologizing for it.  There are so many things we can have mommy guilt for and think we need to be perfect.  It’s always refreshing when people show they don’t do everything and are ok with it, and just excel at what they do well at.”


That was a obviously a comment, not a question, but I included it because I loved it so much (thanks Marianne!).  And because I think that is such an important thing to remember.  We all have strengths and weaknesses.  Focusing on the things you are doing great as a mom is always more productive than worrying about what you aren’t doing.  I don’t excel in the food department and I’ve always made that clear.  It’s something that I don’t enjoy and quite frankly am not very good at.  And that’s ok!  I can organize my food like no one’s business!  ;)    My girls may not eat a wide variety of home cooked meals, but they feel my love in other ways.  And at the end of the day, that’s what matters, isn’t it?  That our kids know how loved they are.  Thanks Marianne for reminding us all how important it is to not feel like we need to be perfect.  Trying hard to do our best is good enough.

SO SORRY that this post turned out to be a book.  I was totally out of my element so I don’t know if this was at all helpful to anyone.  Crossing my fingers that your next questions will be about Container store products or Project Life solutions!  ;)

xoxo, Erin
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organization2
09.20.11

Organized fridge

Sharing a few pics of the inside of my fridge!  Kind of crazy, right?  People who read my blog get to know me up close and personal.  You not only learn about every little thing my family is up to, but also get detailed pics inside every drawer and cupboard in my house.  Might as well take a peek in the fridge and see what we’re eating this week!  :)  My fridge is a bit on the small side so it’s really important that  I make good use of the space I have or we run out of room real quick.  I manage to keep it pretty organized by doing a mini clean-out every time I get groceries.  And since I’m NOT so great at meal planning, I end up making a quick grocery run about every other day.  Hence, the always clean and organized fridge.  

I use basic Gladware to store our food and leftovers (bought them all at Target last year).  They come in so many sizes that I can always find exactly what I need.  Plus they stack so neatly.  Plus they’re plastic – not glass.  We don’t do glass in this house.  And I’m not just talking about keeping things unbreakable because of the kiddos.  I am a total klutz and have been know to break a glass bowl or two…or twenty.  

Some leftover pizza, chicken (I used in the enchiladas), Coke Zero because my husband is addicted even though he swears he isn’t…. our usual.  Now I’m going to quote myself from a previous post I wrote on Healthy Eating that explains the prepped produce in the fridge —

“I’ve found that the secret for me to stay on track with food is to prep everything as soon as I get home from the grocery store.  If I wash and cut up the produce, wash the lettuce and make some salads it is much easier for me to grab something healthy when I’m hungry and in a hurry.  If I don’t get things ready to go, I just grab whatever is convenient (usually not healthy) because I don’t want to take the time to prepare food.”  (That was cool – never quoted myself before.  I was just too lazy to type something I knew I’d already written…)  But it’s true.  If I have the healthy food ready to go, I’ll eat it.  If not, I grab junk.  I know this about myself so I try really hard to wash and cut everything and put it in these Glad containers as soon as I get home from the store.  Plus it makes it easier to grab a healthy snack for the kids after school and to get lunches ready in the morning.  

 I also wash some lettuce and throw a few things together so I can have a salad ready quickly.  You all know I eat my summer salad A LOT.

Top drawer holds our cheese, tortillas and my beloved peppered turkey.  Which I also eat A LOT.  I eat the same things over and over.  I’m kind of boring that way.  I forgot to take a picture of the drawer below this.  Holds bigger items like corn on the cob, green peppers, cucumbers, etc.  
 Water bottles are on on the top door shelf!

The girls and I drink a lot of water.  A LOT.  I’m typing that word A LOT, aren’t I.  If you’ve ever been a guest in my home you know that the first thing I do is get out my labels and assign you a water bottle.  Then I give you a hug and say welcome!  But water bottles come first.  ;)  I write our names on them and we re-fill them all week and then start again with new bottles with our names on them the next week.  I started this because I always had water bottles for me and my girls were always drinking them.  So I gave them their own and now we use these for every meal and snack.  It’s so much easier than dirtying cups right and left.   Plus my little dishwasher (see previous post) can’t keep up with that many dishes.  He is only 17 months old you know.

I’m out of mustard.  Sorry.  Just realized that looking at this picture.  Crap.  And I HAVE to have mustard on my turkey sandwich for lunch tomorrow.  Guess we’re getting groceries in the morning….again.  I know it doesn’t look like I have much here because I don’t!  I only keep what we use/eat.  You will never see anything expire in this fridge!  

Especially not what’s waiting for me on the bottom shelf.  Looks like homemade cookie time!  Erin style.

:)

xoxo, Erin
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Ramblings
09.19.11

Weekend Recap

This weekend was great.  Productive and fun.  My favorite kind!  

Saturday afternoon/evening we joined friends for a cookout on the beach.  Addison became a skilled hot dog roaster and a good time was had by all.  The next few pics I snapped while we were walking to our car…

These pictures don’t even come close to showing what a beautiful evening it was.  Probably because Kole was on my hip while I took them.  And we were walking.  And I didn’t even adjust my camera settings.  But still.  One of the prettiest San Diego sunsets I have ever seen.  Such a fun evening with good friends.  

Cut my hair Saturday too!  It’s still long enough to curl but short enough to look better straight.  I came SO close to cutting it to my shoulders and then chickened out.  Maybe next time!  
This weekend I harnessed my inner domestic goddess!  Not only did I make a fun salad to take to the beach party, but I also made banana bread muffins AND chicken enchiladas.  

Same enchiladas from this post.  I’ll have to share the recipe sometime because they are GOOD.  But seriously, let’s just celebrate for a minute that I cooked twice in one day!  That’s more than I do most weeks!  The weather was cool.  Football was on.  My pumpkin spice candle was burning.  Everything felt and smelled so deliciously Fall.

  And the best part is that I’ve trained my little sidekick to do the dishes. 
I also did a little painting!  Primed and ready for color.  

While I painted my girls created their own masterpieces.  Lots of other to-do’s were checked off the list   including a few areas I’ve wanted to organize for a while now.  Like I said, a great mix of productive and fun!

How was your weekend?
xoxo, Erin
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fashion2
09.16.11

Fashion Friday!

YEA!!  I made it to the weekend!  This has been a HARD week.  I’m not going to lie.  Hard and long.  Thankfully Kole and I are feeling much better.  Don’t underestimate the common cold!  That’s all I have to say.  Feels a little funny doing a Fashion Friday post since I spent half of the week in my sweats and a pony tail (darn!  didn’t get a picture of that! ;)  But I do have some outfits to share from the week or so before when I didn’t have a box of tissues in one hand and a runny nosed baby in the other.

This top was from Forever 21 and I seriously think I’ve had it forever — since I was 21.  Wait!  I still am 21!  (I’m only amusing myself here, aren’t I.)  It was so cheap (maybe 15 bucks?) and it has been one of my favorite summer tops.

I love the decal on the top…
and the way it cinches at the bottom.  I hesitated to share this picture for a couple of reasons.  First because I’m standing like a dork (I never know how to pose for these pictures!) AND because I am doing an absolute fashion DON’T.  Capris aren’t good for someone as short as me and especially with shoes that have a strap at the ankle.  Totally cuts you off and makes you look shorter/wider.  BUT — it was hot and my capris are comfy and so are these wedges so I broke a cardinal rule and wore it anyway.  Oh well.  I lived and nobody cared.  :)  (Capris are Joes from Nordstrom if anyone wants to buy some and break a few rules with me.)
This picture is blurry and has nothing to do with anything, but isn’t my boy getting big!?  We were dancing.  We dance together often.  Love that little man.  I’m so happy he is feeling better!!
Another cheap top from Forever 21 that I’ve had for a while.

It looks better with jeans, but like I said, we were having a hot week so it was my True Religion shorts to the rescue…again.

These shoes are from Nordstrom Rack and are great slip on and go summer staples of mine. 

Weekend date night outfit!  Anthro belt again.  If I do enough of these posts you’ll start seeing the same things over and over and over…  Guess what was so cool?  The night I wore this we went to dinner with some good friends to a Mexican restaurant.  While we were eating this beautiful blond college-aged girl came over and was so excited to see me.  It took me a minute to realize who she was and then it hit me.  I taught her in 5th grade the year before I had Ellie!  I could. have. died!!!  My sweet, shy 5th grader was all grown up!  Talk about feeling old.  She couldn’t believe I had three kids and I couldn’t believe she was done with High School.  We reminisced a bit about our time together and I got caught up on what my other cute students were up to.  It was so fun seeing her again.  But it made me feel really really old.  Happy, but old.  Old and happy.  That’s me.  
Back to the clothes!  I also wore this necklace I adore from this giveaway I did a while back.  

These Seven jeans are one of my favorite pairs.  They were my first pair of designer jeans and I’ve had them for about 5 years now.  I think Kenny bought them for me for Valentines Day if I remember right.  They worked their magic and I felt better about my thighs/booty than I had in years.  This pair started a jean obsession that I doubt will ever end.  If Kenny only knew then what he knows now, he would have given me roses and a box of chocolates.  
Full outfit.  Ignore my dark roots.  I’m getting my hair done this Saturday.  

Dress I wore to church a couple of Sundays ago.  I tend to stick to solid colors and don’t buy patterns much so whenever I wear this dress I feel proud of myself for breaking out of my solid color rut.  

And my girls on their way to church.  I adore them in these polka dot dresses.  
Remember this sweater from DownEast?  

Wore it to dinner a different Sat. night with some other good friends.  

Same favorite sevens and wedges.
I like Kenny in this yellow shirt and begged him to pose with me in the bathroom mirror for Fashion Friday.  He gave me a lovely look, said absolutely not and took off downstairs.  But he did agree to let our babysitter snap a pic of us before we headed out the door.  I don’t care for the way I look so posed in this picture (exactly what was I doing with my hand on his stomach?) but I do like that yellow shirt.  And that’s what matters, right?  All for the sake of fashion.  
:)
Have a great weekend everyone!
xoxo, Erin
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Family
09.15.11

My first family photo shoot

Last time I was visiting my little oasis (a.k.a my mom’s house in Utah) my cute sister-in-law Dayna called and asked me if I’d take some family pictures for her.  K.  I am so NOT a professional photographer nor do I have ANY skills at taking family portraits.  And I basically told her uh…no.  And to quote my husband “but I’m not mad you asked.”  (Which by the way is one of the most annoying things my husband says.  Especially since he gets such a kick out of himself every time he says it.)  Moving on.  So I said no and Dayna said please and I said no again and Dayna said please again and at some point I finally caved.  But I gave her full disclosure that I didn’t know what I was doing and the pics may turn out looking worse than bad.  Well – a lot of them did turn out worse than bad…but a few turned out ok.  So I thought I’d share them tonight.  You know.  Just so Dayna thinks twice before convincing me to do this again.  ;)  (love you Dayna)

And here’s the happy couple now.  My little bro Austin and his beautiful and incredibly persuasive wife Dayna.  I have to admit that my parent’s back yard does make for a beautiful backdrop for pictures.  It was so funny because Dayna’s family would ask me questions like “Where should we stand?”  “Where is the best light?”  And I was thinking “I don’t know!  Your guess is as good as mine!”  Ha!  I totally just pretended like I knew what I was doing.

And here they are with their adorable baby (Kole’s partner in crime) Drew.  I’m so impressed with this picture.  Getting Drewski to hold still and smile for a picture was quite the feat.  I snapped about 20 pics of them in this pose and prayed for a miracle!  We lucked out with this one shot. 

A couple of shots of the girls in the family – Dayna’s mom, sister, sister in-laws, and nieces.  How adorable are her little nieces…and their dresses!?  

And how cool is this sun in the background!?  K – maybe I really am a professional and I just didn’t know it!!  Or maybe the sun just happened to be peeking through the trees at the perfect moment in time and it had nothing to do with me…  Nah…totally planned!

 Here we have a traditional family shot.  
And here we have a not so traditional family shot.  Aren’t these mustaches fun!?  Dayna made them all with some black felt and sticks.  We had quite a fun afternoon together at my mom’s.  She made the mustaches while I cleaned out my mom’s pantry.  :)

But the prop queen didn’t stop there!  She also brought along this frame she painted blue for a few photos.  SO fun, isn’t it!?  Such a cute idea to mix up family photos and make things a little more interesting.

This picture is my favorite because it is so “them.”  Austin is always cracking jokes and goofing around and Dayna is always giving him this look.

 They are an adorable couple and I’m proud to claim them as my own!  Most of the time.  

We tried to get a picture with Drew in the frame but it just wasn’t happening.  I took a whole lot of pictures very similar to this one.  Oh… this picture makes me dread family pictures with my own firecracker this year!  Maybe I’ll just get a picture of me and Kenny with the girls and then photoshop Kole in… hmmm….  I am a professional now you know.  
:)

To thank me for the photoshoot Dayna made me this delicious fruit pizza.  Homemade mustaches and fruit pizzas!?  I’ve been calling her Martha ever since.  

And since I’m talking about my little bro. I wanted to mention the archery business he is just starting.    My dad is the president of a college but when I was growing up he also owned an archery shop on the side.  Archery/bowhunting is his passion and I grew up helping my dad in his shop on Saturdays.  I may have picked up a thing or two myself!  (That’s right – you don’t want to mess with me.)  And my brother definitely picked up a thing or two.  He’s even more obsessed with archery than my dad (if that’s possible) and he just started a business called ATS Outdoors.  So if you or anyone you know is interested in archery, check out his site and I promise he’ll take good care of you!  Or at least “like” him on facebook to help him get things up and running.  I love my little bro. and would really appreciate it!

Oh and Austin…you can show your appreciation for the shout out with my Christmas present this year.  I’m thinking boots….Nordstrom boots….I can send you a link if you need some guidance.  I’m super nice that way.

:)
xoxo, Erin
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Blogging
09.14.11

No sleep and a new header

Things have felt a little crazy around here the past few days with both mom and baby being sick.  Kole is completely sleep deprived – which of course means I too am completely sleep deprived.  Reminds me again of exactly why I struggled so much when my babies were newborns.  Sleep is key to being able to juggle life with my three busy monkeys!  Kole is on a lot of medication (his cold went straight to his lungs) and is doing breathing treatments every few hours so hopefully he’ll start to feel better soon.  The only upside to him feeling down and out is that he is awfully cuddly.  I have to admit that I have loved snuggling him and rocking him at night – even though I pay for it in the morning.  I’m actually feeling a little better and am crossing my fingers that I can get some sleep tonight and wake up feeling like a new woman tomorrow!  As it turns out, organizing was only a temporary upper so we need a serious cure for the common cold.  Get on that people.  I know I have a lot of smart readers out there.  
At this very moment, Kenny is watching some show starring Bruce Willis and is spewing Armageddon references right and left … “Harry doesn’t know how to fail!”  I had to do something to tune out both Kenny and Bruce so I finished my new fall header and changed a few things on my sidebar.  I just love putting up a new fall header!  Makes me so excited for this season.  Here are a couple of past fall headers I stumbled on…
{2009}

{2010}
{2011}
My headers can’t be quite as big as they used to because of the Blogher ad placements.  Still, I love going through our fall pictures.  They make me miss living in Virginia!  In other blog news, I also changed my blog url to www.thesunnysideupblog.com.  You can still get here by typing my old url -www.kennyanderin.blogspot.com.  Either one works!  
Well – that’s it for me – I’m off to bed.  Wish me luck.  :)
xoxo, Erin
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organization2
09.12.11

Organized medicine/spice cupboard

I’m sick.  I have a cold.  Kole and Addison have had a cold for a few days and this morning when I woke up and my throat was on fire I knew it was my turn.  I went to my medicine/spice cupboard for a cough drop and this is what I found…

Yikes!  How did that get so out of control!?  Organizing my cupboard suddenly seemed much more appealing than taking a cough drop.  Not that I could have found one in there anyway.  
So that’s just what I did.  And seeing my cupboard look like this actually made my throat feel better.       
 True story.  
Random baking supplies on the top shelf. 

On the bottom shelf I put one of my recent Container Store purchases to good use.  I bought this little stacker to help corral my spices and make them easier to reach.  Not that I reach for them all that often… but still.  They appear easier to reach.  

And the middle cupboard holds medicine.  I got rid of a lot of stuff that had expired.  Then I placed our most often used items in the front.  Allergy meds and barbie band-aids for the littles.  Ibuprofen for me… because of the littles.

So the next time you’re sick, instead of taking some medicine, try organizing it instead.  It might be just what the doctor ordered.  Was for me.  :)
True story.    
xoxo, Erin
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fashion2
09.09.11

The lights went out

Hi friends!  You may have heard we had a major power outage yesterday in our neck of the woods.  The lights went out around 3:00 in the afternoon and stayed out for the rest of the night.  We felt pretty prepared – a radio, extra batteries, flashlights, lots of food and thanks to my love of decorating with candle holders….

{Valentine mantel}

{Spring decor}

we had plenty of light!  Once we knew everything was ok and the power would eventually be turned back on, it was actually kind of fun!  The kids loved going to bed with candlelight and the whole house felt so cozy.  Kenny and I ate ice cream for dinner.  So funny because there were several healthier options in our fridge that would have been better to eat but our thinking was “SAVE THE ICE CREAM!”   TV and Internet were down so we actually enjoyed a nice evening just visiting together.  Imagine that!  :)  Power came back on in the middle of the night but schools were already canceled so I’m home with all three kiddos right now and pretty sure that a trip to the park is in our near future.

The only bummer was that Kenny was SO excited for the first football game of the season last night and obviously had to miss it.  So for today’s rendition of Fashion Friday here we are modeling our Charger gear…

(Dedicated to you babe – we will be in full on football mode before you know it!)  For a little more fashion fun, you can also picture us in our pajamas since we seem to be in no hurry to get out of them this morning.    
Have a good weekend everyone!  I’m off to turn on my dishwasher.  I was fine with no TV, computer and lights, but not being able to turn on my dishwasher yesterday was driving me crazy!  I almost had to hand wash some dishes.  Oh the horror!   
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Ellie and Addison
09.08.11

A secret weapon and kiddo catch-up

I have a secret weapon.  A weapon I’ve used with all three of my babies/toddlers.  A weapon that ensures I’ll have at least one small moment of peace during each BUSY day.  A weapon that causes even my Kole (busiest of all babies) to STOP dead in his tracks.

EXHIBIT A (incredibly active baby stopped dead in his tracks):

EXHIBIT B (incredibly active baby still stopped dead in his tracks):

So without further delay I present my secret weapon…

Mommy & Me Playgroup favorites.  This little movie is worth all the gold in the world to me.  I got it free with a toy I bought for Ellie when she was 9 months old.  In a desperate attempt to cheer her up one day I turned it on and it was like MAGIC.  She froze, glued to the TV.  Before long she was smiling, clapping and dancing to the music.  It was her favorite little show and she loved it for years.  So did Addison. 
And now?  It is saving me with Kole.  It’s a really cheesy movie with bright colors and parents dancing with their babies.  If I turn it on when my girls are home, they are still glued to the TV!  And they are now 7 and 5.  I’m telling you – if you have a baby or toddler and are looking for 30 minutes of peace each day (or more since it has a “repeat play” option…not that I’ve ever used it…) this is what you need!  I’ve shown my toddlers Baby Einstein movies and a variety of others, but they haven’t enjoyed anything as much as this movie.  Buy it if you have a little one or know someone who does.  You will turn it on and think that I’m crazy.  But then you will witness your baby stop DEAD in his/her tracks and love the show and you will get a moment of peace and you will love me for it. You can order it here.  You are welcome.  And my favorite flowers are tulips.  
Moving along…
I took this picture of Addison last week on her way to Kindergarten and when I saw it on my computer it  looked so familiar!  Something about the way she crossed her legs tipped me off.  I searched through my picture folders back a couple of years and found this…
Isn’t that funny!  Ellie.  Second week of Kindergarten.

Same outfit, same time of year, same spot by the front door, same little pose with legs crossed, same hair style with a white bow.  I couldn’t have planned it better if I had tried!  Looking at these pictures really made it seem surreal to me that Addison is now in Kindergarten and Ellie is in 2nd grade.  That picture I took of Ellie feels like last week.  She is getting so big.  The other day she came home and I asked her if she had a good day.  She said “in a word mom, yes…although there was a technical difficulty.“  In a word?  Technical difficulty?  Is this how 2nd graders talk!?  Turns out the “technical difficulty” was that she lost a flower off of her new pink shoes.  A little super glue to the rescue.

The next morning as the girls were leaving with Kenny for school Ellie yelled out the car window “thanks for fixing my shoe mom!” and then Addie yelled “and thanks for getting born with me mom!”  I had to laugh.  Addison says this to me all the time.  Her way of thanking me for bringing her into this world.
(Anytime Addison, anytime….)

We started dance up again this week.  Addison in tap/ballet and Ellie is trying out a hip-hop (perfect for each of their personalities as you can see by the poses I got when I said “show me some moves!”).  They loved their first class.  Which is a good thing because if they’re going to star in So You Think You Can Dance season 2022 we’ve got some work to do.

Oh and about Kole….don’t believe for a second that my little dude is sitting around watching movies all day.  He spends plenty of time on the go.

In fact, guess who finally started walking this week!!!??  
WOOT WOOT!  You go little man. 
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Holidays
09.07.11

Fall Inspiration

It’s that time of year again!  Fall.  I’m so ready!  I’m ready for new episodes of Modern Family and The Good Wife, an excuse to wear boots everyday, and this year, I’m even ready for a little Charger football (knowing that without a doubt come December I will be so over and done with Charger football).  I’m also ready to spruce up my house and add a few Fall touches.  Here is a collage I made last year of my Fall decor…

which looks nothing like what I am working on for this Fall.  But it still makes me excited about the upcoming season!  I’ve been thinking about my Fall to-do list (similar to last years’ list) and I’ve been going through magazines and my holiday Pinterest board for other Fall inspiration.  Here are a few of my favorite ideas for this beloved season!

I love this wreath.  Especially since it has an E – clearly meant to represent me.  ;)

If you’ve read my blog for a while now, you know I make Pretzel Hugs every year for friends for Christmas, but how fun are these for Halloween?  Same treat but with a candy corn instead of an m&m.

FUN art project for my girls.  We’ll be doing something similar to this for sure this year.

I love the way the pumpkin is used as a base for these branches/bats.  So clever!  I also love the white pumpkins underneath.

Source: countryliving.com via Erin on Pinterest
I think Fall leaves make such beautiful decor and I love the way they are placed in simple clear vases for this table centerpiece.

Another simple centerpiece with mini pumpkins and branches.  These mini pumpkins remind me of my girls.  They love it when I buy a few for them to play with each year.  Perfect size for Polly Pockets and My Little Ponies to party on.  :)

This “turkey sandwich” stole my heart.  And that’s coming from a girl who knows a good turkey sandwich when she sees one!

Source: bhg.com via Erin on Pinterest
Adorable and simple Halloween treat.  I’m thinking these friendly ghosts would be fun for my girls to take to classmates for their Halloween parties at school.

And speaking of friendly ghosts… I love this idea so much!  I’ve totally been saving our milk cartons so we can make something similar for the yard this year.  Crossing my fingers I’ll find the time to get around to this.  If not, we’ll have a nice set of empty milk cartons cluttering up the garage for another year.  And you know how I feel about clutter…

I love this idea of stacking Halloween candy in a clear vase.  Fun and simple for a teacher/friend gift.  I think I’m going to have to do this at Easter – for myself.  So that I can eat Easter candy all. year. long.  Will Cadbury Eggs stack?

I think I must be obsessed with clothespins lately because I LOVE this.  I have the clothespins, now I just need to find some Fall leaves.  Think there will be any along the beach this year?  
And a few more Fall pictures that are some of my all time favorites.  My boy at the Patch last October…

I have a feeling this years’ photo shoot won’t go over quite as well….  :)
Love this time of year!
xoxo, Erin
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