SpRiNg is in the AiR!

The weather has been so amazing this week!  Even when it gets "chilly" it still feels so nice out!  We have been wearing shorts and capris, flip flops and sandals, and opening up the windows.  It has been great!

It's got me thinking about our backyard though.  It's bare.  Well.. there's a small little slide and a grill out there.  But other than that.. it's bare.  I would LOVE to get Kylee one of these wooden swing sets.  She loves climbing and sliding on things at the park and in the gym daycare.  I know she would be thrilled to have her own swing set.

While I love the prices of the plastic and metal ones.. we really want something that is going to look nice, stand up to the weather we get in Nebraska, and give us the best bang for our buck!  So I'm off to browse at some swing sets.  Hopefully we can liven up our backyard soon!

Our Life.. Running at this Time!

We have been so busy lately.  Sometimes I look at the clock and can't believe it's already the end of a day.  It feels like we just woke up to start our day.  But busy days make for adventurous and fun days! (Most of the time)

Ladies and gentlemen! (I'm just going to pretend both sexes read here for the moment) I have joined a gym! Yes.  My two feet walk me in the doors of the gym every other day.  Granted this is only my second week, but I am so pumped up about it!  I've been tackling the elliptical, bikes, and some different weight machines.  I've sweat more than I knew my body could.  But, I have to say.. it feels AMAZING! I know things can only go up from here when it comes to my health.

Kylee has also started going to the gym daycare. She LOVES it!  She loves it the best when me and my friend Missy work out.  Missy's son is one of Kylee's best friends so they get to hang out together in daycare.  It's all sorts of cute.

Kylee has also transitioned to her big girl bed. It's a queen bed and I was that awesome mom that didn't put a bed rail/gate thingy on the side.  Has she fallen out? Nope!  And I have to say.. she has done fantastic.  There are a few times that she's had a hard time settling down and we find her playing in her room instead of sleeping.  For the most part though, she has done great!  It makes me proud and sad at the same time.  It's such a blessing to get to watch someone grow before your eyes.

Healthy eating is going great for us as a family.  We've gotten rid of all the junk food and whatnot for 2 months now.  We eat out once a month for one meal.  It's nice to work hard and be able to reward yourself.  I've worked hard to lose these 18 pounds and a reward now and then helps in the motivation department.  (As well as the fact that I'm starting to see some results!)

Let's see.. what else?  Oh yes.  I've transitioned into working evenings pretty well.  It was hard at first, but each day got better.  (Except the other day when Kylee cried and begged me not to go.  It broke my heart.)  We're finally starting to get in a new groove and get a routine down in order to use all the time we get together wisely.  I don't want to waste a minute!  Especially as quickly as she seems to be growing and changing every day.

Two more months and I will be celebrating 4 YEARS with my stud.  I can't believe how time flies.  It  seems like yesterday I was batting my eyelashes and acting like the coolest person ever to catch his attention.  Now here we are.. almost four years later.  We've had our ups and downs.  But I couldn't imagine my life spent with anyone else.

So.. here is my attempt at catching you all up.  This is what happens when you don't blog for a month..
I really need to work on putting this into the "routine" because I do miss it.

Until next time..

Work in Progress

That's me!
A work in progress.
Being a mom? Work in progress.
Being a partner to one amazing man? Work in progress.
Being a housekeeper? Work in progress.
Keeping a social life while doing those things? WORK IN PROGRESS.

One thing I have gotten much better with this year.. (Obviously I'm not talking about blogging...*sigh*) is keeping up with the house!  I know, it's surprising to me too!  It's only taken me almost 4 years to get this house in order and not be buried in total chaos!

As I type this, my entire upstairs is spotless clean!  And our downstairs ... well it's cluttered with boxes that still need to be unpacked and put away.  No, we didn't just move in.  But we thought we were going to move at the end of last year, so I had tons of things packed away.  And yeah.. I still need to unpack a few more boxes.  Oh well...

I used to stress and put off doing laundry because there was always 8000 loads to do.. and I just didn't want to deal with it.  Well, I finally caught up with it and now I do a load every other day.  Stress about doing laundry? Gone!

I have to clean the kitchen every night. Have to.  I feel gross if my kitchen is dirty.  I mean.. there's food in there. Shouldn't that be the one room that is always clean?  And I've started making Kylee help clean up her toys after she uses them.  It resulted in major meltdowns in the beginning.. but now, most days, she will start cleaning up something after she uses it without me even asking.  It's awesome!

So now that  I've improved on my housekeeping skills, it's time to focus on improving my role in my family.  It's going to become a LOT easier because I am switching my work hours and I'm going to be a lot less tired every day.  Adios overnights! Hello evenings!  I'm really excited about this change and I know it's going to be a great change for my family.

2011 is my year of change.  And I am LOVING it! So while I continue to be a work in progress.. I know this is my year!

It's a No Go.. Thanks, Snow!

Yeah.  Snow sucks. It really really sucks.  I still can't believe I've lived in Nebraska my whole life.  I still complain about the Winter every.single.year!  And each year it seems to get worse and worse.  More snow. More freezing temps.  More blowing winds.  More days trapped inside.

Rewind a few years and being trapped inside the house wasn't a terrible thing at all.  It meant hot chocolate or coffee and a good book and lots of napping.  Now? With a toddler... HA!  You can only do so many art projects and play in the tent and read books so many times.  And going outside is fun.. until said toddler almost gets blown into a snow mound by said high winds.  Not to mention the fact that it takes as long to put her in her snow clothes as she plays outside.

Mother Nature also seems to use my social calendar as the basis for her weather making.  Days when I have nothing to do? Perfect weather. Days with plans? Schloads of snow!  In fact as I type this, I'm supposed to be going to my good friend Missy's 30th Birthday party in a few hours.  Guess what it's doing outside?  Sunshine and rainbows? Hell no!  It's snowing!!  Hard.  And it's very windy.  Surprising, I know.

We've missed out on play dates and  trips to fun places and hanging out with friends quite a few times already  this lovely season.  And it's only mid-January!  It's only been officially Winter for a month!

So.. until Spring decides to show it's face.. I'd really really really like to just hibernate with my family and sleep away this crappy, asstastic, frigid weather!  That would be great.

And Let it Begin..

Peace out 2010!  Welcome 2011!

I just want to go on the record here saying that it's been TWO months since I've last blogged.  That's insane.  I mean, I've never been the most consistent blogger, but this is just sad. Pitiful.  Ridiculous.

Life has strapped me in and taken me for a ride.  Days with a toddler fly by.  And to be honest, I try not to miss a moment.  So I really need to find a nice balance between life and blogging. (Isn't that what all the bloggers are saying these days?)  I've also taken on a volunteer position with my local MOM group.  It's been stressful. Chaotic. Demanding. And tons of fun!  I'm really enjoying it so far.  Work. Overnights. Four nights a week. So yeah.. life has been busy but fun!

2010 was pretty good to my family.  There was so drama and lots of stress.  But we always had a roof over our head, food in our belly, and love in our home.  So I really can't complain much.  We made new friends, reconnected with ones from our past.  Kylee has really developed into quite the little person.  She's so funny, smart, talented, and pretty darn adorable if I do say so myself.  Tim switched locations with his job and it's been a hard change on him, but something that was great for our family.  We were going to move at the end of the year, but now we are staying. (I'm so happy about that!) We were together with both of our families for the holidays and everyone had a good time.

2011 is looking to be wonderful for us!  A job change is in the future for me.  Our very first family vacation at the start of the summer! (Down south to visit Tim's family).  Hopefully an end of the summer mini vacation with some good friends.  More time together as a family.  I have a lot of hope in 2011 being "our year"!

With the new year upon us I know a lot of people are making resolutions.  I told myself I wasn't going to.  I always seem to make them and break them before I even make it through the month of January.  But.. I've decided I am going to set goals for myself.

1.  Eat healthier as a family and start exercising.
2.  Become more organized in my life.  Find that balance I so desire.
3.  Take time for myself.
4.  Start reading again (things other than kid books and magazines)
5.  Take time for my relationship with that awesome man in my life!
6.  Volunteer more.  (I really miss doing this!)
7.  Say farewell to the people in my life who are just a giant, negative, hurtful weight.
8.  Start blogging again.

SO.. those are my goals.  That's the wrap up to the end of our year.  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!  And I look forward to the adventures of this new year!

(Oh.. and tomorrow is my birthday. I plan on saying I'm 25 for the rest of my life. The End.)

Decorating CSN Style!

CSN stores can easily drag me in for hours.  There are SO many different things to browse through.  With our upcoming move, I've been looking around on there for some new furniture, decor,appliances, etc for our new place.  We're selling our current one, so I checked out the dining chairs and tables.  The formal dining sets were so beautiful and it made me wish we were going to have a formal dining room.  Not that we'd ever use it much.. but then I could have a big pretty table.  So wish me luck in my searching on CSN stores for the perfect "accessories" for our new abode!  And while you're at it.. you should browse the 200+ stores yourself.  I'm sure you'll find something you absolutely love!  And stayed tuned for more CSN goodness!

Greetings and Proof We're Alive!

Wow.  It's been ages since I've actually had a wholesome post.  This year is flying by and most of the time I feel like I'm barely hanging on.  I often question how parents of more than one child do it.  This one I have seems to consume every minute that I'm not at work or sleeping.  At even sometimes in my desperate attempts to get a nap in, she still manages to consume that time.  But.. really, I wouldn't have it any other way.

We're in the stages of moving.  Well.. we still have a month and a half before actual move date.  But lucky me.. I've been living with a hoarder for the last  3 1/2 years.  Yeah... every single thing down to a key to some old lock from some old place has a meaning to him.  I've finally threatened bodily harm to him encouraged him to start purging some stuff that he could live without.  Yes.. you can get rid of that old receipt from 2001 from when you got a tank of gas, a pack of smokes, and a 20oz Coke.  And yes.. go ahead and toss that employee handbook from your high school job.  I'm pretty sure you're never going to work there again.  Considering the place was closed down over 10 years ago..  You have pictures of your friends from when you worked there.  And memories in your brain.  I'm sure you'll never forget those days just because the handbook gets tossed out. Love ya, babe!

Anyways.. we've also been out and about enjoying this beautiful fall weather before we're bombarded with hundreds of inches of snow again! (Dear Mother Nature, I will kill you!  Love.. Me)  We've hit up the zoo, the pumpkin patch, the apple orchard, the parks, etc etc etc.  Lots of cute pictures of my girl will follow at the end. (But hey.. slow down.. and don't skip ahead.  You might miss something interesting.  Or not...)

Today.. well.. it's a pretty special day.  No.. I mean besides it being the 197th anniversary of the conclusion of the Battle of Leipzig. It's also Mother Teresa Day in Albania.  One of Jimmy Carter's daughters is celebrating her birthday today. AND.. so is my better half!  Yep.. he's the big 3-5 today.. but doesn't look a day over 50 ummm 21 or so..  Happy Birthday my love!  Thank you for being the amazing, wonderful, awesome, hilarious, intelligent, and brilliant man you are!  You're the butter to my bread and all that jazz!

So yeah.. that's us.  Busy but loving life!

How about you? How are things? Yeah.. I'm talking to you out there (assuming you're still there.)

Once Upon a Time..

There was a little girl named Kylee.  She had a mommy who wanted her to look oh-so-cute on Halloween.  Her mommy thought many months about the perfect costume for her little blonde beauty.

At first she was planning on dressing Kylee up as Dorothy and having her join in with her toddler friends on being the cast of  the Wizard of Oz. (In tiny people form, of course!)  But plans fell through.

So her mommy began thinking again.. and again.. and hours and hours of thought went into this decision.  FINALLY! The perfect costume for a cute and animated little girl.  (Yeah.. her mommy is kind of a genius and stuff..)

Precious Kylee would be... GOLDILOCKS!! Cute costume, no?

(That's not Kylee.  And I'm waiting on posting pictures of her in the actual costume until my Halloween post. But.. nonetheless.. it's quite possibly the cutest costume I've ever seen! )  And check out that awesome price!  I don't know about you.. but nothing irks me more than companies whose costumes  all cost $50 or more.  Yeah.. not happening!

I will say that Kylee has tried on this costume a couple of times and she LOVES it!  (I actually had to hide it away in her closet).  She loves taking all of the little bears out and loving on them.  She calls her dress "Gowocks" (yeah, cute, I know!) and loves that she gets to wear her "fancy" shoes with her costume.  And lucky girl that she is.. her costume will be added to her dress up collection once Halloween passes.

This costume may be cheaper in price than most costumes out there.  But don't let it fool you into believing  the quality is cheap.  It's thin enough that it's a breathable fabric but not thin enough that I feel like it's going to rip while she's wearing it.

So what are your little ones being for Halloween?  You should head on over to Costume Discounters and check out their selections.  It's not too late!  There are SO many cute toddler costumes.  And I spent quite a while in the girl costumes  section as well before making my final decision!  We will definitely be using Costume Discounters in the future!


*I was not compensated in any way other than receiving a Goldilocks costume to review.  These are my words. My opinions.  My thoughts. Thank you to to Charles at Costume Discounters for being such a pleasure to work with.*

Super Skivvies Winner

#6

Jessica said...

your button is on my blogroll.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2010 8:35 PM  

CongrAtulations! I'll be emailing you shortly.  please respond within 24 hours so i do not have to draw a new winner.  thank you to super skivvies for sponsoring this giveaway!

Misery is NEVER Good Company

This is our pollen count lately..

(Image is from WOWT\)

I've been doing lots of this...

  (

And using lots of this...

                                

And feeling like ...

                                       

So yeah.. it's be awesome over here lately.  But hopefully I'll be on the mend soon!

Until then.. go ahead and feel free to enter my Super Skivvies giveaway.

Maybe it will make me feel better?

It's In The Air...

What's that you ask?

.... FOOTBALL!!! ....

We love some college football in this house!  Me and Kylee cheer on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (GO BIG RED!) and my honey is an Arkansas Razorbacks fan (yeah.. exactly...) because he is currently boycotting the Ohio State Buckeyes due to all of the changes going on with the Big Ten.

Kylee is a huge football fan.  She has her own football.  ("Fooball!)  and she throws her hands up in the air and declares touchdowns with the best of them.  It's so cute to see her excited about it.  And just another thing she can bond over with her daddy.

Without going into quite the debate.. I'm just going to say that I do not support the Huskers move to the Big Ten.  I'm going to miss the teams we've played against for years.  The rivalries.  It's not a move I'm at all excited about making.  But you go where you have to go, I guess...

So I'm going to enjoy the cool Fall weather, the chili, the chips and awesome dips, the cold beers, and whatnot and cheer on my Huskers in their last season before the big switch.  Cheering right along with me .. is this cutie..

SUPER Skivvies!!! Review & Giveaway

                                       (Image is from the Super Skivvies etsy  website.)

How cute is the Super Skivvies banner?  I just love it!  Steph is one creative and talented woman!  She was also such a pleasure to work with. Very sweet and informative.

I came across Super Skivvies while I was searching etsy for cloth trainers.  I was done with store bought pull ups and using disposables.  I wanted to find a trainer that was cute, functional, and well made.  Kylee is still blessed with cute little chunky legs (although they've slimmed down a ton as she's gotten older) and I didn't want any trainers that were going to leave marks on her leg.  I also wanted a pair that had sturdy elastic in the waist so they didn't slip off of her, but ones that were easy enough that she could take them off herself.  I loved the look, design, and structure of Super Skivvies so I contacted Steph about doing a review.

At first she told me it would be a few weeks before she could get a pair made and out to me.. so I began to wait patiently.  Then, she emailed me a day or two later and said she had a pair to review AND giveaway ready to be shipped to me. That made my day! And a few days later the mailman was attacked greeted by me down at the mailbox!  I tore into the package so quick and immediately went.. "Awwww". So Cute! Immediate love and it was hard to choose which pair to keep and which pair to give for the giveaway.  I let Tim decide and I'm SO happy with the pair he chose.

We reviewed the Springtime in Oogaville pair and aren't they SO cute?!  They are a size Small (2T-3T) and fit children approximately 25-35lbs.  Kylee is right around 30-31 pounds and they fit great with some room to grow!  (Rise: 16.5", Waist: 16.5", Thigh: 11.5")  Super Skivvies measurements are unstretched.  There is a lot of stretch in the waist and thigh area.  So you don't have to worry about any of those painful looking red marks.  Kylee has no indentations or markings when she wears these and I really appreciate that.

"Super Skivvies feature one layer of soft 100% cotton interlock in the body, a rayon (from bamboo)/organic cotton velour liner in the crotch area, 100% cotton interlock waist and thigh bands, and no-roll elastic encased in the waist.

Included is a removable insert consisting of three layers rayon (from bamboo)/organic cotton fleece. Just tuck the insert into the crotch lining, and your undies are trainers!"  (From the Super Skivvies etsy shop product description)

I love the insert that comes with this trainer.  You can leave it in for training purposes or take it out if you want just plain underwear.  And when you wash your Super Skivvies, you do not have to pull the insert out, it comes out during the wash cycle.  I love that feature!  I also love how soft the insert and crotch lining is.  Even after a few washes it still all feels as soft as when we first got it!  You can also purchase additional three and five layer inserts on the Super Skivvies website!


Please note that Super Skivvies are NOT an alternative to diapers.  With the insert in the trainer there are five layers of protection which is enough to contain a single accident.  Kylee has had one accident while wearing her Super Skivvies (not a very big one) and the insert did a very good job of containing most of it and the body of the trainers was barely wet.  


So in finishing, I must say that we LOVE our Super Skivvies and plan on purchasing a couple more pairs!  Kylee really loves the "waindow haws" (rainbow hearts) pair! 


       SOOOO.. lucky readers you.. Steph has offered a little something-something for you guys!  I have a little "package" of goodies to send to one of you!  What does it contain you ask?

 (And a cute little sheet of stickers -- not pictured)

You will get a size small (2T-3T) pair of Super Skivvies, a 10% off code for your next purchase, an informational booklet, and some fun stickers! How great is that??! And how cute is that print?  Bacon, Eggs, and Toast! Yum and Adorable!

Mandatory Entry:

Go to the Super Skivvies website and "Heart" (add to favorites) the shop!

I will check and make sure you did this. Failure to do so will void any additional entries.

Additional Entries:

1.  "Like" Super Skivvies on Facebook (1 entry)

2.  Follow by blog publicly via Google Friend Connect (2 entries)

3.  Add my button to your blog.  Please leave a link to where I can find it. (2 entries)

4.  Follow me on Twitter. Leave your Twitter ID in your comment (1 entry)

5.  Tweet about this giveaway.  Include @Mommacrissy and a link back to this post in your Tweet. Leave link to your Tweet in your comment. 2x per day and at least 3 hrs apart. (1 entry per tweet)

6.  Buy something from the Super Skivvies website sometime during the giveaway (10 entries)

7.  Blog about this giveaway. Leave a link to where I can find it. (3 entries)

8.  Subscribe to my blog via email.  (1 entry)

(ALL entries of the winner drawn will be verified.  So please be honest or a new winner will be drawn.)

Giveaway ends Sunday, September 19th at 10:00PM .(CST). I will use random.org to determine the winner and notify the winner via email. The winner will also also be announced on this blog. You will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

Dedication Pays Off

Towards the end of our summer there were many days that Kylee and I stayed home.  We didn't leave to do anything.  Well.. we played out back a little bit.  But mostly we stayed inside.  Why?  Potty training!  She's been casually training for a couple of months now and doing alright.  But, we finally ditched the pull ups because she was just treating them like diapers.  We did the run-around-naked-and-hopefully-make-it-on-the-toilet method.  We put her potty chair in the living room right in between the couch and the tv stand.  I would put her on it every 30-45 minutes and we would talk about going pee and poop.  We would read books. We would sing songs.  And sometimes it would only take a minute or two and she would go.  Other times it would take 10 minutes before she would go.  (Of course there were times she didn't even go at all and then would stand up and pee on the carpet.  Fun..)

Anyways.. a few days of that and lots of carpet cleaning and one weekend it just CLICKED!  She started using the potty all on her own!  I kept it in the same spot for a week and then moved it back to the bathroom.  She didn't dig peeing in the bathroom on her little potty chair.  So I put it back in the living room.  I mean.. people that come over won't mind watching my 20-month-old pee.. right?  *sigh*

Fast forward a couple of weeks and we were planning a trip to the zoo with some friends and their cute kids.  I didn't want Kylee to wear a diaper to the zoo.  I didn't want to send her mixed messages.  SO.. I took the seat part out of her potty and put it on the toilet.  I figured if I could get her to pee on the big potty then she could wear her underwear to the zoo and use the toilet.  We had ONE day to get this.  The morning got crazy hectic so I actually didn't end up putting the seat on the toilet until the early afternoon.  And wouldn't you know.. she went on it with no problem!  Like she'd been doing it for years.  SO.. I dressed her the next morning and went the underwear route and packed 2 changes of clothes and a diaper. (Just in case)  Grabbed the potty seat and crossed my fingers.  And my girl.. did PERFECT! Asked to use the potty and everything! No accidents!  Even drank 2 full sippy cups of water and stayed dry!  I cried a little on the inside (and outside).  Because during the day... we are now DIAPER FREE!!

                                            Good job, K!  Mommy is so proud!

It's Broken.

Yes.. our precious air conditioner is broken. Again.

It broke about the same time last week.  They added some freon to it and we were back in business.

Then yesterday.. same issues came back and we were left without any air.

On a day when the temp was 91 but with humidity and all that jazz felt like 98 degrees.

Our house got up to 87 and I'm pretty sure we all sweat out the calories we consumed during dinner.

Repair guy is coming back out this morning.  Fixing something different this time.

Seeing as how the temps are going to be high again today, I'm very glad they're coming out in the morning.

It has also given me a new prospective to the lives of others. 

People who always live without air conditioning.  People who can't afford to buy fans to put in their windows.

People with children who live like this.

Me? Well I was a little more crabby, unable to think clearly, and mad at the world (at the time).

But what about people who ALWAYS live like this?  How do they manage?  

So while I'm very glad that our air conditioner is getting fixed this morning.. I need  to realize that it's a privilege to have cool air when I want it.  Not something I should take for granted.  Something I should feel blessed that I have.

But yeah.. our a/c is broken and my mind hasn't been in blogging mode at all.  But stay tuned because I have another review and giveaway coming up for a pair of cloth trainers and a review for CSN stores.  And maybe some blogging about family life and changes we're coming into.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Green Sprouts Winner

Sorry for the delay in drawing the winner. It's been a crazy last couple of days in our house.  Lots of changes going on.  Anyways.. the winner is...

#19

jdeemarie said...

I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/jdeemarie/status/20277580704

Looks like all that tweeting paid off mama! I'll be emailing you shortly and you have 48 hours to return the email before I have to draw a new winner.  Congrats!!

Goodbye Sweet Dog

16 years ago you came into our lives...

Nala

My sister named you that after The Lion King.

I thought it was a silly name for a dog.

16 years ago you taught me to love unconditionally...

Even when you chewed on my stuff or peed on the carpet.

I loved you.

Watching you dig holes in the backyard with Sarah, as if you guys were trying to reach the core of the Earth.

Taking you on long walks and rollerblading through the park.

Surviving and staying strong with faith when you ran away for those 2 days.

You came back to us though.

Your family.

Sneaking you Doritos and apple juice when no one was watching.

Cuddling up with you even though it was the dead of summer and a hundred degrees outside.

Safe.

Secure.

Talking to you late at night when I was down and knowing you would not judge me.

Inviting you over when I first moved away from home.  Feeding you a 12pk of hot dogs because I didn't have any dog food at my house.

Trying to get you to wear bows in your hair.  You were having none of that!

Squirting you with the hose and watching you attack the water.  Laughing until I could laugh no longer.

Swimming in the horse tank and laughing at your aquatic "skills".. don't all dogs know the doggy paddle?

Coming home to discover you ate more than half a box of Fruit Loops.  That was some colorful vomit.

Car rides. Drooled up windows. Hairy seats. Rockin' music!

Drive thru windows. "Can I have a plain hamburger and a glass of water for my dog?"

Naps on the couch.

You curled up in between my legs at night. Not being able to move. But I didn't mind.

16 years ago you came into our lives...

You became a member of our family.

Today.. I say goodbye to you sweet dog.

You may be gone from us but you will never be forgotten.

Rest in peace my sweet puppy.

Your pain is gone and you are free.

I love you.

Serving Up with CSN Stores

If you're anything like me you love to host a good party now and then.  I don't do it very often, so when I do I have to make sure it's very nice!  Along with making sure all the food is perfect, a great host must bring out the best dinnerware sets possible! CSN stores is the place to go for your casual and everyday, formal and fine, and holiday dinnerware.  Their selection and prices can't be beat!  And I'm sure your guests will appreciate all the work you'll go through finding the perfect dinnerware for them to eat off of!  (Little do they know how easy and quick it is to shop any of the 200+ stores on CSNstores.com)

Please stay tuned for some more of CSN stores goodness!

Green Sprout Cloth Trainers Giveaway

Kylee is pretty much potty trained during the day.  If she's distracted by playing I have to remind her (and occassionally take her kicking and screaming to the bathroom) to go to the potty.  But otherwise, she's pretty good about it.  She'll even go sometimes by herself without me needing to be in there with her.  I'm always very proud when she disappears and I go to find her and she's sitting on the potty.

I still put her in diapers to take a nap and a night.  We're not ready for that milestone quite yet.  Especially since Kylee still sleeps in a crib.  I also am not so brave yet to take her out in public with just her underwear on.  I have this fear of her having a huge accident in a place that isn't so easy to clean.  I'd hate for her to be the kid that ruins the fun for everyone.  But I also hate having to put her in pull ups because she gets that comfort of a diaper and will sometimes get lazy and just pee in it.  So I wanted to find something that would contain a tiny accident or minor leaking but not act as a diaper.

Allow me to introduce you to Green Sprouts cloth trainers!

We received the girly print retro cars to review.  Rena (the owner of Green Sprouts) was so awesome to work with!  She answered any questions I had, asked for suggestions, and shipped these trainers to us so fast!  It was great! 

Green Sprouts cloth trainers are made of cotton interlock with a full layer of organic bamboo velour in the wetzone.  There is also an additional layer of bamboo fleece sewn into the wetzone.  The elastic arond the waist and legs is very soft and doesn't leave any red marks.  We received the size 2T-3T but additional sizes are available.  You can also find additional prints at GreenSproutBaby.com

So what do I love about these trainers?  Well first of all.. the print is SUPER cute and perfect for my car loving daughter!  These trainers have been washed 4 times and show no fading.  They haven't really shrunk in size either.  I love that the elastic isn't super tight so my 20 month old daughter can pull them up and down on her own with no issues.  It's also really great that if she does have a small accident these trainers contain it with no problem.  I used a medicine dropper and determined these trainers can hold about 12-15mL of fluid before leaking. They will also help slow down any major accidents.  I have no complaints about our Green Sprouts cloth trainers.  They're very reasonable in price at $9 per pair and are made with quality that assures me they'll still be going when it comes to potty training any future children.

So awesome readers that you are... how would you like to win a pair of Green Sprouts trainers?

Rena has offered a pair of trainers in your choice of size and print to one lucky person!

Mandatory Entry:  Tell me what print and what size you would choose if you won.

(This is mandatory people.. you don't do it.. there's no chance of you winning.)

Additional entries:

1. < Heart > the Green Sprouts shop.  Leave your Etsy name in your comment (1 entry)

2.  Follow Green Sprout Baby on Twitter --Leave Twitter name in comment (1 entry)

3.  Follow me on Twitter -- Leave Twitter name in comment (1 entry)

4.  Follow my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect ( 2 entries)

5.  Add my button to your blog.  Leave a link to where I can find it.  (2 entries)

6.  Give a potty training piece of advice or share a funny potty training story (1 entry)

7.  Tweet about this giveaway.  Include @GreenSproutBaby and @Mommacrissy  in your tweet.  Include link to your tweet in your comment.  2 tweets per day and at least 3 hours apart. (1 entry per tweet)

Giveaway ends Sunday, August 15th at 10:00PM .(CST). I will use random.org to determine the winner and notify the winner via email. The winner will also also be announced on this blog. You will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

Boogie Wipes Winner

#11

pawsnhooves said...
http://twitter.com/pawsnhooves/status/18763711148


July 17, 2010 7:48 AM

All that tweeting paid off!  You have 48 hours to respond to my email before I have to draw a new winner!  Congratulations!! 

  Thank you to Boogie Wipes for sponsoring this giveaway!!

Many Stages of "What's that?"

Kylee talks.
Often.
A lot.
I love it.
Sometimes.. I hate it.

When she first started talking it was OH SO DARN CUTE!  Every new word she said we would clap, cheer, oooh, and ahhh over.  (And still do)

But.. there's one thing I could have lived without her learning..

"WHAT'S THAT?"

It's cute to hear her say it. The first time. Even the second time. But after roughly hearing it 7,892 times in a day. My ears hold up the white flag and surrender.  Please. Please make it stop.

The phrase "What's that" has gone through many stages during it's first learning.

"Wu za" .. is how it came out first.  It was so cute. Especially since it was only being said 2 or 3 times a day.

"Whu zat" .. even cuter!  And still not said all that often so I'm still loving hearing it!

"Weez dat" ... HILARIOUS to hear.. but now it's being said about 1200 times a day. Starting to lose the cuteness factor.

Now ladies (and possible gentlemen..) we have...

                      "WHA IS ZAT?" said almost a good 10,000 times every 2-3 hours.

Heaven help me.  She points. Asks. I tell her. She points again like her hearing went out and she didn't receive the message of what said thing was.  Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.  And don't you DARE pretend you didn't hear her because she only gets louder and more in your face.

And suddenly things she's pretty much always known what are have lost their name in her mind.  Really Kylee.. you don't know who you are? Do I have to tell you that it's "you, Kylee" to 81 pictures in an album?  Do I have to tell you that your baby dolls are your baby dolls and your kitty cats are your kitty cats? You know this girl.  Why must you torture your mama? 

So.. you.. you evil "What's That Stage" I say to you.. GO AWAY!  Or at least tone is down a helluva lot tiny bit.  Please?