Steppin' Out Wednesday: 9-21-11

I never have the time, opportunity, or fashion sense to post a Steppin' Out Saturday, like my friend Ashley at Stauffer Shenanigans does, and I never really jumped on the Wordless Wednesday bandwagon (maybe one day), though I love seeing everyone's photos. I just can't do it. For one, I never "step out" on Saturdays, and I don't think ahead enough to do a Wordless Wednesday- where did that even start? Anyway, I can do a sort of hybrid this week, although this happened LAST Wednesday and this post certainly isn't wordless.

Last Wednesday night, my friend Natalie and I got to step out for a much needed girl night! Natalie and I met a few years ago online, via The Bump, and because we have kids nearly the same age (one week apart), and we're both awesome, we became e-friends and eventually "real life" friends. We don't see each other too much, because frankly, we're too busy to see anyone these days. Even with everything going on and our lives being so busy, we just had to demand plan a night out. Our husband's stayed home with our kiddos and off we went. Since we are both pregnant, we didn't get to do any happy hours. We met up for a pedicure, which was very nice, and will likely be my last one for a while, since it's finally getting somewhat cooler down here. Then, thanks to my daughter's school forcing, er, requesting I buy an Entertainment Book, we went to a somewhat fancy schmancy Italian restaurant for dinner. It was so freaking good. And the best part- we could talk and eat in peace. There were no kids to feed, no sippy cups to pick up, no food stains on my clothes, and I didn't have to tell Natalie to stop yelling or crying once! ;)

Just after dinner

As much as I love my kids, it was just SO NICE to be out without them. Being at work all day, and my husband home with them, it's hard to not feel guilty if I go off during the week (or anytime, really). I still get out now and then, but I will either take at least one of my kids with me, or I will feel guilty about it- self imposed guilt is the worst! Not this time though. I NEEDED a break. I needed it for my sanity. I needed a little pampering, a nice conversation, and good food. My wonderful husband understood, and graciously stayed home.

Oh, yea, we had dessert too. There's a gelato/pastry place in town that's just beautiful. Some of the pastries and chocolates are too pretty to eat...almost. It was delicious- LOOK:

And there you have it, folks. Our little girls night out. :)

Homemade Deodorant that works!

Don't judge. And don't stop following because you're reading that I use homemade deodorant. In an effort to reduce the amount of chemicals we put on/in our bodies, I began making some of my own cleaning and body care products; a while back I started making my own deodorant. It's not gross, I swear. 

Most commercial deodorants have aluminum as their active ingredient. The jury is still out on how harmful it is, but I just think the "put a heavy metal under your arm to stop sweat" logic has to be flawed. However, my options were to wear commercial deodorant or stink. I chose the former, and I'm sure those around me appreciate that. I know there are non-aluminum containing deodorants out there, but I've tried 3 different brands and none of them worked. It wasn't until I randomly found a recipe and actually had all the ingredients that I decided to give it a try. I've been pleasantly surprised by the results. I wish I remembered what website I found this so I could give proper credit.

Anyway, it only takes five ingredients and four simple steps:

Baking Soda, Coconut Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Tea Tree Oil, and an old deodorant container.

I didn't use exact measurements, but I think you will get the idea. First, pour some baking soda in a dish:

Not drugs, I swear!

Next, add enough coconut oil and mix to make a pliable solid. I sometimes add too much, so I just add more baking soda until I get the right consistency- which is playdough-ish.

Then add about 4-5 drops of TTO and Lavender EO.

Finally, add the mixture to your deodorant container, and voila!

That made about 4oz, but my tube is only 2oz. I store the rest in a ziplock baggie until I run out. Of course, I could make a big batch, but you know, that would be too easy!

Some notes: To apply this deodorant, I sort of pat it on, rather than rub it, sometimes pieces will fall off otherwise. Also, it does not stop you from sweating. Sweating is good for you. However, shortly after switching to this deodorant, I hardly sweat at all- and I'm in the dirty south. Also, I assure you I do not smell like someone who doesn't wear deodorant. TTO and Lavender EO both have antibacterial qualities, plus combined they make a nice scent. Believe me, while I'm going "granola", I will not give up things like shaving and smelling good! Not to mention, my husband wouldn't stand for it. And the price- up front it is more expensive, but if you like it, you will save a ton of money. Plus, the above ingredients have many more uses- I'll share them soon!

So, what do you think? Are you brave enough to try it? Convinced I must smell horrible? Intrigued? Disgusted? Lemme know!!

TV free Sunday

I'm just going to admit it. My kids watch a lot of TV. A LOT. That's what happens when you have two toddlers, a stay at home/work at home dad, a pregnant mom who works full time, a small house, and 1000 degree summers. It is hard to get out during the day because it's so hot, and there aren't many indoor activities that will suit both kids. This summer, our kids have watched more than their fair share of television. They play a lot too, but being in the house all day long they quickly run out of things to do. Plus, it's easier to put a show on for them if Luis is cooking and I'm doing laundry, rather than have them climbing all over us. One show turns into 3 shows though, and before you know it, the kids have watched a few hours of TV in a single day. I have said on several occasions, "they need to stop watching so much TV", but I had yet to really do anything about it.
Since the weather is getting a little nicer, we have more opportunities to get outside, so I've implemented "TV free Sundays" for our family. We will leave our TV off all day, every Sunday. Today was our first attempt, and let me just say it was a HUGE success. We spent a lot more time engaged with our kids, they had so much fun outside, even played in the rain for a bit, and we still got a lot accomplished. We did laundry, cooked, cleaned, went to the grocery, and Luis did some yard work. We all had a great time, and the day appeared to last longer; by 8:30, the kids were pooped. I think Gavin fell asleep before his head hit the pillow. Kadence is currently laying down with Luis, and she'll be asleep in no time.
Now, we are not trying to get rid of TV altogether, but seeing that we don't "need" it the way we thought we did, I'm sure there will be less TV on the other days of the week. Well, at least I hope so.

Pregsomnia

I don't know if that's a real disorder, or even a real word, but I have it. This second trimester has been great, really great, for the most part. I'm not gaining too much weight, I have a cute, noticeable belly, my skin has cleared up, I'm not terribly emotional, and I just feel good overall. Except one thing- I can't sleep. Ever. I fall asleep around 10:00 at night, and sometime between 2:30 and 4:30, I wake up, sometimes for the day! I have been able to read so many blogs, take so many quiet baths, and I even went grocery shopping at 6:30 this morning. Clearly, I'm putting my time to good use. But I suffer the next day, sometimes two days later. I am a walking zombie. I want to just put my kids in front of the TV and take a nap some nights. I have tried everything short of drugs to help. I put lavender essential oils on my wrists, I take warm baths, I even listen to my hypnobabies CDs- nothing works! I should contact a pharmaceutical company to give them the idea for making a pill for pregnant women who can't sleep.
I can see the ad now- a much cuter than me pregnant woman with disheveled hair tossing around in her unkempt bed, then finally sitting up, the next day she's chugging coffee (decaf, of course) just trying to get through the day- the voiceover "Are you pregnant and have trouble sleeping? You may suffer from Pregsomnia. With this new drug, Pregarest, you will be able to sleep through the night until your baby is the one keeping you up." And of course the woman is now sleeping peacefully on satin sheets and looks positively fabulous the next day. TV guy continues, "side effects may include headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, heartburn, blurred vision, ear bleeding, and allergies. Talk to your doctor about Pregarest."
I really don't know what else to do. If you have any tips, please share them! I need my sleep.

Apparently, we're hip. Who knew?

Over the past few years, I've read a lot about a new(ish) trend: raising children without gender roles. What most people mean is that they make a conscious effort to select gender neutral toys, or even toys traditionally marketed to girls for boys or vice versa. One family I read about took it to the extreme and didn't even let oustsiders know if the baby was a boy or a girl. Whatever, dude. Before when I would read about this stuff, even the less extreme ones, I would silently balk at it. I mean, what's wrong with being a girl? I'm glad that I like pink and dresses and makeup. And trust me, I didn't get that from my mom buying me a bunch of girly princess stuff and play makeup. Nope. She's a very low maintenance woman, and growing up we had no money. I wasn't sitting around in my princess clothes playing with my new Barbie Dream House or anything- yet I'm still somewhat of a girly girl, and I'm okay with that. On the other hand, when I would see a girl's nursery decorated in head to toe pink, I would want to throw up. Clearly, I couldn't be pleased. This was all BK though, you know, Before Kids. Now that I have kids, I understand the non gender thing more. I don't want my son to feel like he can't be loving and gentle or play in my shoes, and I want more for my daughter than to just dream about being a princess and what to wear.

To be honest though, I didn't give much thought to how we were raising them. I buy my daughter princess-y stuff, and I buy my son "boy" toys, and I don't think much of it. It wasn't until I read a post by one of my favorite bloggers, The Feminist Breeder, and her dilema over whether or not to put a vanity in her daughter's room, just how gender neutral we are raising our kids....without even trying. I'd love to say that I'm as cool as some of my mommy message board friends, or as feminist as The Feminist Breeder, but honestly, it happened more by accident. We didn't want to find out the sex of our first child. We did, but decided to keep it between the two of us because I really wanted people to be suprised. Because of that, the nursery was gender neutral. We did a subtle music theme, but we didn't go nuts where every single item including the lamp was music related. Okay, the lamp was, but not her bedding. Also, since no one knew that she was a girl, we got a lot of yellow, green, and tan clothing for her. Of course, once she was born, her wardrobe pinked up a bit. Since we are poor practical people, we planned ahead for future children. When selecting toys, we chose the bright, traditional colors over the pinks and purples for most things. And when we updated the nursery, we chose a neutral shade, and all but did away with the theme. At the same time, I did buy her pink and purple bedding. It's pretty, dammit!

Now that we have both a son and a daughter, I don't know how we wouldn't be gender neutral even if we wanted to be. Am I going to tell my two year old girl she can't play with the racecar set? Take away the doll my son is pushing in the stroller? I know of people like this, too. I honestly don'tknow how they function in a house with little boys and girls. The most common thing I've read online is husbands who don't want their sons to have kitchen sets. That annoys me to no end for a few reasons- 1. My husband cooks. 2. Most professional chefs are men. 3. WHY THE HELL NOT?? Will it make your BABY less of a MAN? Okay, rant over.

What I've learned in my nearly 3 years of parenting is that kids are going to gravitate to certain toys, certain types of toys, different colors, different activities, etc. And what we expose them to will have an affect on them, but from my experience, the most influence will come from you, and what you're into. My daughter LOVES when my husband is hooking up electronics; she always wants to help. She also loves makeup and wants to wear it more than I do (we don't let her...she's two, I give her an empty makeup brush). We have tons of "girl" and "boy" toys in our house, and for the most part, our kids play with them equally. Part of it is nature, part nurture. However, I truly think the most outside impact they will have is what they learn from what we model, more than what we buy them.

To my unborn baby

Dear Dylan,

I have not seen you, but I know you. I am aware of you constantly now as you move and grow inside me. I have not met you, but I love you. Though you are not born, you are part of our family. Your sister calls you by name and gives you kisses. We can feel you moving from the outside. While you were not part of our original family plan, God had a better plan in mind. He is forming you and creating you at this very moment, during this time period, for something great. Your purpose is beyond what we can even imagine. You are special. You are valuable. You are an asset to our family and to the world. Each passing day brings us closer to your arrival. Kadence is already asking when you are going to be born. We are all anxious to meet you. We still have four more months. Four more months for you to grow and develop; four more months for us to love you; four  more months until someone aside from me can hold you. We are so excited to meet you, baby Dylan, but I am enjoying the time when it’s just you and me. I treasure your kicks and wiggles, I love seeing my belly expand. I love getting to know you before I get to meet you. I love you, sweet baby Dylan.

“…children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:13

Love,
Mommy

Long overdue blog post!

Gavin's 1st birthday!!

On Monday, May 9, (told you it was long overdue), my wonderful son turned a year old. Coincidentally, I was supposed to turn 31 that day, but Gavin stole my birthday. I'm gonna just stay 30, mmkay?

To celebrate, we had cake for breakfast, our family tradition. Then just a nice quiet (relatively speaking) evening. The next Sunday we threw him a Phineas and Ferb birthday party. Phineas and Ferb is a big hit in our house, to an embarrassing level with Luis and me. The theme for his party had been picked out since he was about 3 months old. The party was a huge hit! It was warm enough so the kids could play in the little pools, but not omgkillmeknow hot yet. Everyone had a good time as far as I could tell. My friend's were so great: Natalie brought her famous 7 Layer Dip, and my friend Ashley brought artichoke balls- which I nearly devoured by myself. It was our first attempt at a house party, and even with our lack of space it all worked out. I was busy running after my kids and making sure no other kids hurt themselves or anyone else, but I did make sure I got some time to sit back and enjoy myself- and my baby's first birthday, after all it was my "last first birthday", at least that's what I thought.

The cake was amazing. My friend Amanda once again outdid herself. Gavin was apprehensive about his smash cake at first, then really got into it. It was such a contrast from Kadence, who hardly stuck a finger in hers. I'll just let the pictures tell the rest of the story!

Welcome sign courtesy of my friend Nicole, who needs to open her own business!

Birthday boy!

The goodies

Made by Natalie at Piggy's Place, Kadence's custom bow!

Mid party nap. Why yes I am sporting a Perry the Platypus shirt!

He definitely got more ON him than in him. :)

PHINEAS!!!