pinterest

why your not going to get sued over using pinterest! click the link to read what I found, and happy pinning!
http://www.lextechnologiae.com/2012/03/03/why-deleting-your-pinterest-boards-over-copyright-concerns-is-an-overreaction/

peanut butter, the accepted crack.

I truly believe that peanut butter is addicting. I think they add crack so you keep coming back,specially in those resse eggs they are selling now. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Nathan has also fallen in love with peanut butter. If I give him something else for lunch and he sees me eating a pb sandwich he screams at me till I give it to him too. So it got me thinking, I should try putting peanut butter on food that hes not crazy about (and others that he is) and seeing what he think.
here are my ideas, I know people love putting pb on bananas, and making banana boats with other fruits which is a good idea. Nathan can not eat whole things like that yet, so I thought I would try putting it on some fruit or veggies that are chopped up.

so I went with pears. He normal wont eat pears, but this time he ate every bit of them.

I added a big glob that he could just dip himself, but he mainly liked just licking his fingers in it.

he sure made the dogs hungry! I accidentally cute the other one out!

I buy the great value fruits and veggies in individual cups. So I just took a knife and coated them each with some pb. I also got out carrels and did the same to them. He didnt mind eating cold since they had pb on them!

Here are some other great ideas to add pb too! :
marshmallows
add to a smoothie- extra protein!
peanut butter popcorn, when they are able enough to chew it all up! heres a great recipe. http://www.thekitchn.com/fall-snacking-p-14558
peanut butter sushi recipe, looks good! http://www.thekitchn.com/back-to-school-recipe-peanut-b-60870
veggies, like carrots, celery hey try broccoli who knows may work!
rains, and nuts
whole wheat crackers
whole wheat toast
peanut butter treats from rice crispy http://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/recipes/peanut-butter-treats.html#/en_US/recipes/peanut-butter-treats fun to make together!
whole wheat waffles
peanut noodles http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7472.0...check it out! 
stir in pb to oatmeal
PB Pudding: In a microwaveable dessert dish, microwave 2 tablespoons peanut butter** until melted (about 1 minute). Quickly stir in 3/4 cup plain yogurt.
whole wheat Cinnamon graham crackers
create sandwiches with fruits and honey! like this one http://www.closetcooking.com/2008/07/peanut-butter-banana-and-honey.html
*some snacks are intended for older children!

Nathan's windy day

It was a very windy day today. I thought I was going to set up Nathan's tunnel tent and let him play but it was to windy for that, so I grabbed a pin wheel and headed outside. He loved the pin wheel.
I also wanted to make a kite. But didnt have any fishing wire. So I went to my box of crafts (which just has like tape, easter string and glitter) and found some streamers. No idea what I had that for, maybe I was planning my self a surprise birthday party and forgot. But thought I would use this in place of a kite.

I ended up tying the streamer around his arm because he would not keep hold of it. He loved watching the wind blow it around.

He enjoyed this for awhile, then became bored. I thought of another idea, to tie some streamers to a stick and let him hold it. All I could find was a sword, but it worked just the same.

As you can see he was super interested in it.

daddy came out to play

So he was bored of that, and thought what better to do on a windy day then swing!!

Which is his favorite thing to do. Our swing is on the front porch, that way I can sit on the rocker and push him all day long #lazymomproblems

teething monster

The teething monster has once again come to live at our house. I guess my son invites him since he would like some more teeth, Id prefer Nathan to keep just the 6 teeth he has if that meant I could sleep at night. But no, once again Nathan is teething and up all night. Which means I am exhausted all day and looking for any caffeine high I can find. I really wish there was some miracle pain reliever or at least something to knock him out. I gave him tylenol but it dosnt seem to help.

Nathan has just about every teething toy they sell. We also do the teething tablets and orajel, but I dont feel they work well, at least not for my child. I also do the wet washcloths and freeze fruit for him to chew on during the day, also those net teethers are great, you can put the fruit in there, but its so messy and a female dog to clean up. So I prefer just put ice cubs in them and he loves it.

So for during the day there are some options. But these options dont work for night time. I dont want to stay up all night while he chews away on a toy. I guess the only option is to wait it out. Nathan is like me and a late teether. He only had 2 teeth at 12 months old. I didnt get a tooth till 13 months old. I didnt loose my last baby tooth till I was 17 yes 17! It was a side bottom tooth. How was that for my dating life, hey want to go on a date with me, I can whistle through one side of my mouth. But I never did have to have braces and never had cavities, so I guess its fair. When I was in first grade I fell and busted out my top front tooth. So from 1st grade till 6th I didnt have a tooth in the front. Yup took that long for my tooth to finally show up. In my school pictures its hard to tell how old I am, since I dont have a front tooth for 6 years, and my face didnt change much, heck it still hasnt, If I still didnt have that tooth you may think I am the tallest 4th grader ever. I also got gypped out of the tooth fairy since I was old enough to believe she didnt exist, though my dad would still tell you to this day that he saw her. luckily I was a only child and spoiled so it didnt really matter. ah I am rambling, anyway I am hoping Nathan gets the rest of his teeth in soon and if anyone has any ideas for nighttime please let me know! I will pay you 5 million dollars, or something around that.

here are some teething tips fromhttp://www.babble.com/baby/baby-health-safety/teething-remedies-pain-relief-sore-gums/

my beef with Elmo

So we all know who elmo is, most kids love him. My son loves him more than me. My mother should own stock in him since she thinks every thing elmo Nathan should have. My father thinks hes creepy, specially when the toys they have of him go off at night. Elmo is always watching you. My husband thinks its cute how much Nathan loves him and I just want him to stfu. Seriously does it get any more annoying then elmo's third person conversations? I hate when elmo is introducing someone and says, and elmo's elmo. Like thank you, we had no idea that the furry red puppet in front of the tv was you, your only the main character on the show, on every toy shelf in America, and in 5 billion books and movies. I also hate when elmo says, Elmo wants to learn more how can we learn more!? Its called the internet. Wikipedia. its got great info on the ocean or weather, or noses, whatever the heck your thinking about today! Elmo is also a big baby, okay so hes like 3 or something and I guess thats how 3 year olds act but he gets so mad when someone else is answering all the questions, or he has to wait his turn. I know sesame street is a great learning program, but what I dont understand is why they let him be such a selfish jerk. Hes always telling Zoe that her rock is not a pet (rocco), like dude your fish does not imagine you scuba diving while singing either. Let it go. So maybe I am being a little harsh on the little guy, I guess I need to realize that its Elmo's world and we are just living in it. Man, I should sell tshirts. I know my mom would buy them.

his super hero costume.

Gabes

This is one of my favorite stores. Its like a tjmaxx, but much better and cheaper! Every time I go I find something, and every time my mother goes she spends at least 100 dollars (show off). Gabes has the best in kids selection. I can always find a outfit for me, they carry the name brands, but the best if for kids. I buy so much of Nathan's clothes here. They have Nike, puma and ralph lauren. All brands that I love. They also have days of special sales, like a coat sale, where I got Nathan's winter carter coat for 12 bucks! They have tons of nike shoes, and other famous brands. They also do a special toy sale around christmas time. This is the best time to go, they have all name brand toys for about half off! Since Nathan's birthday is 2 weeks before christmas, its nice to go there and get gifts for both! Go check it out. http://gabrielbrothers.com/

smooooothiess!!!!!

Nathan LOVES smoothies! They are a great way to get your kids to eat their fruit and veggies! Here is a great smoothie recipe....

Ingredients:

Servings:

2-3

Units: US | Metric

• 1 cup whole milk (kids need their fats)
• 1 whole banana , peeled (hehe, obvious)
• 1 tablespoon honey or 1 tablespoon sugar or 1 tablespoon other artificial sweetener
• ¼ cup plain yogurt or ¼ cup vanilla yogurt

Frozen Add-ins can be any of the following

• ¼ cup frozen cauliflower (I use this in almost all of the smoothies now)
• ¼ cup frozen spinach
• ¼ cup frozen strawberries or ¼ cup blueberries or ¼ cup pineapple or ¼ cup mixed fruit
• kale
• ½ cup frozen peas and carrot

Directions:

1. 1
   Pour milk into the blender.
2. 2
   Add banana, sugar/honey/other, and then whatever frozen veggies AND a fruit to the blender. ***The key is you want to not go higher than halfway up a 5 cup blender or it gets too thick. Add milk or OJ if it gets too thick.
3. 3
   Put blender on a high setting and let it go at it for a good minute or two. Pulse a few times to make sure it's at the "right" consistency (too your liking).
4. 4
   Serve in a toddler friendly container--preferably something with a STRAW as they a) like straws and b) it helps with the intake of the smoothie. Do NOT put it in a sippy cup. Last warning -- my son had fresh kale in the first 3-4 of these I made and had some wicked black poo for days. Lets just say that was the end of the kale episode. ;).

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/toddler-hidden-veggie-smoothie-263734#ixzz1oOUJdbKp

please dont name your baby that

So almost everyone I know is prego right now, well alot of people are. Guess its got me thinking about baby showers and baby names. Who am I kidding, I have been thinking up baby names since I was 12. just for the record, at 12 it was was going to be Cory Hayden (hayden for my dad, yes he had that name before it was cool, trend settttttterrr!) and a girl was Rachel Renee. I dont like those names anymore (besides hayden). Clearly since Nathan's name is not Cory. Must of been during my boy meets world days. I would tell you the names I like now, but you would just steal them because they are awesome.

So anyway, just thought I would throw some tips out there and the site that I love to play on for baby names.

These tips are from me,
1. Check out the top baby names, and stay away from any on the top 10. Do not make your kid the 10th Maddy in class. Yes uh Maddy D with blonde hair, you had a question?
2. When naming after relatives, yeah its great to honer grandpa, but when his name is Cletus, consider a middle name or something else. I love both my grandmas dearly, but their names are Wilma Gladys and Verna Reba, so honoring them with a picture in the living room is nice enough.
3. Stop Naming after the father, unless your going to give a nickname to be called, so when someone calls you dont have to say who little Joe or big Joe? (who calls anymore, even the baby has their own cell number)
4.Dont do anything to cutesy. Yeah Freddy is cute for a little boy, but can you see Freddy going into a job interview? Or running for president? No because he is still stuck on the mickey mouse club.
5. Beware of the both gender names. I have alot of things I could say, but I wont. Just dont let your kids be made fun of.

here is tips from some one credible,
http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/naming_tips/

At the end of the day, Name your baby whatever you want, your the one that will go through the pain of having it. And one day they will say, "why did you name me that, so stupid"

Go play on http://www.babynamegenie.com/baby-name-generator/ its fun and it puts together some crazy combinations.



top baby names, according to http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

1	Jacob	Isabella
2	Ethan	Sophia
3	Michael	Emma
4	Jayden	Olivia
5	William	Ava
6	Alexander	Emily
7	Noah	Abigail
8	Daniel	Madison
9	Aiden	Chloe
10	Anthony	Mia

top ten baby shower gifts

according to babycenter.com or as I like to call them momswhothinktheyknoweverything.com
they put out the top ten best gifts to buy for a baby shower, I will add what I think to the list.

1. Bouncy seat

Keep a newborn and his parents happy with a bouncy seat — the baby can wiggle and jiggle to his heart's content, and his parents can squeeze in a chore or two knowing he's safe and entertained. This versatile, portable piece of baby gear features cheerful fabric stretched across a metal or plastic frame, with straps to ensure safety. Some models are battery powered for a rhythmic and more soothing bounce. I agree, bouncy seats are great, no need to register for a real expensive one (well why not its not your money!) I bought Nathan one for only 30 bucks, which is cheap compared to alot of them. He really loved it. It was a bright stars, got it at babies r us.

2. Baby monitor

Nervous first-time moms and dads will appreciate the reassuring presence of a portable baby monitor receiver on their bedside table. These gadgets have become more and more sophisticated — some models can pick up a baby's faintest breaths within a range of 600 feet or more. They're particularly comforting for parents whose baby is sleeping in another room. Newer options include motion sensors that sound an alarm if the baby hasn't moved in a certain period time, and video monitors, which let parents see as well as hear their baby. I do use my monitors when we are outside, but not at night since my room is right across the hall. They are nice to have, but I have only used mine a handful of times. Check the registry and make sure they even want one.

3. Bedding

Pastel sheets covered in teddy bears, lambs, ducks, and other friendly critters are a perfect addition to any nursery, and soft fuzzy throws will help keep the baby warm. (They should be saved for out-of-the-crib cuddling, though, as soft bedding is a potential SIDS risk.) And you can be sure that any new mom or mom-to-be will be grateful to have extra linens come laundry day! Yes, extra sheets do come in handy, however I have a preference on what sheets I want to match with my sons room. Do not buy me winnie the pooh, they will be going back.

4. Baby sling or front carrier

One of the handiest ways a new mother can tote her baby around is in a sling or front carrier. Babies love the feeling of being snuggled up close to a parent's warmth, and the ingeniously simple design leaves a mom's arms free to do housework or errands while her little one sits protected in a makeshift pouch. As a bonus, some experts, including pediatrician William Sears, swear that the close contact encouraged by slings and front carriers helps strengthen the parent-child bond. Never had one, and frankly my child was to big for it. Some people do love them. But dont just buy it for someone just because you loved it, check and see if they are interested in it.

5. Activity gym

Babies are enthralled by their environment in general, but you can make it even more fascinating with an activity gym — a contraption that typically includes a cloth mat and toys suspended from soft bars or arches. Colorful mirrors, noisemakers, and other objects of different shapes, sizes, and colors dangle within the baby's grasp, encouraging his developing eyesight and growing physical skills. Portable and lightweight, activity gyms are travel-friendly, whether you're shuttling between rooms or across the country. Agreed.

6. Bath kit

For a gift that's both fun and practical, grab a baby tub and fill it with all the essentials a new mother will need to keep her child squeaky clean. Be sure to include baby shampoo, a mild soap that won't irritate a newborn's sensitive skin, a soft washcloth (or sponge) and hooded towel, and a bright yellow rubber ducky for good measure. A baby comb and brush are nice additions, as are a couple of simple bath toys, even though infants won't be able to really play with them for several more months. Toss in a bottle of bubble bath for Mom to use when her baby's asleep, and you're done. Agreed again.

7. Starter library

A shelf full of classic children's books is a gift sure to win any mom-to-be's heart. Reading them to her child will strengthen their bond, and the baby will begin to learn to appreciate the beauty of the written word. Some of the best are Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny, and Guess How Much I Love You?. If you love the idea of giving books, consider making it the theme of the shower: Have everyone bring their favorite with a note to the baby tucked inside. Be sure to mix some baby-friendly board books in with the traditional hardcover variety — that way newborns will be able to truly appreciate the sound and the taste of your gift. so important to read to your babies!!!

8. Out-and-about

If you're a parent — or even if you aren't — you know it's virtually impossible to get out of the house without leaving something essential behind. Help the happy new parents avoid mishaps with an assembled out-and-about kit. Start with a diaper bag; add a couple of diapers, some wipes, an extra outfit (or two) for the baby, a bottle of ready-to-feed formula (if she's formula feeding), a couple of small toys (rattles and chew toys are perfect), and a pacifier; toss in an extra T-shirt for mom; and finish it off with a pencil, a pad of paper, an extra set of keys (if you can get her originals to make copies), and a packet of safety pins. Now she'll be prepared for anything. What a great idea!

9. Sleep kit

Why do newborns cry at night? This question may be unanswerable, but a basket full of things that make the nursery more soothing after dark can help a new parent survive those first few sleep-deprived months. Fill your sleep kit with a comforting nightlight, a soft blanket (for out-of-the-crib cuddling only, as soft bedding is a potential SIDS risk), and some soothing music made just for babies (For Crying Out Loud and Lullaby: A Collection are great examples). If you want to splurge, include a white noise sound machine or a special mobile that plays music and projects dancing light pictures on nursery walls. The baby will be enthralled, and his parents may look a little perkier in the morning. This may work, but I think giving a cd, night light and (here dont use this blanket) is not a gift that should make top ten.

10. Set up a group of dinner providers

When the beds are still unmade at 5 in the afternoon and the baby's having a good end-of-the-day cry, the last thing a new mom or dad wants to do is make a meal. So give new parents what they really want — dinner on someone else. Before you go to the shower, organize a group of the mom-to-be's friends to volunteer to make dinner for the new family after the baby's born. Depending on the number of people involved, you can plan to have hot meals dropped off either nightly or every few days for the first couple of weeks postpartum. This is really nice, only problem, you may not want so many people in and out of your house with a new baby because you know they will want to stay and hold him/her. I think gift cards are a nice idea, that way dad can run out and gran it. But know who your buying for, they may really like having company everyday, just never do that for me.




 So not a bad list, I think my next baby shower gift will be that, out and about gift. Great idea. I would switch out the carrier and night time kit for a entertainer or jumparoo and umbrella stroller.



http://www.babycenter.com/0_top-ten-baby-shower-gifts_5387.bc

for a laugh

My cousin told me about this guy, he writes about reality tv. He is hilarious. He is a little pg13 though so just letting ya know. But if your into reality shows, especially teen mom, read what he has to say, you will be laughing the whole time. http://www.imbringingbloggingback.com/

Navarre beach fl

Our first family vacation we took when Nathan was 7 months old. We went with friends who have a 2 year old. We took a 11 hour drive to navarre beach fl. I really enjoyed this vacation. What I thought might be stressful ended up being a really nice relaxing time. One of those vacations we will always remember. The only reason it worked so well though is because of my crazy obsessive planning. I am a crazy planner. I have to have the whole vacation planned out before we even go. That way we are prepared for anything. Here are some tips for traveling with a infant to the beach.

First for the trip down, make sure you have your car packed with stuff you can reach at hand. Any toys to entertain! I bought a couple new toys so they would be new too him and maybe entertain him. Also a portable dvd player works great if you have a kid who will watch it! Luckily Nathan sleep the whole way down! and home!! Thats because we left at his bedtime. which is my second tip, travel at night!

 pick a condo if you can! that way you will have a a kitchen, and a washer and dryer! That way you dont have to take tons of clothes for your little one, you can always just wash!

 get a uv tent, pool, battery fan, cooler, sand toys. This was our saving grace. Nathan could lounge in his baby pool, or play and he could stay cool and out of the sun. great hideaway for us too when the sun was beating down hard.

Nathan was to big for a bumbo. hes a big boy! So I brought his walker, set it in the uv tent and when he didnt want to be in the water he could be in the walker. He wasnt walking yet, so it was nice for him to have that to run all over the condo with too.

at night I would put water in a sippy cup in the freezer, and then bring it to the beach in the morning, sometimes instead of the cooler, or just something cold for him to have. it thawed out quick

having a pool at our condo was also really nice! bought this floater for 5 dollars the local gas station.

I got this clip on high chair at my shower. best gift. so nice to have to take to restaurants. Specially on vacation when places are packed and out of highchairs.
the other thing that I did was had a list of restaurants, the phone numbers and address so we knew where we were going each night and could call to see how long the wait was. that way we were not wasting good awake hours on driving around or waiting to eat. I looked up online the most liked and recommend places and went from there. I also looked up local things to do so in case we had rain days we would have something to do. but we didnt which was nice!

We has such a nice vacation and I cant wait to take Nathan to the beach again this year. Just remember when traveling with a baby not to expect the same vacations as you use to have. map it out a head of time. Dont plan too much to do. Take turns going out to the beach during nap time to have some alone time in the sand and waves. Make sure you have, sunscreen, hats and those huggies little swimmers are great! take a camera, video camera, toys, toys and toys, try to pack light and buy things at your local grocery store. that saved us alot of space. You dont have to take my advice but trust me on the sunscreen.

1st birthday

For Nathan's first birthday, I was struggling to find something really cute to do for the invites. Came across the idea of making a one. I went to hobby lobby and got the supplies that I needed. Cost me about 10 bucks for the whole thing. I also bought a elmo scrapbook sticker since that is his favorite person. I took the photos myself. My husband helped and they turned out really cute!

whats for dinner?

I am not much of a cook. But now having a child, I am really trying to be. But still not very good at it. I just hate cooking and I am a very picky eater so its hard for me to find anything that I think will be worth cooking. So I know there is other moms out there like me who need easy meal ideas for their kids. Here is some of the things my picky eater enjoys thats easy to do. My goal is to get Nathan to be a very healthy eater, so far its not going well, so for now my goal is just to get him to eat.

these things are great, you just throw in the microwave, they all have veggies and its a great meal for your child. Mine loves it. I also buy the mixed veggies and put the left overs in a container and keep in the fridge so he has some to snack on or for lunch and dinner. Easy!

my child is a vegetarian, he hates eating meat! but with these pasta pick ups I can give him some meat options, more like hiding the meat and he will eat them. he loves them. Its the only way he will eat meat. Though he did eat some chicken nuggets from wendys this weekend, we all know thats super healthy!! So maybe he will start to branch out. But for now, putting these in the microwave for 30 seconds is something I dont mind to do!

This is a favorite of my husbands. I pour this into the microwave, then make some egg noodles on the stove, then poor this over top. He loves it. Now so does Nathan. He will sometimes take a bite of the beef, sometimes swallow sometimes spit out.

First time I gave this to Nathan, he loved it and then threw it up. I think too much salt. So now, I drain the soup and add water. He loves it and its not hard on his stomach.

living the dream

So a little more about me, I am a college graduate. I graduated in 2008 when the economy took a turn for the worst. So I have been searching for a full time job since then, I know why I havent been hired, its because of my background. Not my criminal background since they is suppose to be wiped clean, no its the fact that I have worked in daycare and have had no office experience. Now a days, since executives are applying to be executives assistants, there is no room for someone who told kids to go use the potty and wiped noses all day. Lucky me. So I am subbing. Which I hate but the perk is I get to stay home with my baby. Which I love. I am looking for work, part time is what I want, really part time that pays like full time, but I live in the real world, most of the time, and know that wont happen. When I graduated I thought I had to have a job that I loved and couldnt wait to go to everyday. Then I realized I just want a paycheck weekly or biweekly whatever works. Not to interested in finding my dream job, just my dream salary or my husbands dream salary or something that will help me move into a bigger home and shut my husband up. Ah lifes goals. So hopefully one day Ill find that job that allows me to get dressed up and sit a computer desk for 8 hours. Once I find that job, I will most likely abandoned this blog, unless I can have a job where I can spend most of my time on pintrest, which lets be honest, is every woman's dream job. Luckily my husband has a wonderful job that supports us. The downside is he works thirds, but everyone in this family is night owls anyway.

14 month old finger painting er mess making

found the idea on a pintrest for edible finger paints. So one beautiful afternoon, I made it and had Nathan try it out. Heres how it went.

Nathan was not sure of what this was. But he did enjoy putting his hands in it.

then he thought tipping it over would be more fun.

all this is is flour, sugar, water, salt, but apparently those combinations do not taste the best together for Nathan. I only used one color of food dye. just trying it out. seeing how he would do and if he would even try to paint with it.

I taped down the paper, because I am brilliant (actually because the other blogger recommended it, details, details)

For Nathan's birthday I had cupcakes with those little edible sprinkle pearl things (no clue what they are called and frankly I am to lazy to go check) I added them for fine motor skills. He really liked picking them up and throwing them into the bowl.

Also liked using the spoon to play with. (note the Christmas socks are awesome, dont lie you know you want a pair)

Now I have some art work on my fridge! Luckily he did spend some time on the paper to at least have something to put up, even if some of it was forced or just reaching for something :)

ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour
• 1/2  cup of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 cups cold water
• 2 cups hot water
• Food Coloring
• Small bowls
• Paper…lots of paper! 

I cut this in half, for a trial run, it made alot!
and the credit goes to........        http://thekrazycouponlady.com/family/lets-paint-how-to-make-your-own-edible-finger-paints

is this thing on?

So, I am getting into blogging. Due to the many many many ideas I found on pintrest, via blogs, I thought hey I can do that. I am mom. I can share my ideas (or the ones I steal) and be able to keep a record of all the things my child/I/husband/imaginary friends do. I also thought it would be fun to blog about my other loves, my dogs, shopping, vacations and tivo. So basically my life, which you will wish was yours, with a few minor adjustments mainly in your wallet. but hey we cant have it all. Specially when your family is as ridiculously good looking as mine. I hope this blogging experience turns out well. But if the only person who ever reads it or laughs is me, then I guess I have accomplished something. Specially since the universe should revolve around me anyway. As my husband would say "ya since you know everything" so I am glad he agrees. Besides on days I am not working I need something to do during nap time, I could clean, but lets be serious.