Sharing Some Smiles

Naps

Lately, his book of choice is Curious George Rides a Bike.  We settle into the glider, snuggling and reading until my voice coaxes him into slumber.  Every once in a while, the backseat grows quiet, Abbey succumbing to a much-needed nap.  After our half marathon, but before picking up the kids, Ryan and I stole a brief, luxurious nap before noon.

 

Happy Grandma

After years of putting everyone else's needs before her own, my mom retired this September and had their kitchen cabinets and counters replaced, a project she's been talking about for a long time.  She deserves fourteen kitchens for the sacrifices she's made throughout the years, but this one makes her smile.

muffin recipe courtesy of Move Over Mary Poppins

visit for the recipe but stay for her amazing storytelling

Pumpkin

My mom's pumpkin bread kicks off my Christmas season, but until she begins baking, I seek out the flavor in other goodies-the pumpkin spice latte from Biggby Coffee or the above Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are my favorites this year.

 

Playing Outside, Before Gloves Become a Necessary Accessory

Equipped with Diet Pepsi, a Toy Story bottle of water, my ever present writer's notebook, a little leaf picked by small fingers "just for you, Mama", and a kleenex for slightly runny noses, we are soaking in the remaining outdoor weather that doesn't require wrestling Abbey and Dylan into snowsuits.

Photos courtesy of Pinterest

Click for source information

Fall Fashion

Dresses with tights and boots, jeans and cozy scarves, warm neutrals and pops of color.  I'm finding myself drawn to casual looks this fall, jeans with cute accessories (though I just can't get away from a good heel!)  With two little ones, and only one who enjoys shopping, I haven't made any of my fashion dreams a reality yet this fall.  There's still time, right?

This week at just.be.enough. we're talking about Five Things That Make Us Smile.

What made you smile this week?

Every MONDAY join us…
Write, post, link-up, share your story and your voice. Be part of carrying the weight of confidence, empowerment and share our mission
to empower, inspire, and remind women, parents and children
that the time has come to celebrate ourselves!

Next week’s prompt: The truth...

(Remember you can also write on a topic of your choice.)

Space for Sweaters?

I miss my childhood closet.

Each time I’m visiting my parents, generally once a week, I climb the stairs of the 1970’s colonial and peer enviously into the room they still call “Angela’s room”.

Over the years, gold shag carpeting and yellow wallpaper gave way to delicate blue and white paper and blue plush carpeting, then finally a cream Berber and spring green walls.  The feminine, off-white furniture has been pushed around in every possible layout.

The closet remains unchanged.

Ryan and I don’t live in a 1970’s colonial.

People generally sigh wistfully when they hear our house was built in the 1920’s.

“Old houses have so much character,” they say, looking around at the built-in bookcases and coved ceilings.

I generally sigh in frustration as the seasons change, and I try to rearrange our closets.

Our house has two relatively large linen closets, but our master bedroom has two miniscule closets, built into the part of the room where the ceiling slopes, rendering much of the already cramped space unusable. 

When we moved into the house, and Ryan had time for projects other than tucking Abbey into bed for the third time each night, he carefully measured and engineered a series of shelves in our closets, trying to maximize the space.

It was a valiant effort, and it generally works for him.  Also, he has generously allowed me the entire dresser for my things.

I still struggle.

Shoes in boxes, so they can stack?  Out of boxes, so I can see them easily and cram my size sixes into the corners?

Bags in the hall closet or my closet?  Accessories on shelves or in boxes on shelves?

 

Clothes hung by color or clothing weight or length?

Every configuration seems wrong.

I try not to think of my childhood closet, empty and open, at my parents’ house.

Innocently, I grew up taking my walk-in closet for granted.  Graced with clothing bars and shelves and oodles of floor space; I never filled it, even as a teenager.  I would laze on the floor, reading books, writing in my journal, whispering into my pink, plastic phone.  My closet was a little cave, carpeted and safe.

My current closet is a little cave as well, cramped and dark, littered with mismatched shoes and belts that Abbey pulls on and off with interest, abandoning them and moving along to eye my jewelry box.

In the 1920’s, I guess people weren’t concerned with whether they had room to add a pair of jewel tone heels to their fall shoe collection.

My old house might have character, but I miss my childhood closet.

prompt:

This week’s prompt is to use this image for your inspiration and begin your post with those words…”I miss my childhood…”

The image is a lined sheet of paper, the writing in a child's handwriting, and I originally had a different concept for this week's piece.

Then it got cold, and I tried to find something warm to wear.

Five Fall Favorites

Join us at Mama Insomnia and share your favorite parts of fall!

Fall in Michigan is a particularly lovely bridge between summer and winter.  The humidity relents but the sunshine remains.  Leaves change colors, blanketing the lawns and providing a perfect backdrop for pumpkins and the perfect shade of brown leather boots.

Following are my five fall favorites

(because I love alliteration)

Cider mills

Apples to pick, haystacks to climb, cider to drink, donuts to scarf, petting farms to furiously sanitize our hands after visiting, I love it all.  We've visited one of our favorite cider mills twice already this summer, to pick strawberries and raspberries, but it's just not the same as the cider mill in the fall.  If I could figure out a way to keep the cider-happy bees away, I might not leave for the entire month of September.  Or October.

Back-to-school shopping

Abbey actually needs supplies this year!  (insert hyperventilation here)

In order to harness my emotions about sending her to pre-school, I've made a list of my own.  I'm thinking a new writers' notebook and a giant pack of Flair pens, in all of the colors of the rainbow.  There's nothing like a notebook filled with empty pages and a fun new writing tool to make a former school-lover giddy with anticipation of endless possibilities.

Football Saturdays

Ryan is going to want to call my bluff on this one, mainly because of my habit (pre-children) of falling asleep during halftime and napping until the end of the game, but I adore the atmosphere of football Saturday.  Particularly when I am on a college campus, kicking back at a tailgate, and clapping along to the Michigan State fight song.  Even for non-sports lovers, college athletics are contagious in their enthusiasm.

Halloween

Pumpkins and costumes and candy, oh my!  In Michigan, even the trees get into the spirit of the holiday, trading their green leaves for gorgeous colors, their silky textures for a crunchiness that sounds so perfect that you ignore the little pieces of leaves trailed into the house in the treads of your shoes.

Fall Fashion

I love a sundress as much as the next girl, but there's something about a flattering sweater and a great pair of boots that makes me feel confident and put together.  Layering a dress with cozy tights helps me feel pretty when I'm chasing the kids around.  Jewel tones, broken-in denim, and no real need for a coat or jacket all mesh together to make fall the most drool-worthy fashion season for me.  I'm even hoping to find a way to break my ponytail habit over the next few months!

What's your favorite part of fall?  And if you don't have one, come visit for the weekend, and we'll do a fall extravagaza until you find something you love.  Maybe you can even figure out what to do about this hair of mine?

the day we picked raspberries

not surprisingly, that is an outfit of her choosing

surprisingly, she came home without a stain on it 

hanging out on the horse swing

made of tires

weird? cute? you decide

Buy That Girl Some New Clothes

editorial note:

she does NOT need new clothes

she has oodles of clothes in her size

Shopping for School, Crocs Style

Thank you to Crocs for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Crocs’ new Back to School line. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

For all of her bubbling giggles and spontaneous bear hugs, Abbey likes to keep me on my toes.

This spring, she asked to leave a shoe store in tears, because: “I don’t think I can wear these!”  Two stores later, we found a pair she loved, and all was right with the world.

This summer, we needed easy, comfortable shoes that could splash in puddles, run through the zoo, play on the beach and wade in the lake.  We went to the Crocs store. 

Almost an hour later, tears fell again, because she didn’t want to stop trying on shoes!  Thankfully, a few carefully doled out snacks and a new straw sippy cup kept Dylan relatively calm and contained in his stroller.

We’ve been talking about backpacks and new clothes and school supplies lately, due to the pile of tear-stained preschool paperwork reminding us that the first day of school is looming on the horizon.

Carefully knitted sweaters, indigo denim, layered leggings and dresses are calling, and it's time to answer that cal.

An almost four-year old concerned with what she wears and a mommy concerned with functionality and ease of washing, due to crafts and daily playground escapades, could collide for a tantrum-inducing mall visit. 
After the Spring Shoe Fiasco of 2011, I plan on making the Crocs store the first stop on our list.

You may be picturing the basic Crocs clog and thinking it won’t work with playgrounds filled with wood chips and school dress codes, but the Back-to-School line has 13 different styles for boys and girls from approximately kindergarten through eighth grade, styles that combine the beloved comfort of Crocs with school-approved closed toes and closed backs.

Check them out for yourself.  Click on the shoes for more information, including sizes and colors (I’ll wait here; it’s ok!)

shhh...here's a hint for the hidden easter egg in the video

You never know what will strike Abbey’s fancy, but I have a feeling she’ll be drawn to the sparkles of these…

Hover Metallic Sneaker

To help combat the frustration of not quite knowing how to tie her little shoes, I might steer her in the direction of these…

Genna

I know she’d love to customize them with a few Jibbitz (though we might have to transfer her glow-in-the-dark Tinkerbell one from her summer pair.)

If you want to shop from the comfort of your couch, check out the Back-to-School section of their website.  While you’re there, be sure to enter to win a family vacation to San Diego!  Those of us in snowy climates will be dying for some of that San Diego sunshine in a few months.

Now if only Crocs made “pink princess backpacks” (an official statement from Abbey about her desired school bag), we’d be ready to begin her academic career. 

After one or two or fifty-seven more hugs from my girl.

he's going to miss her

My Sea Legs

Running late, I slide on the flip flops near the back door, glad they're teal, glad they're comfortable, glad I don't need to run back to my room to find another pair of shoes.

I strap Abbey and Dylan into their seats, crank the air-conditioning or roll down the windows, slick on my Burt's Bees chapstick, and sing along with Abbey on the way to our destination.

I forget about the flip flops.

Then I glimpse myself walking in a store window, and I do that familiar double take.  Who is that short person pushing our stroller?  The one with the rounded legs and ungraceful gait?

Suddenly, I remember the flip flops.  I feel the plastic between my toes, the lack of arch support, the flatness of my walk.

I wish I had worn my wedges.

When I get home, I bring these down from my closet and carefully place them near the door, vowing that they'll replace the flip flops as my easy, running late companion.

A simple wedge, about three inches, they wear fabric that invokes a feeling of the tropics.  I've never worn them to a luau, but they don't know that.

Just as easy as flip flops, I slide my feet along the fabric-covered raffia as I open the door for Abbey, scooping Dylan from the top of the landing as he clicks the baby gate closed behind him.

I throw my over-sized tangerine purse onto the floor under Dylan's seat, make sure they both have a book or toy or cup of water before settling into my own seat, adjust the volume on the radio from my drive to the gym last night.

The routine hasn't changed from the day before.  We walk this path day after day; the dance of getting out of the house is one all three of us could do blindfolded.

But today, when I walk past a storefront, I recognize the reflection.  A messy bun, hair still wet, sunglass-free because I've broken another pair, pushing the stroller and steering clear of Abbey's heels as she insists on walking a little too close to her brother.

My stride is confident, natural, leg muscles slightly defined.  I'm back on my sea legs, three inches off the ground.

Come join my friend Kir and me (and a bunch of other shoe lovers) on The Summer of Sole Sisters shoe sharing blog hop!  Or just come and feast your eyes on some cute summer shoes.  See you there!

The Summer of Sole Sisters!

Cooped up all winter, they’re dying to feel fresh air.  Encased in leather riding boots and rubber Wellingtons and suede booties, they’re aching for a pedicure. 

Summer’s here, and it’s time to let your toes loose!

Paint your toenails icy blue or shocking coral or palest pink.  Slide your feet into your favorite sandals, the ones that put a little extra bounce in your step, the ones that insist you tap your toes to your favorite summer tunes as you’re driving with the windows down.

Wearing summer shoes and sunglasses brings out the inner movie star in all of us.

My lovely friend Kir, of The Kir Corner, is a girl after my own heart; we’ve clicked in countless ways, and one of the light and fun ways is that we love shopping and especially love a to-die-for pair of shoes.

Kir and I can’t go shoe shopping together this summer, so we thought YOU might be willing to bring the shoes to us!  We want to see what you’re wearing this summer – link up with your favorite summer shoes, whether they’re the flip flops you can’t take off or the wedges that show off those legs you earned at the gym this winter.

Link up with Kir or with me; we’re both so excited about this summer party that the linky will post to both our pages!

Come on in ladies, and show us your SOLE J

grab the button (on my sidebar) and link up from now until August 19th

An Ode to a Pedicure

My feet cry out for comfort as we play in the park

These wedges better suited for a stroll after dark

Sometimes I wear flip flops, to give my tootsies a break

But there’s one fashion concession that I just can’t make

Crocs are for doctors and kids and gardeners

Though they're catching on, thanks to great marketers

I hear they make cute ones that don’t look like clogs

And they’d probably feel great on these barking dogs

I claimed that this summer I’d at least buy some flats

To chase Dylan around, going this way and that

I’ve seen some cute sandals, even some I adore

Though I still like my heels just a little bit more

I vowed to buy flats, and soon I'll be ready
  
But until then I'll wear wedges and wish for a pedi
 

Abbey loves hers

as she should

it took about thirty minutes to choose them 

Dylan loving his Crocs 

Abbey, Dylan, and Brendan rocking their Crocs

(Colleen not in Crocs)

Mama Kat asked about what fashion rules we do or don't break.

Climb into the Delorean...

...we're headed back to 1995!

Liz, who needs to be voted Most Spirited for her dedication to the Seniors of Blogville High, set up a hilarious link-up for us to share our senior photos.  Formally called "I Was a Senior Hottie", you can find the virtual senior class here.

I don't know about hottie, but I could definitely wield a curling iron and rock some acrylic nails!

holy dark lipstick!

holy half inch curling iron!

you can't really see my hot pink (what was I thinking?) talons acrylic nails, but they're there

I hope my posture has improved since then

our serious competition uniform

back before fun skimpy cheerleading uniforms

I'm from Michigan - football games got pretty cold! 

face blurred to protect the innocent

Prom night

Stalled Style

Being three might be frustrating, but it has its advantages.

She dresses herself, and I try to invoke the mommy veto very, very sparingly.

If there’s going to be a battle each morning in our house, I’d rather it be about the merits of eggs versus candy for breakfast instead of the striped or the heart socks with the flowered pants.

Even with all of the crazy combinations she manages to put together, by throwing her hair into some pigtails or a cute little braid (her favorite), she ends up looking cute and quirky and like she’s having fun getting dressed each day.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of being three, and getting dressed each day poses some challenges for me. I’ve spent the last four years being pregnant or nursing or losing baby weight or some combination of those things, and my wardrobe reflects that.

Now I’m facing the sometimes overwhelming task of trying to find some sort of clothing combination that makes sense for both my lifestyle and my appreciation of fashion.

I’ve spent the last few summers in skirts and sundresses, but this summer shorts are back with a vengeance on the pages of fashion magazines. I’ve spent a great part of my adult life refusing to wear shorts, but I have to admit there’s some appealing about throwing on a pair for a day at the park instead of worrying about flashing the playground while following Dylan up the slide for the fiftieth time.

It’s time to get rid of my diaper bag, and several friends have recommended cute backpacks for the transition. I just can’t bring myself to do that with all of the fabulous satchels and totes out there right now, but I’m having a tough time making a decision about that, too!

Don’t forget shoes; a girl can never have too many shoes, except when she’s relying on actual money to pay for them and not a fairy godmother.

Oh, and a great pair of jeans that can somehow make the pancake at the top of my legs look more like a tush without costing hundreds of dollars.

 Sigh…where are Stacy and Clinton with their style advice (and their $5000 bank card) when you need them?

she explained to me that the shirt matched, because the dress has green and so does the shirt

the capris have pink and so does the bunny's skirt

pink shoes, because she only has one non-pink pair

black socks?

even she couldn't explain that one

Wishful Thinking

We recently received an invitation to a tea party playdate, complete with the suggestion that the moms should dress up, too.  Never one to pass up an opportunity to wear a dress and cute shoes, I eagerly accepted and talked about it frequently with Abbey.

I shouldn't have been surprised that she chose a pink, sleeveless, tulle dress, right?  Or that she proceeded to paw around in my closet until she found a white and pink sleeveless dress for me to wear?  Trying to foster independent thinking, I went with it, after slapping on some tights (cute ones for her, not-really-matching black ones for me) and cardigans and saying a quick thanks that we didn't have far to walk from the parking lot to my friend's condo!

The playdate was absolute genius, by the way.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed the little tea set and then proceeded to move past the "tea party" part of the playdate to the "play" part.  As for the moms, I think we all enjoyed an opportunity to feel pretty and put-together. 

I can't speak for everyone, but although I am making an effort to wear cuter clothes and make-up most days, the lingering winter weather is really beginning to take a toll on any fashion baby steps I might be making.

Feeling ready to welcome spring, I was sure that Mother Nature would appreciate our efforts to retire our heavy sweaters and boots for the season.  I was wrong.  Snow blustered in again, and there's snow blanketing the ground and wind making Dylan gasp in surprise each time we step outside. 

I guess Mother Nature didn't get her tea party invitation.

at home & still wearing her dress 

not the happiest picture of my little guy

but he wore spring clothes to try to will winter away, too!

Three Brides?

I was honored to wear my mom's veil when I married Ryan.  Let's be honest, I wanted my own dress, but my sentimental side was thrilled that I could wear something that was a part of her wedding day.

This weekend, Grandma Sue & Grandpa Ray came over to play with the kids while Ryan and I retreated to the basement to try to organize that mess of a black hole.  I read Ryan's yearbook comments, tried on my wedding dress, and took my veil upstairs to let Abbey play with it. 

Maybe she'll wear it one day as well?

Oh, and we bagged a TON of books for our library's used book sale next month and a ton of miscellaneous stuff for the Salvation Army and actually threw out some things that weren't even charity-worthy.  Ryan continued our efforts by carting ten (or so) giant plastic totes up to our attic (including the infamous baseball card collection.) 

Operation Declutter is looking up.

Staying Warm

Uggs.

They might not be the cutest things.

They're probably out of style, since I own a pair.

But warm feet are happy feet.

Missing the Bundle Me

Winter has arrived, with snow and ice and salt and bitter cold, and that means bundling up the babies every time we go outside.  This is Abbey's second winter as a walker in convertible car seat, so she's used to the drill.  Also, she's kind of an accessories girl, so she doesn't have a problem donning scarves, mittens, hats, and coats. 

Dylan, on the other hand, attempts to pull his hat off anytime he can move his arms.  I have to mention that, because when he's wearing his coat, he kind of resembles that little boy in The Christmas Story who falls down and can't get up again when he's all snow-suited up to walk to school.  Combine that with his non-walking status makes him an awkward little guy to tote around.

Winter has only just started sticking out its ugly tongue around here; we have months of this mess ahead of us.  Pretty as the snow may be when it's blanketing the trees outside of our windows, it really does make it more difficult to get around town.  I almost miss the days of the baby carriers and the Bundle Me, but I don't think I could carry either of them around on my arm anymore!

Luckily, they're pretty darn cute in their hats!

see, he takes it off when he has the opportunity

I'm pretty sure he thinks it's a game now 

my friend Andrea made his hat

she donates part of the cost to a local food bank

check out her Etsy shop here 

another great Etsy store

Fashion Inspiration

Abbey is making her clothing preferences quite clear lately, even when they come out of left field.  Sometimes, though, there are days where I clearly see her inspiration.

cute, no?

outfit courtesy of Aunt Jane

The other day, Abbey was happily dressed.  At least, she was happily dressed until she saw Dylan rocking lined denim overalls.  She immediately demanded her own "overall".  She actually has two little denim jumpers, both of them at least two sizes too small.  However, she is stubborn, and I figured with a pair of tights and maybe some shorts, we'd be fine.  Unfortunately, the shorts never quite found their way into the ensemble, so the tights had to do.

he chose the horse to accessorize their dual overalls

When Pink Isn't For Kids

I think I've over-documented Abbey's love of pink.  If you've missed the posts or just completely ignore what I write (it's ok, I know some of you are only here for the baby picture fix, I forgive you), I'm sure you've noticed that her wardrobe is a colorful mess that generally consists of at least one pink item. 
With that being said, I was still taken a little aback when we went to the mall this week and she squealed: "Mommy, that's MY store!!"
She was talking about Victoria's Secret Pink.

Now, I'm old enough to remember VS before Pink, then when Pink was simply a little segment of their merchandise.  I actually have to give them giant merchandising/branding props (I don't know the right lingo here) for developing a way to hook buyers on the brand as teenagers/young adults with fun, flirty products.  I mean, maybe I'm a branding llama myself, but there's something about Victoria's Secret that makes me feel a little prettier, a little more mysterious, and who doesn't like to feel like that?

But my little girl isn't even three yet, and I don't need her hooked that young.  Still, she was drawn to the pink and white polka dots on the walls, the colorful bras, panties, and pajama pants beckoning from the windows, the music playing inside.

I tried to explain: "Sorry Abbey; that's a store for grown-up girls."

She was insistent: "Mommy!  It's a store for kids!"

Thankfully, at our mall, Pink is directly across from Bath and Body Works, so she was enticed away from the skimpy boxers and tanks with the promise of sampling hand sanitizers.  I am pretty sure she's forgotten all about it by now, but I haven't. 

How many times will she see that store before she is old enough to shop there? Will I ever be ready for her to shop there? I've mentioned before that I don't think clothes are a parenting battle worth fighting, but I hadn't really thought about it in terms of what she would want to wear under those clothes.

I know I have time before this becomes a genuine issue in our house. Unfortunately, I don't think I have as much time as I expected.

And because I'm feeling a little nostalgic (and just copied some pictures from my parents), here are some old pictures of my babies. It's not even a year ago, but they look so little and different!

The Allure of the Tu-tu

Abbey loves her tu-tus.  We have a couple that I made her, a few that came with pajamas, and one that's an actual skirt, and all of them are beloved and well-worn.  Generally we wear them around the house (except the one that's a real skirt), but the other day she wanted to wear one to a playdate. 

I try not to fight about clothes, since there are so many other things to worry about most of the time (like why it's not ok to "push Dylan with my foot"), so the tu-tu was a-ok with me.  And yes, I want someone to remind me of this statement when Abbey is sixteen and leaving the house in something I hate.  I remember how much my dad hated when I would pierce my ears in college (why I thought approximately fifty holes in each ear looked good, I don't know), but those holes are long gone, and those arguments seem so silly now.

When she pulled out the fairy wings?  Well, at least it was a Halloween themed playdate...

Dylan and the monkey don't get the tu-tu

All Dressed Up

Abbey and Dylan have been to their first wedding! I took them to Jessica’s sister’s ceremony last weekend. They were not invited to the reception, but it worked best for me to take them with me to the church. Before anyone gets upset about bringing uninvited children to a wedding, we spent the entire mass in the cry room. Everyone that knows him knows that Dylan might be the loudest baby ever; he is constantly vocalizing and doesn’t realize the difference between inside and outside voices yet!

My mom joined us in the cry room, and immediately rocked Dylan to sleep. Abbey was the one with a million questions during mass, making me realize that I need to start taking her to church.  Of course, before I can do that, I need to find a parish to call home; Ryan isn't overly interested, so this is something I need to do on my own.

After the ceremony, we spent a few minutes visiting with Aunt Jessica and Uncle Donnie and watching Jan (the gorgeous bride) take pictures. Abbey was enthralled by the dresses, the jewelry, and the pageantry of the wedding, including the priest and the altar. Overall, I think we all enjoyed ourselves.  I have to admit that Abbey's seen a few episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, and she kept saying, "oh, the bride in the beautiful dress".

I went to the reception with my parents while the kids stayed home with Ryan. Grandma Sue and Grandpa Ray came over to play, and a good time was had by all. (Although I only got to flex my dance muscles on the hustle before leaving for the night!)  One of my favorite parts?  The martini bar - delicious, fruit infused martinis shot into your glass through an ice luge.  I'm having one of those installed in my next house; it's the girly version of the traditional kegerator. 

visiting with Katelyn, the adorable flowergirl!, before the wedding 

Abbey is looking at the priest 

about three minutes before Dylan fell asleep 

Aunt Jess's flowers! 

Abbey and Aunt Jessica

I'm pretty sure Abbey was eyeing the bracelet 

Katelyn and Jan at the reception