Crabs Are Fun!

Sandbox crab, that is! (Grab your attention there?) Davis' new crabby sandbox is here and he LOVES it! That boy did not want to get out, he was enjoying it so much! The wonderful people at CSN Stores gave me a wonderful offer that I just could not refuse. This little crabby hold up to 300 pounds (yes, 300!) of sand!! The more, the merrier, right? Those cute little claws in the front are actually seats. How fun is that? Michael was worried about rain and ants getting in the sand, but the 'protective shell' cover secures down really well, keeping out all unwanted guests.






Davis just stayed in there and played for quite a while, shoveling sand back and forth. He even managed to bury his leg underneath, which I think I found a little more amusing than he did.



My next stop, a tree swing. All of their prices are fantastic and have all of your home shopping needs right at your fingertips! Thank you again, CSN!!!

Post It Note Tuesday :)

Tomme Tippee Bottle Winner!!

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Amanda Reeher! Come on down!!! I have to say, using this Tommee Tippee bottle is wonderful. Anyone that has tried them will say the same. Anyone who hasn't...what are you waiting for?!? I went to Babies 'R' Us recently and Tommee Tippee is selling like hot cakes. I couldn't even get a sippy cup for Davis because they are wiped out. Did I mention they are really reasonable prices, too?

Thank you so much to Tommee Tippee for allowing me to do this giveaway. I have gotten some great feedback, whether through comments, or from emails. Now to throw out all of the other bottles!

Congrats, Amanda!!

I'm A Thief!

What? I'm a thief. Yes, yes. My hardened criminal days, starting at the ripe old age of 5. I saw something on a website yesterday saying, "What was your first sin," and I had to write about it. And not only was a thief, I robbed a store. Can't you just picture a small 5 year old, telling the cashier to stick 'em up? That's exactly how it happened. Okay...fine. Not at all.
Do you remember Bubbalicious gum? Oh, all the wonderful flavors and scents they had. Strawberries smelt like sugary, sugary strawberries. Grape smelt like dimetapp. Watermelon like over the top sugar again, in a huge square. Like being in Willie Wonka's factory or something. Enticing your sense of smell. Well, that was me, anyway. I was the weird kid that liked to sniff all the different flavors of gum. I didn't ever really get to BUY any though. For one, like I said, it's packed full of SUGAR. Perfect for children of course. Two, I think I used to actually swallow the gum instead of spitting it out. (I got the whole speech of it will stick to your ribs for 6 whole years. Haha.)
So one day, I'm standing in the line with mom at the convenient store, sniffing this wonderful smelling gum as usual. When my mom is done buying her stuff, she looks at me with this stern look and tells me she is ready to go. For some reason, I just panic and walk out the door with her. With the gum. Still in my hand. I didn't even realize it yet! Until half way home, and thought, oh crap! My mom is going to kill me! We pull in the driveway and of course, she turns to me and says, "What is that smell, Jessica?" Head down, and completely ashamed of what I had done, I told her I took a pack of gum. Please don't put me in jail. I'm sorry! We didn't even make it out of the car when thrown into reverse, and back to the store we go. 'You are going to march in that store, and tell him what you have done,' my mom tells me. WHAT?!? Can't you do it for me? I thought. Uggg. Okay, here goes. 'Sir, I took a pack of gum home with me.' I didn't even say it was an honest accident, because I was too freakin scared. He tells me it's okay, that I came back and told him what happened. (Yes, I drove the car) And what does this man do? Rewards me with an ICEE. At the time, I think this is amazing. So wait, I just took your gum and just got a free ICEE. Heck yes!!! Looking back now, not such a good idea.
I still find this story so funny. Anytime my husband drives past that store in Louisiana, he makes a point to call me and let me know. And of course it's something to the effect of,'I'm in front of the store where you stole from and that rewarded!'

Tommee Tippee Bottle Giveaway!

Are you pregnant? Debating whether you are going to breastfeed, bottle feed, pump....everything?!? I was just given the wonderful opportunity to try out Tommee Tippee's Closer to Nature 9 oz bottles and I am in love. In love with a bottle? Oh yes, my friend. LOVE them. They are "Intuitively designed for easier and more natural feeding." Tomme Tippee bottles have actually been around for 50 years in Britain and are finally here! I tried my new bottle out for about a week, to see how I really felt about it before writing this post, and I have to tell you, I want to get rid of my old ones and change them out with these. The shape is actually smaller and allows Davis to get a better grip on it. (He decides to hold his bottle when he's in the mood, I guess) The wide neck of the bottle allows your baby easier latch on. The nipple of the bottle actually mimics your own breastfeeding action. It is much softer, and more flexible than others. The Tommee Tippee bottles also have a unique valve that helps prevent leaks and nipple collapse. This valve also prevents air ingestion which can lead to gas, colic and fussiness. I have to tell you, I agree 100%. With other bottles I was using before, Davis would seem to get very, VERY, upset when his bottle was empty. (I'm chalking it up to gas,now) Now he just smiles and seems perfectly content. Big change!! The Tommee Tippee bottles graduate in ounces and have sealed cap which DOES NOT leak during travel. I love these bottles and I am sure you will, too! I asked my husband what he thought and even he can tell a huge difference. That has to account for something, right!?!
Want to give it a try? Come on!
Each entry is a separate comment...more chances to win :)
1) Follow me. If you already follow me, tell me
2) Be sure to check out Tommee Tippee and tell me what you think
3)Vote for me at here for Top Baby Blogs
4)Grab my button and post it on your blog
5)Write a quick blog or tweet and link it back to my blog
I am starting this contest today, Monday March 22, 2010 and ending it Sunday March 27, 2010. I will cover costs of shipping...all you have to do is enter!
****Tommee Tippee is now at Babies 'R' Us. Be sure to check out all of their products!
GOOD LUCK!

Tick tock, tick tock

Times keeps ticking, ticking, away..... I still feel like I was just pregnant! This past month has just been so fun. His little personality is developing more and more each day and he is just so fun to be around! I am just absolutely fascinated by him! He still hasn't moved much beyond babababa, although I swear I hear him saying hi and hey a lot. Davis is really getting so much better sitting up like a big boy. Sometimes for twenty mintues at a time. But of course that is here and there.



We even attempted at the grocery store, but that didn't go over too well. It became his nap time very quickly and I found myself carrying him while pushing the buggy around the store. Hey, better than being that mom with a screaming baby!


Davis' new favorite thing right now is eating outside for one of his meals. He is amazed by Dexter, our dog, and will just watch him forever. Since we are outside, he gets a little messier than normal and of course it's so fun to watch him.


(That little part cracks me up!)
He is eating just about all fruits and vegeatables now. I still haven't fed him meat yet, and think I may hold off just a bit still. Who knows, I may feed him a sirloin steak for breakfast. Okay, I'm joking, although I'm sure he would eat it.
And last but not least, we made our first trip to the zoo. However I know I enjoyed it more than him....um, he slept....it was a gorgeous day and was great being outside. Since the zoo is just down the street, I'm sure we will be back plenty!



I don't think he's too happy with me here...had to buy the hat!


And of course the sunglasses! He didn't know quite what to think of them!


I look so forward to all the new things Davis will be doing and learning. Every single day is something different! Isn't being a parent amazing?! (I won't answer if it's been one of those days.)

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Davis' (Soon To Be) New Sandbox!

As Davis is getting bigger, of course he is going to need new toys....and lots of them. He is able to sit for longer periods of time now and I have really been wanting to get him some 'big boy toys.' Preferably for the backyard. Obviously he can't run around on a fort or anything like that yet, so something small. A slide? No...that's more work for me and he can't enjoy that too much yet. A SANDBOX!! I am so, so excited about this new Little Tykes turtle sandbox.

Are you needing new toys? Even toddler beds, or even outdoor furniture? When I say they have everything, I mean, they have everything! It was so hard to chose out of all the wonderful toys they have on their site.

The wonderful people at CSN stores have allowed me to try this too cute of a sandbox in return of a review of it on my blog. I seriously never thought I would be so excited about a sandbox!! I can't wait to see Davis playing around in it with his new sandbox toys! Stay tuned for my review and I'm sure pictures to go along with it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone :)

Who Needs Friends, Anyway?

ME! ME! I do!! I think as I get older, and I say that lightly, I am starting to realize more and more the importance of having friends in my life. Good friends. And I'm not saying that I have been a loner forever and didn't ever think friendships were ever important. I think it is harder as you get older to make good bonds with people, meet new good friends, and even keep the old friendships that you have had alive and going.
Why can't things be simple and easy like on 'Friends'?

Well, none of them had kids, for one! They pretty much LIVED in each others apartments. Were attached at the hip. Did any of them ever really work? Their main thing was sitting in the coffee house making small talk. Oh, oh. If only life were that easy!

Going home-by myself, baby and husband free this past weekend, made me really realize that I have some amazing friends. No, we don't get to see each other all the time, but when we do, we pick right back up where we left off. I have those friends that will bend over backwards for me as I would do the same for them. Talk their ears off (because I will talk your ear off) and have no quams about it. Bless their hearts, they actually sit there and listen to everything that I have to say. Now that is patience right there. Maybe they should get a medal. We have been through our ups and downs and every which way possible. But isn't that what true friendship is all about? You can get into fights, speak you mind, tell your friend what they don't want to hear, but need to, and always be able to make up in the end. I am that hard headed, stubborn person and am thankful that I get put in my place from time to time. Of course, I may not like what I am hearing then, it is for the better.

For all friends, new, old, and even people I have met through blogging-thank you always for your wonderful support! You can't go through life alone.

Cafe Press Giveaway Has Ended!!

Drum roll please..........and the winner is.......Ssirsta. I used Random.org to find the winner. Between 1 and 19, the generator chose #2. It is not allowing me to zap grab, copy and paste, etc.

Congrats to you and your sweet little girl with your new cute T-Shirts from CafePress!!


Also, thank you again CafePress for allowing me to do this. I had a great time doing this giveaway!!

Thanks :)

Finally, Mama Is Getting A Break!!

This weekend is my stepsister's bridal shower that I will be going home for. Michael was going to come with me and hang out with friends and what not, when he decided to stay home and work on our kitchen (I never thought I would get excited over new counter tops, sink, and stove. You know you are getting older when...) He asked what I thought about leaving Davis here with him and having the weekend to myself. For some reason, right off the bat, I started to get butterflies in my stomach. I felt a nervous pang, but not nervous in the sense that I didn't trust Michael to take care of him. I'm still on the phone with Michael and he is still waiting for me to say something. This is weird! Right? I've been begging, praying, screaming for a break and here it is and I feel weird about it. But of course, I'm going by myself anyway!



Random thoughts fill my head of Davis and Michael together over the weekend. My little man has diaper rash for the first time and screams every time he needs a diaper change. Poor baby! Will Michael be gentle with his fire engine red bum and proceed with caution? Too bad I can't find caution tape and wrap it around his diapers! Will he warm his food like I do? Sing him his goofy songs when he's screaming? Inevitably, the answer is no. I know this. I do realize that moms and dad are of different species and we nurture and want to take care of our babies, and dads do everything the quick and easy way. Like they will make a man out of a six month old, or something.



I'm for the first time, in I have no idea how long, having a few nights with friends and I am really looking forward to it. I don't know what I'll do with myself, not having to wake up and feed Davis as soon as I get up. Seems strange already. I know everything will be fine, hopefully my separation anxiety will separate from me after I'm with the girls. (But of course I'll be the mom and call and check in every once in a while!)

What's For Dinner Wednesday?

Chicken Souvlaki (gyros)

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
3/4 cup crumbles Feta (3 ounces)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup halved kalamata olives
5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2 1/2 inches
1/2 cup plain yogurt (greek-I get fat free)
1 small cucumber, diced
1 1/2 tbs dill
4 pieces flat bread or pitas, warmed

-In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, feta, onion, and olives.
-In a large bowl, whisk together 4 tbs of the oil, 1 1/2 tsp of the vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, and 1/4 tsp pepper
-Pour 2 1/2 tsp of the vinaigrette over the tomato mixture, toss, and set aside. Add the chicken to the remaining vinaigrette and toss to coat.
-Heat the remaining tbs of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer the chicken (but not liquid) to the skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
-Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, dill and the remaining tsp of vinegar. Serve with the bread, chicken, and tomato salad.

This is so quick and easy to prepare...and sooo delicious!

Happy Eating!

(Don't forget to check out my giveaway from CafePress!)

Wordless Wednesday...I Wish I Was Here

Since I have been whining a lot lately about really needing and wanting a vacation, I thought I would post pictures from my favorite place ever. I guess this is torturing myself a little, but I would give anything to go back to Italy. Then again, there are so many other places I want to visit, too.

Don't forget to check out my giveaway from CafePress here.

Post It Note Tuesday :)

Cafe Press:T-Shirt Giveaway For Mama & Baby!!

I am so excited to tell you that I am doing a GIVEAWAY!! My first ever and I'm jumping up and down about it. Okay, not really. CafePress contacted me and asked if I would be willing to do so. Uh...yeah!! I really love CafePress products. A few years ago, Michael and I had a crawfish boil engagement party and found T-Shirts from their site. My T-Shirt said "Momma Told Me You Gotta Suck Da Heads. And You Know Momma. She Always Be Right." It had two crawfish on it and was PRICELESS! I love that shirt. I will be wearing it again to the next boil we go to.You can find millions of personalized gifts at CafePress – for any topic, interest, or brand! You can even send in a picture of your cute puppy and have it on a shirt. Anything is possible.
Check out a few of the hundreds of shirts you can chose from.




One lucky reader will win a shirt of their choice for Mom and Baby!!
To enter, be sure to do the following: (more entries means more chances to win!)
1)Go to CafePress and tell me which shirt you chose for you and bambino (mandatory) (1 entry)
2) Follow me. If you already do, then let me know. (1 entry)
3) Add my button to your blog (1 entry)
4) Blog or Tweet about the giveaway and make sure to link it back here (1 entry)
5) Vote for me! Just click here for Top Baby Blogs

Easy! And so many ways to win. The contest will begin today, March 7, 2010 and end on March 14, 2010. The winner will be selected from Random.org. The winner must respond within 48 hours, or another person will be chosen. Good luck, everyone!!

Boobs Be Gone!

WARNING: If you are a family member (of the male persuasion), you may want to turn your head. I'm talking about boobs.

I decided to write this post because I have some readers and friends that are currently pregnant right now and that I know will be breastfeeding when the baby is born. Breastfeeding your baby is not for everyone. Some have complications, others think it's awkward, or some just agree is just isn't the right decision for them. For others, it is a no brainer. I wanted to atleast give it a try. My goal was six months. Why only six months? I did not want to be one of those moms where the child could go and grab your boob and say 'feed me woman.' When your child can ask for it, in my opinion, they are too old. Also, for most children, around six months, the baby starts to teethe. Lord, I did not want teeth clamping down into me. Davis, however, hasn't cut one tooth yet. If he wants to wait a little longer, that's fine by me. I like my sleep right now! So for some of you that are on the fence as to whether or not you want to breastfeed, I thought I would just put some benefits that not everyone thinks of.
BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING:
-Of course, there is the obvious-COST! It's free to breastfeed. Now that Davis is on formula, I can't keep up with the kid. We go through that stuff like water. It's awful.
-Reduced risk of chronic constipation, colic, and other stomach upsets (This of course did not relate to us. Davis had colic...I wanted to scream right along with him. Thank God it wasn't too long!)
-Reduced risk of childhood diabetes
-Protection against ear infections, respiratory illnesses, pneumonia, bronchitis, kidney infections, septicemia (blood poisoning)(For Davis, he was not sick at all the entire time he was breastfeeding. I put him on formula and he gets bronchitis! Go figure!)
-Children receive the most complete and optimal mix of nutrients & antibodies
-Protection against allergies, asthma, eczema, and severity of allergic disease
-Reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) Statistics reveal that for every 87 deaths from SIDS, only 3 are breastfed.
-Protection against meningitis, botulism, childhood lymphoma, crohn's disease and ulcerative entercolits
-Decreased risk againgst cavities (hmmm...maybe that's why I always had them.)
-Breastfeeding plays an important role in the emotional and spiritual development of babies
-The colostrum (first milk) coats the GI tract, preventing harmful bacteria and allergy -triggering protein molecules from crossing into baby's blood
(I could keep going, these are just a few good ones)
There are also so many wonderful benefits for MOMS!
-Reduced risk of breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers
-Protection against osteoporosis and hip fracture later in life
-Helps the mother's body return to its pre-pregnancy state faster - promotes weight loss...1/2 of calories needed to manufacture milk is pulled from fat stores... can burn from 500 - 1,500 calories per day (I can almost promise, along with me working my butt off in the gym, this was a HUGE factor in how I lost weight so quickly!)

With that being said, we are not breastfeeding anymore. Davis reached six months, and I reached my six month goal. His dirty diapers now smell like dirty diapers (another perk of breastfeeding). When he burps, which they will burp in your face, oh my does it stink!! Whew, kid! What is yo mama feeding you? While I am loving the new freedom of not having to rush home when I am out and feed Davis, I actually do miss it. Isn't that weird? If you had nonexsistent boobs like me beforehand, they will probably shrink even more after you are done. I can't seem to find mine anymore. Where did you go? When I was breastfeeding, I had wonderful Mount St. Everest! Now I have little Beverly Hills. Oddly enough, I do not miss having those huge things! Don't ask, who knows!

(I hope any of this information helps you. I am NOT trying to persuade one or the other. Me or my sisters were not breastfeed and I do not look down or think bad of people that do not do it. Trust me, I understand. I wrote this for people that are on the fence and not exactly sure of all of the benefits of doing so.)

The Scoop on 'The View'

It's MOVIE TIME! Oh I love the movies and just don't get to go see enough of them these days. Hmmm....I wonder why?!? When I was pregnant, Michael and I tried to get our fill and see as many as we could. Towards the end, however, tended to be a little uncomfortable and Michael ended up having to massage my back to get through it! Haha :) For all of you 'Alice In Wonderland' fans, the movie comes out today!!
Mia Wasikowska, the star of Tim Burton's new 'Alice in Wonderland,' was on Thursday's episode discussing the new movie. She actually went through five, yes five, auditions to land the part of Alice. I guess that was worth it! She let everyone know that the majority of the movie was in front of a green screen. Oh Hollywood, how you amaze me. The clips they showed were incredible, though. It was just Alice, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen acting together in a green room, while everything else was on computer. I am actually really wanting to see this movie...when it comes out on DVD of course.
And the Oscar goes to....
Today was all about the Oscars. I was talking about them last night, saying that if we had a money tree as well as our friends, I would want to through a swanky 'Oscar' party. I think that would be so much fun! Maybe in my next life time. Today's episode gave us a sneak peak at Barbara Walter's final Oscar Special. After 25 years, she is deciding this is the final take. If you like me and a billion other people out there, you love watching the Oscar's for the beautiful gowns, the glitz, and the glamour. Oh, if only! Wouldn't that be a dream come true!! Today, predictions were given on who was going to take the awards home on Sunday. Many are going with Sandra Bullock. Even though I haven't even seen the movie, I would have to go with her. Only Meryl Streep is in the same category for Julie and Julia and I just love her. That's a tough one. Thank goodness I don't have to decide! (In that case, I would go with Meryl!)
Have a great weekend everyone!

“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.”

Just A Few Pictures

I have been really bad lately about not posting ANYTHING! Not even for the whole 'The View' thing that I am supposed to be doing. I thought I would just post a few pictures of my little man from over the weekend.

He is just getting so big! I know I say this all the time, but I just can't stand it. It's so hard knowing that he won't be a little baby like this for much longer. He fell asleep in my arms yesterday, and I just wanted to keep him there like that forever....but then my arm started to cramp and I gave in.

My little happy baby!

This is my old little piano from when I was little. My dad got it out of the attic for Davis to bang on and had such a good time. He loved it! It was so cute watching him get excited when he realized he was the one making the noise.

Piano Lessons :)

'The View' from here is....

Okay, I got to be honest with you. I've pretty much missed 'The View' this week. I know, you bow your head in shame at me and are just so very disappointed. I'm sure (I say this) that I will be watching tomorrow. Atleast online, if I can. I visited the family over the weekend and got back yesterday, so I actually didn't watch this week. I'm sure ABC will live without my commentary for the past couple of days! But then again, I really don't think I missed too much exciting going on. Today was the best of 'You Tube.' Really? I must have not seen the whole thing because this for sure would not be anything that would interest me. At all.

They were discussing the slap happy Naomi Campbell. This time she hit her driver. Hello! This person drives your crazy butt around and has to deal with you and you go off hitting them? Nice. I hope the poor person got a pretty nice chunk of change for her insanity! Maybe she should just walk around with gloves on ready for the match.

Also on Hot Topics today was talk about Sarah Palin. This woman is just everywhere and last night she was on Jay Leno doing a standup skit. Hahahaha...that's funny just thinking of her doing standup. I guess you have to give props to her for even having the guts to stand up there and put herself out like that. She seemed pretty brave. I didn't say very funny, but brave. I think pretty much anyone could have read the same lines and it would have sounded exactly the same.

More to come. Stay tuned.
“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.”

Post It Note Tuesday :)

(I've never done this, but I think it's cute)