fall to-do list!

September 28, 2011

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I saw this on Pinterest the other day and fell in lurve. I made a summer to-do list, why not make one for my favorite season!

                                                                                              Source: google.com via kristy on Pinterest


You can bet if I knew anything about anything relating to photoshop or how to make a gorgeous list image like that - I would!

For now, I'll just be typing a list like last time.

Fall To-Do List
Go apple picking.
Carve a pumpkin.
Take L-bug to the Bronx Zoo. Or, any Boo at the Zoo event.
Drink hot cocoa with extra marshmallows.
Go to a pumpkin patch.
Repeat last years photo of Lia in a pile of leaves.
Make Lia's Halloween costume.
Bake an apple pie.
Jump in a pile of leaves.
Go trick-or-treating!
Have a picnic.
Go on a bike ride.
Watch "It's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown".
Go to a fair or street festival.
Make this pinecone garland.

I am sure I'll be adding more to this list - I LOVE Fall. But for now, this is it!

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rainy days.

September 26, 2011

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                                                           Source: fuckyeahkatespade.tumblr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest


This is me today. Minus the boots, which I'd love to own. And well, the rain wasn't must of a surprise today. It's been rainy for days.

But the mood it put me in - that was a surprise. It probably has to do with M taking the day off of work yesterday and spending it with us. Yesterday was the first day in 3 weeks that we've spent together. We probably won't get a day again for the next 2-3 weeks.

I am on top of things today. I've made breakfast, lunch and a yummy pot of chili for dinner. It's only 2 in the afternoon, mind you. Finished the dishes and laundry. Tackled my to-do list. And when L wakes up from her nap, we'll be making these.

                                                                                   Source: None via kristy on Pinterest


Cute, right? We can fake the sun for today.

It's just been a good, productive day. Plus, the rain makes a good backdrop for cozy days of watching TV and reading books. Lucky for me, Gossip Girl premieres tonight!

I don't have the case of the Mondays this week. How about you?

P.S.
I've got sort of an unspoken request. I don't to jinx us, so if you could send any good prayers and vibes our way - I would be so thankful!

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p365 - week 38.

September 25, 2011

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260. My beautiful girl, swinging outside.
261. Silly trip to Target with my brother & sister.
262. We love our fro-yo!
263. Materials for L's Halloween costume.
264. Rocking her first braid!
265. Smile!
266. Rainbow.

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SUMMER TO-DO LIST | THE WRAP UP

September 24, 2011

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Summer is officially over! To say goodbye to the season of BBQs, beaches & baseball games here is our final cross-off of the summer to-do list I posted a few months back.

My summer to-do list:
Watch classic summer movies like The Parent Trap and Dirty Dancing.
We got these through Netflix and I loved watching The Parent Trap! We had a mini-marathon watching The Parent Trap 1 & 2 and the remake with Lindsey Lohan. Even M enjoyed it! *wink*
Go to a baseball game.
We made it a family event and headed out to the Kinston Indians game on military night & their last game.
Make homemade popsicles.
Raleigh Flea Market.
Total bummer. We went later in the day to try and beat the heat and most people had left. Most likely because of the heat. But, we ended that night with a rodeo so we still had some summer fun!
Fly a kite.
Have a picnic.
Bought a new picnic basket & blanket and we have put it to good use. Several times!
Take Lia to the aquarium.
Play a round of mini golf.
Feed ducks at the park.
Go to a fair or street festival.
Take a trip to Myrtle Beach.
Go to the Outer Banks.
Wash our cars.
Play croquet. 
We didn't play croquet but we did play many rounds of corn hole (kind of like bean bag toss)
Perfect my chicken salad recipe.  
It's a classic miracle whip vs mayo debate.
Start my herb garden.
Sonic happy hour.
Rent bicycles and ride downtown.
We'll be doing a repeat of this for my birthday!
Take Lia to the library for story time on Fridays.
Water park.
See fireworks!

So, we accomplished 11 things. Not too shabby. Summers in NC are HOT. Sometimes, too hot to even wanna go outdoors. We had fun doing what we did!


First column: bike ride - picnic in the park - story time @ the library
Second column: waterpark - flip flops - rodney atkins concert
Third column: sonic happy hour - chalk drawings - indian beach
Fourth column: kinston indians game
Fifth column: indian beach - myrtle beach - tiki jims @ myrtle beach

Be on the lookout next week for a Fall to-do list!


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ABC 123 ME

September 22, 2011

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I'm taking a cue from Chelsey over at The Paper Mama and doing this A-Z:Me thing.

A. Age: 25
B. Bed Size:  Queen, but dreaming of a king!
C. Chore you hate: Scrubbing tubs and folding laundry. Blech.
D.  Dogs: Toby the Dachshund.
E.  Essential start to your day:  Peeing then brushing my teeth.
F.  Favorite Color: Mustard yellow.
G.  Gold or Silver: Silver. But gold is starting to grow on me in tiny doses.
H.  Height: Right around 5'3.
I.  Instruments you play:  I played clarinet in middle school.
J.  Job Title: Mama. Wife. Blogger. Wanna-be baker.
K.  Kids: Lia.
L.  Live: Born, raised & living again in New Bern, NC. Wishing I was back in New York.
M.  Mother's Name: Sylvia.
N.  Nicknames: Kris
O.  Overnight hospital stays: Yep - a week.
P.  Pet Peeves: Crappy drivers. Rude people.
Q.  Quote from a Movie:  Don't you love New York in the Fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies - Tom Hanks, You've Got Mail.
R.  Right handed or Left handed:  Right. Very right. I can't even paint my nails with my left hand.
S.  Siblings: My older sister, Michelle. My older brother, Matt. My little sister, Ashley.
T.  Time to wake up: When I hear Lia screaming "mommeeeeeeee" through the monitor every morning like my alarm.
U.  Underwear: Yes, please.
V.  Vegetables you hate: Butter beans. 
W.  What makes you run late: My lack of planning and my horrible memory. Oh, and when my kid fights me on what shoes she'll be wearing for the day.
X.  X-rays you have: Teeth. Possibly shoulder from the many times I pulled it out of it's socket as a baby.
Y.  Yummy food that you make: Tacos and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
Z.  Zoo animals: Penguins. And, monkeys!

So, that's me in an alphabet nutshell.

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HALLOWEEN COSTUMES AND PINSPIRATION

September 20, 2011

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Let me preface this by saying: I blog better at night. Which is why lately, most of my blogs have been done at night. I do better when I have had my whole usually-chaotic day to sort my thoughts and most days, an idea will pop into my head. I don't do forced-blogging. Then, once I know the babe is down for the night and I've got my comfy worn-out yoga pants on then and only then can I sit at the computer and really have the mental state to get out what I need to get out. Side note: I look like an over-sized bumble bee tonight with my favorite black yoga pants and yellow tee. Meh.

Okay, now that it's all out there - big bumble bee reference and all, let's move on to costumes!

I pinterested costume ideas. Yeah, I just used that as a verb - like Google, only with the pinterest search bar :) I came up with an owl and a sheep. Both were totally cute. And homemade! But, Lia would have ripped the owl mask right off and the idea of glue-ing a ton of cotton balls to a sweatshirt lost it's appeal quickly.

Then this lovely picture showed up on the boards.

                                                                             Source: etsy.com via kristy on Pinterest


It's perfect. And Lia can rock the pigtails like no other girl. First, I was going to order a cape off Etsy. I even had a coupon code for free arm bands from this awesome blogger but then I got a tutorial for a no-sew fleece cape from a friend. Score! I am really into making Lia's Halloween costumes for as long as I can.

One trip to the fabric store a few towns over, one trip to the craft store and 3 trips on the hunt for glue gun sticks later: a cape was born made!


Layed out, making sure the placement is just right before glue-ing.


This is my nephew. I dragged him out of bed to try it on. He totally said he didn't care if I told people it was him ;)

I think next time that I'll make the collar a little shorter. Otherwise, I think it's pretty cool. And, I love bragging to people that I made it myself!

But once I started making the cape - my mind started rolling. Another costume idea popped into my head: Red Riding Hood and the Big, Bad Wolf! I threw around the idea of me and M going as that and L a superhero but I think I'll save it for next year. Maybe I'll be the grandma or maybe me and L will both be Red Riding Hood and M can be the Wolf!

Here's some (p)inspiration I found that I'll be saving for next year.

Lia has a traditional german dress, a dirndl, that my sister sent to her while they were living in Germany. She could use that and I could make a red cape. It looks simliar to this.

                                                                       Source: costumeexpress.com via kristy on Pinterest


                                                                      Source: hartandsew.blogspot.com via kristy on Pinterest


Of course, I would be the one to plan next year's costume before Halloween even arrives this year! Now, I've got to get more stuff and make two more capes. We're gonna be a super-hero family!

What are you planning for Halloween?

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PUMPKIN PATCH

September 19, 2011

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Taken last October at a local church we bought pumpkins from every year we lived in New York.

Taken exactly a year ago from yesterday at our favorite apple orchard in New York. Okay it's the only one we know but who's counting?

I saw the first pumpkin patch of the season today. L-bug and I ventured a few towns over for a trip to Jo-Ann's for the fabric for her Halloween costume and some fro-yo. 

I was driving home when I saw it out front of someone's home. They had lots of pumpkins and quite a few crafty signs for sale. I felt like a kid in a candy store when I saw it. I can't say how much I love Fall!

I can't wait to take pictures of Lia at a pumpkin patch this year - she has changed so much!

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p365 - week 37.

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253. A cookie jar blizzard from Dairy Queen - yum!
254. My beautiful girl looking too grown-up @ the Rodney Atkins concert.
255. We finger-painted for the 1st time!
256. Playing with mommy's make-up.
257. I have a new love with slouchy shirts and M says they are from the 80s. I still love 'em though.
258. :(
259. Do you see the temperature? 65! Fall is coming!

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A LITTLE SOMETHING ON SUNDAY

September 18, 2011

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                                                               Source: projectsbyjess.blogspot.com via Kelly on Pinterest


Isn't that so true? And from one of my all-time favorite movies that happens to be playing right now.

Life is this crazy, fast, whirlwind experience. Especially with a toddler. Most days, I feel like I am never fully in the moment. I'm picking up something, or handing out "no"s and "stop that"s left and right or chasing after a little girl who likes to do things her way.

It's nice to sit back and just reflect. Just enjoy what's going on in the moment. Like right now. I've got my favorite movie in the background, my new apple crumble candle in an adorable owl holder and some free time for a little pinteresting browsing. It's nice. With M working a lot now, nap time is my only time for moments like this and I am soaking it up.

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On a side note - we're going on a bobo detox today. We call Lia's pacifiers "bobos". Lately she has been a little too into her bobo. She will carry 2 or 3 around and switch them back and forth. It's a rare moment when there isn't a bobo in her mouth. So, I am cutting her back to just naps and bedtime. Once we get a good handle on that, I'll work on cutting it out completely. Eeks!\

I'm cutting back on work hours while M is working so I'll be home all the time with Lia now. I'm so excited for the upcoming months. Fall seasons are coming back on TV (did anyone catch The Secret Circle on CW?), cozy weather and more fun things to do with my girl as she grows older. Festivals & county fairs, my sister is moving home and holidays.  It's totally my favorite time of the year!

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GOOD GRIEF

September 15, 2011

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That's how I feel today. Good Grief. I am just so. over. everything.

We've had a few pieces of slightly promising good news. But still, I am hoping for the best and expecting it to not come my way.

I took this video the other day and it always puts a smile on my face so I thought i'd share. Enjoy + Smile!

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remembering.

September 12, 2011

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Yesterday was the 10 year anniversary of a very sad time in our country's history. I know you all know that but I felt I wanted to recognize it. The only way to prevent things from happening again is knowledge. 

 via

I wanted meant to post this last night but I was dog-tired. By the time we got home from the Rodney Atkins concert it was around 7:30. By the time I got L-bug bathed and in bed and did a few things for myself it was 8:30 and M was finally home from work (with a pizza!) so we ate and showered and headed to bed.

Lia doesn't nap as much as she used to so I get 2 hours of me time to do what needs to get done and the rest of the day is hers. Then M gets home around 8 pm and I hate doing anything but spending those few minutes we get together. Leaves this mama feeling like I never have time!

Anyways, back to remembering. Wanna know where I was when I found out the first tower had been hit and then saw on TV the second tower being hit? My high school Literature of the Holocaust class. Ironic, I think. We spent every day learning about how horrible the Jews got treated at that time and then there, in our own time, something horrible was happening to us because of who our country was. I know we all can't be happy and sing kumbaya but do things have to get so nasty?

I got to visit New York that December. We saw where the towers once stood. The devastation. The crowds of people with the same heartbroken look that we all had. We stopped at the Burger King right across the street - we were shocked that nothing happened to that building and others near it.

I met M a few years later. Turns out, his high school was the building right next to the Burger King I had been in a few years before. First off, how crazy is it that my future was right next door and I never knew? Secondly, that building only has windows on one floor. What would have happened if, somehow, they didn't get out? If someone didn't happen to look out one of the few windows? I am so blessed that the love of my life was so close to all the terror and danger and was left unharmed.

My heart goes out to all the heroes and heroic families of 9/11. You will never be forgotten. I am forever grateful to you.

To our military - past, present and future. You rock! You are amazing and I am forever grateful and supportive of you and your families.

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p365 - week 36.

September 10, 2011

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Welcome to week 36 of project 365. Also known as the week that I really sucked. I have to get my crap together and get back to pulling out my camera (at the very least, the camera on my iPhone).


246.  No picture and no idea what we did :(
247. Notice the big cup of sweet tea? Yea, she got that honest.
248. Playing around in the backyard.
249. Just hanging out, eating a snack :)
250. The only picture I took that day. It's my mom's dishes and I emailed it to my sister. That's sad.
251. Lunch with my baby girl.
252. The first meal we've had with M since Sunday. We had fun. And this describes my family perfectly: I'm trying to take a picture, M's got a great smile and L-bug is only concerned with the food!

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a few things - lately.

September 8, 2011

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                                                                            Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via kristy on Pinterest


This is totally me today.

So, M is working all day, every day. In the past 3 days, we've spent about 5 hours together. It makes me miss him. I am so thankful that he's got some work right now and we can deal with being apart. It's just an adjustment. Trust me, no complaining here!

But you know what I crave? What I am trying to work through so badly, so strongly. I crave life. A life different than this. Our own life. I miss everyday life in our own place, on our own terms. Big house, small house. Lots of money, little money. It doesn't matter. As long as we have each other and we can make it through.

I miss my cozy sofa thats perfect to sink into on a long, hard day. I miss my crisp, white dishes. I miss having our best friends live just houses down from us. I miss scouring the dollar store with said friends on search for Halloween decorations. I miss the family we left behind. I miss the city we left behind.

I miss making to-do lists and meal plans and shopping every week with my loves. I miss the feeling of summer shifting into autumn. Where the temps in New York drop quick. I miss dragging in boxes from our shed and pulling out harvest-y decor. I miss family weekends spent in the city. I miss cuddling on the sofa, watching "You've Got Mail" and "When Harry Met Sally".

Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. - Tom Hanks, You've Got Mail.

Oh that quote gets me every time. I crave New York in the fall.

I miss it all.  It hurts my heart knowing that I may not get to celebrate Fall and the holidays like last year. It's not like the holidays aren't around, but I am a homebody. I want comfort and coziness and I can only get that in my own home with my loves. It's not the end of the world but it sucks all the same.

I know one day we'll have it back. That this temporary life we are living is going to change it's course. I know that I have hope, if nothing else. But, going on 7 months into it is pretty hard. We didn't know we'd still be living here in my parents house this long. We didn't know life was going to be this different. And while I appreciate the time we get here with my family and the memories Lia will make, I will be so relieved when we get the news that a permanent job has come along.

I know being angry doesn't help anything but some days I just want to throw a total tantrum. Instead, I search for hopeful words. Words that make me feel like something is going to change.

                                                                                        Source: kristyvilla.tumblr.com via kristy on Pinterest


Let's hope this is true.

PS. Does anyone have any good tips for toddler fun? For the next month or so, it'll be me and L-bug, all day long with nothing to do. We need help!

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LETTERS TO LIA | 20 MONTHS

September 6, 2011

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20 months, baby girl. It's been 20 months since you came into my world and shook it all up. In the best way possible!

I am a blessed mama. I have the most amazing kid who's growing so well every day. What more could I ask for?


Yeah, some days I break down. Some days I look down at you and wonder how such big tantrums can come out of such a little girl. Some days I think I've reached my breaking point. But I will always have an abundance of patience and love for you. I am your mama and you are my baby. It's me and you, together forever.


This past month...whoa! You have changed so much. So much! You are picking up words left and right. You are absorbing everything you hear and see. Including that little trick your uncle matt taught you. Yeah, the one where you learned how to throw things at people.

Some new words you've picked up are:
Ice cream
You are really saying daddy so much more.
Your welcome (well, really you just say welcome)
Please
Up, stop and sit are words you say everday.
Ball.
Apple.
Teeth.
Bath.
Eat.

We've introduced some flashcards, trying to help your speech out. Just making sure you're always learning! You love the A for apple, B for ball and I for ice cream cards. The others? You don't give those much thought.

You wear 18- 24 months. Some 12 month clothing fits you. Size 5 shoes. Size 4 diapers.
We're down to one nap a day. Two on really tough days. You go to bed between 8-9 pm every night and are up anywhere between 7-8 am. You LOVE brushing your teeth.

Eating habits are pretty much the same!  You love to dip anything and everything in ranch or ketchup. But you got that natural from mommy and daddy.


You are running, climbing, twirling and moving as fast as you can these days. You love bubbles and snacks and Yo Gabba Gabba. Oh, and balls.


You understand so much these days. I can talk to you as if you were a child and not my little toddler and you know what I'm saying. And most of the time, you actually do what I say!

You are smart, creative, full of determination, beautiful, amazing, sweet, caring, radiant. You are you. And that makes my heart swell each and every day.



Beautiful girl, keep being you. I can't wait to see what's next!


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a whole lotta p365.

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Week 34 (8/20-8/26). Oh my, am I really this behind?!

232. Picnic in the park!
233. We spent the day in Myrtle Beach.
234. L-bug playing with toys while waiting for her ophthalmology appointment to start.
235. A view from our nightly walk.
236. Self-explained.
237. A bad picture of me...ha! It was taken in Target and that's all I know LOL.
238. Taking a quick trip to town before the hurricane really hit us.

Week 35 (8/27-9/2).

239. Damage during the hurricane.
240. Checking out the damage after the hurricane. We had no power and it was too hot to put clothes on her!
241. A really good mail day. Chock full of birthday cards, coupons and a DVD.
242. Hanging out outside.
243. A family photo on muh birthday!
244. Mommy & baby ♥
245. Hanging with grandma at the last Kinston Indian game. They lost...bad.

Week 36 should be posted on time. I think!

Whew...I feel caught up a bit!


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