Going cold turkey!

Today marks day two of super successful potty training for my little guy! Yes we went cold turkey and no he did not ask to wear underwear. Hubby and I put underwear on him early Saturday morning and have not used one since! He does have an accident as he is waking up from a nap and upon waking up in the morning. It's a work in progress. We do ask him every 15 minutes if he needs to go. He is really good about letting us know that he needs to go #1 and #2 (on a side note who came up with saying #1 and #2??? Random but just a thought). We have managed one car ride yesterday and one car ride today with no accidents. Went to pick up meals and came right back. We are so proud of him. I know I wish that he got a hang of this earlier but hey we will take it. Originally I said he would be potty trained over the summer but he fought us every moment. As the months rolled by and we kept changing stinky diapers we said enough is enough and during the holiday break he will be potty trained. He is doing fantastic! 

Here are some things we are doing:

1. Praise him every time!! 

2. Give a little treat- a sticker or jelly bean for each successful "potty time"

3. Gentle reminders every 15 minutes some do it every 10 minutes but he is holding his bladder well recently. 

4. Encourage with cool underwear! Little

Boys love super hero underwear. I snagged a few packs on sale at Target. 

5. Give a little extra treat for going #2 on the toilet. 

6. Practice going on a full size toilet too. This is important because you won't be carrying a toddler toilet everywhere you go. 

7. Purchase a fold up seat to use while you are out and about. I purchased this one. 

  

Sometimes going cold turkey has it's advantages! I'm sure I will have more potty tips!! 

Not your traditional Christmas Eve

As we finished the final touches on our Christmas gifts this afternoon I could not help but cry a little. Today is Christmas Eve and it is our first time without my hubby. With his night schedule he has to work tonight and tomorrow night. Our Christmas is not the same. Oh the joys of working in the medical field. There are no days off! Thinking of the many wives and children that won't have their dad home because of work, deployment, illness, or even death. Yes I was sad and yes it may sound pathetic but I so wanted my hubby home. I wanted to wake up with him next to me, then get up together to see the joy of Christmas from our precious son. I will be setting out cookies for Santa with my little guy and it will be just the two of us. I will read the story of Jesus birth and tuck him in on my own. Yes I am crying even more now! 

I decided to take my son out to dinner. As I said good bye to my hubby so many different feelings were running through me. Thankful for his job, for him, for everything that he does for us but I was still upset. I wanted him home!!!! He left for work and Kaden was set to have dinner with me at Macaroni Grill. Kaden and I ordered our usual salad, chicken and pasta. Nothing huge and I was feeling a little content. The server came by and told me to pick out a dessert because someone was buying our dinner and dessert!!! I was shocked and of course I cried!!! Little did that person or family know what I was going through. No I was not struggling financially but emotionally I was a mess. Then I remembered the Reason for this Season! Jesus Christ who gave everything! A simple act of kindness like this was an eye opener that kindness is still out there and the love of Christ is shared through acts like this. Giving is better than receiving! Have a wonderful Christmas. It may not be exactly be the way you think it should be but reflecting the true reason is more than enough. HE is more than enough!! Merry Christmas to all

There are two weeks till Christmas?

Unfortunately there are only 5 shopping days till Christmas and if you are shopping online you better hurry! Here are a few things that I have been contemplating today!

1. Christmas arrived too soon (you are probably wondering what I mean). Thanksgiving was so late in November that it was Decemeber two days after Thanksgiving. As soon as it's December 1st I feel like I'm scrambling!

2. The Advent calendar was a great idea but my child only wants to eat the candy. Not a good idea. Next year I will think of something better. 

3. My decorations are not completely done. My manger is not up and I cannot find all the pieces to Kaden's fisher price nativity. Boo :( 

4. I still have wrapping to do! Sigh.... Even though I begin my Christmas shopping in the summer I don't have all the gifts wrapped. 

5. I was hoping to write a blog about tips for the Christmas season but I guess I need to buckle down and think through this.

6. Elf on the Shelf was a hit for the first 6 days but then my son figured out that the Elf was not going to tell Santa anything. So there goes that idea! Good behavior meant nothing. Maybe next year it will work. (Insert wishful thinking here!!!)

7. My home is still a mess! Literally! But I have learned to just let it be and enjoy watching Charlie Brown Christmas but most important is reading what Christmas is all about. It's about Jesus and that is what matters the most. 

8. My Christmas cards did not go out on December 1st and not even on December 15th BLAH! So if my Christmas card has not arrived at your home then one of two things happened- it's lost in the mail or it is in a snail mail transit. 

There you have it! My life has not been glamorous the past few weeks but I did manage to go on a getaway with my hubby. Post coming up soon! Please tell me that I am not alone. 

That little ELF!

I am new to Elf on the shelf. Last year after Christmas I scored a box set of Elf at Target. Originally this can cost $29.99 and I think I paid $15?! So I have the elf, now what? I searched on Pinterest for tons of fun ideas and finally today I came across a 25 day Elf on the shelf calendar. All of the hard work is done for me. All I need to do is purchase a few items and I am set. Since my little guy is two and a half I really think he will enjoy it. I can picture it now- Kaden waking up and finding that little elf! Woohoo I'm excited already!!!

Elfie arrived! He brought a little note & snow donuts!

Elfie gets into mischief! 

So many cute ideas for this little Elf. My son already knows that Elfie is watching but also the true meaning of Christmas is Jesus birth. Elfie can teach us that we should not be naughty but each boy and girl needs to have good behavior all year round!

Beautiful Advent Calendars

I searched and searched for our advent calendar online. I found my perfect winter wonderland advent calendar but I was hoping for a cheaper price, then I waited too long and they were sold out. So I was back to drawing board and was still able to find a personalized one.

Found this beauty at Pottery Barn Kids online (Purchased it hours before it sold out)

My hubby's creative grandma made this stunning piece of work

So now I have two advent calendars. One is filled and the other is not. I could not imagine finding 25 little trinkets to fill it with. Maybe next year I will be creative with what I can fill it with. For those of you that wonder when is the best time to purchase an advent calendar I would say the best time is October or early November. If you snooze then you lose! Nobody wants to be on the losing side. I have found cute advent ideas on Pinterest using paper bags and little boxes. What are some of your favorites?

Christmas decor for the little ones

Happy decorating!! Day after Thanksgiving and we are ready to decorate the home. This year I purchased a 4 foot tree for my son's room. Yes he is only two and a half but I thought it would be special to have some holiday cheer in his room.



Cute little tree and picked out the tree skirt from Michael's



Shatter proof ornaments, instead of hooks I used ribbon.

Kaden enjoyed putting up the ornaments! He kept saying "oh mommy it is Christmas!!! It is beautiful!" I love seeing the Christmas joy on his face.

(Jeans- Gap Skinnies, Shirt- Janie & Jack Christmas Collection and Sweater- Ralph Lauren)

It's starting to look like Christmas

Don't you just love the cold crisp air? Rain boots, umbrellas, jackets and scarves?! I am loving the cool weather in Southern California. Reminds me of the weather in Europe (we traveled there in late October through November in 2009). 

I am ready for Christmas, well mentally I am! I have a fun 24 days of Elf on the shelf planned out and I think I am more excited than Kaden will be. I have pre purchased our 8 foot noble fir tree which I am thrilled to decorate. Along with a fresh tree we also have two "fake" trees. One will go in Kaden's room which I will let him decorate it on his own (hope all goes well). 

Drum roll please... Here is my latest addition to our annual Christmas decor...

Isn't it super cute? I am debating on whether or not to place "goodies" in each pouch. I love that it is large and it will be personalized. The quality I am sure is perfect which will last for years to come. Silver bells are ringing... Have a holly jolly Christmas! Are you making any additions to your Christmas decor? Is anyone ready? 

These heels are meant for celebrating

Yes I am crazy! I spotted a beautiful pair of heels a few months ago at Nordstrom. I was ready to get them but at the time my ankle was in a poor condition. I could not think of walking, let alone purchasing them at the time. The sale began last week and I took the plunge on these beauties! So I have the shoes, dress, new purse and accessories. The only thing left is figuring out where we will ring in the New Year! 

We have not celebrated in a big way because it seems like every holiday my hubby has to work. BUT this year he is off!!! We will be kiddo free and I am determined to find a fun place to dress up and be with my honey. If you know of any great places that are in California- Southern California to be exact, please let me know!!! 

Help! I am a parent

Help! Help! Yes those can be cries of a parent. I have attended a few parenting classes at church and begun reading a great book.

A must read!

 

 My hubby and I started reading this book yesterday. I could not get through the introduction without some tears. We have reached more obstacles in the past few weeks with our son. Yesterday he threw sand at a boy at the park (the boy did nothing wrong- from what I could see). My son and I immediately left the scene. I power walked back to our home with a screaming toddler strapped into the stroller and I was determined that not only was his punishment not getting to play at the park but also sitting on time out. After his two minutes were up my son apologized to me and he also said that he wanted to apologize to the boy. Mind you I briefly said sorry and removed my child as quickly as I could.

I'm pretty sure every parent has faced difficulties with their child at one point or another but recently I have been breaking down. Exactly when does this parenting thing get easier? Oh right, N-E-V-E-R! There will be good days and on the bad days I need to learn to be calm and not stress over it. Easier said than done! Being a mom of a little boy has some challenges- his activity level is on 10 all the time even when I wish it would mellow down to a level 3. Since the weather is still nice in Southern California I have let him run around in the backyard to burn off some energy.

Any great parenting tips? What has worked and what has not?

11 Days of birthday giving!

My birthday is in exactly one month and a wonderful idea came to mind. Starting on December 1st I am taking on a new joyful idea called "11 days of birthday giving!" I enjoy getting gifts but what I love the most is giving to others. I have begun jotting down ideas of what I want to do each day prior to my birthday.

* Baking and giving cookies to my local fire station
* Food donations to a local homeless shelter
* Send little notes of encouragement to family/friends
* Take a friend a cup of hot cocoa (Starbucks red festive cups)
* Give candy canes to neighbors with story of the candy cane
* The joy of Disneyland during Christmas season

So far I only have six ideas which only means that I need more!!! If you have some great ideas please send them over to me. I am looking into making this a yearly tradition and each year I can come up with new things to do.

Ready for the Holidays?!

Thanksgiving is around the corner which only means one thing- Christmas will be here very fast. My hubby is ready to pull out all of the holiday decor and I am still enjoying my pumpkins! Now that my son is two and a half I am ready to start two new traditions in our home. I will share one and the other will be saved for the next blog. In order to start one tradition I need an Advent Calendar. I have to say that I am very particular about this calendar and I want it to be of good quality so that it will last me for years. The one that my parents have I remember it since I was ten I think. Every year my mom brings it out and on occasion I add a piece or two to the tree. It is really cute and I have not seen one like it recently. So the search is on and if you come across a super cute Advent Calendar please let me know. Oh and I am trying to stay under $100 on one (there has to be a budget for this). I don't have time to make it because with all honesty there is less than a month left till December 1st. Are you starting any new traditions? 

Fall craft complete!

I hand painted each letter!

The letters F & A

The letter L

The final product! So happy with it 

I love making crafts! This is a Pinterest project that turned out lovely. I purchased everything from JoAnn's craft store for under $20 (coupons come in handy). Working on crafts while my son naps is perfect. A home that is quiet and well stocked with everything crafty equals a well done project. I am still working on the decor inside the home and will add another post (I need blog material). Hanging this up was a pain. My ankle gave out while I was going up and down the ladder. Tears were shed so I am proud to say that "blood, sweat, and tears" were incorporated into this fun fall craft. Haha!!!! This will be a part of my yearly Fall decorations. What are some of your fun fall decor? Have you made anything new?

My Fall bucket list

I love the Fall season!! Recently I came across a fun bucket list for the Fall. I have to be honest and tell everyone that I have already "demolished" a Pumpkin Spice Latte. That was on the top of my list and it might have to be on my list for next year. I want to share my fun list....

*Drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte (from Starbucks- I made a huge mistake ordering it from elsewhere and it was horrible!)

*Go to a pumpkin patch

*Carve a pumpkin 

*Curl up next to a cozy fire

*Take pictures in the leaves 

*Go apple picking

*Bake a pie (homemade!)

*Jump in puddles (if there is rain, fingers crossed)

*Watch a funny spooky movie (my favorite Hocus Pocus)

*Drink spiced cider

*Go on a hay ride 

*Explore the giant corn maze 

Last but not least take a family portrait with the beautiful fall scenery! 

I hope I can tackle this bucket list! Here is the one I found online:

What is your fall bucket list? Do you have a fall tradition? Since Kaden has been born we have taken pictures of him with pumpkins and we always go to the pumpkin patch. He is now two & a half so I think he really knows what is going on. He already picked out his pumpkins and enjoys them as decor. He spotted the pumpkin patch today and was beyond excited. A weekday visit will be in the works. We don't like crowds. Can't wait to see some bucket list! 

Washi Tape

 I am behind the times here when I reveal that I bought my first two rolls of washi tape. Forgive me for not being "in"! Not sure why it takes me so long to catch on. I have been eyeing these cute patterns and I wondered "what am I going to do with washi tape?" First I need to say that this tape originated from Japan. That is more than enough to sell me on it. Anything Japanese I love! I looked on Pinterest and found cute ideas for this tape. Why did it take me so long? I must live in some sort of bubble! You can buy this tape at Michael's Arts & Crafts, Hobby Lobby, Target, and I even spotted it at the Dollar Tree. You better believe I am putting my two new rolls into good use. More blog material for me!! What are favorite ideas? Where have you purchased washi tape? 

Falling in love with Fall

I

The cooler weather and the leaves begin to change marks as a turning point in the season. Day time high currently is in the high 80s and the night time low is in the low 60s. We really don't experience huge changes in weather but I love an opportunity to bring out my sweaters and  scarves. I am ready to bring out my fall decor but I get caught up with other things like- trying to potty train my son, loading the dishwasher, planning out meals, and not to mention the fun grocery store trips! Wow, I am tired just thinking about my daily and weekly chores. No wonder I cannot sleep (another blog post). 

The following pictures are snapshots from a friend's home. She has a little one at home and she has her A game on! I give her huge props for doing a fantastic job. I kindly asked if I could take pictures and I went right ahead so I could have blog material and inspirations. Since these are not from Pinterest then they won't be a failure. Straight from a friend's home and now off to mine. I am so excited to bring out my decor. I vowed last year that I did not need to buy more stuff so I need people to hold me to it. Ready set FALL decorations!!!

Set to fail

I enjoy making recipes and projects from Pinterest. I have to admit that I usually don't follow recipes or directions because I like to add my own "flair/special touch!" 

My weekly recipe was homemade pop tarts. I purchased the press from Williams Sonoma ($3.99). Since I had every intention of making delicious pop tarts then purchasing the press was a necessity (plus it was on sale). 

So I gathered my ingredients: dough (store bought Phillsbury) and raspberry preserves. Not much to it because I was not about to make my own dough. Don't ask me why. I can't answer it, maybe I was afraid that the dough would be dry. I also wanted to make my own jam. I was feeling like Martha Stewart, I guess. It would have been awesome was if I had my own home grown strawberries to make jam. 

I rolled out the dough from the refrigerated canister and I was pumped. The oven was ready at 350 degrees and I totally was in control of this recipe (or so I thought)! I cut out the dough using my handy press and I scooped about a teaspoon of jam onto each piece. I neatly set them on a greased cookie sheet. In a short 8 minutes I found my beautiful pop tarts in a complete mess! In my mind it was going to work beautifully but I failed and there is no one to blame but me. I guess jam/jelly is NOT the best in these recipes. I later found that out, oh well there is next time. I WILL follow directions! Have you ever experienced a Pinterest failure? 

Finding Peace

Currently I am at a loss for words at a situation that has come upon our family. Yesterday I spoke to my cousin in Arkansas. She told me that my uncle (my dad's brother) was dying. It hit me like a ton of bricks. My brain could not come to terms that we were not able to see a miracle happen in the body of my uncle. Years ago my uncle underwent a surgery that did not go well. To make a long story short he has been in a nursing home for the last decade. It breaks my heart that in all of these years we did not go see him and now I know that I will not see him on this earth. I told my dad what was happening and I know that my dad is hurting. Its his "Dear Sweet John" whom me loves dearly. In the past few years we have faced the loss of many loved ones but in this situation we are very saddened. My mom told me that years ago my uncle told her that he gave his life to Christ. You can imagine the happiness that filled me heart. We will all be seeing and praising The Lord in heaven, TOGETHER one day! 

Please pray for my cousin and his family that live in Arkansas. May God's peace fill their hearts during this tough time. 

Please pray for my uncle that he doesn't feel pain. May he be ready to rejoice with our Savior in heaven. 

Pray for my dad as he is coming to terms that this is the end for his brother on this earth. Also, for some tough situations with my dad's family. May God use my dad and our family to glorify HIM and hold back our tongue in regards to some hurtful things from the past. 

Thank you prayer warriors for all that you do! We can already feel the prayers :)

I am not a mommy of a little girl

Please bear with me as I am on another emotional roller coaster. I am not quite sure when I signed up for this but I want to get off at the next stop. 

Yes I know that many people don't like my Instagram pics simply because I have a son not a daughter. These people are also ones that have daughters so I guess they could never like my pics. Why am I worried whether someone likes my pics or not? Grrr I must be entering a sharp turn on this roller coaster. 

Since I am proud mommy of a little boy I do not get invited to "special events" these events are usually put together by mommies of girls so therefore I am excluded. Ugh! Well I cannot change anything and currently I am not planning on having another child (partly because I am afraid of having another boy). Yes I do want to have a little girl but our only option may be to adopt. Anyone have some great adoption agencies? We are in a transition with life so adoption will be set on the back burner and we can discuss later on. Best wishes on our future! 

Coronado Adventure!

One of our favorite places to go to is Coronado Island. It is a little over an hour from our home but it feels like we are worlds away from everything. This little island has charm, good food, fun activities and the beach! We enjoyed the cool weather and the opportunity to getaway from our everyday life. It is safe to say that our little guy LOVED every minute of the trip. Last summer he was a little apprehensive with the sand and the waves but this year that is all he wanted to do was to play at the beach! He kept saying "momma dadda are we going to the beach?!" We would tell him yes and with a giant squeal he would quickly say "YIPPEEE!!!"

K really wanted to crush this sand castle, little did he know that a man wanted a tip for his "creation"

K ran & laughed. Such a beautiful sunset!

My honey and I loving our trip

No trip to Coronado is complete without eating at Miguel's (we ate there twice)

A dessert must have- Moo Time! For under $5 you can have this (two people can easily share)

K and his pals checking out the birds at the hotel

Our first full day we went to the zoo (another blog post), next day we went sailing (check out my Sailing Sailing blog post-coming soon), and we also went to SeaWorld (Shamu post coming soon). Tons of pictures but I won't be posting all of them. We are excited to head back for another trip. I think a trip to Cancun is in the works!

Burlap Patriotic Banner

When I get an idea in my head there is no way I can get it out. My grandma was very crafty and if she saw something she liked she would figure out a way to create it. I am exactly the same way and I also have Pinterest to thank. I came across a fun burlap banner and I thought to myself "I know that I can make that while my kiddo naps!" I raced over to my local Hobby Lobby in search of burlap, twine, and paint. The rest of the supplies I already had.

Cardstock triangle & trace on burlap

Cutting out triangles, not that bad (felt itchy afterwards)

Adding stripes to this triangle

Stars placed then red paint rolled on top

In less than an hour I had created all of these

The finished product! Placed the triangles on twine.

My hubby wanted the banner to stretch the length of the fence in our backyard. Next year it will!!

Fourth of July Festivities

Outdoor area set for our guests

We had a fabulous celebration on July 4th!! It has taken me a while to upload pictures and since I did not take any with my good camera, I had to resort to posting ones from iphone. Oh well, there is always next year. We had over 30 people over at our home for a big celebration. We had a bbq, played games, laughed a ton, a huge water balloon fight, roasted smores, and watched fireworks (we did have some of our own fireworks to play with sshh don't tell).

Made this banner the day before, happy with the finished product

I am already thinking of decorations for next year and we are thinking that a patio cover is a must, plus plenty of misters to keep us cool.

Oh yes we also had bobbing for apples

Patriotic little skewers- blueberries, raspberries & marshmallows

Yum dessert time- cake with cool whip topped with blueberries & strawberries 

Welcome everyone!

Another snap shot of our front entrance (don't look at the weeds)

Time to chow down (cousin Jenny first in line)

Protein style burger for me, I think this is all I ate the entire day

Musical chairs gone wrong, Uncle Grailin ended up on the grass

My honey and I

Sweets before bedtime! Why not?

Everyone had a blast and I think they are looking forward to our next big celebration. Maybe a New Years party!!!

Travel must haves

I am a beginner when it comes to traveling with a toddler because my son is only two years old. Yes, my son has traveled outside of the United States quite a few times but now that he is older it is a bit harder. Here are some of my must haves when traveling with a toddler:

1. Twin size Aerobed! You read that correctly.... He has not been sleeping in a crib (almost a year now) retail price $99. The nice thing about our aerobed is that all you need is an outlet and the bed is inflated in less than a minute. EASY!! It comes with a handy remote so you can decide if you need more or less air, and a handy bag to store the bed when not in use.

2. Johnson & Johnson head to toe washcloths (Bed time scent) retail price $3.99. These are perfect because you do not need to bring your own washcloths nor use the ones at the hotel. There are 14 in a pack so you have plenty and you can save them for your next trip. These are gentle and have a awesome scent. He slept like a baby!

3. Stretch Island Fruit Co. All natural fruit strips "fruit leather"!! They are organic and no GMOs (LOVE it) retails for 99 cents each. My local Costco has them in a large pack with various flavors. My son never passes up on "fruit leather." Toss these into your beach bag and you have 1/2 a serving of fruit. EASY!!


4. gopicnic. Ready to eat meal, cannot get easier than this. I do not feed these as a meal but he enjoys the turkey pepperoni pack and I like the multi-seed crackers with the asiago cheese spread (and my hubby likes the almond roca that comes in this pack) retails $3.99 each. These picnic packs are gluten free, no artificial colors or flavors, each items in the box come individually wrapped and make a complete meal. There are 6 different picnic packs to choose from and they can be purchased at any grocery store, Target, or sometimes at Costco. I keep my eyes peeled out for when they are at Costco because they come out to less than $3 a pack.


5. Trunki by Melissa & Doug (retails for $39.99). This has to be one of the cutest suitcases for little ones. They come in various colors and as animals. Made out of hard and durable plastic so they will hold up. Comes with a leash so little ones can pull it just about anywhere, and it has wheels so they can ride it if they get tired or want something to play with in the hotel room. My son has this exact one (pictured below). He spotted children with it last summer while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta and he wanted one to play with. I got a great deal at Macy's.


6. I created my own back pack of goodies- coloring book, crayons, books, bubbles, cars, goldfish crackers, cranberries, bath toys, and play doh with a variety of cut outs. This back pack comes in handy especially if there is a long line to check in/layovers at the airport or hotel.

What are some of your must haves when traveling with your little ones? I am always up for checking out new stuff!