"...and that's how you do it."

A faux-laroid update

2012-01-10T08:49:00.001-05:00

I vlogged. Excuse me.

2011-11-17T19:54:00.004-05:00

By now I'm sure you have seen other bloggers 'round the blogosphere doing video blogs, otherwise known as "vlogs". I love watching the vlogs of the bloggers I've been following since the beginning of time. You finally get to hear the voice behind the blog. I've seen a few "accent vlogs" now...the blogger reads off a list of words for the sole purpose of sharing their beautiful (and sometimes annoying and unattractive)accent with their readers. There's also a list of questions to answer. It's only a fraction of the...dumb-ity-ness...you think it is. I pwomise. Here's mine.

*I totally don't pronounce "sure" the way I just claimed to. You might catch that little hilarious bit of stupidity.

** I don't think my voice could be any more boring. I'm accentless. That's no fun.

***PPPPPPSSSSSS. Here are the words/questions if you want to DO THIS ACCENT VLOG AND PLEASE PLEASE DO, AND SHARE IT WITH ME SO I DON'T FEEL LIKE A COMPLETE IDIOT. Don't leave me hanging, guys. Just don't.

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New
Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting Image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup,
Pajamas, Caught

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on someone's house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it rolls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a large group of people?
What do you call a spider that has an oval shaped body with extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption you carry groceries in at the supermarket?
What do you call it when it rains while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you change to TV channel with?

How to pull off a successful dinner out with small children in tow

2011-10-29T21:53:00.002-04:00

We took the kids out with us to a nicer restaurant tonight, and they were perfect little angels. Forget hiring a babysitter, you TOO can enjoy an evening out at a nice restaurant with your children. "How do I do that, Jessi?", you're probably asking. Well, let me tell you, my fine friends.

What to bring:

• Graham crackers
• Goldfish crackers
• A couple of large Tootsie Roll Pops

And most importantly, order dessert.

You may get a few stares, glares, or the occasional *mumblegrumbletoomuchsugarmumblenotorganicgrumblecrunchymunchygreen*..... Don't you worry, for your children will be the happiest, most pleasant children in all the land.

And maybe the stickiest.

What's the haps tonight?

2011-10-28T20:30:00.001-04:00

All I want to do is sit here in my snuggie with my hot chocolate and watch Poirot.

P.S. I don't really have a snuggie. A girl can dream, right?
P.P.S. I'll bet half of you read Poirot as poy-rott. *snicker*

They felt bad for ripping off his legs...

2011-10-26T10:26:00.001-04:00

...So they thought they'd cheer him up by letting him go down the slide.

I don't believe you.

2011-10-19T10:03:00.001-04:00

What. Not everybody wears their hair like this?

ETA: What. Not everybody posts sideways photos?

Best evening ever.

2011-10-16T07:33:00.001-04:00

This is what every room in my house looked like yesterday evening. Can you guess what they all have in common (besides them looking like the Mess Monster took a huge dump and forgot to flush)? There is not a single person in any of them. Can I tell you how often that happens? No, I can't tell you because I don't think it has EVER happened. It was just meeeeeeeee. MEEEEEEEEEE. I sat on the couch for about 30 minutes doing nothing but listening to the kitchen clock tick. Sometimes I forget that I have a clock that ticks. I went to the bathroom ALONE. That was weird. I didn't know what to do with my hands. You'll understand if you've ever had a toddler you can't leave alone for two seconds, so you bring him to the bathroom with you, but he's pulling things out of drawers, unravelling toilet paper, ripping down the shower curtain, getting into the trash, etc. So that was probably the best part of my evening. I also went to a hip and happenin' Hymn Sing at church last night, but not before I was able to get dressed and do my hair while listening to Michael Jackson's "what about us" on repeat instead of listening to "MoMMMEEEEEmumMUMMYmommyMOM!"

Best evening ever.

New colors

2011-08-17T20:45:00.000-04:00

Yes, I like these.

(Do feet gross you out as much as they do me?)

Life altering decisions need to be made...

2011-08-14T14:18:00.003-04:00

I'm going to miss those little blonde curls. But I think it's time to say goodbye. Let's have a moment of silence.

Tessa's first trip to the National Zoo

2011-08-13T15:08:00.008-04:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate uploading photos to blogger? Well, there. I just mentioned it.

Tessa's first trip to the zoo was...interesting. I'd originally thought that 3 years old was the magical age where she'd be thrilled and bouncing off the walls with the excitement of seeing zoo animals. It didn't totally happen that way. She slept half of the way there (took us an hour), and when we got there, we spent about 20 minutes looking for a place to park which, as I'm sure you can imagine, she was not happy about. So we entered the zoo with a tired, cranky, and overwhelmed Tessa. Seriously, too much whelm.

She cheered up when she got to pet and groom the donkeys. I don't blame her. Asses are fantastic.

Hello, el llama.

Donkey guy told us we had to wash our hands when we finished petting the asses (alright, alright. sorry.) so we don't pick up any of their diseases. Happy thought, indeed.

Big fish! (Whoops. Shouldn't use a flash in here.)

Pizza playground! Her favorite part of the zoo...not surprising.

Ending the day with a little cool misting of the melon.

And that was that.

This is what I look like when I get to go grocery shopping by myself...

2011-08-07T19:00:00.002-04:00

Can I get an amen?

I'm a finalist in the "Create More Birthdays" contest!

2011-08-03T14:26:00.002-04:00

Hi blogger friends :)

As you may or may not know, a few weeks ago I entered into the "Create More Birthdays" contest sponsored by the American Cancer Society in which we were asked to submit a video of our best rendition of the song "Happy Birthday". Here's my rendition: http://my.morebirthdays.com/contests/showentry/805107. Yes, I know it's a little silly. Just me accompanying myself on my ever-so-slightly-out-of-tune piano. Anyway, I made it through the first round of voting, and I am now one of the 12 finalists! The winner is determined solely by the votes of the public, and the winner receives the prestige and recognition of his/her Entry being featured in the following ways to help raise public awareness and funds for the fight against cancer:

(i.) Music Video will be included in Sponsor's "More Birthdays" 2011 and/or 2012 online advertising campaign for the duration of the campaign
(ii.) Exposure of, or about, his/her/their Entry in Sponsor's advertising and media communications, including but not limited to Sponsor's YouTube Channel, social media networks, press releases, or other forms of media and public relations.
(iii.) Music Video may also be produced into a range of other ACS birthday merchandise products and/or digital assets made available for public purchase and/or electronic download at morebirthdays.com(iv.) Music Video will be added to the More Birthdays gallery at morebirthdays.com alongside other More Birthdays music videos from some of the biggest names in art and entertainment.

This is a big deal, people (at least, to me it is)! Please, PLEASE help me win this! Round 2 of voting started today, so click on the link below and VOTE (to vote, you click the button that says "Love it")! You can vote once everyday :) Here's the link to my video again: http://my.morebirthdays.com/contests/showentry/805107

For those of you who are facebook/twitter/real life friends with me, I apologize if I'm annoying the heck out of you with all of this self promotion, but I promise it'll end soon. August 22nd, to be exact.

Thanks again for helping me out. Rock on!

Love,
Jessi

A little of our everyday in photos.

2011-08-03T10:21:00.006-04:00

Happy 1st Birthday, Max! {cross post}

2011-07-14T08:29:00.003-04:00

Happy 1st birthday to the sweetest, funniest, handsomest, and liveliest little boy I've ever met. Although the notion is difficult for me to comprehend now, I'm sure there will come a time when these days of saying "Don't touch that" on repeat will be sorely missed. But probably not. I love you, my Max, and I can't imagine you not being a part of our life. Happy Birthday!

No-heat curls

2011-07-13T11:36:00.003-04:00

I saw this on Pinterest and I wanted to try it.

Wear a loose headband and tuck all of your damp (90% dry) hair around it, working front to back.

Make sure you poof the top out so it doesn't lay flat when you take the headband off. Hawt.

I slept on it overnight, and when I took the headband off in the morning...

No-heat curls! Mine's pretty messy looking, but that's what I was going for. Honestly, I was.

So, there you go.

Outfit post sneak attack!

2011-06-26T13:27:00.003-04:00

Shling! That's the sound of a sneak attack. At least, in my head it is. I'm picturing ninjas. With ninja stars and nunchucks. Or Angelina Jolie, who I was channeling this morning as I got dressed (okay, not really) in all black.

See the resemblance? Oh, I totally do...not.

And check out my "jade" (I just call it green) eye shadow.

I like it, but I was a little nervous wearing it out of the house this morning (the photo doesn't do it justice...it's much brighter in person, I think) because I felt a little like her:

Gorg.

I have no problem wearing the darkest of dark eye makeup. I'll wear it all the live long day. But I'm not used to bright colors on my face, as you might remember in this post.

Top: Motherhood Maternity nursing tank (I wondered if anyone could tell...)

Maxi dress-turned skirt: Op

Belt: H&M

By the by, I'm working on a wery (that's how Tessa says "very") photo heavy "day in the life" type post, so stay tuned!

Pool days

2011-06-07T12:47:00.003-04:00

This isn't good

2011-06-07T10:57:00.003-04:00

Check out my braid. I think it looks like a giant poop.

This either means
A. I need to change my hair color, or
B. I shouldn't ever wear my hair like this again.

Last outfit post

2011-06-05T20:36:00.003-04:00

This will probably be my last outfit post. I feel like I've accomplished what I set out to do, which was jumpstarting myself into getting dressed almost everyday. I thought I'd go out with a bang: A t-shirt and jeans.

El fin.

Such a hussy.

2011-05-29T21:24:00.003-04:00

One of the three outfits I wore today. My skirt is actually a strapless maxi dress which I wore to church this morning (strapless?! at CHURCH?!??), and then I folded it down into a skirt and threw on a cami this afternoon.

Cami: Old Navy, but who cares.

Maxi skirt (Dress): Moda

Ollo!

2011-05-27T15:02:00.001-04:00

Top: Don't know
Skirt (which isn't really a skirt, but a halter maxi dress): H&M

Still too hot.

2011-05-25T17:41:00.003-04:00

This is the time of year when I give in to the humidity and I resign myself to a perpetual state of sticky.

Top: Op

Skirt: Can't remember and I'm too lazy to look.

It's getting hot in herrr

2011-05-24T11:15:00.007-04:00

I'm not actually wearing this today. I mean, I was...just not anymore. Basically, it's too hot to wear clothes. *Skips off to join a nudist colony*

What I changed into:

Sorry, I don't even have a fake smile for you. It's too hot to smile.

Dress #1: Ebay
Dress #2: Charlotte Russe

Hand-me-downs and dirty clothes

2011-05-18T09:58:00.002-04:00

Vest: BKE

Top: F21 (hand-me-down)

Pants: Levi's (I have no problem wearing something a couple days in a row)

Sorry, I just like yellow.

2011-05-17T11:56:00.003-04:00

I match my blog today.

Cardigan: Old Navy
Tank: Old Navy

Jeans: Levi's

Hair woes

2011-05-16T09:53:00.007-04:00

I'm in desperate need of a good haircut. The other day I resorted to cutting myself some bangs with a pair of nail scissors. Uhhh...yeah. I've never had long hair before. Observe my various short haircuts (and colors) over the years:

Horrible pixie cut of some sort.

I don't know what you would call this, but it wasn't done well at all. (But look, Becky...it's red...or orange...)

{16 weeks pregnant with Tessa}
This haircut was a bit better.

All of this to say that I have no idea what to do with long hair. I'm terrified to go into a salon and risk someone chopping it all off. I don't know what to ask for.
So what's a girl to do?
Ooh, I know. Whack off the front of your hair with some nail scissors. Good move, me.

Top (which is actually a romper...I just pulled jeans on over top): Honey Punch
Jeans: Victoria's Secret
Shoes: Glo

From me to you

2011-05-13T21:34:00.002-04:00

What the hell is wrong with me...

Too red.

2011-05-13T14:57:00.007-04:00

Since today is Friday the 13th, I decided to do something a little scary (okay, not really because it's Friday the 13th...it was totally coincidental). I tried red lipstick.

After viewing the photos, I quickly wiped it off because it's just not me, and, frankly, it freaked me the heck out. I also changed up my outfit a bit because I had no reason to be so dressed up.

Perhaps I'll try the red lips another day, but for now.... ehhhh, no.

Cardigan: Route 66
Tank: Liz Lange Maternity (no, I'm not pregnant)
Skirt: Old Navy
Belts: No idea

It was early...

2011-05-11T10:54:00.002-04:00

...so you get wet hair.

Top: L.e.i.
Shorts (used to be pants that I cut up): Ashley Tisdale
Boots: The label is too faded to read. Sorry.

Mom shorts {morts?} for the win.

2011-05-10T11:17:00.002-04:00

Hey, y'all. Check out my mom shorts:

Yes? No?

However you may feel, I am beyond relieved that they're in style. It's nice to see something other than booty shorts on the racks.

Booties...racks....moms...

Mkay, it's time to end this post.

Top: Forever 21

Cardigan: Piper & Blue

Morts, I mean shorts: Old Navy

Sandals: Faded Glory

Outfit shmoutfit

2011-05-09T12:10:00.002-04:00

Top: Route 66
Vest: I'll get back to you on that.
Belt: Same old H&M belt
Jeans: Old Navy (they're new, but I'm not so sure they're doing nice things for my thighs)
Shoes: l.e.i.

You knew it was coming.

2011-05-09T09:01:00.003-04:00

What's that? How was my Mother's Day, you ask? Well, let me show you in photos.

"Look like you like each other..."

Mom and Dad came over for Mother's Day bearing two large pizzas and two large grandparently grins.

I'm pretty disappointed in the outcomage of the cakeage.

It was a nice afternoon. Thanks for asking :)

Two outfits (both equally unexciting) and a baby.

2011-05-06T15:08:00.003-04:00

I started my morning with wet hair and wearing this:

...then I realized it was chillier than I'd originally thought...

...and then it decided to warm up...

Top #1: Max Azria
Top #2: James's shirt...don't know where he got it
Jacket: Forever21
Jeans: Max Azria
Shoes: l.e.i.

Hey, look...it's my cute baby again:

A couple of things...

2011-05-05T10:20:00.002-04:00

I wanted to show off this little end table James made:

The weird little picture on the table is kind of special to us. It's one of Tessa's first "intentional" drawings. James free-hand etched it into the wood (along with her signature on the bottom) and then brushed gold leaf into it. I can't find her original drawing on paper to show you, but it's exactly like what you're seeing on the table. The wood James used to make the table is what was leftover from when he made our bed:

Notice the bottle of tums on the bedside table.... I was pregnant when I took this photo.

In other news, the kids LOVE the chalkboard.

I highly suggest that you pick up some chalkboard paint and paint something.

......................................

Oh, were you wanting an outfit post?
Well, have a got one for you.
This one's a winner.
Are you ready?

You're welcome.

You get a two-fer today!

2011-05-03T12:13:00.003-04:00

I had to make a Kmart run today because this morning I discovered that we were running dangerously low on diapers. When you have a baby, it's good if you don't run out of diapers. Especially when said baby is on antibiotics.

It's hot today, so I decided to break out my trusty ol' summer skirt that I've had for about 6 years.

Look, I found a baby!

So, we went to Kmart, and I found these as I tried my hardest to just walk right by the clothing section.

I'm in love with the flowy, light-weight top.

I know it's hard to see in these photos, but the pants are white with blue pinstripes. I accidentally bought them a little too large, but I've got a belt holding them up, so we should be just fine.

Top: Op
Skirt: Derek Heart
Sandals: Faded Glory

Top: Route 66
Pants: Selena Gomez (you go, girl.)

And a Saturday morning outfit post.

2011-04-30T09:53:00.003-04:00

Top: Old Navy
Leggings: No Boundaries
Belt: H&M
Sandals: Faded Glory
Cute kid: Homemade

Saturday morning post of craftiness

2011-04-30T09:28:00.005-04:00

I know that some of you saw on my facebook what I did with just a few ~~out of my insanely large collection of~~ empty baby food jars:

Isn't that purty?

I decided to put a few more of our empty jars to use. A few months ago, James had this ~~not so great~~ idea to store/sort stray coins in enormous and hideous containers on the kitchen counter. I wasn't quite on board with idea, but I somehow lost that argument. This is what it looked like:

The piggy bank is Tessa's.

Enter baby food jars.

Four little jars hidden in a pretty red box.

A hundred times better, right?

And since we're on the subject of craftiness, see that chalkboard behind the pretty red box? It started out as a sad little mirror who I covered in chalkboard paint.

I'm happy with my kitchen counter now.

Check out this sweetness...

2011-04-28T21:44:00.001-04:00

You're welcome.

Uhhh...it's so not Friday yet.

2011-04-28T10:49:00.004-04:00

I totally drove Tessa to "school" today thinking it was Friday. Got us up and dressed, packed her lunch, quickly threw together a quick grocery list (I do my grocery shopping while she's in school), only to get there and realize that it's only Thursday. Bummer. At least it was motivation to get dressed:

Top: ebay
Belt: H&M
Pants: Selena Gomez line...again (I wear these a lot...my post-baby body is still transitioning)
Sandals: Faded Glory

I need to remember this every day.

2011-04-27T10:56:00.004-04:00

We have been blessed with the most beautiful place to live. I am so thankful.

Obligatory "Happy Easter" post, and What I wore.

2011-04-25T11:55:00.005-04:00

We had a nice Easter. It was busy (and we even skipped church) but the weather was gorgeous, and when the weather's nice, Mommy's happy...and we all know that when Mommy isn't happy, nobody's happy. So that worked out nicely for everyone.

And I apologize for the awkward outfit photos. I was feeling....awkward....today. Apparently, I'm not very good at hiding it.

And for the most awkward pose ever.....

Yeah, I'm even making myself uncomfortable just looking at that photo.

Top: Forever 21
Pants: Kmart- Selena Gomez line....heh heh.
Sandals: Walmart
Necklace (in the second photo): Ordered from Lisa Leonard Designs with my kids' names engraved on the charms.

May I borrow $195.00?

2011-04-23T13:07:00.008-04:00

I don't have any outfits to show you from the last couple of days. I spent all of Tuesday in the ER with Tessa (she had ridiculously high fevers starting on Sunday, and after being poked and prodded all day in the hospital, she was diagnosed with a severe case of strep throat and a UTI (we've come to find out that the UTI was a misdiagnosis....and that's not the only fishy thing we experienced that day in our local hospital). The next day I ended up in urgent care hoping SOMEONE would give me a throat culture (which, being the professionals they are, they gave me), and the test came back positive. So, we've basically been sitting around the house (when we're not in a hospital or doctors' office) trying to stay comfortable and recover.

Anyway, on to today. Sorry for the blurry cell phone pics. My camera magically went missing (ahem...James...) Here's today:

The top has pockets.

And these are what I wish I was wearing on my feet:

These blue Manimal moccasins. Only $195.00??

If you really want to know, this is actually what I'm wearing on my feet today:

I have no plans to leave my house.

My hair is so ratty and long, and it annoys the heck out of me when I wear it down...it really needs a trim. This is how it usually ends up by mid-morning:

Cheers!

Stay happy.

Stay healthy.

And if you're not healthy, stay the *bleep* away from my house.

Well, hello there.

2011-04-23T08:19:00.002-04:00

Just joining Nat the fat rat in saying...

Nursing isn't gross.

I'm becoming a germaphobe

2011-04-18T11:06:00.004-04:00

We had to make another trip to the pediatrician's office this morning. My kids just love to get sick, apparently.

Sorry for the scowl. I was rushing out the door, and I'm pissed at the world and its germyness.

A little bit of nerd

2011-04-17T11:08:00.008-04:00

Today is my Dad's birthday. Happy birthday, Dad!

We're heading over to my parents' house in a little bit for Dad's signature birthday lunch: Cheeseburgers on the grill, pasta salad (for us, not him...he's not a mayonnaise fan), and potato chips with cottage cheese. And of course, chocolate cake (my Nana's famous recipe). Here's what I'm wearing:

I've had these sandals for years. And I mean years. I think they're about to bite the dust. And check out my nerd glasses necklace. I totally forgot I had it.

Off to go eat cake!

I hope this post formats correctly...

The situation

2011-04-16T11:43:00.005-04:00

Here's what I'm wearing today: I don't think I'm digging the sandals with this outfit, but I don't have much to chose from. I love shoes, but I hate shopping for them. I went a little lighter today on the eye makeup than I normally do in light of the pink eye situation. That is how I will refer to this episode of pink eye from now: The pink eye situation. ETA: Sorry for the formatting weirdness. It's being...weird...in its....weirdness.

What I Wore...occasionally....

2011-04-16T09:06:00.007-04:00

I'm on a mission to re-discover my style. I was so proud of myself for keeping up with my appearance throughout my pregnancy with my second baby. Once Max was born, I stopped trying. This is now pretty much how I look everyday: {I'm pretty sure there's some snot on my shirt} It's depressing. To help get myself out of this slump, I thought I'd try a little "what I wore today"-ing (a huge trend these days in the blogosphere). I don't, by any means, consider myself the most fashionable gal on the block, so don't expect to feel inspired. Even though this is a public blog, it's more for myself. This isn't meant to be a "looky looky how cute I am" thing. It's meant to be a challenge....for myself. I most likely won't be doing daily photos because, let's face it, I love my sweat pants. So, we'll see where this goes... I'll kick it off with these two photos: {Photo from date night}

Stick a fork in me

2011-04-15T08:09:00.003-04:00

My family is, once again, down for the count. We've been blessed with a few lovely gifts (all occurring simultaneously) in the form of ear infections (one of which is severe, complete with a blistering eardrum), strep throat, and pink eye. See below:

I've never felt more beautiful. I can't even try to mask that bad boy with makeup because it'll all just run down my face.

We've been sick since before Christmas. Stomach bugs, monstrous colds, the flu, strep throat, diaper induced yeast infections, and a handful of ear infections.

Just kill me quickly, and put me out of my misery. I. GIVE. UP.

Let's talk about the weather

2011-04-13T11:36:00.003-04:00

Date night

2011-04-10T16:01:00.004-04:00

This evening James and I are heading to the National Gallery of Art in D.C. to hear the Venice Baroque Orchestra perform music by Vivaldi and a few other composers. I'm really looking forward to a relaxing evening and just shutting my brain off. I'm also looking forward to getting dressed up.... I almost forgot that I have hair to do. Tessa's looking forward to us leaving so she can hang out with her Mawmaw and do things she's normally not allowed to do ;)

Blah McBlaherson

2011-04-05T23:55:00.004-04:00

Nothing new to tell. Nothing to share. This photo sums up how I'm feeling these days. I'm not complaining...honest, I'm not. Life is great. I just need a vacation. Pronto.

Mommy wins again.

2011-03-12T15:43:00.000-05:00

This is my new favorite thing to do with Tessa in the afternoons. After countless fights trying to get her to nap, I finally gave up a couple months ago, thinking we had reached the end of afternoon naps. I was so sad. But I wasn't completely convinced her body didn't need that extra sleep. Somedays she just sails right through day, one huge ball of energy. Then there are days where she just can't handle it. Whining. Meltdowns. Even dozing off while watching her favorite show in the afternoon. So, one day I thought I'd be tricky and said to her "Why don't you just come rest with me for a couple minutes on the couch?" "Okay!" She was out within 10 minutes, and I carried her up to her bed where she slept for 2 more hours. Of course, I tried it again the next day. Success. Then the next day, and the next. It doesn't work every day, but I can convince her to "rest" about 4 days out of the week (it's not really a trick anymore...she knows I want her to fall asleep, and she's amazingly okay with that). I love it.

I hope I'm not jinxing myself...

2011-03-12T09:37:00.005-05:00

My home has been a germ farm for about a month, so we've been pretty sick and sluggish. We're all finally starting to feel like ourselves again, so I promise I'll be back with some updates. Here's one:

(Yes, I did try to digitally cover up some gross-looking stains in the tub. I promise they're just stains. I do clean my bathrooms.)

The Voice

2011-03-02T19:39:00.003-05:00

NBC is starting a new show this spring called "The Voice". I auditioned via webcam video. My video is currently the #6 most viewed on their official site! I'd be so thrilled to make it into the top 5 most viewed (that would increase my chances of the casting crew actually watching my video, and hopefully cast me into the show). Would you mind clicking the link below to listen to my 30-second song and "like" my video? Pretty please?

http://www.nbc.com/the-voice/video/jessiannehardin/1301461

It was warm yesterday.

2011-02-15T10:46:00.005-05:00

For Valentine's day, that is.

Here's some dirt.

And we concluded our Valentine's day with a homemade heart shaped pizza party in Tessa's fort.

Just for fun-ion

2011-02-01T19:32:00.001-05:00

Is it weird that I wear huge sunglasses when I'm chopping onions?

"'If you would be well served, serve yourself.'"

2011-02-01T14:52:00.005-05:00

That's been my motto since becoming a wife and a mother. Which is why my [almost] three-year-old doesn't clean up after herself. Why engage in an *hour long revolt over cleaning up a few blocks when I can do it myself in less than 10 seconds flat? Parenting fail. I admit it. We were in serious need of an intervention.

Enter chore chart:

Work in progress

The idea is to fill up all of the pockets to win a movie night on Saturday (complete with popcorn and octopus-shaped sour gummies). I'm not totally convinced that she understands the whole concept, but we're trying it anyway.

She's on a roll today...look, she picked out her clothes and dressed herself:

That's what Tessa's up to these days. What is Max up to, you ask? Oh, he's just busy being a little studmuffin.

You're welcome for the update.

*True story

I apologize for all of my shortcomings.

2011-01-18T15:53:00.003-05:00

You know those people who only go to church on holidays? Yeah, that's me and how I blog, apparently.

Blog - 1 Jessi - 0

Christmas preview

2010-12-11T08:56:00.003-05:00

Well, isn't this precious?

2010-11-16T11:51:00.005-05:00

Meet my pom pom wreath. He's so pleased to meet you. When I saw this idea here, I was so excited to try it. Here's how you make it.

First you need to pick your colors. I used 5 different colors. They're not the fall-iest of colors for a fall wreath, but those are the colors I had at home, and I didn't want to go out and buy anything. Once you've chosen your colors, you can start making your pom pom balls. Tessa calls them "pom pom poms". Mrs. James has a little tutorial on how to make the pom poms, but basically here's what you do: wrap the yarn around 2 fingers for small pom poms, 3 fingers for medium, and 4 (which is what I chose to do) for large. I wrapped the yarn around about 75 times for each pom pom because I wanted them very full looking.

Once you've finished wrapping, carefully slide the little bundle off of your fingers, being careful not to lose its shape...

Next, you cut a piece of yarn that is about 4-5 inches long, lay it flat and place the bundle on top so the string is centered horizontally.

Tie it around your bundle tightly...

And this is what it'll look like:

Next, cut through all of the loops.

And you're left with this crazy looking pom pom that you'll probably want to trim up.

After their haircuts:

Mrs. James suggested buying a straw wreath, but like I said, I didn't want to go out and buy anything, and I just happened to have this large embroidery hoop sitting in a closet. I wrapped it with strips of an old sheet I cut up to give it some more bulk, and then I tied the pom poms to it with some more yarn.

Tie the pom poms all the way around, alternating the colors until you've covered the entire wreath. I'm not sure how many pom poms I used (probably around 30), but I just kept making them until the wreath was as fluffy as I wanted it to be.

Love it. Don't you?

I know I'm late, but...

2010-11-03T23:20:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween.

And to make up for my tardiness, you'll be glad to know that we decorated for Christmas early.

Your mom likes fall

2010-10-28T09:04:00.005-04:00

Fall is one of the things I was looking forward to the most when we moved into this house over the summer. Treeeeees. We're surrounded by trees.

I can't believe that this is what I get to look at every morning.

I also get to look at these:

NICE getup... she picked it out and put it on all by herself!

One last thing...some fall crafty goodness for you:

Tessa and I made fall mandalas (of sorts). Here's my creation... leaves and acorns glued on to a paper plate. Sophisticated art, people. I'm kinda bummed that all my leaves turned completely brown. I mean, I know they do that, but they were bright yellow and red when I picked them up off of the ground.

Tessa insisted on using a frog plate.

And this is our "Thank Bank", an idea snatched from Parents Magazine.

Everyday for the next month, James, Tessa and I will write on a little colorful card one thing we're thankful for and put it in the Thank Bank. At the end of the month I'll string them all up to make a colorful string of garland. It's ridiculously cheesy, but I think this is a fun way for Tessa to learn. Yesterday Tessa's card said "I'm thankful for God, and I like Jack."

So, that's what's up with us. What's new with y'all?

Just stopping in

2010-10-19T22:38:00.002-04:00

I wanted to let you know that since my post about my Nutella addiction, not only have I been told by several different people that they now think of me whenever they see it in the grocery store, but I have been gifted 4 tubs of Nutella by 4 different people. Ladies and gentlemen, my legacy.

My MIA-ness

2010-09-30T17:11:00.005-04:00

I bet you thought I dropped the ball with this blog like I did with my other one. I am, after all, a quitter. A Q-u-i-double t-er. I actually do have a good reason for my MIA-ness. I was without internet for a while. That, and I've got a little less time on my hands as my life has gone from this:

to this:

So, I'm really just dropping in to say:

I'll be back.

An apology to my tastebuds

2010-09-14T21:22:00.003-04:00

We're out of nutella, and I wanted to buy some more at the store today, but this nagging little voice in my head (sounded like James) kept saying "Eight dollars for ONE JAR, Jess?!" And, of course, I don't want to be the financially frivolous spouse of the two of us, so now I am left nutella-less. Sorry, tastebuds.

Our day with cousin Jack

2010-09-10T21:38:00.007-04:00

Poor Jack was homesick...he's been away from his momma for almost a week now. I pulled out all of my "make-toddler-happy" tricks to cheer him up. Those are usually things I would never let Tessa do because I'm so anal retentive sometimes.... would you believe that I let them finger paint on my kitchen table (that's a huge step for me, guys) and smear dirty, soapy water all over my glass kitchen doors? There was neon pink play-dough all over the kitchen floor, and would you know that I ignored it the best I could while they had a blast, pretending to cook with it? I didn't even make them put on shoes when they went outside. I know, right? Notice in the photos that they both went through a couple different outfits...

Jack doesn't like having his picture taken.

Thanks for coming over, Jacky! (like he's gonna read this, or something...)

Photo dump

2010-09-08T23:03:00.004-04:00

On our back porch...

Hanging with cousin, Jack...

Look at that beast of a dog. And he's still a puppy.

Long day tomorrow...I'll be watching my 2 year old nephew (the one in the picture up there) for the first half of the day, and then Tessa's friend (also 2 years old) will be coming over for a few hours in the second half. Tomorrow will be a headache day.... I should be sleeping right now.

Cheers!

This might be too deep for you...

2010-09-07T23:15:00.002-04:00

I adore this baby.

Sorry for making you smell my pits, little guy.

There's just something about a mother/son relationship. Or maybe I'm just experiencing what it's like to overflow with love for more than one person. I'm madly in love with both of my kids just the same, but my connection to each of them feels different. It really is amazing. Love is good.

The apple looks angry

2010-09-06T22:36:00.001-04:00

I'm gonna have to stop putting a fruit bowl on the kitchen table. Tessa thinks it's okay to eat-and-run.

Tessa's "puppet feeder"

2010-09-05T16:02:00.005-04:00

That's what she calls the puppet theater I made her. This was my take on the DIY puppet theater seen here.

She's super thrilled with it, but I REALLY need sewing lessons. My husband knows how to use my sewing machine better than I do. That's bad.

On another note, I've been thinking about Christmas a lot lately. I've really been wanting to ~~start listening to Christmas music~~ ~~make Christmas cookies~~ make a homemade play kitchen for Tessa...something a little like this. For all you creative/crafty people, what are you planning on giving your children for Christmas? Anything you've done in the past that they loved and you didn't buy at the store? I'm collecting ideas.....

Bye, summer.

2010-09-05T07:04:00.006-04:00

We went to my mother-in-law's house yesterday evening with my sister-in-law and her family of 6 (soon to be 7 on Wednesday-- can't wait to meet baby Joey!). The kids enjoyed some cotton candy ice cream from Maggie Moo's (which apparently turns your poop bright blue), and then we set off fireworks once it got dark.

Tessa wasn't a fan, but Max was. He stayed awake through them all, staring while sucking on his paci.

Fun way to end the summer.

Rainbow catcher

2010-09-02T21:09:00.007-04:00

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if you told a 2 1/2 year old to paint a rainbow on a paper plate? One of my favorite bloggers, Meg Duerksen, has "Craft Thursday" with her kids every Thursday and blogs about it, and I usually try to copy every single one of them because I'm a loser like that. Today's craft was a rainbow wind catcher (Tessa kept calling it a "rainbow catcher). Of course, Meg's family's looked perfect. Mine turned out okay:

Then there's Tessa's:

Epic, I know.

Ta-dah.

P.S. Snaps for those of you who picked up on the "a double rainbow!!" reference.

P.P.S. I do actually put clothes on my daughter. They just always seem to fall off, layer by layer throughout the day.

P.P.P.S. I love Meg Duerksen so much that I have her blog title "Whatever" tattooed on my booty.

P.P.P.P.S. I'm SO kidding.

P.P.P.P.P.S. I hope she doesn't read this.

Are you in a bad mood?

2010-09-02T07:13:00.003-04:00

Yeah?

Well, I bet you aren't anymore.

I feel sticky just thinking about it.

2010-09-01T23:23:00.002-04:00

Calvert County Fair Idol. Omg. Should I do it? First place winner gets a thousand buckaroos. God knows we need the moolah. Yesterday I had to sell Tessa just so I could buy some toilet paper and deodorant. And trust me, people- it's so hot here, you do NOT want me to be without deodorant. Entry deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 7th. So, should I audition? Circle yes or no. If you circle "no", I promise I won't hide in the bathroom stall and cry.

Blog under construction

2010-08-31T21:39:00.003-04:00

Please bear with me :) Here, I'll give you something cool to look at while this blog gets a makeover.

Both kids are napping...

2010-08-31T14:36:00.003-04:00

...so I'm using this couple of hours to plant myself on the couch, watch some BBC America (the only channels we get are 2 PBS channels and a Spanish channel....but I'm not complaining. PBS is the stuff!), drink my chai tea, and surf the interwebz. Wanna see some of my new favorite things?

Susanne's buddy girl. I'm definitely inviting her & the boys to my kids' birthday parties :)

I'm not sure what occasion to make one of these for, so maybe I'll just have to have a no-occasion party. I'm totally gonna do that......when I get over my social anxiety.

I SO want to get these fabulous custom-made plush alphabet magnets for Tessa and Max.

Stephanie Nielson makes the sweetest back-to-school feasts every year for her kids. What a good momma.

We would have so much fun with these "Mr. Food Face" plates. The possibilities are endless.

Adding this to my birthday list. It would go perfectly in our bedroom.

How cool is this laundry bag? I don't think I would let James put his stinky clothes in it, though.

I've been looking for a cool idea for a DIY puppet theater. Jackpot.

Another cute idea from Dandee, although I'll have to wait a little longer to do this with my little monsters.

Great tips for your maternity photo shoot. I've seen some pretty awful maternity photos. From Katie's tip# 7 on how to smile naturally: "...picture your father-in-laws face if the baby latched onto him."

Cheers!

Good morning

2010-08-30T21:19:00.003-04:00

No, really. Every morning is a good morning at our house.

Happiness is balloons and ice cream cones

2010-08-30T20:58:00.007-04:00

Just looking through some old photos today. This was Tessa's second birthday:

That photo makes me happy. This next one makes me happy, too:

Ice cream on the boardwalk. I miss that.

Best Shot Monday - Blue

2010-08-30T08:12:00.004-04:00

I'll be doing "Best Shot Monday" again, just like I did on my old blog. I'm not a photographer by any means, but everybody has a "best" shot. Mine just might not be as "besty" as yours.

I never thought I'd have a blue-eyed kid. I mean, it was totally possible (obviously).... we have a few blue-eyed people on my side of the family. I just always thought I'd have dark complected kids. So I'm pretty thrilled with this little surprise.

By the way, this is my almost-7-wk-old squishy baby Max. He's my boy :)

A few of my favorite things...

2010-08-28T22:10:00.006-04:00

...in my living room. We just moved into this house at the end of June, and these are a few things that make it my living room (we're renters).

The silhouettes. I still haven't done one for Max. You try getting a newborn to hold his head still for a picture like this. It's not easy.

My breakfast nook. I don't know why I call it that. We don't eat breakfast there. Heck, we don't even sit there. It just looks cool. (I'm sure you noticed that we haven't completely unpacked yet.)

Somebody gave us this chair, and it was hideous until I breathed on it and made it fabulous. I recovered the seat cushion with this psychadelic fabric from a shop call Fabricworm on etsy.com.

I got this "Moses" sculpture for James last Christmas. He really likes Michelangelo's "Moses", so I got it for him kind of as a joke. I think it turned out to be a neat little gift, though.

I found this clock at a little odds and ends store in Winona Lake, IN. It sort of brings back bad memories of my darker times living out there by myself, but that doesn't make it any less cute. Well, maybe a little.

I LOVE this amish-made rocking horse/high chair/children's desk. It was a gift for us from my in-laws at my first baby shower

Here's another one of my favorite things, although she wasn't in the living room. She saw me taking pictures and said, "Take a picture of me, Mommy, and I'll smile."

Thanks for looking at my stuff. I'm sure it was a great use of your time. Posting it sure was.

My blog title

2010-08-27T21:39:00.001-04:00

"...and that's how you do it".... a phrase often used by my 2 1/2 year old at the end of every babble. "You just give me some fruit snacks like this in my hand so I can eat them in my mouth, and that's how you do it." "You just write your name like this: PSOmommy. And that's how you do it." "I just throwed this book at your head because I did it, because I wanted to, because I did it and I did, I went like this with my arm and the book throwed out like this, and that's how you do it."

Once upon a time I used to be a blogger. And then I wasn't. But now I am again, and I'll try harder this time. And that's how you do it. (You had to know that was coming again.)

This is where I would normally give you an introduction about who I am and how I live my day to day life, but I hate those. So, if you don't already know and you're curious, I guess you'll just have to stick around for a while. Will this photo entice you?