prairie hen

Oh Melisa! Giveaway

2012-02-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

You guys! I am so excited about this giveaway. Melisa of Oh Melisa! makes the sweetest little shirt and sweater appliques. (She also blogs over at Ain't That The Berries.) Melisa has very generously offered to give away a custom applique shirt from her shop. (Don't have a kiddo? That's ok- Melisa is willing to work with you on adult sizes too.)

Here is how to enter:

Mandatory Entry

- you must be a follower of this blog via gfc or bloglovin then go to Melisa's etsy shop and tell me what design you would get if you won!

Additonal Entries

- become a follower of Melisa's blog

- tweet about this giveaway. You can use the "tweet" button below for easy link up and be sure to mention @SaraStoff so I can see it. ;)

This giveaway is open internationally (hooray!) so anyone can enter and will close next Friday (March 2nd) at 11:59pm EST.

Thoughts

2012-02-23T11:04:00.000-05:00

.... what day is it? Seriously.

These past few weeks have been such a blur. I have so much to say and nothing to say at the same time. Ha. For now I'll just share a few of my thoughts:

- I really need to working on loving Lillian better. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 has been on my mind a lot recently. "Love is patient. Love is kind"... oh...

- I am so thankful my MIL is in town. She is such a big help to us.

- We have almost settled name for the new baby. Very exciting.

- The price of maternity clothes. $40 for a pair of jeans I'll only wear for 3 more months?!?! um. no.

- There is a pretty sweet giveaway coming tomorrow. :)

Hope you are having a good week friends!

♥

Introducing Restyle Therapy!

2012-02-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

I am so excited to finally be sharing this project with you. Miss Amy and I have been working on it for quite some time. Please check out the RT page here for all the info! February's project is dishware and a while back Amy and I went to our local Goodwill and picked our poison. Mine was a cute little tea pot/tea cup set but ~~Lilly~~ someone broke it last minute so I used an old espresso cup I've had for years instead.

Here is a little size reference. I thought you'd like to know how cute and tiny it is.

I was inspired by Jenny Hart's embroidery drawings (you can view some here) and decided to give my little cup an embroidery style makeover. I used Sharpie Paint pens (my new favorite thing!) and a little Mod Podge Sealer. Note! I don't plan on actually drinking from this cup and do not know if these products are ok to use on dishware your going to use. Just FYI.

I simply sketched out a design on some plain paper and then adapted it to my cup and plate. The instructions for the sharpie paint pens are super easy to follow and the pens themselves are easy to use. They also dried really quickly on the porcelain which was awesome. If I didn't like a part or messed it up I could just scrape it off. When I was finished a sprayed the whole thing with Mod Podge acrylic sealer (I used matte but wish I hadn't) and was done!

I am super happy with the outcome. Now I just have to find the perfect place to display it.

♥

ps- in the future Amy or I will host a link up if you'd like to play along. Click here to read about future projects.

-AND-

Check out Amy's blog to see her Personalized Cupcake Plate project!

Planning

2012-02-17T18:02:00.000-05:00

Zzxxxscccdxdcsdscsdxdssbnhghyyyyg 5t4 zh tgtgreedewezaaszxxzzzzZ

^^^^^^^^^^^^

From Lilly.

At the beginning of this month I actually planned blog posts for the entire month. Some of them were pretty good too! But you know- life happens and some of them will have to wait. The past few days I have been doing a lot of napping and my sweet mother-in-law has been in town helping us out. So instead of busting my butt to get some awesome DIYs done I think I'm just going to take it easy. Real life! It can be pretty great too!

♥

Outfit Post: The "thrift store" dress

2012-02-16T09:03:00.001-05:00

details:

dress- goodwill

jacket-target

belt & bracelet- gifted from Ashley

shoes- target

My husband and I refer tot his dress as the thrift store dress. We call it that because the first time I wore it Ben said, "Is that from the thrift store?" and I said, "NO! It's from Target.... ok, Goodwill." Ha. He knows me too well. Even though my hubby and I seem like complete opposites sometimes I am so thankful to have him and his opinions in my life. He has been out of town for what feels like forever (2 days) and I miss him terribly. Anyway- this post was supposed to be about my pretty dress. I saw it on the rack and almost passed it by. The cut was is a little old fashioned for me (not in a good way) but I was looking for something comfy to wear while prego so I tried it on, loved it and the rest is history.

My thrift lesson from that day is to try on things that you wouldn't usually try. You may love it (even though your significant other may not).

♥

Bunny Love

2012-02-15T16:35:00.001-05:00

I had to share this picture from yesterday. Since Ben is out of town I took pictures of her opening Valentines Day presents for him and caught this amazing face. I wish it wasn't so blurry but whatev. Still amazing. ANYWAY Lilly was a bit distraught when we shipped off the last pink bunny so I made one for her too. She has several toys made by mommy but this is the first one she has been excited about. Make me so happy!

♥ ♥ ♥

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T13:29:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentines Day Friends! It is just me and Miss Lilly today. Ben left on an early morning flight to Dallas for a work event but thankfully his mama is flying in tonight to keep up company. Lilly made daddy a special card that she gave to him before he left. She was so proud of herself. I love that little girl so much.

I hope you are having a wonderful day!

♥

MM // life lessons at the berry patch

2012-02-13T07:00:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend Amy and I took the kiddos to the berry patch. It was a beautiful and blustery day.The blueberry bushes looked like they needed a while but the strawberries (or as Lilly says, "strawbellies") were perfect. Amazingly ripe and juicy. Delicious.

I even learned a little lesson at the patch. (hint: Frankie says to do it) More then once Lilly picked a green or overly ripe strawberry. I kept my eyes on what she was putting in her basket, making sure they were perfect, since I was paying for them after all. But after a little while I realized that I wasn't having any fun! I was so focused on getting the "right" strawberries that I was missing all the sweet moments taking place in front of my face. So I decided to RELAX and enjoy the experience I was having with my daughter and our friends. Life is so much more then having the right strawberries. While a ripe berry is delicious- it's important to enjoy the picking too.

♥

twig V.28 an upcoming project

2012-02-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

This week Amy and I went thrifting in preparation for a fun project we have coming up. I spotted this beauty and snatched it up immediately. It's not for the project (or in great condition) but it's Pyrex for crying out loud! I told Amy that Ben was probably going to kill me for bringing it home. I have so much kitchen stuff. I hoard old glass jars and bottles. My cabinets are overflowing with tea cups and appliances and vases oh my! He didn't kill me though but he did try to trick me. He said, "You know that's from last seasons patio set at Target." Little did he know this girl did her research! So I confidently told him, "It's vintage Pyrex." (Imagine my smug face here.) I don't think I've mentioned this before but I am very gullible. I have been trained to say "Shut up!" when someone tells me something that could possible be a joke. For example:

Person "Sara! You won't believe it. I saw a bear fighting a unicorn today."

Sara (as my brain thinks "Really?!?! Amazing!") "Shut up!"

It can be taken two ways. Either as "I don't believe you" or as "No way! Crazy/awesome!" That way I don't offend someone but also don't reveal just how easily I am tricked. Unfortunately the person who taught me that trick (my husband) is also very fond of tricking me. And darn good at it.

At least he didn't get me this time.

♥

January Toys

2012-02-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

I know I've talked about my 12 in 2012 already this week but I realized I forgot to share the toys (yes I said toys as is multiple) that I made last month. And I have to admit that I am super jazzed about my list right now. This is the first year that I have made a list of goals and I am actually keeping up/crossing things off. It feels good!

My goal was to make one toy a month and I made three in January! THREE! That first trimester really took the wind out of my sails but I am back in business! The squid was for my friend Liz's nursery and bunny and alien were for my shop.I also ~~finally~~ adapted my "go to" pattern to make smaller toys. That is a huge help considering it takes me about two days to finish a toy now instead of a week and a half. I'd like to make one big toy a month and a few little ones from here on out. I'm not going to officially edit my list though... well because I'm just not. ;)

♥

PS- Mr. Alien is still available in the shop!

Just us girls

2012-02-08T20:38:00.001-05:00

Ben's work schedule has been all over the place recently. His store just had their yearly inventory which required him to work from 6am until 6 or 7 pm Monday through Friday last week and Sunday/Monday of this week. Then he worked 3pm until 6am last night and finally has a few days off. (Next week he goes to Dallas for a few days! Yikes- boy is busy!) But while he has been working or sleeping Lilly and I have had lots of girl time. We even went out for some ice cream in our jammies last night. Yeesh! I love that ~~little~~ girl.

♥

btw- I'm linking up with Emily for the first time!

Around the house: My Bedroom

2012-02-07T07:00:00.002-05:00

One of my goals in 2012 was to decorate my bedroom. We have lived in our house for almost two years and I just never got around to it. Bedrooms always end up on the bottom of my decorating priority list because no one will really see it. Silly, I know. And to be honest, when I put this on my goal list I half expected to skip it. But a few weeks ago my mama gave us some of her old side tables and when I put them in our room the decor bug bit.

Mind you, this was no extreme makeover. I just hung some pictures that were sitting in a closet and moved around some cork boards and knick-knacks. But I am super happy with the outcome. Everything feels a little more put together. My favorite thing is the collection of art and pictures on the wall. There is a hand made owl cross stitch(?) my sister gave me, a small photo of my grandma and her sister, a poster of the Empire State Building (where my hubby and I met) vintage post cards from MN and FL (where Ben and I are from respectively) and an anime drawing of Ben and I done by an old co-worker of ours. The bedroom is my favorite place to just hang out now. So take that 12 before 2012! Consider "decorate bedroom" crossed off!

♥

MM // Staying Motivated

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes being a stay at home mom sucks. True story. Staying motivated to can be a hard thing to do when the only person who will see you all day cares more about fruit snacks then what you and/or the house looks like. Being a SAHM took some adjusting to for me because I'm not a great self motivator. I am highly motivated by praise. Self centered, maybe, but true. And the day Lilly congratulates me for sweeping the floors I will probably die of shock. So today I thought I'd share some tips on how I stay motivated.

1. Get up and get dressed- I find that by giving myself at least a half hour before Lilly wakes up to wash my face, put on a little make up and get dressed makes a huge difference in my day. Here's why: First of all, when I am frumpy and going about my business in the house I inevitably catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. It may be silly but looking a mess can me feel down about myself and can allow a funk to creep over me. Also, if and when we decide to leave the house, even if just to go to the park, I don't have to try and keep Lilly entertained while I take the time to make myself presentable. Being a SAHM is my job and getting ready in the morning helps me be a better at it.

2. Make Lists- and lots of them. I have little lists going all over my house. I have a month at a glance planner that I list my blog posts and daily activities for Lilly and I to do. I have a list on my refrigerator door with things I need to buy on it and I carry a pocket sized composition notebook to put my daily "to do's" in. I have bounced around from a million different types of list makers and organizers but have found that something simple and easily accessible works for me. I also like to have a column for my "to do today"s and my "to do later"s. I suggest trying a few different styles until you find one that works for you. (I found this great daily organizer on igobykatie.com that you can try too!)

3. Rewards- Treat yo'self! Occasionally, when I'm feeling motivation is especially hard to come by, I makes notches in my to do list. When I've crossed off some tasks and reach a notch- I treat myself. My treats are usually food. A scoop of ice cream. A few chocolate chip cookies. Some M&Ms. You get the picture. Find something that is worth while to you, 20 minutes to sit and read, extra blog time, a bath and work that into your to do list. When you have something you want to work towards the tasks become smaller.

4. Attitude Changers- There are some days when treating myself doesn't even work. Those are the days when I fall into a funk. This is when its time to call in the big guns. In order to shake said funk I need to depart from the situation I'm in and reset. Since Lilly is almost always in tow this usually involves a car ride or a walk. I prefer a car ride because I can roll the windows down and crank the tunes (plus Lilly is contained). Nothing can cheer me up quite like crappy top 40's music. I switch on my Katy Perry Pandora station and sing/dance the blues away. Sometimes I end up at the Starbucks drive through without knowing how I got there. It's magical. Then I can head back home and tackle the things I should be doing since I've got my good attitude pants firmly strapped on.

I hope these things are helpful to any of you who may struggle with staying motivated as a SAHM like I do. If you have something special you do to keep the juices flowing let me know! I always love to hear new ways to get the job done.

♥

This Week's Instagram: My wedding ring

2012-02-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

I super love my wedding rings and I should be. I picked them out. These rings are not the rings I was given when my husband and I were engaged/married. We have been married for almost 6 years and I got this beauty almost 2 years ago. Here's the sitch-

The original engagement ring Ben gave me had a diamond in it that belonged to my mom. We had the diamond put in the setting in a literal hole in the wall jeweler in the diamond district in NYC. They didn't offer any insurance or the like but to be honest we didn't even think about that. Ah, to be young and in love. About 2 years later I was on break at work (then at Target in Minnesota) when I looked down and noticed my diamond, setting and all, was gone. I searched the floor but there was no sign of it. Finding a tiny diamond in a Target store is literally like searching for a needle in a haystack. I was devastated.

We didn't start thinking of buying a new ring for quite a while and finally made the decision to get one after Lilly was born. It was pretty exciting being able to shop for my own ring. There were several features I knew I wanted but at the top of my list was this: I wanted to get a ring from a huge chain that came with an awesome insurance package. Ha. Lesson learned for sure. This ring came from Kay and I love it. I love being able to get my ring cleaned for free no matter where I am. I love my insurance policy. I love that it is totally and completely replaceable. Oh, to be not so young and in love. ;)

♥

Outfit Post: Grown Up

2012-02-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

Outfit Deets:

shirt & cardigan - thrifted

pants - maternity a la target

shoes - target (70% off!)

broach & earrings - belonged to my mimi

You guys! I am such a grown up. Can't you tell from the way I dress?!?! Even I was a little surprised when I looked through these pictures. For real though- I'm like a whole different person then that nutter in the Cosby sweater.

I recently started to wonder why I even did outfit posts. After thinking about it for a while one reason came to mind: thrifting. It's no secret that I love digging through the racks at my local Good Will but I know that isn't everyone's thing. It wasn't even something I was all that interested in until college. I thought when I moved to NYC it would be all Saks Fifth Avenue and Sex and the City (I don't know where I thought that money would be coming from...) but instead me and one of my room mates ended up at the Good Will every weekend. It is one of my favorite memories from living in the city.

So I guess I want my outfit posts to encourage anyone who may not be sure about finding "good stuff" at thrift stores or anyone who may be on a budget to give your local second hand a try. It may take a bit more digging but it's totally worth it. (just fyi- I got the shirt, cardi, cosby sweater, 2 tees and a pair of shoes for Lilly for less then $20.)

So there you have it. I'm an adult and my outfit posts have purpose (other then GPOY*ing).

♥

ps- 21 weeks and I can hardly keep the shirt over my tummy! Gah!

* gratuitous picture of yourself

Whats in my knitting bag

2012-01-31T07:00:00.002-05:00

My knitting bag is one of my favorite things. My sister-in-law got it for me a few years ago (from Nataliedee.com). The sentiment is very true. I will absolutely trade knit items for tattoos. I told my tattoo artist this but he didn't go for it. Anyhoo- here's whats in my bag:

- an unfinished toy (well, unfinished at the time the photos were taken)

- my to do notebook

- size 6 aluminum knitting needles (one small bamboo stick as well)

- Sharpies

- yarn needles

- knitting needle cap

- knitting place holders

- tape measurer

- embroidery scissors

- crochet hooks

- square

- animal pencil case that keeps most of this shiz organized.

- bobby pins used for my hair and for crochet place holding

What do you have to have in your crafting bag?

♥

MM // Dealing with it.

2012-01-30T14:16:00.001-05:00

Last night at about 7:30 I noticed Lilly was acting a little lethargic so I checked her temp. Yep, 102. So not what I wanted for this week. Ben has a busy week at work and will hardly be home and well... I'm pregnant. But you know what- that's life and you just have to deal with it. I'm a firm believer that God will not give you more then you can handle.

I knew when I put Lillian in bed with me that I would get less then a great night of sleep. That rang true when she had a 103 fever at 4 am and we had to get up to take meds. Then she wanted a popsicle and to watch TV. I thought we were going to be up all day from there but low and behold we got back in bed at 6:30 and slept till almost 10. My hubby text me to see how we were doing and I honestly replied "just fine." There are so many things worse then a feverish baby and feeling sleepy. What is the point of complaining? It's not going to make me have more energy or Lilly feel better. It's not going to bring my hubby home early or lessen his work load. Plus, what kind of example am I setting for Lilly when I complain about my situation in life. I want Lilly to think of me as a strong woman who could take on anything. Not a whiny baby who was constantly moaning and needing attention and/or help. Let us find our courage and our strength to be the kind of women, mothers and role models our kids really need.

Aiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi (Xena warrior cry anyone?)

Ok, Ima go eat cookies now.

♥

ps- I'm not discounting a good vent sesh with a trusted friend but perhaps we should just leave it there.

twig V.26

2012-01-28T09:25:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd change up the way I do twig (this weeks instagrams) this week. Instead of a selection of the photos I've instagramed this week with a little explanation I thought I'd just pick out one and give more details. Anyhoo-I'd love your feedback. If you like it the other way just let me know. :)

On Thursday Ben and I were going to go out to dinner and my step mom was going to watch Lilly but half way through the day two things happened. Ben had to cancel because of work stuff and my sister in law came and got Lilly so she could go play with her cousins before going to Grammy's house. I found myself completely and magically alone with about 5 hours of me time. I literally didn't know what to do with myself. I sulked for about a half hour (I know... weirdo) then got to work. After a lot of blogging and crafting I started to get a little snacky. Of course I wanted ice cream but we were completely out and Lord knows I was not about to spend any amount of my free time in a grocery store so off to Cold Stone I went. I did feel a little... well... gluttonous sitting alone in Cold Stone eating my "love it" size chocolate ice cream with oreos but I think being visibly pregnant made it excusable.

So there you have it. I love ice cream more then any sense of self pride I may have had.

♥

Outfit Post: Cosby Sweater (or awkward pose post)

2012-01-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

Outfit deets:

sunnies: f21

sweater: thrifted

shorts/belt: f21

shoes: wet seal

Oh, winter in Florida. A lot of days start out cool enough then get hot in the afternoon then go back to cool. I guess we have just skipped to spring. Which is good because this sweater is perfect for spring. I found it at my local goodwill. It was hanging on the end of a rack just waiting for me. I obviously snatched it up immediately. When I brought it home and showed my hubby he said, "I hope you didn't pay money for that." Well, I did! And it was worth every penny. On that note- I think I will go get some puddin'. (jk, I hate pudding.)

♥

Rawr! Attack Squid!

2012-01-26T13:35:00.001-05:00

I made this guy for my sweet friend Liz who is due to have her first baby any day now. I got the pattern from Mr. Fox's Toy Emporium and it was super fun and easy to make. I stuck pipe cleaners in his arms so he's position-able. Can I mention pipe cleaners in toys in my new favorite thing. I am finishing up two new small toys that are pose-able too. So fun! I am getting back into the swing of toy making after a long hiatus during my first trimester. It feels good.

Are you making anything new these day?

ps- When I finish my two littles today that will be three toys this month. Take that 2012 goals!!!

Currently.

2012-01-25T07:35:00.002-05:00

ok- so this pic is from a week or so ago but I am currently wearing the same white tank.

I stole this from Dani (again). It is seriously one of my favorite posts. I would love to do one of these a month. Hopefully I can remember...

- obsessing over: The Hunger Games. I really wish I could say something more mature then that but I can't. Honesty at it finest (and most embarrassing). I literally cannot stop thinking about the books. When I get into a series I can't help obsessing over character motivation and unexplained parts (I mean did Peeta kill that girl when he was with the tributes or not??!? Foxface was attributed as his first kill so he must have lied before...? Arg!) I have watched the trailer for the movie about 30 thousand times. Yep. Obsessed.

- working on: perfecting a pattern for smaller stuffed animals. I follow a pattern I bought in a kit years ago for most of my toys but I would like to makes something a little bit smaller so I can make more the one a month! I tried to translate my knit pattern to crochet (gave up) and have tried the pattern with half the knit stitches but same proportions. Boy, does it look funny. Some tweaking is still needed for sure.

- thinking about: what I am going to name this little girl! Whenever I feel her move I want to call her by her name and not just "little girl" but I haven't come up with anything yet. I have a baby name book that I love but it is currently making its way back to me from being out on loan. I am so excited about giving her a name.

- eating: gum. It helps to keep me from snacking constantly which seems to be a theme of my pregnancy.

- wishing: it was mid-February. My MIL is coming to stay with us for two weeks. I am so excited. I know that is generally the opposite sentiment when it comes to mother-in-laws but I really do love mine. Plus, having someone with me and Lilly all day every day for two weeks. YES PLEASE. So excited.

What's going on with you?

♥

20 Weeks

2012-01-24T15:52:00.000-05:00

Well, technically I am 20 weeks and 3 days. Things are still going very smoothly. Like I said before, time seems to be flying by during this pregnancy. I remember feeling like it was the longest wait to find out if Lilly was a girl or boy and we already know with this one! (girl) I also feel waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay huger (more huge?) then I did at this point last time but I suppose that goes with the territory the second time around. I had a friend over last week who is a few days shy of 40 weeks and she said, "Sara! My belly button is already half way popped out!" 40 weeks. My belly button gave up about two weeks ago. It isn't all the way out but enough that you can see it through shirts and makes it appear that I have a third nipple. le sigh. I have struggled emotionally a little this week. My fuse is very short and unfortunately I've lost my temper with Lilly a few times. I am so thankful that my husband is willing to pick up the slack on the days I am easily overwhelmed and that he continues to encourage me to be better (even though I can have a hard time being reasonable while he is attempting to encourage me).

Overall, things are going swimmingly. I am anxious to name this little girl so I don't have to call her "little girl" anymore. This could be a bit of a daunting task considering how long it took Ben and I to agree on a name last time... I'll keep you update.

♥

Mommyhood Monday // No to no!

2012-01-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

Hey! No making faces!!

As a mother of a toddler I find myself saying the word "no" more then any other word in the English language. (That may be inaccurate but let's just go with it.) Naturally, I can be a controlling person. I like things to go according to plan and I like to do what I can to make that happen. I didn't even realize this about myself until I became a mother and had a little creature at my sides all the time trying to derail my plans. As you can imagine- adjusting to motherhood took some time. To be honest, I am still adjusting!

One major adjustment for me has been learning to say no to no. It is usually the first thing out of my mouth when Lilly asks me a question. But I have realized that I really need to question my motivation and think about her request before saying the N-O word. I've found that a lot of times I am simply saying to because I don't want to do what she does. I don't want to paint right now. It's too messy. It requires too much set up and clean up. I don't want to go outside because I don't want to find her shoes (and pants) and have to chase her around. I don't want to let her walk at the grocery store because she is more likely to wander off my desired path. I realized that a lot of times my motivation for for saying no was straight up selfish and silly. And it turns out sometimes we have way more fun when I say yes! Sure, I may be more tired at night (at least I don't have trouble falling asleep) or have more to clean up or take 40 minutes to do something that should have taken 10 but in return my little girl feels loved and has possibly even learned something.

Saying no to no has honestly improved our day to day life. Sure, saying no is still a very necessary part of parenthood but I want to embrace those moments when its not. Why not say "yes" when I can!? We fight less and hug more. And that is definitely worth losing a little bit of that control I love so dearly.

♥

Beach Getaway (Image Heavy)

2012-01-22T16:40:00.001-05:00

This weekend we got a chance to get out of town and jumped on it! I have wanted to have a little family time and to go to the beach for a while now. It was perfect.

We spent lots of time resting and relaxing. We played on the beach a lot and ate a bunch of junk food. We found a sand dollar that was still alive! First living sand dollar I've ever encountered. We also saw some sting rays that my hubby practically chased through the water. If he wasn't fully dressed he probably would have dived in after them. It was a wonderful (and much needed) vacation.

Did you have a good weekend?

♥

It's a....

2012-01-20T20:09:00.000-05:00

I am so excited! Today we got to see our sweet little(est) girl. She tugged on her ear and was very wiggly, especially when the tech poked at her to see her lady bits. Sassy already. I also feel justified in saving almost ALL of Lilly's baby clothes now. Ben is very happy too. He said he wanted a gaggle of girls. My heart is so full.

♥

Crafters against SOPA

2012-01-18T14:39:00.000-05:00

Smart gal and friend, Becky of Strumpets Crumpets, posted earlier today about educating yourself about SOPA. I want to perpetuate this message because we all need to be aware of what is going on in our government. Freedom is something we easily take advantage of here in the US. Let's not allow those liberties to be taken away due to our ignorance. Find out more from Becky from clicking the button above. You can also find out more and sign the petition to stop SOPA here.

♥

2012 Goals

2012-01-17T07:00:00.005-05:00

At first I was going to make a 27 before 27 list buuuttt I couldn't come up with more then 12 things. So 12 in 2012 it is!

Here is a little back ground on why I put some of these things on my list. I think any achievable list of goals must have a few easy things on it. Have baby? Already working on it. Re-watch Wes Anderson movies. I'd love to! (but not bottle rocket. I didn't like that one) Grow out my hair... that one may be harder then it seems. I also want to become less prissy and more self sufficient. Therefore numbers #'s 3, 5 and 10. I want to master some new recipes (as in make them easily, without messing them up) because I feel like I have been making the same 5 things for my entire married life. And I also threw in some fun yet challenging things like blankets (I am so not a long term project crafter). And watching the sun rise/set has always been something I have wanted to do- just not something I have ever done- and something that is so easily achieved in Florida!

I will keep you filled in on my progress as the year goes on. Have you made any goals for this year?

♥

Mommyhood Monday // Resilience

2012-01-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

If I recall correctly this photo was taken during Lilly's second time out of the day. It was definitely before 10am.

One of the hardest things, for me, about parenting is the sheer tenacity you must have about discipline. There are so many times that I don't want to tell Lilly no because of the impending fight it will cause. The fact that I choose to use the word fight shows a lack of resilience on my end. There should never even BE a fight. I am the parent! It isn't like she has a valid argument:

-No, Lilly, you may not have M&Ms for breakfast.

- But mama, I need M&Ms.

-No.

-WWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I have read that toddler-hood is all about discovering boundaries and the role of the parent is to enforce these boundaries. It can just be tough, you know!?! Some days I don't want to have to tell her 45 times to not stand so close to the TV or to be the one who says no to sugar upon sugar upon sugar all the time. Some days I just want her to be happy with me all day and not think mama is a meanie. And sometimes a break is necessary (for example- the other night I dreamed that Lilly died and was really shaken up by it. The next morning I ran very late to church because of how long I sat and snuggled her in front of the TV.) BUT- I have to keep in mind the my goal in parenting is to raise a well adjusted, responsible, adult. Not an adult sized child. Therefore- I will continue to tell her no even if it isn't fun for me. I will continue to be the bad guy because I know she will love me for it in the future (Like when she has broken the habit of sticking her fingers in her crack all day long. She would not be a happy middle schooler if she couldn't help sticking her hands in her pants when she got nervous.)

So a word to all the other toddler moms out there:

WE CAN DO IT!

No matter how much they fight.

All day, every day.

I promise.

♥

TWIG V.25

2012-01-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

No comment needed.

Favorite record.

FINALLY!!

BFF's.

♥ ♥ ♥

Hacked by my hubs.

I hope you have had a great week!

♥

Again?!?

2012-01-13T16:37:00.001-05:00

YES! Ok, I think I'm done this time... hopefully. We'll see. I still have a few things to adjust so pardon any dust in the mean time.

♥

January Photo a Day Challenge: Week 1

2012-01-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

If you are on IG you probably have already seen this but I thought it would be fun to post here too.These are my photos from the January photo a day challenge going around Instagram.

Day 1. Me (taken by Lilly. This is either my dino face or fake smile.)

Day 2. Breakfast

Day 3. Something you adore- Ice cream.

Day 4. Letter box. Nothing special.

Day 5. Something you wore- My hubby's shirt. ♥

Day 6. Something that makes you smile. Obvs.

Day 7. Favorite- the beach

Are you playing along too?

Baby Talk V.7

2012-01-10T07:00:00.003-05:00

Lilly says, "I just need to do some work."

Welp. Lilly is growing up way to fast. These cute words are becoming fewer and fewer. The other day she even corrected "fry guy" to "french fry"... I almost cried. Here are some of her new sayings:

Bing Bang Chair- Bean bag chair. She got one for christmas.
Daddy poop- This is probably an overshare- but when she has a BM she always wants to check it out. When there are only tiny little turds in the potty she says, "Where's the daddy poop?" meaning a big one. Haha! I think this came from naming other things (like boxes or dolls) Daddy for the largest, Mommy for the middle and Lilly for the smallest. I find it super funny- apparently funny enough to share with everyone. ha.
Paris Bear- This is a teddy bear she got for christmas from her great grandma. When its hands are touched together is says a prayer... which she calls a paris.
Swipe- translated simply to wipe. But it is super cute when she says it.
Clip- cut. She dreams of being able to cut things it seems because she asks at least once a day to clip something.
Veggies- Ok, this one stumps me. It took me several days to figure out what she wanted. Turns out it's not vegetables! According to Miss Lilly "veggies" are fruit snacks. I'm pretty sure I made this face when I figured it out.

Why can't they stay little forever?!? (ha. jk.)

♥

Want more?
V.1 // V.2 // V.3 // V.4 // V.5 // V.6

Mommyhood Monday // Friends

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

photo stolen from Amy

Can I just say how happy I am to have this girlie as a friend. Mom friends are so important. I know that may sound silly but it is the truth!

Amy (of Buggie and Jellybean) and I met through instagram. Soon after I found out that she lived semi close to me and our internet romance blossomed. Amy is an amazing mom and super creative. We finally met up (at Target. Ha!) and hit it off. We have the same sense of humor and have kiddos that are the same age. Nolan and Lilly are so cute together and Nolan's big sis, Avery, is pretty sweet too.

We hang out with our kiddos but occasionally have girls nights too. We had one last night. We tried a new (to us) Vietnamese restaurant and spent the rest of the night messing around at Starbucks. Girl time honestly refreshes my soul. We talk and laugh and share frustrations. When I was a new mom I had zero mom friends. Trust me on this one- having other mom friends is necessary. You know when you have those days when you think you may actually loose your mind? They've been there. Or when you are crying in your kitchen because your kid just threw the second lunch you prepared for them on the floor. They've been there. They understand and encourage. They are a blessing and a half.

I'll say it again- I am thankful for her and our friendship.

♥

TWIG V.24

2012-01-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

biker chick

daddy's girl

herp derp

snuggle buddies

PINTEREST FAIL

texts with the hubs

my little star

Hope you've had a great week!
♥

Fiber Friday: Mr. Fox's Toy Emporium

2012-01-06T07:00:00.002-05:00

Skywhale

Deep Sea Diver and Squid

Horace Behr with Mr. Bunnyford

Axolotl

I came across Mr. Fox's Toy Emporium on Etsy the other day and immediately taken with it. He primairly sells crochet patterns but accepts requests for finished toys as well. His designs are so unique and imaginative! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

♥

note to self

2012-01-04T07:00:00.010-05:00

I have been such a crankster the past month or so. I don't know what the deal is! My step mom said she thinks its from the pregnancy hormones but who knows. All I know is that I'm tired of it! I am rude to everyone, don't want to hang out with friends or go out with anyone. Every thing/one gets on my nerves super easily. I'm a bitch! I can't take advice or encouragement. It has really become ridiculous. My mom used to tell me to fake it till you make it but that isn't working either. Ugh. I'm not sure why I'm sharing this- maybe talking about it will help me snap out of it.

I want so many things to change in my life but feel unable to change them. Crank. Crank. Crank. Crank. I want to provide a nice home for my family but feel like I don't have the time or energy to do it. My house is always messy/gross somewhere. I want to have a nice yard but, I mean, if I can't keep up with the inside the outside has no hope. I'd love to volunteer with more in my community but I doubt many places (or any of them) provide child care. I just keep praying that God helps me become satisfied with the life I currently have. He has placed me here for a reason. In my house, my neighborhood and my city. In my role as wife and mother. A friend of mine recently said that instead of giving God a laundry list of what we want we should just show up for duty. That is much easier said then done.

I came across this verse the other day and I keep reading it and waiting for it to penetrate my heart.

1 Corinthians 12

¹⁴ Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.¹⁵ If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.¹⁶ And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

¹⁸ But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. ¹⁹ How strange a body would be if it had only one part! ²⁰ Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. ²¹ The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

Dear Sara,

You are in the places and roles that you are in for a reason! You are in the places and roles that you are in for a reason! You are in the places and roles you are in for a reason!!! Part of your problem is that you are having trouble loving you for you recently. If you are good enough for the savior then you should really stop questioning yourself and letting your insecurity run wild. Ugh.

Today is a new day. Keep your head up, dummy.

love, Sara

♥

Outfit Post: 16 Weeks

2012-01-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

outfit deets:

hat: target

necklaces: baby feet- a gift from my sister

magnifying necklace from Mary Rebecca

shirt: motherhood maternity

jeans: old navy

flats: wet seal

Sixteen weeks. It seems to be going so much faster this time around. I am glad that I already have maternity clothes on hand though because I remember that being the worst last time around. Not fitting into anything but sweats only magnifies the feelings of getting bigger. And although I know I am I don't really notice it. I can see it in the pictures (kinda) but I don't feel it so much yet. And thank God for jeggings. Those suckers are stretching and doing their job. They will probably be unwearable post baby but it is totally worth it.

Also- how effing cute is the necklace from Mary Rebecca? My sneaky hubby went through my favorites on etsy, found this beauty and got it for me for Christmas. It was definitely one of my favorite Christmas gifts. What was yours?

♥

ps- Check this out! It's my first outfit (kinda) post from exactly a year ago. Lilly was so little!!!

MM // Potty Training

2012-01-02T13:51:00.000-05:00

Whoa. It's almost been a whole week since I blogged last. That is the longest I've even gone since I started this blog almost a year ago. What have I been doing you ask? Potty training and reading The Hunger Games series. Between the two of those things I hardly had time to breath let alone blog! I have lots of thoughts on THG but will save those for another post. zxxxzxzxxzxxzxXxjnmkml,........ (that last little bit was from Lilly.)

Potty training has gone remarkably well. We tried a few months ago and it was a disaster. Everytime she sat on her little potty it ended in a fight so, after my doctor's recommendation, we decided to wait. Let me just say waiting was one of the best parenting decisions to date. She has taken to it this time like a fish to water. Well, almost. Last Monday we went straight into big girl panties which she got in her stocking. She only had one accident on Monday then continued to go in the potty pretty consistently. She had one nap time accident so I decided to do training pants during sleep times which has been great. I think she only had 3ish other accidents after that. Pee Pee accidents, I should say.

Pooping has been a whole different story. She didn't poop at all Tuesday though Saturday. I knew she was just being stubborn but was fed up so I filled her up with apple juice and fiber filled cereal and that did the trick. She pooped on the potty once. Since then she has been very inconsistent. She poops a little on the potty but most of the big turds are reserved for her panties. It is sad/hysterical. It's like she can't feel it coming and then starts to panic. Full on high pitched screaming/immobility while clutching her butt. Haha. Hopefully she resolves that soon!

As for me, potty training has been easier then anticipated. I am naturally a worry wart. I was so full of anxiety about this! It certainly has been a learning experience. I have mostly learned to laugh more. I thought I would freak out over accidents. I was not looking forward to cleaning them up but it really hasn't' been a big deal. We even had once accident at the Goodwill that was my fault. She told me she had to go and we made it to the bathroom but I didn't pull her panties down far enough and put her too close to the edge of the seat so her pee when up and over the edge and into her panties. Amazingly, I got a good laugh out of that one. I have been so laid back! Who would have thought. ;)

Overall, we are happy and she is happy. She loves her panties which are Minnie Mouse, YGG and Tangled. She picked them herself. The lesson learned is that you can't rush potty training (oh, and that mom should relax). As a friend of mine told me, "When they're ready- they're ready."

♥

Christmas Morning

2011-12-27T15:05:00.000-05:00

First things first.

An orange (or cutie in this case) in the bottom of the stocking is a Stofferahn family tradition.

Wood sign from Banished.

"I wonder what could be in there?"

Lilly and her new Bullseye.

It's official. I am horrible at taking pictures on special days like Christmas. These are some of the few we took while opening presents and then did not take another for the rest of the day. Fail. I hope you had a super awesome Christmas. Now I am going to go sink my face into the Hunger Games which I got for Christmas. ;)

♥

The Everlasting Light

2011-12-26T08:17:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas Friends! I hope you all had a great day with friends and family. Our day was almost perfect (what's Christmas without a little late night, exhaustion induced arguing your Husband? Sorry babe). Thankfully Christmas marks a day of Celebration that Jesus was born. I am so thankful to have a Savior who doesn't wait for me to be perfect or even semi-acceptable. He meets me right where I am and loves me despite all my flaws. Color me thankful.

I'll post more pictures from our day later. Merry day after Christmas! And Happy Boxing Day too!

♥

VBAC VS Cesarean

2011-12-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have been avoiding blogging (and thinking) about this but I'm running out of time. At my last doctor appointment I was told that I need to make a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarian) vs elective ceasarian decision. To be honest, I was surprised my doctor even gave me an option. I thought I'd have to find a specialists to allow that but I was wrong. Here is what my doctor says:
- I'm a good candidate for a VBAC since I didn't have a failed labor with Lilly. I had a scheduled c-setion because she was frank breech.
- The risk of rupture (my uterus rupturing during labor that is) is less then 1% which is good but if it does rupture the result could be devastating. Not good.

Here are some of my thoughts on a cesarean. My doctor says that my ectopic pregnancy over the summer was probably a result of scar tissue that had built up from my c-section with Lilly. So if I have another c-section will that increase the likelihood of another ectopic if we have more kids? I also have a lot of internal scaring from that was discovered during my surgery over the summer. If I have another c-section will I get a bunch more? Some positives from having another c-section is that they would be able to remove a lot of that scar tissue and (a biggie) I would be guaranteed MY doctor. The office I go to is a group practice so if I choose a VBAC I'm not guaranteed my doctor. I will just have whoever is at the hospital at the time. So my planning loving brain is not a huge fan of that.

More thoughts about a VBAC: I've always felt a strange sense of loss that I didn't get a chance to even try to give birth to Lillian. I have also never been comfortable say that I "gave birth" to her. Because I didn't. She was surgically removed. I know that I carried her and grew her in all that but I still have trouble with that one detail. Obviously, a VBAC is not major surgery so it is less of a risk for me and healing time should be less. I vividly remember how standing up for the first time after my c-section felt and I am keen to avoid that. My biggest problems are the risk of rupture and not being able to have my doctor. Less the 1% is a pretty good statistic but the fact that it would be devastating if it happened scares me. We're talking possible loss of baby and/or uterus. I'm not sure I'm ready for a hysterectomy at the age of 26. And my first thought with not being able to have my doctor was what about being induced. Well- turns out they don't do that for VBAC's. In fact they don't do any sort of alterations to labor. And that could actually be a good thing since a lot of induced labors end in c-section.

I've been spending a lot of time praying for this situation. I have had a hard time trusting God with this. Pregnancy makes me very self protective so it's hard to give that over to him. I know his plan will be best and that it is completely ridiculous to even think that I could do any of this on my own. I have until the end of January to make my decision. I plan to spend lots of time praying and trying trying trying to give this to God. I'd love to hear from you too if you have any experience with this.

Sorry if this post seems a little disjointed- that is how my brain has been working lately.
♥

TWIG V.23

2011-12-23T07:40:00.000-05:00

This week Lilly was a little under the weather and then a president. I spent some time complaining about the warm weather and listening to rappists. (10 points to anyone who gets that reference!!)

How was your week?

♥

WIP: Crochet Purse and Knit Stocking

2011-12-22T14:06:00.001-05:00

Man! It's been a while since I finished anything. Haha. I guess you could say I took a bit of a knitting break during my first trimester. I am currently working on finishing up a purse for Ben's grandma. (IF ANY FAMILY IS READING THIS DON"T SPILL THE BEANS!!!) She has hand made so many quilts for our little family, I want to say 3 or 4, that I felt it was about time to return the hand made favor. I found this super easy peasy pattern at Joanne's (you can read it here) and got the rope at Joanne's as well. I bought 3 yards of the rope and it could be longer. Just FYI. Overall, I am really happy with it and definitely plan to make more.

The stocking was commissioned by a friend. The stocking is for her new(ish) baby. I'm not going to lie- it gave me a little trouble but I wasn't working from one specific pattern.To try to get the size and shape to match the others I worked off of several patterns. When I first got the project I thought, "Knit stocking!! I must make some for my family." Welp, let's just say I'll wait a few years before tackling that again. ;)

A you making anything this Christmas?

♥

A New Christmas Tradition

2011-12-21T07:00:00.002-05:00

Lilly LOVES my nutcrackers. She carries them all over the house, makes them talk to eachother, brushes their teeth and feeds them. In fact, they are "asleep" with her in her room as I type. She has even given them all names. They are (from left to right in the above picture) Mouse, Pirate Santa Clause, Judy and Cracker. (Hilarious, right?!?)

Anyway, Ben came up with a fantastic idea. Pirate Santa is going to be the one visiting us on Christmas eve. Not regular old Santa. And we want to perpetuate this lie (parenting is so weird) somehow but we aren't sure how. We though maybe we could scatter a few parrot feathers on the ground or in the tree or leave the eye patch laying around somewhere... but we are not really sold on an idea yet. So I was hoping I may be able to get some help from you guys. Does anything come to mind when you think of what a Pirate Santa may leave behind when he comes to visit your house? Haha. Possibly the most redic quuestion ever. But seriously! Let me know. We need all the brain power we can to make this awesome.

Thanks friends!
♥

Disney round two!

2011-12-20T13:00:00.002-05:00

Last Tuesday Lilly and I got to meet our blog friend Tera. Tera works for Disney in California but was in Florida for business. Lilly and I met her at Epcot and had a wonderful day! Tera was super sick so she couldn't hang for too long but I can tell you this- if you read her blog and think she's cute in pictures- it's nothing compared to the real deal. Girl is petite! I had to ignore my usual "I'm a giant!" thoughts. ha.

Lilly and I spent a while at Epcot where she saw Nemo, Alice and Winnie the Pooh. We also listened to an awesome band that played classic British rock and roll while in "The UK" in Epcot. Lilly was terrified at first (loud music) but mommy loved it. After that we went to the Magic Kingdom to see 'Punzel and Mickey. The park was all decked out for Christmas which was amazeballs.

The whole day was a surprise to me and here is why: at one point Tera said "I have to be back at my hotel at 4pm to catch my airport bus but you all are welcome to stay as long as you'd like." As it was approximately one o'clock at this point I laughed in my head. Three plus hours alone with a toddles in a theme park. Ha. Laughable. BUT!!! Not only did we stay until four o'clock- we stayed until the Magic Kingdom kicked us out at 7pm due to a special Christmas event. I was super impressed with myself (not ashamed to say it) and was reminded that my first trimester exhaustion is outta here! w00t!

Thanks again, Tera!

♥

The First Trimester

2011-12-19T22:30:00.001-05:00

reused pic. i'm bad at taking belly pics.

First and foremost- the first trimester is over! Thank God! Here is a recap of my first trimester with baby number two.

Same as pregnancy with Lilly:

- exhaustion (duh)

- food aversion aka I didn't want to eat anything.

- baby brain to the max! I think I sent a text to the wrong person at least once a day. And that is just one example.

- best nails ever. Thanks you prenatal vitamins. My usually craptacular nails have been made into super nails. They grow super fast (maybe a little too fast) and are super strong. I mean it's not hard to be stronger then my regular nails (once I bent a nail back digging through the laundry) but it's still awesome.

New pregnancy symptoms:

- red meat! When I did want to eat I pretty much only wanted red meat. (I say that like it is past tense. It's not.) I make steaks at least once a week. Also- more cheese burgers then is acceptable.

- NO COFFEE!!!!!! I didn't really start drinking hot coffee (cappuccino) until after Lilly was born so this wasn't an issue that time around. But I literally could not stomach coffee for the past 2 1/2 ish months. I had no desire for it and it didn't taste satisfying. It was such a bummer.

- super speeding time. I'm sure this is simply because this is my second time around but things seem to be moving at warp speed. I remember feeling like it took me forever to show with Lilly. Not the case this time.

- excitement level. Lilly was a surprise so it took me a good four months to adjust to the fact I was pregnant. We had just moved and started new jobs so I wasn't in the most secure environment to begin with.

food baby + real baby = big belly.

Basically I am super excited. We get to find out the sex of our new baby at my next appointment (at the end of January). I also have to decide whether I want to try for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) or opt for another cesarean. But that is a whole different post. ;)

Hope you are well!

♥

TWIG V.22

2011-12-15T22:40:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends! I hope you had a super great week. I am way to tired to say more then that.

♥

trimming the tree

2011-12-14T15:13:00.001-05:00

We finally decorated our tree on Sunday. We have had it for like two weeks now so it was about time. Lilly really had fun. In fact, she thinks decorating the tree is so fun she has undone and redone the bottom half about 20 times. While we were decorating we turned on some Christmas tunes and when Lilly said, "Daddy, let's dance." the dance party began. It was a lovely night.

♥

Outfit Post // Olive

2011-12-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

outfit deets:

necklace: f21

cardigan: target (new)

tank: target (old)

jeans: old navy

boots: target (super old)

purse: aldo

Yesterday my mom came over in the morning and stayed with Lilly so I could have some me time. I was so effing excited that it took me almost 45 minutes to get dressed. Going out without a toddler?!?! I certainly didn't want to wear my usual tee/jeans combo so... I went with jeans and a cardi. Ha. But did you notice the heeled boots! Wowza! I have worn these boots 3 times in the last 4 days. (Who am I?)

I came back home feeling so refreshed. I didn't even loose my ~~will to live~~ patience when Lilly threw an almighty cry/whine fest all afternoon. All I have to say is thank God for grandmas!

I hope your week is getting off to a great start!
♥

Mommyhood Monday // Christmas Presents

2011-12-12T07:00:00.007-05:00

Christmas 2010

Christmas and kids. This is kinda a hot button issue with me. These days kids get a lot of ~~crap~~ toys for Christmas. Where do you draw the line? How much is too much? I don't really know the answer to these questions but I can tell you what we are trying to do in our home.

Lilly usually gets one big gift (and by big I mean in size, not dollar amount) and then a few little things. Last year Ben and I (err... I mean Santa) gave her a tent and some blocks and... I CAN"T EVEN REMEMBER! That kinda proves my point though doesn't it? I can't even remember what we gave her that isn't pictured. She also received Christmas presents from her grandmas and aunts and uncles so she still had more then enough when all was said and done. I guess what my point is (since I haven't really stated it) is that as parents we should teach our kids that their are more important things this time of year then getting the newest toy. If we always get them the latest and greatest (and lots of other stuff too) aren't we setting them up to become greedy and/or materialistic? In the end gifts are fun but they aren't really important (I mean, sometimes we can't even remember what they were). Instead I hope to teach Lilly things like generosity, the importance of family and tradition, and what real joy is like.

I certainly don't have it all figured out. She may be too young this year to grasp concepts like generosity but by setting a standard she will grow to understand when she gets older. My prayer for Lilly at Christmas time is that, in the new year, she will have a renewed spirit and joy. That she will be even more in love with her family and that she will understand that real and lasting happiness comes from the ones you love and not from what is under the Christmas tree.

♥

TWIG V.21

2011-12-11T15:57:00.002-05:00

Got my hairs did and couldn't decide on up or down for a night out.

At dinner celebrating how great my hubs is.

Reading.

Practicing good hygiene.

Surprise visitor.

Christmas bffs.

Eyeballing Daddy's birthday breakfast.

What a busy, crazy, lazy, long, lovely week we had. How was yours?

♥

heeeeyy brother...

2011-12-09T15:49:00.001-05:00

before and after. the miracle of make up.

Didja get that title reference?

This week has been cray cray busy. It was Ben's birthday on Wednesday (which we didn't really get to celebrate because...). He also had a HUGE promotional interview on Thursday. He has spent all week either preping for that or working. He finally got word last night that the interview went well and he two more steps to compete in the Spring then gets his promotion! We are so seriously excited. But more importantly, we are so seriously blessed.

I haven't shared much of my pre-blog life, more specifically how we came to live in Central Florida, so I thought I'd share a bit now.... because it's relevant to what I was talking about above...

Anyway! Ben and I met at college in NYC in 2004. We got engaged in 2005 and were married in 2006. After we were engaged we moved to Minneapolis (where Ben is from). We lived in an apartment for the first year of our marriage and then moved into his parents basement when I lease expired. Our plan was to buy a house going up for sale in their neighborhood but after about a year and a half and several house offers we felt stuck at a dead end. We were both working for target at the time so we asked the HR to call around in the Orlando (my hometown) area to see if there were any available positions for us. Two weeks later we were packing a U-Haul and driving to Florida.

God's hand has been so evident in our lives ever since we got here. So many doors have been opened for Ben at work, we got our house, had Lilly and have many more blessings to count. To be honest, I wasn't super excited to move back to this area but He has proven to me time and time again that his plan is better.

So, that's why I've been MIA this week. Because God has kept up busy with his blessing.

Now if only He could keep me busy with... say... a free Caribbean cruise.

♥

What I would be wearing if it were actually cold outside.

2011-12-06T22:51:00.001-05:00

outfit deets:

scarf: f21

sweater: thrifted

jeans: old navy

So I was a ~~cleaning~~ bored last week while going through my closet and looked at this sweater with longing. We have not had many cool days here in the sunshine state. So I decided to dress up and take pictures of what I would be wearing if it were cold. (yeah... bored) The funny thing is that it got cold after I took these photos and then warmed up again. Today was a high of eighty. EIGHTY! I couldn't even listen to Christmas music. To be honest it put me in a bit of a bad mood. Thankfully it is supposed to cool down on Thursday (then warm back up again I'm sure). Anyway, I will be glad for the change. And hopefully I can pull out my Cosby sweater for real.

How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

♥

Oh Christmas tree... my first ever steppin' out

2011-12-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

on me: jacket from target, tee from target, jeans from gap, shoes from wet seal (they do still exist! crazy, right?) and necklace was thrown together by me.

on lilly: sweatshirt gifted from nana, tights from gap and shoes from the thrift store (originally target).

So, first of all I should say this isn't from Saturday. Since Ben works some weekends his days off become our "weekend" and these pictures are from one of those days. I wore my best Canadian tuxedo and actually felt pretty darn cute. The shoes are some of my favorites but they are starting to fall apart. I guess that's what I get for my ten bucks. And the necklace is a bunch of different charms from different necklaces put on the same chain.We went to get our Christmas tree early this year (last year we got it on like Dec. 20th. No joke.) so early in fact that I wasn't completely sure the Lowes tent we were in was open to the public. A bunch of the stalls were treeless and there was no one manning the tent. Of course Ben (mr. confidence) walks right in, picks up a pair of clippers and starts unwrapping trees to find the best one. I am so overcome with anxiety that we weren't supposed to be in there that I couldn't concentrate on looking at trees. Classic Sara. Looking back I realize how ridiculous this was. I mean what were they going to do?!?! Kick us out of the tent?!? Big whoop. I am such a sissy some times its embarrassing! Anyhoo- someone eventually came out and helped up. We weren't in trouble or thrown out so I calmed down and was able to help pick a beauty. I would show you pictures of it all dolled up but... well... it isn't. We may have been a little ~~busy~~ negligent this past weekend and so the tree sits in its stand- naked. I'll get around to it eventually. ;)

ps- this is my first link up with The Haps. Do you step out?

♥

ps- I had an mm planned for today but after all the time I spend designing and redesigning my blog (I'm finally happy with it... I think) this weekend I couldn't give the topic the attention it deserves. Therefore I will save it for another day when my eyes aren't so tired of staring at computer screen.

TWIG V.20

2011-12-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

Playing at the park with Daddy on a warm day.

Mommy and Lilly starbucks date.

Steamed milk is the way to go for hot chocolate. Yum.

Accidentally went down a wet slide on a cool day.

Cath Kidston goodies from my Gran's trip to England.

"Not the gum drop buttons!!!"

Going to local Christmas festivities.

Sleepy Saturday.

These are from the past two weeks! I can't believe I missed TWIG last week. It is truthfully one of my favorite things to post about. It really puts into perspective how long a week is. I often find myself thinking, "That was this week?!?! It feels like forever ago." and things like that. heh. I hope you have had a great week!

♥

Currently

2011-12-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

ok, so this isn't from today but I'm at about the same level of scrubiness today.

Dani posted this today and it was pretty fun to read so I thought I'd play along too.

Obsessing over: Garage Sale-ing. I found some amazing, mint condition, vintage playschool toys for Lilly a few weeks ago (saving them for Christmas) and I feel like there have to be more out there! I also recently got an app called Garage Sale Rover that is pretty great. I have no idea how it works but I love it.

Working on: My blog redesign, a custom stocking, Christmas decor for my church, a toy for a friend... and possibly some Christmas gifts for my nieces and for Lilly (and maybe something for the hubby). Over commit much?

Thinking about: what kind of Christmas experience I want to provide for Lilly as she grows up. What I want her focus during the holidays to be. How much I want to give into consumerism and prompt her to follow that trend into her adult hood. I'll post more on all of that another day...

Anticipating: Christmas. Obviously. More specifically- finishing decorations for the church by Friday (!!!!!) and finishing the custom stocking, you know, before it actually needs to be hung and filled.

Listening to: Peace and quiet. Ben and Lilly went to a local park to look at Christmas lights. Even though I love my family so so much, my inner mommy revels in the moments of quiet bliss. Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Drinking: I just finished the best home made cup of hot chocolate I've ever had. I steamed the milk with my espresso machine and mixed in Swiss Miss Marshmallow Lovers. So effin good. Now I'm drinking water because pregnancy dehydrates me like a mother. (get it?!?)

Wishing: it was Christmas of 2012. I know I shouldn't be wishing time away but by this time next year I'll be in a good routine with my two sweet babies and (hopefully) have more energy and sense enough to not over commit myself. I'm just pretty excited about the two babies thing.

What are you up to today?

ps- this is technically from yesterday- but whatev.
♥

My favorite holiday recipe.

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

This recipe was handed down to me from my mother-in-law. I'm not sure where she got it but it is pretty much like putting heaven slathered in gold (or something that tastes good) right into your mouth. We call them Sweet Chex. Make them. Trust me. Your family (and you) will thank me for this.

Supplies Needed:

1 box of Chex cereal (I prefer rice but corn is ok too)

1 cup of butter (2 sticks)

2 cups of brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup (I use light)

a dash of salt

1/2 tsp baking soda (yep, soda.)

a double lined grocery bag (extremely necessary)

wax paper or cookie sheets (multiple) for cooling

First make sure you have one paper grocery bag inside of the other and pour in your chex cereal. Then you boil the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in a pot for a minute and a half. It will bubble up and look weird but that is normal. Next remove it from the heat source and add the 1/2 tsp. baking soda and stir. (The puffiness will go down a bit.) Pour your mixture over the chex in the bag and roll the end up.

Then you microwave this puppy. Microwave it for four (4) minutes taking it out every minute to shake it up. And shake it up good. But be careful because it will got hotter and hotter. I eventually have to throw a towel over it while I shake. When your four minutes is up you pour the chex out onto your wax paper (I use wax so they don't stick) and spread them around with a spatula. You can let them cook for a few minutes and then put them into tupperware or mason jars or whatever! You will probably have to break them up a bit as they clump together as they dry. I always make at least one batch for my family and then make another and divide it into mason jars, add a ribbon and deliver them to my hubby's work.

I know that seems like a lot of work but I promise they are super easy to make. They take a total of 10 minutes from beginning to eating. I'm just really detailed in my instruction because I need a lot of details when I make something for the first time. They are so good. I am literally eating them as I type this up. No joke.

Enjoy!

♥

Design Update

2011-11-29T17:06:00.000-05:00

Just working on a little design face lift. I'm still working out some kinks so please pardon any wonky bits.

♥

OTB part 2

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

So who knows if this will help me stay more on the ball. I've had a thousand different notebooks/organizers/planners but I think this little restyle is pretty cute. I got these mini composition notebooks at Target during the back to school clearance (gets me every time!) and these super sweet stickers were sent to me with some return address labels but some charity. I've held onto the stickers because I think they are so darn cute but have not used them for anything so I was going to throw them away when I noticed my sad little notebook so I stuck them together and there ya go! A pretty little notebook.

♥

Sponsorship Update

2011-11-28T14:15:00.000-05:00

The look of tiredness.

Howdy friends! Things are changing around here and I just want to be as up front as possible. Yesterday I changed my sponsorship page (you can check it out here) but it basically says I am no longer accepting sponsor for the time being. I will still advertise some of my favorite blog buddies and shops and will be happy to promote your shop through a giveaway or product review but I just feel like it is unfair for me to be accepting sponsorship right now. Between stuff around the house, stuff with Lilly, stuff I'm making, stuff for the holidays... oh yeah, and being freaking exhausted/pregnant I feel like my blog has taken a back seat. Not that I won't be posting regularly, I just can't promise anymore that I will post daily. (Though it will be pretty close to it I'm sure. Blogging is an addiction I can't quit for now.) But as far as sponsorship goes- if I was advertising on someone else's blog and they weren't posting regularly I would be kinda miffed. I'm taking my time to support your blog and you should be supporting yourself so that we all get exposure! Isn't that what it's all about? Anyhoo- that is my reasoning. Like I said, it's not permanent. So that's that. Hope you're having a great day!

♥

Mommyhood Monday // OTB

2011-11-28T07:00:00.002-05:00

When I was in high school I took a psychology class that was great. The teacher was great and he really just "got" us high school kids. (Not to mention he was cute and I totally had a crush on him.*) At the beginning of every class this teacher would draw a little square on the corner of the white board and write "OTB" meaning "on the ball" in the box. If you answered a question correctly or did anything above average for that matter your name was put in the box. Don't ask me why but this motivated us. Teenagers are weird.

I guess the whole point of this story is to say that I need to find something to motivate myself to be on the ball. In general I would not consider myself a person of much endurance. When I start something I love it but when my interest starts to wain I tend to move on. This is NBD when it comes to things like my hair (speaking of it's about time to perm again IF I choose to stay on that road. I would appreciate any input. ;) ) but when it comes to things like maintaining a home it can become a problem. I haven't come up with anything MIND BLOWING yet so if you have something that works great for you please fill me in.

Anyhoo- That doesn't really have anything to do with mommyhood I guess... so here is a picture of my belly.

This is me approximately 2 weeks ago... so that would make me 10ish weeks. The fact that pregnant women are supposed to remember how many weeks they are when it changes weekly is really quite silly. I am just super excited to be able to call my leftover pudge from Lilly a baby belly again. My lower abdomen went from a sore spot to an adored one overnight. Ha! (ps- I totally just added pudge to my dictionary. Take that spell check!)

Wow. This has been a really rambly post. I guess that's mommyhood for ya!

♥

*Never google search your hs teacher crush. He is no where near as cute as you remember him and it will be a bit of a disappointment.

Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-27T20:53:00.000-05:00

Giveaway winner time! And guess what?!?! It's Chelsea from Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles!

Email me to claim your prizes GIRL!

November Sponsor Love

2011-11-26T15:32:00.001-05:00

That Mama Gretchen

Mama to my sweet girl, Jemma, and wife to my superhusband and Jemma's superdad, Dominic. I share about our days over at That Mama Gretchen sprinkled with memos about our attachment parenting experience, thrifty finds, crafty projects, and our goal of becoming more green. Stop by for a visit, we'd love to have you! You can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and my favorite, PINTEREST!

Tastes Like Love

"Hello, my name is Lauren. My blog, Tastes Like Love, is a dainty little archive of the adventures I have with my lovely husband & friends. Its also a place where I can share my illustrations of cute girls, & other delightful things I come across."

Chantilly Songs

Hi there! I'm Chantilly- cat mom, indie fashion lover, and writer/ singer of the best rainy day songs you've ever cried to. In my blog I post outfits, ponder life experiences, and chronicle the journey of putting together a new album. I've studied music composition, toured the northeast, and am about to release my second set of recordings! Come join in the adventure :)

www.chantillysongs.com
www.chantilly.bandcamp.com
www.twitter.com/chantillysongs

Tera Sue

Hello, I'm Tera of Tera Sue. I love sewing, quilting, painting, baking, jewelry making, and restyling thrifty finds. I love drawing custom portraits and creating custom clutches for fantastic ladies all over the world. I'm always challenging myself to try new things and break out of my shell to meet new people so stop by and say hello and check out my shop and art projects!

Blog

Shop

Twitter

Cupcake Earthquake

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog!! Where my passion for mama-hood, life, and beating cancer are featured daily! Feel free to stop by for your daily dose of MY reality. To learn more about my project please view The Soaring Swallow page in which I am hopeful that by connecting with others I am able to provide at least one smile! Join me!

Homemade Saturdays

Hi, I'm Krista from Homemade Saturdays. My sister Stephanie and I started our blog out of a common interest to create. We like to share Pinterest inspired creations, crochet patterns, recipes, and links to some of our favorite DIY projects. We'd love to have you stop by and visit our shop.

Blue Eyed Night Owl

Hi everyone. I'm Laura and my blog Blue Eyed Night Owl is full of art, music, movies, photography, my latest craft projects and shop updates and of course owls. On my Etsy I sell lots of handmade goodies I make from felt. I just released a new line, so there are lots of new items added regularly!

blueeyednightowl.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/blueeyednightowl

http://twitter.com/#!/b_e_nightowl

little things around the house

2011-11-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

Since I have made my obsession with little tings so public now I have decided to share a few of my favorites from around the house. I like to leave them in places I see as I go about my business. They make me smile.

The first photo is of a sweet little bird couple figurine. This was a gift from my grandmother. She got it for me and my husband shortly after we were engaged (or married... it's been so long I can't remember) but she didn't get a chance to give it to us before she passed away. She died suddenly of pneumonia and my mom saved it for me. It holds a very special place in my heart.

The second photo is of a lamb painting on a little rock that my Aunt made for the same grandmother. On the back it says "In memory of Gram, your mom, one of God's flock. I love you Mom! Love Joani '86". The photo next to it is of my great grand parents on my grandfather's side (I think, am I right mom?) The frame appears to be half of a little book but the front was missing when I received it. Both of these items came into my possession after my grandmother's passing too.

My mimi was a pretty special lady and I love all the treasures of hers that have been handed down to me.

♥

Mommyhood Monday (on a Tuesday night) // News

2011-11-22T21:06:00.001-05:00

Here is a special message from Lilly:

Could you understand that? It's the real reason I've been to sick/tired/slacker blogger...

Little Miss Lilly is going to be made a big sister in June! We are so excited! I've been trying to remember to get a cute video of her saying she would be a "big seester" for a while but you know what they say about baby brain. She asked about Emily (my SIL) in the video because we facetime with she and the rest of Ben's family a lot. I love her uber emo reaction to me saying no. That is kinda the norm around here these days. Silly girl. Anyhoo- I am almost out of my first trimester so hopefully things will be picking up around here. I'm super happy to finally let the cat out of the bag because all day long I want to tweet/post/ig etc. about having zero appetite or a weird craving or whatev. So expect that now too. Eep!

♥

Etsy Break: Little Things

2011-11-21T14:53:00.000-05:00

Whew! It's been a while since I've done an etsy break (meaning spent my "break" aka Lilly's nap time on etsy rather than doing anything productive). I'm not sure if I have even mentioned how much I love little things. Because I love them. A lot. I have always collected miniatures and carried them around with me. When I was a kid I would regularly leave my beloved minis at restaurants and cry and cry until my dad went back to find them. Luckily, as an adult, I've learned to stop taking them places with me and to keep them safe (and on high shelves).

Anyway!! While browsing etsy the other day I came across these cuties and I want each and every one and/or multiples of them.

le sigh. ♥

ps- I had originally scheduled this post for tomorrow but I have something really cute/special planned for this weeks MM and it isn't ready yet. So I've switched them. ;)

November Coupon Codes!

2011-11-20T15:11:00.001-05:00

Hey Friends! Today is the first day of the busiest shopping week of the year. Are you ready?!?! I'm not. I have bought a few gifts for Lilly but really need to get on the ball. For this first time on Prairie Hen, a few of our lovely sponsors have offered coupon codes exclusively for you! Check them out below and let the holiday shopping commence!

Lost Cabin Vintage: get free shipping with code PHNOV11

babybirdvintage: get 30% off with code PHNOV11

BeaTea & Co: Get 50% off with code PHNOV11

Tera Sue Shop: Get 20% off with code PHNOV11

And don't forget about the group giveaway going on right meow! Check it out here!
♥

TWIG V.17

2011-11-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

These are, for realsies, the only 5 pictures I posted on IG this week. Geez Louise! I need to get my act together. ;)

in order:

- princess and her dinner

- straight hair

- baby highlights

- sweetest tub time ever

- frizzy hair

Hope you had a great week!

♥

A Very Prairie Giveaway November! CLOSED

2011-11-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Yeehaw!! It's giveaway time! (did I just write yeehaw? oh geez)

This month I am doing a group giveaway just to mix things up a bit. A few of our lovely sponsors have offered up some pretty cool stuff so check it out!

Chantilly of Chantilly Songsis giving away her latest record:

Chantilly is a Brooklyn-dwelling cat mom, indie fashion lover, and writer/ singer of the best rainy day songs you've ever cried to. Her gift to you is her last album, "caught light," which has been brought to you by love, inspiration, dreams, friends, hundreds of hours of work and dedication, and of course, coffee...

Laura from Along for the Ride is giving a $15 credit to her shop!

Krista from Homemade Saturdays is giving away a hand made baby hat from her shop! (3-6mos)

One lucky winner will win all three prizes. Here is how to enter:

Mandatory Entry:

- be a follower of this blog then leave a comment telling me your favorite Thanksgiving dish.

Additional Entries:

- tweet about this giveaway (mentioning @the_prairie_hen)

- visit one (or all three) of these lovely ladies and tell me your favorite item (or song) of theirs

That is a total of 5 entries! This giveaway is open to everyone (worldwide) and will close at 11:59pm next Friday. (the 25th)

Good Luck
♥

Home Decor Before and After

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share a quick little home improvement project I did this week. I love chalk board paint and had these weird, wooden, non removable things hanging over my windows so I decided to fix them up. I ran the idea by my hubby before I did it and he didn't really like the idea... I did it anyway.

I love how it turned out and am excited about the holiday decor/art possibilities that come with my new little chalkboard window cover thingie.

Hope your week is going swimmingly.

♥

Guest Post: A Vintage Buy How To from Ahka Vintage

2011-11-16T08:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday Friends! Today the lovely ladies from Ahka Vintage are going to share some of their tips and tricks for finding a great Vintage piece. Thanks for the awesome post ladies!

The delightful Sara has kindly allowed us to ~~trash her blog~~ write a guest post for her to use as a guide to buying gorgeous vintage! Hi, we are Tura and Lara from the blog Ahka Vintage ; we are a sister team that looooves clothes, thrifting, and shopping up a storm! So here are some of our tips for getting the most out of your Op Shopping experience!

How to choose the right piece: PATTERNS! Go for patterns! Vintage fabric is appraised for it's design and quirkiness. You find patterns, shapes and styles in vintage clothing that are now replaced by speed, trends and economy. Clothing these days is governed by the dollar, the bottom line, so most mass-manufactured clothing save by using poor quality fabric with generic prints. Also try it on! Most secondhand dresses look terrible on the rack - but they were designed around specific figures, so it will look totally different once it is worn.

Don't be afraid of stains either. If it looks like blood (eww, gross!) steer clear. Because a) you don't want to wind up in the middle of an investigation and b) it's almost impossible to remove. Even tough looking stains can be lifted with a little elbow-grease and proper laundry soap. (here in Australia we have what we call Sard 'Wonder' Soap - it really is wonderful - it's what I use on all our stock from our stores!)

Minor tears can also be mended, if they are not in a obvious place that would detract from the overall garment. Vintage garments have a tendency to pop their seems - this is the easiest repair to make so don't be afraid to buy it and do a little DIY when you get home.

Being purveyors of fine vintage we come across dozens of pieces that we prize, but one has been my ALL TIME favourite is the one below. It was rather an amusing story that involved a typical sister-fight to get it. You can read about it here. What do you think? Was I right in fighting for it?

I hope you've enjoyed out little explanation of finding a little vintage gem. Feel free to stop by and visit us soon!

For the Love of Vintage

Lara & Tura xx

__________________________

Mommyhood Monday // Friends

2011-11-14T18:07:00.000-05:00

I got this look from Lilly over the weekend and realized that I will FOR SURE being seeing it more and more as she gets older. The look clearly says, "Ok mom! (sarcasm) What ever you say, mom. (more sarcasm)." And while it is still cute at this age it is a good reminder that even though I ~~sometimes~~ wish Lilly thought of me as her BFF that isn't really how parenting works.

Even at this stage in her life, I feel like all I ever say to her is no. "No! Don't eat that twig!" "No you can't play with that knife." "No ma'am, you may not feed your dinner to the dog." But that is my role for now. And even though it isn't my favorite role she has to understand that there are rules and boundaries. I also want to make sure that she learns to respect authority and to take direction. I have to remind myself that I want to raise my child to be an adult. But you know what?!? Sometimes it sucks! I get so sick of saying no all the time! UGH! That is part of the reason why we do things like paint in the tub because I want her to associate mommy with fun occasionally too. Can you say mommy guilt?

I thank God that I have such a smart toddler but for crying out loud could she stop looking for every loop hole to the rules I lay out for her.

Turns out this post is more of a little therapy session for me then anything else. So... thanks for letting me vent.(insert awkward laughter here...)

♥

TWIG V.16

2011-11-12T09:53:00.001-05:00

According to IG I have spent all week playing with my little and eating. Not a bad week if you ask me.

♥

Family Portrait

2011-11-10T15:36:00.000-05:00

How amazingly cute is this? Amanda from Pencils and Daisies whipped up this amazing family portrait for me. She is such a sweetie and a majorly talented one at that. One of the greatest things about Amanda's work is that she can piece together several photos which was necessary for me because I think it must be impossible for Ben, Lilly and I to all look at the camera and smile at the same time. And, not to be totally self absorbed, how amazing is my hair! Definitely one of my favorite parts. ;)

If you are in the market for a unique gift check her etsy out STAT!

♥

Outfit Post // Winter Green

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

outfit deets:

sweater: vintage from babybirdvintage

tank: target

jeans: f21

shoes: target

I am quite literally obsessed with this sweater. I have only had it about a week and a half and I think I've worn it... a hundred jillion times. No lie. (ok, maybe just a fib...) I can finally say with some confidence that I have found a comfortable vintage style for me. I'm not much of a dress wearer (it just doesn't seem reasonable while chasing an active toddler around all day) plus most don't flatter my "boyish" figure and I love love love anything with a collegiate feel. (haha- totally had to look up how to spell collegiate- kinda ironic.) So I think I will be sticking to the 70's for a while. I love high waisted trousers. I love polos. I love silly graphic tees. I love tube tops (even though they aren't exactly reasonable for a mom either). Images of That 70's show fill my head and leave me feeling the warm fuzzies. Do you have a preferred era for vintage shopping?

♥

Really Bad Halloween Pictures

2011-11-08T07:00:00.003-05:00

Ok- They aren't really bad. My sister is my saving grace when it comes to pictures opportunities. I NEVER remember to take pictures at family events and she always takes plenty and sends them to me. I don't know what I'd do without her. Unfortunately her subject, Lillian, was not interested in holding still and we got started a little late so all the pics were taken in the dark using a flash. Better then nothing though! Thanks sister!!

The matching pink pants I found were WAAAAAAY too big and, of course, I didn't try them on her until that day, so went went for some cute black tights and a black skirt instead. I made the hat and tail, drew some whiskers and a nose on her pretty face and away we went. She totally got it. She would charge every house yelling "TRICKER TREATS!!!!!!" It was awesome. I got teary eyed more then once. Now if I can just get all this halloween candy out of my house life would be pretty close to perfect. ;)

♥

Mommyhood Monday // Noodle Nose

2011-11-07T15:50:00.000-05:00

Hey Friends! If you follow me on IG or twitter you probably already know some of these things but, you know what? I'm going to talk about they anyway!

First, yesterday was my birthday! I spent the weekend relaxing and enjoying time with friends and family. I have eaten a lot of pizza and there is more left over in my fridge. I am a happy lady.

sleeping with noodle in nose = snoring baby

Secondly (and really more importantly), Lilly sucked a noodle up into her nose last Thursday night. I don't know how it happened, I wasn't in the room at the time, but when I came back she was wiping she was wiping her nose fiercely. We thought she may have just got some garlic salt up there (it was on her noods) so I shot some saline up there and had her blow her nose and she seemed mostly better. As the night progressed though we noticed her nose was running a lot and that she was still uncomfortable. Welp. After closer examination- we saw the noodle. Long story kinda short- I called friends, looked online, tweeted about it and checked her nose over and over before deciding to try and get it out. We could see it after all. Well, the noodle was too soft and we couldn't get it with tweezers. That was good and bad. Bad because I couldn't pull it out but good because I knew it would continue to get softer and come out on its own. A few people advised that I take her to the emergency room. I didn't feel super comfortable doing that not being sure they would be able to pull the flimsy linguine noodle out so I decided to wait until morning. (didn't I say long story short...) She did eventually sneeze it out. It was gross. She was relieved. and now she talks about it all the time. "There a noodle in my nose. All gone."

Happy noodle free girl.

To be honest with you I almost rushed her to the er. The stress and anxiety I was feeling over that silly little noodle wanted me to use any means necessary to get it out of my life!! Oh, and out of Lilly's nose. But, looking back, I'm glad I didn't. I am a worrier by nature and I do feel a little proud of myself for letting nature run its course without having to put any more pain and discomfort on my daughter. So my words of motherly advice are these: A small noodle will probably come out of your child's nose on its own. Thankfully, God made our bodies work so that they can deal with those sort of circumstances. Phew.

Baby Talk V.6

2011-11-04T07:00:00.006-04:00

I don't know how much longer I can call this feature baby talk. My girl isn't exactly a baby anymore... ah, well. Here are some of the super cute/sassy things Lilly has been spouting off with recently:

Neck-a-nace: This is used interchangeably for necklace and Nicholas (a character in her favorite book).
Crock-a-tail: Crocodile. A new word for her (we stick to alligators usually) but she has a new book that refers to a croc.
Don't: Alas, she has discovered a new word for no. She uses it a lot. In super fun ways like this: "Mommy, don't talk! No talking!" "Daddy, don't tickle me! No tickling!" It's way cool.
Cant: Usually goes like this- "Lilly, you need to pick up the cheerios you spilled." "No, I can't." "Lilly, it's almost time to go to bed." "No, I can't." It seems to be her answer for everything recently. So I've tried to stop using the word all together which leads to some pretty in-depth conversations about motivation that probably go way over my toddler's head.

I know there has to be a ton more but I can't think of them now. Hopefully I can remember to write them down in the future for better documentation.

♥

What I'm Working On: Mr. Mustache

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

I've been working on this little guy for a while and just felt he was incomplete. So after pondering possible additions (and polling my ig friends) I decided on the mustache. I think with the bow tie and mustache that this bunny is very dapper. If you'd like him as your own you can buy him here.

♥

Outfit Post // What I Wore On Halloween!

2011-11-02T07:00:00.003-04:00

outfit deets

shirt- restyled by me, purchased at barnes and noble?

jeans- old navy

bracelet- handmade

boots- handed down from my sister

For some reason I felt that I need to wear something out of the ordinary on Halloween. I usually stick to earth tones and/or colors and don't wear black all that often but if there was ever a time to wear black its Halloween right? So I dug my DIY cut up Hogwarts tee out from the bottom of my closet and put on some skinny jeans and black boots with it. I felt very... rock and roll? Haha. It did feel very out of my comfort zone but I went with it ~~out of laziness~~.

Believe it or not I took about 2 pictures while we were trick-or-treating. Lilly totally got it this year and had so much fun. My sister snapped a bunch of pics so hopefully a few of those turned out and I can steal them (please, Mck?). Did you have a good Halloween?

♥

ps- the lost cabin winner is Eugenia G! Email me to claim your prize, girl!

Smudge: Attack Cat

2011-11-01T11:08:00.002-04:00

You may not know this but I have a cat. He originally belonged to my sister but he terrorized her small dogs and house (she doesn't have a yard) so we took him. We have come to the conclusion that Smudge is basically a feral (non-domesticated) cat who chooses to come inside while it rains and accept food from us. Also, Smudge kinda loves Liberty. I took these pictures yesterday while I was throwing the ball for Liberty. Smudge like to hide in the tall grass (yes, we do have a lawn mower...) and then jump out and attack Liberty as she runs by. It makes me laugh pretty hard.

You can't really see him so I pointed him out.

ATTACK!!!

Smudge has also killed 2 squirrels, 2 moles and, most recently, a rat. He does not have claws in the front. He is available for hire. ;)

♥

MM // Halloween

2011-10-31T07:00:00.002-04:00

EDIT: I had to change the title of this post because of the amount of traffic it was receiving from people google searching "dirty moms". Yuck.

Happy Halloween!

Ha. Just a word to the wise. Don't google search "dirty moms." Let me tell you a secret. I hate to get my hands dirty. I know, I know- what a priss, right? It's embarrassing to admit but I will go to great lengths to keep my hands clean. I have gardening gloves, kitchen gloves, bathroom cleaning gloves. I will use multiple paper towels to clean up anything I deem gross... which is a lot. I just really dislike touching things that are squishy or wet or that will leave a residue on my hands. Which you can imagine has been a bit of a struggle for me as a mom. And like I said... I dislike this about myself. So, over the weekend a took a BIG step (for me).

That's right! I cleaned a pumpkin. I touched all the gooey guts and pulled out all the seeds. It was kinda a big deal for me. I don't want to pass on my ridiculous dread of dirty hands to Lilly. I was pretty proud of myself. ;)

ps- have you entered the lost cabin vintage giveaway yet? It ends tonight!

TWIG V.15

2011-10-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

♥ ♥ ♥
So I'm trying out the new blogger app and from what I'm seeing I can't schedule posts or arrange where the pictures or text go or format at all for that matter. Overall I give it a "boo". But seeing as my computer room is a certified disaster zone and this is just about as good as its going to get on the iPad the official rating will be bumped up to a "meh". Anyway- here are some snap shots from my week.

Sponsor Love

2011-10-26T15:46:00.001-04:00

UrchinKnits

My name is Amanda, I'm a stay at home mom to two wild little girls, Evelyn & Flora. Motherhood has taught me that childhood is a time of curiosity and fun. Jumping on the bed, coloring on the walls and dancing around to one's own beat is the energy and philosophy behind Urchin Knits- where knots and mischief are made.

blog | shop | twitter

Blue Eyed Night Owl

blog | shop | twitter

Just Because by LeeLee

Hey! My name is Lily, a designer, blogger, crafter, in love photography, graphic arts, urban styles, and everything handmade. I try to keep busy making crafts and learning even via youtube. I love bad jokes, and I love laughing till I cry. My blog is my happy place full of inspiration and things I am obsessing about!

blog | twitter | facebook

SewBea

Hi There I am Beatrice; I am a young Australian born artist/blogger that is fulfilling her passion in the United States. Right now I sell items I make in my etsy shop, but my real dream is to one day own my own line of clothing! My blog is a place I write about my life, my passions of clothing style, recipes, and a couple other things I enjoy. So stop on by!

blog | shop | twitter

Chantilly Songs

I am Chantilly, a singer-songwriter and indie fashion lover :) I post outfits and ponder life experiences in my blog, as well as chronicle the adventure of making my next set of recordings. I've studied music composition, toured the northeast, and released an album last year! (You can download some of those songs for free on my bandcamp page!)

The new record is almost finished, and right now I'm gearing up for the release. I couldn't be prouder of what we've put to tape, and the experience has been dreamy, exciting, and rewarding. It'll be out in the next few months... so be on the lookout!

blog | bandcamp | twitter

Blissful Whimsy

I'm a God loving lady who spends my free time crafting, baking, reading, biking, and spending time with my sweet hubby. My blog is a little bit of all those things. I do have a day job and it often requires kids crafts, so I occasionally throw a few of those in too :o)

blog | twitter

Sunny with a chance of sprinkles

Sunny's my little corner of the internet where I spend my mommy time, get a little creative, and gush about my little Alea Lou. If you love adorable pictures, yummy food & the occasional DIY, you'll have to drop by. Pour yourself a nice cup of coffee or grab a pumpkin spice latte & stay a while, but don't forget to say "Hello!"

blog | twitter | facebook

That Mama Gretchen

twitter | facebook | pinterest

I am so grateful for these ladies! Make sure to check them out!

If you want to be a part of Prairie Hen next month email me at

sara.stofferahn[at]gmail[dot]com

asap! Or check my sponsorship page. ;)

Mommyhood Monday (on a Tuesday) // Halloween

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend we went to the zoo and unbeknownst to us they were having a Halloween event. The parking lot was full of kids in costumes and Lilly was not. I panicked for a minute. Then I felt like a failure of a parent for another minute. Then I put on my big girl pants and got over it. Lilly was wearing the bunny hat I made her so that was something.

she was very concerned about the sad ghost.

She had a blast and got some treats but can I be honest? It stressed me out! I am stressing about Halloween! I feel a certain amount of pressure (as I'm sure a lot of moms do) to come up with something spectacular and then to make it myself. But you know what? I so don't think that's going to happen. And we are coming down to the line here! Halloween is one week away! I'm stressing. (did I already mention that?) Yesterday I even went to Target and walked down those torn to bits aisles to see what was left. Pretty much squat. There were some cheerleader costumes or generic princess costumes but they were so expensive (for a cheapskate like me). $20+ for a costume of something she doesn't know/care about and that she will only wear once, and for only like 2 hours?!? I couldn't do it. So here we are. A week before Halloween. No costume. No real ideas. Nothing.

I will probably just throw something together this week. After looking back at the photos from the zoo I'm thinking about just finding a matching pink tee and leggings and throwing a cotton tail and whiskers on the girl and calling her a bunny. Does that count as hand made?

A Very Prairie Giveaway: Lost Cabin (and bbv winner announced) CLOSED

2011-10-24T16:04:00.001-04:00

That's right, back to back vintage giveaways. I'm starting to feel a little jealous here.

Our second vintage giveaway this month is from Toni of Lost Cabin Vintage. Here is a bit more about LCV from Toni:

Lost Cabin is a place for gathered treasures. A wonderful collection of vintage clothing and accessories, inspiring visuals and the things that make life rosy. Remember, our blog followers get 20% off any purchase!

Toni is generously giving away a $25 credit to one lucky winner.

Mandatory Entry:

+ follow prairie hen via gfc (in the right side bar) then visit LCV and tell me what you'd spend the credit on.

Extra Entries:

+ follow prairie hen via bloglovin

+ tweet about this giveaway mentioning @the_prairie_hen

+ follow Lost Cabin's blog

This giveaway is international and will run through next Monday (Halloween!) Good luck to everyone!

ps- the winner of the babybirdvintage giveaway is:

YulyaShenka!

email me at sara.stofferahn[at]gmail[dot]com to claim your prize!

♥

TWIG V.14

2011-10-22T13:00:00.000-04:00

This week has pretty much consisted of playing with Lilly, drinking different fluids and being stuck at home. Car problems. Ugh.

"So there you have it. Proof that I'm not dead, just busy."

- Erin

♥

Hey Stranger!

2011-10-21T22:55:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the internet silence, well, kinda. I read a post over on Casey's blog last week that really knocked me upside the head. This part in particular:

After my daughter was born, I was trying so hard to have the life I had before.

I was trying to fit her into my schedule, instead of fitting my schedule to hers.

That pretty much sums up my life. I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying about what I want in my life. Between being a mommy, my knitting, blogging, and you know -general life- it can be a lot. Don't worry- I don't think it's God's plan for me to shut things down. I just need to re-prioritize, reorganize and definitely need to spend more time loving on that little girl. I think that by trusting in God's plan for my life and by walking through the doors he has opened for me I can be an ever better mom and example for Lilly. Hopefully I can get my act together soon so things will begin so flow smoothly around here.

Thanks for sticking around. ;)

♥

ps- I did manage to get my act together to do this post for Sashes. Check it out!

What I (really) wore Wednesday

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you have seen this awesome feature on Pamplemousse but it is something that I really love. In true outfit post style... on me: overalls (thrifted) tank (target) sweatshirt (american eagle) on Lilly: jammie shirt (hand me down) diaper (target). haha. So good.

Paint in the tub

2011-10-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

Painting in the tub turned out to be one greatest things ever. Lilly loved making the mess. She loved stepping in the paint and say "Ooooh. Slippy." She even loved cleaning off the mess with a sponge. I saw this idea somewhere on pinterest but, of course, didn't pin it so I can't tell you where the idea came from. Oh, well.

♥

ps- we used Crayola washable paints in case you were wondering. ;)