this & that

Princess for a Day

Scarlett saw this wedding photo of us and exclaimed, “Mommy was a princess!!”  I guess I sorta of was for a day.

These days I feel more like a servant 🙂

Best Toys, Part I (Two Year-Old)

Scarlett’s outgrown all her baby toys and needed some more age appropriate toys.  Here are some that we recently invested in that she’s played with over and over again.

I love this wooden kitchen!  It’s small, simple, sturdy, wooden and has simple colors that allow it to blend in.  I found it from a local Etsy seller and would love to get the matching fridge next year.  April is taking a hiatus right now, due to her pregnancy, but plans to continue to make them next year.  Her shop is HERE.

Melissa and Doug’s Ice Cream Parlor Set and Cutting Food Set are amazing and provide endless playtime.  Scarlett plays non-stop with these and they are always the coveted toy when friends come over.  I want to collect more of Melissa and Doug’s food sets.

*Hint= The Cutting Food Kit is almost always at TJ Maxx and Marshalls.

Scarlett got her Radio Flyer Ready-to-Ride Folding  Trike from her grandma Kristin for her second birthday.  While it did take her about four months to learn how to pedal, now that she can, she rides it non-stop around the house.  And the trunk is always filled with her treasures (and sometimes my keys, camera or dirty diapers).  I love this trike!  Here is one of my favorite photos of Scarlett, the nudist, on the bike.

*Note the doll pillow and paper towel roll in the trunk.

Of course there are other toys she loves, such as her baby dolls, shape sorter, etc. that she loves but these are the very top contenders.

What are your toddler’s favorite toys? I love hearing what other mothers have discovered.

Part II (Best Toys for under two) and Part III (Toy Wish List) coming up.

Waaaa!

Am I the only disturbed mother out there that loves crying (when not in pain) baby photos?

EDLAND

I can’t stop thinking about this line of furniture, EDLAND,  I saw at Ikea a few weeks ago.  It was much more striking in person with the deep black and pearl white knobs.  I’m a sucker for black and white together.  For Ikea, it’s a little pricey and it is not budget for anytime soon so I’ll just dream of it for now.

Pigtails and Skinny Jeans

Now that we’ve discovered how cute Scarlett is in pigtails, it’s going to be a common theme around our house.  Oh, and skinny jeans with knee-high boots on toddlers are simply the best thing ever.

Ramblings

*I made THIS healthy Turkey and Quinoa meatloaf  last night.  It was a keeper.  I’d like to find more Quinoa recipes with all the health benefits it provides.

*Car broke down on the way to get both the girls shots this week (Scarlett is relieved).  I’m proud of myself for keeping my cool while stranded with a newborn and a toddler.  $300 and a new oil pan later, we are back in business.

*While broken down, I had to walk Scarlett to preschool.  I was not allowed to exercise my entire pregnancy and obviously the last few weeks so it’s been almost a year since I’ve been active.  It felt GREAT! I’m now combing Craig’s list for used double jogging strollers.

*I am looking for an automatic online backup system for my laptop and am struggling to find one that allows me to archive items that I delete from the PC.  I feel like this shouldn’t  be so hard to find.

*We are big fans of nicknames in this house and Scarlett has a million.  We are little frustrated at the lack of nicknames that go with Autumn (except for Autumn Bottom).

Picnik Fan

I am LOVING a new online photo editing program, called Picnik, that I discovered this week.

Why I love Picnik:

• It is integrated with Picasa, which is very convenient.  However, you can also access it without Picasa at www.picnik.com.

• Very intuitive and user-friendly.  Much easier to navigate than Photoshop elements.

• Most the features are free!  However, I did pay the $24 annual fee to access some of the more advanced features.

• Above editing, it also can help you create collages, posters, etc.  And it has seasonal effects, like vampire fangs, that can be easily added.

• Blogger ‘I am Momma- Hear me Roar’ created some video tutorials that give an excellent introduction to the features and how to use them.  Watch her tutorials HERE and HERE.

• And most importantly, it takes rough shots from my horribly lame point-and-shoot camera and makes them look half way decent, as seen below.  Subtle differences go a long way.

Speaking of camera, Nathan and I decided to get an SLR for ourselves for Christmas.  Hallelujah!  Any suggestions of which to go with?

One Month Old

My little Autumn.

Eyes

I’ve started wearing mascara in 5th grade.   Eye make-up is a must for me or I look washed out.  The problem is finding mascara and eyeliner that is dark but does not leave me with raccoon eyes mid-day (don’t you hate that?!).   I tried waterproof products but they lacked the intensity I wanted and were to hard to remove at the end of the night.  Well, I’m happy to report that I finally found both a mascara and eyeliner that I’m thrilled with!

Bare Minerals Flawless Definition – $18 found HERE.

L’Oreal Paris Extra Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner – $8.14 HERE.  I’m not sure why it is called liquid as it is just a super soft pencil that is easy to apply and smudges like a dream while staying on all day.