Getting Creative with Baskets

I hate Easter baskets.  I feel like every year I buy a new basket only to end up throwing it away months later - or storing it somewhere for the next year, forgetting about it by the time next year rolls around and then buying another one!

This year I decided to get creative.

Why not buy something useful for the "basket"?

I have been wanting to buy Benjamin a Bumbo seat since he loves it so much at daycare.  What a great idea to make his Bumbo seat the "basket" from the Easter bunny, filled with a few toys that he will love!

A mirror (since he has a new obsession with mirrors), some wrist/ankle rattles, a rain maker, a cute Dr. Seuss sun hat and a few other little things.

Chloe is a little harder to shop for.  She isn't a kid that really plays with toys. She likes books and crafts.  She also loves ice skating and is going to start ice hockey in a couple of weeks.  I thought a sports bag for her hockey gear would be a fun idea for her "basket".  It isn't as pretty and cute as the Bumbo seat and toys but still a fun idea and something we'd have to buy her anyway!  Here is what we have so far...

The next Harry Potter book, some spa salt for our at home pedicures and some notebooks because she loves writing stories and poems.  I am also going to put in some more things like nail polish, temporary tatoos, some arts and craft stuff and these cool 3D purple butterflies that will go on her wall... still waiting on some stuff I ordered online to arrive though.

What about candy? Well considering we still have a huge jar of Halloween and Christmas candy, we really dont need to add Easter candy that will make me go sneaking downstairs for a late night reese's cup!  (Yes, I have no self control when it comes to reese's cups!)  Plus, who said Easter is about candy? It is much more fun to give my kids things they will enjoy longer than a day!

I am having fun this year making some creative baskets from the Easter Bunny. I can't wait until Easter now!  I think the baby basket is so adorable!

Too bad that Santa and the Easter Bunny get all the credit for cool toys.... but it is the look of joy and surprise on their faces that make it enjoyable! Or at least the surprise and joy on Chloe's face because honestly, as cool as Benjamin's basket is, I don't think he will care that much!

This is my 100th post!  Pretty awesome milestone... I am very proud of my blog. I know it has shifted a bit in content since the beginning (check out all I did in one month just a year ago here) but I still love blogging (when I can)!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

 

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Nursery

I'm finally going to share some pictures of one of my favorite rooms in the house!

It's come a long way since last time I shared a picture. Remember when it looked like this?

I've added some pictures

a dresser, bookcase and a little of this and that here and there.

My favorite is this print...

Amy made it for me! When I saw the one she made for her son's nursery (here) I had to have one. I contacted her and she was more than happy to make one for Benjamin's room!

A few things were my husbands when he was a baby. Like this adorable rattle...

and the light switch cover.

I really love his room.  It is small but it doesn't feel over crowded or too busy. 

I love the color.  His room is bright and cozy.

I bought the pottery barn crib skirt off of ebay.  I cut off the side of the crib skirt that would be facing the wall and made it into the curtain valance.

I bought the chair from a local thrift store. It looks brand new and in excellent condition!

 I bought the pillow cover from pottery barn and the pillow from Amazon.  When I bought it, it was soley for decor.... but it has proven to be a very useful purchase. I use this pillow every night while nursing Benjamin.

The best part... Benjamin loves his room! He loves playing in his crib

and he loves tummy time with his toys.

I just love his room. 

It went from this...

to this...

It's all the little details that make it feel special.

I still hope to get around to painting his dresser one day and plan on painting his radiator this summer. I'm sure his room will always be changing and growing with him but I love how his nursery turned out.  Benjamin's room and Chloe's room (see her room here) are my two favorite rooms in the house! Pin It

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words

*Love*

Hope you had a great weekend... we sure did!

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Too Cute

This is too cute not to share...

Benjamin and his buddies! 

He gets more adorable every day!

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Tomorrow is Already Yesterday

Eeek! I can't believe how quickly time flies.  It seems like yesterday I was waddling around 9 months pregnant... convinced that I would be pregnant for the rest of my life and the baby would never come out!  Now, my baby Benjamin is 4 months old already.

(I love his adorable baby legs!)

He has changed so much in 4 months. It's crazy! 

(Benjamin enjoying his Bumbo seat at daycare!)
I remember when Chloe was 4 months old...

(Chloe 4 months old)
that too seems like yesterday. She's so big now too!

Sigh.  I guess there isn't anything I can do but stop and enjoy every second because pretty soon tomorrow will be yesterday.

Happy Friday!

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Proud Mommy!

I keep reading on all these blogs about everyone doing all this spring cleaning.  I mentioned spring cleaning to my husband and he laughed.  He laughed at the thought of me spring cleaning... or maybe just the idea of me cleaning. Hmp... I'll show him!

Here is what I have accomplished so far on my spring cleaning check list:

• Buy new shower curtain liner.

End of list.

Ok, I guess I can understand why he laughed.  Now my new goal is to clean the bath tub and hang the shower curtain liner before Christmas!

I don't care. I'm not too worried about it right now... it's hard enough keeping up with the daily stuff (dishes, laundry, trash, clean toilet, vacuuming, dusting, etc.) 

I'm way too busy playing outside with my pretty girl... and Obi.

 Yes, if you look at this picture you can tell Obi needs some new soccer balls but he loves these old beat up ones so much!

Chloe is so sweet.  She made her dad lunch one day this week... and even stuck in a little note!

We write each other little notes everyday in her planner... she always writes the cutest things.

Look... Chloe took a picture of me and Benjamin. I don't have many pictures with me in them since I'm always behind the camera!

I've been trying very hard to give Benjamin some tummy time this week. 

I tried to get some pictures of him during tummy time.

This is the best picture I have of him on his tummy because within seconds he is back to this...

He only lasts about 2 seconds!  He rolled over once one day a couple of weeks ago and didn't even seem to know he did it. Then the other day he rolled once, twice... and then wouldn't stop. He did it over and over and over again. He was exhausted by the end of the day and went to bed super early. All that rolling must be exhausting for a little baby.

I got a really cute video but I can't figure out how to upload it and get it to work. 

Happy Friday!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend and St. Patrick's Day!

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For the Love of Spray Paint

I have this cute bird planter

that I pulled out for some Spring decor.

I think it is super cute but wanted to add a little Spring color.
I grabbed a can of spray paint and did a little distressing... and voila!

I love a nice, quick spray painting project!

I love the new and brighter look!

When the weather gets warmer, I think it will look really cute outside on the nesting tables I spray painted last year...

But to be honest, we had such a mild (and busy) winter this year, I never brought in the outside furniture... so these cute little tables now need a good cleaning.

Have you spray painted anything lately for a quick, fresher look? 

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It's a Bird, It's a Plane...

It's super baby!

This has become one of our new favorite games to play!

How was your weekend?  Did the time change mess you up? Yesterday we were so productive around the house I felt like we gained two hours. Then this morning I was feeling it. The alarm went off and it was still dark out... I did not want to get out of bed.

We had some beautiful weather this weekend in Baltimore.  The kind of weather where you just want to lay in the grass and stare at the sky!

Chloe and I made some homemade biscuits.

She loves helping me cook!

Chloe and I had fun putting together the exersaucer for Benjamin!  I got this as a gift at my office baby shower and can't believe he's already big enough to play in it. I think Chloe had more fun playing with it than he did!

Can you tell my little baby is going bald?!

Being a winter baby, I feel like Benny is always stuck inside cooped up.

Even Benjamin got to enjoy the beautiful weather outside this weekend.

Sunday was in the 60s, beautiful blue skies and sunny.  I took Chloe to get some Ritas.  Baltimoreans love their Ritas.

I'm so excited spring has sprung...

I love this time of year.

When everything starts to turn GREEN.

Beautiful, luscious greenery!

I love it.

Happy Monday!

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Confessional

I confess I love Spring.  I'm so excited to see flowers blooming in my garden.

I confess I hate Ikea.  Not only do I not like their stuff but I hate their shopping carts. They go frontways and backways, leftways and rightways, this way and that... they are crazy hard to control!

I confess I don't have any interest in Pinterest. All the pictures are overwhelming and I don't see the point in looking at a bunch of crafts I'll never do, clothes I'll never buy, recipes I'll never try... you get the point.

I confess I was scared about having a second child. I was worried that I would love one more than the other....

I confess I realize now how silly that was.  There is plenty of love to go around.  I'm amazed at how much I love both of my chlidren!

I confess I love saying I have two children.  I had only one child for so long so it still sometimes feels weird but I love it!

I confess I always spell weird wrong and have to go back and fix it. I always think about the i before e rule and remember that it's weird that weird does not follow this rule.  I confess I don't like grammar!

I confess I miss the slow paced life we lived in Wyoming.

I confess I miss the endless blue skies.

I confess I miss the rocky mountains

and everything about Wyoming so much it aches.

I confess I miss my sister.  I wish we lived in the same town to raise our kids together.

I confess this is not how I imagined my life when I was younger.  I confess it is so much more amazing than I ever could have hoped for.

I confess I am happy to be back at work.  I didn't think I would be... I cried everyday the first week back. 

I confess that having the baby in a daycare downstairs and getting to see him two - three times during the work day is probably why I am ok with working. 

I confess it is nice to work because it gives me a reason to take a shower and get dressed everyday.  On maternity leave (and most weekends) it is so easy to just stay in my PJs for days.

I confess my baby is 3 1/2 months old and I still wear some of my maternity clothes.  The pants dont fit anymore but I am still wearing a lot of the tops.

I confess evenings and weekends I live in my husband's t-shirts!

I confess I've lost 17 pounds, in addition to the initial loss after birth and I still have 30 more pound I'd like to lose.  I confess this is because I was 30 pounds heavier than I should have been at the beginning of my pregnancy!

I confess I'm in no rush to get there.  I'm taking it one day and one pound at a time... while enjoying my weekly pizza.

I confess it is hard sometimes... especially when nursing makes me ravenous most of the time! 

I confess my idea of the perfect date is getting a babysitter for the day, driving down the Philly to see the Flyers play.  We have tickets for the 31st and I can't wait!

I confess it is hard everytime I leave the kids and I always feel guilty and don't want to go... but I always end up having a great time.  This time I am excited about going and not feeling guilty about it. I need to be an adult and wife sometimes too and not just mommy!

I confess I miss painting. I have a lot of things I want to paint but I'm so tired by the end of the day I don't make the time.  I need to make the time because painting makes me feel good. 

I confess.... this Friday confessional is so much fun! I should do it every Friday.   You should too...


 Happy Friday! Hope your weekend is amazing! Pin It