Corbyn's Room Inspiration Board

Here is my inspiration board for Corbyn's big boy room. He still loves his crib and won't get out of it (he will stand there for 20 minutes yelling for mom if he has to but will not try and jump out, I think mom put the fear of God in him at 14 months!) so I don't think we will be switching too soon but I want to be ready.
For his big boy room I have decided to go with his favorite color, orange (he is insistant on orange as his favorite for more than a year now, he always picks the orange popsicle, the orange shirt, or orange ball) and with navy and white with a little bit of a nautical theme. I want the room to feel fresh, bright, and happy, to be a place where he can play, read, and rest comfortably. I also want his room to be something he can't grow out of too fast (I said that when we were designing his nursery and I am so thankful I did because even now he loves his room and could actually easily transfer into a big boy room but I'm actually the ones that wants to switch it up).
So here it is:

The orange pillows, throw blanket, curtains and lamp are from the Land of Nod.

The crib is his crib now that converts into a full bed with headboard and footboard.

The shelf storage and blue storage bins are from Target.

The orange chair is from amazon.com made by P'kolino

The nautical pillow is from H&M home UK, I may have to have my friend in England send it to me =)

The paint color for the walls is Benjamin Moore Early Morning Mist or Grey Owl.

The map was found at Pottery Barn Kids but I guess its from a couple years back, boo!

And the striped bedding was found here in a photo but I can't find striped bedding like that anywhere, any body have any ideas or am I going to have to hire someone to sew it.

Amy Ryland Photography: Tabitha Senior Pictures

I love being around this girl! She has one of the best laughs, she thinks with her whole heart, and gives of herself to the people she loves. I have had the privilege of being Tabitha's youth leader for the past four years and I must say I have never had a student as thoughtful about life as her. She challenges herself to think profoundly and feel deeply.

Tabitha, you make me smile and you challenge me to think through hard questions. Don't ever stop asking questions, I truly believe it will strengthen your faith and open doors for you. You have a bright future ahead of you and I am excited to see how God uses your amazing talents of writing, music, art, and your mind to reach others. Oh and ps. you are Beautiful!

Don't ever stop looking up!

The Circle of Life Online

Oh hey, a new facebook layout. Step-by-step instructions on how to respond:
1) Whine and complain (ironically on facebook)
2) Join miscellaneous "Change facebook back!" groups
3) Swear to abandon the site if it changes again
4) Forget the differences between the "old" and "new" facebook in a matter of days.
5) Become content and eventually pleased with the new layout.
6) Wait a few months and repeat

Happy Monday!

taken from www.failbook.com

Mommy Mondays: Toddler Chores

Confession: sometimes right after I have cleaned my house, I make sure the next day or two Corbyn and I have lots planned away from the house. I love having a clean home but with a two and a half year old tornado I find myself constantly trying to pick up and maintain my spotless house.

But I've decided it shouldn't be this way, I shouldn't fear his mess but tap into his "I want to be like mommy" attitude. He is more than capable of helping mommy and most of the time is willing, especially when it means turning on the vaccuum or using a spray bottle. Here are a list of Corbyn's chores that help mommy stay sane and teach him how to help around the house.

Pick up toys and books: After playtime we put on some music and put all the toys he was playing with away. He has a place for everything whether it be a box, bin, or parking spot for his tricycle so he knows where everything goes.

Pick up dirty clothes: When we take his clothes off he throws them into his laundry bin and when its time to do the laundry he pushes the bin into the laundry room and tosses them into the washer.

Carry and put away groceries: At the store he helps me pick out all the produce and snacky foods and when we get home he likes to carry them in and can even put them away. I try to always put things in the same places so he knows exactly where mommy wants them.

Feed the dogs: He is bossy so we allow him to be bossy with the dogs. He lets them in, makes them sit, scoops the food and pours it into their bowls. I think it gives him a sense of ownership and respect for the dogs.

Clean up "big" messes: There are certain regular activities that always seem to make a mess at our house, for example: playdoh, painting, baking, even snack time, but instead of just letting him walk away we have been asking him to get out the vaccuum or grab a wet paper towel and help clean up the mess. He is really good at using the vaccuum hose.

Dust: I spray his rag and let him go at the furniture. I will even let him spray the Pledge if I am standing right there, which is by far his favorite part. Warning though, the other day he wanted to help so he went to get a whole glass of water and poured it on the coffee table "cleaning it" when mom wasn't looking. We then had to have a conversation that you only clean when mommy is watching and you have to use special cleaning stuff.

Do the dishes: I give him a couple plastic dishes that I've already sort of cleaned and let him wash and dry them, he is all for doing this because of the water! What is with kids and water obsession?

Corbyn loves being mommy's big helper so I am going to try to teach him and capitalize on his excitement when I can, hopefully establishing some good habits. Happy Cleaning!

Tiny TOMS

Its that time again... new shoes for Corbyn. On the top of my list are the tiny TOMS. They are adorable. If they are anything like the adult ones their comfy. And though they may be more than I would usually spend, you are actually buying a pair for them to give away, so I don't mind spending a little bit more for a good cause.

These are a few pairs I am looking at:

In order: Ash Canvas Tiny TOMS, Chocolate Cord Tiny TOMS Cordones, and the Navy Canvas Tony TOMS

Emmys

What I learned watching the Emmys last night...

1) I need to give Mad Men another shot, I wasn't totally hooked after the first episode so I wrote it off but winning best drama four years in a row, I must've missed something.

2) Charlie Sheen is desperately back peddling. I feel sad for him.

3) I need a team of people to do my hair, makeup, tanning, lend me a dress and jewels for my next big event, how fun would that be.

4) Ashton Kutcher is pretty classy and funny.

5) Kyle Chandler is my fave.

6) Putting your clutch in front of your belly doesn't hide the bulge, but rather brings attention to it.

7) I now want to be Gwyneth Paltrow's friend even more. She just looks fun.

8) I have some new shows to add to my dvr.

And here are my picks for Best Dressed...

Julia Stiles, Sofia Veragera, Kate Winslet, Katie Holmes, Emily Blunt, Julie Bowen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Evan Rachel Wood, and Aimee Teegarden

Photos from www.people.com

3 Minutes

I saw this on www.jasongood.net and its too funny and true not to share.

APPROXIMATELY 3 MINUTES INSIDE THE HEAD OF MY 2 YEAR OLD

Each of these “emotions” lasts about 3 seconds.

1. I wanna play with Daddy’s phone.


2. I wanna put on Mommy’s shoes.


3. GET MOMMY’S SHOES OFF MY FEET NOW!


4. I wanna open and close the thermostat.


5. I wanna turn on and off the light on the microwave.


6. Is there anyone here with a phone I haven’t played with yet?


7. I NEED TO PUSH SOME GOSHDARN BUTTONS.


8. I wanna pick up the cat by its head.


9. I wanna throw all the toothbrushes in the sink.


10. HOLY POO I’M STARVING.


11. CHEDDAR BUNNIES.


12. I HATE FRUIT.


13. I want out of my chair.


14. I wanna play with the iPad.


15. I wanna go outside. No, I wanna turn the heat on.


16. I wanna take my pants off.


17. I don’t like the shirt I’m wearing.


18. I wanna play with Mommy’s phone.


19. I NEED TO PUSH MORE BUTTONS NOW.


20. I’m thirsty.


21. No, not for that.


22. Yes, perfect, juicebox. I’m gonna squeeze this darn thing all over myself.


23. Where’s Daddy?


24. Where’s the cat?


25. Where’s Mommy?


26. SERIOUSLY WHERE’S MOMMY!?


27. Oh my God I think Mommy left forever.


28. Ok, there’s mommy. I want to play with her phone.


29. Hungry again. Never mind.


30. I just remembered not liking these pants. Get them off.


31. STOP TAKING OFF MY PANTS!


32. Wow, I’m starving. I want peas but I don’t know how to tell anyone.


33. Finally, peas. I like throwing these.


34. WHY DO I STILL HAVE THESE PANTS ON?


35. Oh look, a new person. I wonder if they have a phone.


36. I’m tired.


37. I’M NOT TIRED!


38. I wanna go for a walk but I don’t wanna go outside.


39. No, not inside either!


40. I need to push some buttons right now.


41. I hate this diaper.


42. My eyes itch.


43. WOW! Is this my toe?


44. STOP TRYING TO TAKE MY PANTS OFF!


45. I hate these pants.


46. This shirt itches.


47. I’m tired.


48. Stop asking me if I’m tired.


49. Where’s that toy that goes beep?


50. I wanna take a bath in my clothes.


51. Put on my favorite song.


52. Where’s the cat?


53. What is UP with my shirt?


54. Did I just hear a dog bark?


55. YOU DID NOT JUST TRY TO TAKE OFF MY SHIRT AGAIN!


56. I wanna see a dog.


57. No, not OUTSIDE! I wanna see a dog inside.


58. Is my penis still there? Good.


59. I peed.


60. I’m bored.

Oh, how I love my two year old! Happy Monday! Have a great week!

Mommy Mondays: Toddler Imaginations

Snakes, super turtles, bathing suits, tennis shoes, and dragons= the leading roles in my two and a half year olds imaginative story. As he shared his story with very vivid details I was impressed by his sequence of events, his fluctuation in how he told his story, and that it even had a beginning, middle, and end. It was so out there but at the same time it was so matter of fact. This story led me to thinking about how he processes every conversation, book, movie, even what he sees out the window as we drive. Is Mickey real? Can he decipher if something was a dream or actually happened? Will taking him to Disneyland confuse him even more? Does he really think toys come to life when he leaves the room?

According to psychologists, the likely reason that imagination and fact can blend together is that little kids have acute powers of perception — they ’re experts at seeing, hearing, feeling, thinking, and imagining — but they can’t reflect on those perceptions. In other words, they think a lot, but they don’t yet think about thinking. When adults wake up from a scary dream, the primitive brain feels the emotion, but our advanced reasoning can see it with a bird’s eye view and put it in context. Kids, on the other hand, operate more from the gut, with less contemplation or insight about what they’ve experienced.

So, it's ok if he's confused, with time he will work out the difference between fact and fiction. Right now, I am going to encourage his magical thinking and spark his imagination. A few ways I am going to encourage his imagination are: 1) to make a reading tent, 2) to tell me stories and ask questions like what happened next? where did the elephant go? for him to think even further, 3) to buy him toys that can be played with more than one way, ie. blocks, dough, or just kitchen utensils, and 4) to pull out the paints and chalk.

photo by archanN

Whale

This was posted on failbook.com and I still giggle every time I look at it. Hope it makes you smile too on this Monday. Happy Monday!

Kammie & Joel's Wedding Details

I lived with this girl on the same hall for two years and then in the same room for two years and though I know how talented and hard-working she is I had no idea how crafty she could be. Kammie and Joel's wedding was absolutely perfect, she glowed, he couldn't take his eyes off her, and every detail that went into their wedding was handcrafted with care and great love. They spent months leading up to the wedding hand painting signs, shopping for the perfect water vases, gathering mason jars, and making their special day all about the people and things they love. Here are just some of the details I was able to quickly photograph as I enjoyed everything about their wedding day.

One of the six directional signs Kammie free handed and then Joel carefully painted.

The wedding programs that doubled as a fan.
Messages to the bride and groom.
One of the many sitting areas.
View walking up to the dance floor and main bar area.
Flowers on all the tables and bars were put together by the bride, bridesmaids and friends the day before the ceremony.
The alter that Joel made for them to become husband and wife under. Super special! I hope they keep this to put in their backyard or something =)
The tables. Hand wrapped napkins with burlap, lace aisle runner, and all different jars filled with white flowers.

The seating chart door.
Close up of the seating assignments.
The stunning bride in my blurry photo but she looks so happy!
She didn't make her beautiful dress but I still had to show how pretty it was. She did however, have the flower in her hair made to match the dress.
One of the cute hanging signs.
Paper straws, drinks in jars, and napkins that matched their invites.
Kammie stocked Groupon and got a Old Navy coupon which allowed her to buy flip flops for the ladies. And then she headed to LA's Fashion District and purchased a bunch of different pashminas.

Kammie and Joel, it was an honor celebrating your marriage with you! I wish you much happiness and love as you begin this journey together. Hope you are enjoying your honeymoon and hope to see you real soon!