Celebrating My Twenty-Ninth Birthday

Friday I celebrated my 29th birthday! I’ve been looking forward to this birthday for over a year because it means I am just that much closer to the magical age of 30 when others will take me seriously based on my age. I’ll be all grown up and mature–or at least that is what others will think. That is if I quit being carded for spray paint at the Wally World.

As my chiropractor said as I lifted my face off the tissue paper last week after he adjusted my back, “You know, having an oily face is a good thing, because it means you’ll age slower.”

Yah, well it also means that you still break out in zits thankyouverymuch.

Seeing as my birthday also falls on New Years Day, the same day most people traditionally declare resolutions, I can’t find a good reason to go along with what could be the number one goal of most people: Go On A Diet.

Besides the fact that I don’t like to follow anything where the first three letters are “DIE”, I also automatically forfeit that goal when my birthday cake is presented to me. Or should I say birthday cakeS? That’s right ladies and gentlemen…I had three birthday cakes this year.

Three.

As I said, there is no point in making New Years Resolutions in the dieting department over here.

I had a grand birthday party with my friends also after celebrating with my family. We ate homemade quesadillas on Donna’s new quesadilla maker (just under $20 at Target–yes, I bought one the next day).

Then we watched The Princess Bride in Donna’s cozy theater. By the way, the Cliffs of Insanity look more insane on Blu-Ray. Inconceivable. (Andie got me the Princess Bride Book, which is also probably the only book I’ll read all year.)

I had a wonderful birthday Friday spending time with my family and celebrating with my friends. We laughed, we talked, we shot marshmallows across the living room, Donna’s husband flew helicopters in the house, I caught Andie shying away from the camera.

I also caught Andie taking photographs of me blowing out my candles on two cakes at once. But not until after I’d gotten home.

But that’s what she gets for stealing our friend LaShawn’s famous look.

You wouldn’t know that though since I’ve neglected to post LaShawn posing so. I only know that because I just sifted through thousands of photos on my computer so I could show you an example and couldn’t find a single one. Just take my word for it.

Halloween Costumes for the Family

During my pregnancy with my second child, several thoughts ran through my head.

How was I going to survive with a newborn and a 20 month old?

Would I ever get to go to the bathroom alone again until the children leave for college?

Are my days of having a flat tummy gone for good?

Amidst the mommy worries, a new idea hit me. An idea that made my anxieties subside for just a bit, an idea that made me giggle with possibilities, an idea that made my upcoming title of “Mommy of two under two” just a bit more exciting.

What is such an idea’ one may ask?

That idea was that once I had two little children I could plan themed Halloween costumes for our family. Sure, I could have dressed the whole family up when we just had one baby but I never thought of that. I suppose I was too busy obsessing over all the adorable Pottery Barn costumes available for infants to come to such a conclusion.  These days Halloween is big business in the retail world so my possibilities of themed costumes for our family were (and still are… two + years later) endless.

My idea soon became an obsession. I poured over websites, polled my blog readers, and obsessed over my choices during those middle of the night feedings. A theme was eventually chosen and went October the 31st rolled around that year, my children (and their theme) were darling.

Last year we went for a theme again and it turned out quite nice.

Just like at my house, other parents are getting into the Halloween act by putting on costumes before heading out to local festivals or setting off to trick-or-treat in the neighborhood with their children. Many families find it fun to dress in a group theme. Below are some great examples of themes families can use this Halloween, devised in my middle-of-the-night Halloween planning sessions.

• Headed to a fire. Fire fighter is a popular costume choice for boys. Turn this choice into a creative family-theme by having one child be a fire fighter and one child a dalmatian. Mom can be a flame while Dad serves as the fire hydrant. A stroller can even be disguised to be the fire engine.

• They’re creepy and they’re spooky.. A perfect family themed Halloween costume is dressing up as a famous family. The Addams Family, the Flintstones, the Beverly Hillbillies, and the Jetsons are all iconic families that would be perfect to re-create for Halloween.

• What’s all the “buzzz” about. Parents often times feel like bee keepers, attempting to keep busy little bodies corralled all day. Why not transform such a thought into a Halloween costume? Mom and Dad can be the bee keeper while little ones can be the honey bees.

• Off to Neverland. Fairy tales make for a great theme for families wishing to sport similar Halloween costumes. Go with something fun such as Peter Pan, where the males in the family can be Peter Pan or Captain Hook while the females can be Tinker-bell or Wendy. Another way to use fairy tales as a Halloween theme is to incorporate a royal attitude, having adults serve as King and Queen while children are knights and princesses.

• Play Ball! Have a favorite sports team? Why not show some team spirit by turning a love for a sports team into a Halloween costume. Ideas range from dressing as football players, cheerleaders, or super-excited fans.

• Howdy Partner. Set the focus on the ol West and have the family put on their best Western gear. Dad could play the Sheriff while the young boys in the family are the rowdy outlaws. Living in Texas, western supplies are easily available which makes this theme simple to create.

• Lights, Camera, Action! Hollywood is the mecca of Halloween costume themes. Smaller families can go as Lucy, Ricki, and baby Desi while bigger groups could portray The Incredibles. With the re-release of Toy Story this month, Buzz and Woody are popular once again (not that they ever really left). Mom could be Bo Peep while Dad portrays Mr. Potato Head.

Does your family dress up in a group theme for Halloween? Leave a comment and share all the fun details of your gangs costumes.

My little family of four has selected a theme for this Halloween. The idea was actually that of my husband’s thought process (so much for my late nights surfing the Internet) and it is fabulous. We are trying to keep the theme under wraps until the 31st but most likely I will spill the beans weeks before the big event.

The idea is just that good.

Happy Halloween!

Skype

If you haven’t tried Skype, you should check it out!

We not only get free calls to Granddad in Louisiana but we also get to SEE him while we talk!

And the best part…it’s all FREE! The software is free, the call is free, and you can even use a camcorder that you already have so you don’t have to go but one. However, we do have a Logitech color camera that clips on the top of our computer monitor. It is the coolest camera. It has a built in microphone and has a really clear picture.

Yesterday we got a call from Granddad on Skype. I was on the computer at the time and answered the call. Nicholas quickly heard Granddad’s voice and came running. Then Stuart wandered into the office too. Then Rachel woke up from her nap and I brought her to the office with us. Our whole family sat around our office and talked with Granddad. We could see him and he could see all of us. It was just like being back in Baton Rouge. Hmmm, if only we could get the rest of the Louisiana family to get on Skype then maybe we wouldn’t have to make that long drive again…

Let’s get personal

The sweet ladies at baby girl’s daycare (shout out to Connie and Kris!) turned me on to an awesome product by Inchbug. Inchbug makes a personalized, reusable stretchy label that fits over bottles and sippy cups called the Bumpy Name Orbit Label.

No more mix-ups at daycare or playdates, and no more writing names with the Sharpie only to gradually wear off in the dishwasher. Inchbug labels are dishwasher and microwave safe.

A package of four labels with one line of personalization is $12.95, or two lines is $13.95. You can also add icons such as a flower, heart, smile or star for .75. We love our inchbug labels!

Lee Ann is a Design Partner for Javis Davis.  When not hanging out at burbmom she writes about nursery design, baby products, adorable clothes, safe and environmentally friendly toys and even some photography tips at Meet Me in the Baby’s Room.

Batter Blaster

Ok, I admit it. I’m a sucker for new products. If I see a new flavor of Doritos, I must try it. A new flavor of Blue Bell – it’s in the cart. So when I happened to see this odd product in the refriderated section of my local grocery store, I just couldn’t resist buying it. It’s called Batter Blaster and it’s pancake batter in a whipped topping style squirt can! Crazy, huh?! And it’s even organic – not that I have really been concerned about whether our pancake batter is organic or not. But in case I was ever worried about it then this product would relieve my fears.

However, my husband (aka the king of pancakes) had his own fears when I asked him to use the Batter Blaster instead of his usual pancake batter this morning for our ritual of weekend morning pancakes. But, being the good sport that he is, he gave it a shot!

It was quite interesting. The batter shoots out of the can just like whipped topping but quickly oozes into regular pancake circles. They were a little thicker than our usual pancakes and the texture was a bit chewy. But the biggest problem we had with them is that they cooked phenomenally fast. By the time the edges of the pancakes were just barely starting to look cooked and those little bubbles appeared, well, by then it was too late and the pancake was burned on one side. We liked the idea of the Batter Blaster but never could figure out that microscopic window of time that we had to flip the pancakes where they weren’t undercooked and drippy or overcooked and burnt.

Project Baby Surprise – Nursery for Girl is Fit for a Queen

Last week was all about the Baby Boy Nursery Board. This week it’s time to share the Baby Girl Nursery Board!

As I said last week, the ideas for baby girl were abundant and varied greatly.  This made it a challenge to decipher just what our couple would like best.

I kept coming back to one picture that Kaysie showed us of an elegant little girl’s room with ice blue walls adorned with beautiful silk fabrics with a subtle hint of gold shimmer.  The topper in this pictured room was a black and white hooked rug.  It added interest and absolutely made the room.

With this picture in mind, I set out to recreate the nursery version of this room. The inspiration was anything but princess and everything queen!

In the board below, you’ll find a beautiful blue silk fabric with gold rose accents as our staple fabric.  The crib skirt is a dusty blue dupioni silk…our favorite for crib skirts because it’s easy to manipulate.  The skirt will be created with what we call, “a little extra pouf” that flows to the floor.

Here’s the board using the black and white rug.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I came across this great bright floral rug.  Below is basically the same room with a yellow based cream wall and a brighter foundation.

Above the crib in both rooms is a silk swag that will be held in place by hooks shaped like crowns that are brushed in gold. Over the changing table are framed pieces of aged silverware. Big bro and little sis will also contribute their family famous artwork over the ‘mini throne’ placed for late night chats between siblings.

My favorite in this room is the custom tuft that we will create as a comfy place to prop up their feet as they care for baby. It reminds me of something straight out of the Queen’s Palace.

The girl boards were a hit.  John and Kaysie decided that they liked the creamy yellow based room with the bright, but sophisticated rug as the foundation (even though John’s not holding it up in this pic – they like it, I swear!).

Now, they’ve agreed on their boy and girl nursery and they have their mini-boards in-hand.

For the Burb Mom family, the wait is on.

For us, the work just begins.

Will the family be bringing home a baby boy or girl?

Next Week: CBS-11 has been working side-by-side with us in this nursery. Come back next week to see behind the scenes!

Catch up on Project Baby Surprise:

Introductions

First Comes Love…

Baby Boy Nursery Takes Flight

Divine Connection: Temperance

For bone-weary Burb Moms who need to recollect themselves and reconnect with the Divine.

This week’s encouragement is to engage in the spiritual practice of temperance. Temperance is one of those old church words you don’t hear much these days. Essentially, it is the practice of moderation…which is admittedly a challenge as I stare down the Haagen Dazs Dulche de Leche…but I digress.

In these days of extreme everything, from makeovers to nachos, it is important to consider temperance. As mothers, we are the primary teachers of temperance from the time our children are toddlers and we must limit their sugar, until they are teenagers and we ask them to display a modicum of self-control over their behavior, dress and sexual activity.  Yeah….uh, we need to model and teach temperance, ya know what I’m sayin’!

Right about now we’re at the point in the summer where kids complain they are bored. As the allure of video games, playing with the neighbor kids, and late curfews begins to dissolve into tedium, they crave something fun and exciting and different. Try quoting Evelyn Underhill to them. (It won’t help them so much as it might entertain you…moms get bored too.)  She was an Anglican spiritual writer and retreat leader. She defined temperance in her book The House of the Soul as “one of the ‘ground floor’ virtues in the house of the soul, the balance of the ordinary life.” It means God is found in ordinary, everyday circumstances.

She writes:

The demand for temperance of soul, for an acknowledgment of the sacred character of the normal, is based on that fact–the central Christian fact–of the humble entrance of God into our common human life. The supernatural can and does seek and find us, in and through our daily normal experience: the invisible in the visible. There is no need to be peculiar in order to find God. The Magi were taught by the heavens to follow a star and it brought them, not to a paralyzing disclosure of the Transcendent, but to a little boy on his mother’s knee.

If I constantly seek “extreme” and fill my senses with hyper activity, might I miss God who can communicate through the simple and ordinary? Perhaps I can feel more fulfilled if I have, do and be less.

Evelyn reminds us:

How steadily temperate and central in its emphasis is all his teaching: full of color and quality of real life free from the merely startling, ever keeping close to our normal experience. Sowing, reaping, bread breaking, keeping sheep; in these the secrets of the Kingdom are hid. Jesus does not ask his disciples to speculate on the Divine Nature but to consider the lilies. It comes to the same thing and is more suited to our powers.

The good news is that God’s lessons are so simple a child can comprehend them. So, I wonder…where are the secrets of the Kingdom hidden in your experience? Is it in caring for home and family, grocery shopping, the drive in traffic to work, the tasks you perform for customer care, or the troubleshooting of recurrent problems? The good news is that whatever your daily experience, God is there and avails Himself to you? We can practice temperance of soul, looking for God in the normal, moderate and ordinary. I wonder what simple means He’ll use to make a Divine Connection.

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Kids and Money: It’s About Respect.

We were bad with money. On the grand scale of Dinks (dual income no kids) who made a respectable combined income, we were surprisingly disrespectful of our hard earned dollars. We were impulsive, made bad decisions, made large purchases with good intentions that soon fell short of benefiting us, generally didn’t give enough thought to it all.

What we ended up with was a pile of things we no longer cared about, strapped to the debt that came as a horrific gift-with-purchase. And it was a long time before we were able to fight and claw our way back to the blissful world of debt free. Dave Ramsey entered our psyche, and taught us a new way of life. A life that didn’t include credit, but did create a habit of keeping our eye on the prize: “living like no one else, so that one day we could live like no one else.”

During our financial revelation, our family started to take shape as well, with the birth of our little girl. During her first four years of life, while we have busy planning for her future, she has remained blissfully unaware of money, save the small, sporadic lessons at the cash register. But being painfully aware of what is coming; we have begun the semblance of a plan to teach her a level of respect for money alongside the lessons of respecting other people, emotions, material things, and herself.

We all fight upstream on this issue. Kids today have largely benefited from their Baby Boomer and Gen X parents, and have more disposable income than some less fortunate families can even fathom. The media presents an endless barrage of opportunities for kids to part with their earned and unearned dollars…and not to the tune of 25 cents for a pack of gum, but $60 games to go with their $400 game console. These things have become possessions of status, of belonging, of necessity in some minds. Each of us will decide what is important to us, and what we will, in turn, teach our kids. So let’s not judge, let’s learn from each other.

Before much more time passes, I want my kids to understand not only what money will allow them to come home from the store with, but what working hard for something feels like. The feeling of accomplishment that comes from achieving, earning, saving, and cherishing. I’m only part egotistical fool, so I understand that these are deep concepts for a 4 year old. Therefore, the biggest challenge will be to translate my adult brain concepts into ideals they can appreciate.

Earning is Fun.
Kids want so much to feel accomplishment…which is why they are always looking to us for reinforcement. The first and most important lesson I can teach them is that earning something makes you feel great. Have them participate in some activity outside of what is routine. Set expectations properly about what is involved, what it means to complete the task, and what they will earn upon completion. Then make it fun, and make sure they complete the job. Shower them with praise, talk about how good it feels to do a great job, and see the end result. And finally, pay them what you agreed on. Make a big production of it, too. They are going to remember the experience, and the feeling.
Not Every Activity is Monetized.
Something I firmly believe in is that not all activities deserve compensation. Teach your kids about things that are done simply because it is “right”, or helpful to the family. At no point do I want my daughter trying to negotiate what putting dishes in the dishwasher is worth after my wife spends two hours creating a nutritious meal for our family. Some things are done simply done out of love, membership and duty. But if my 1 year old son sets off a toy bomb in the playroom, I can easily give her the opportunity to earn by helping clean up a mess she had no part in creating.
Think Outside the Box.
Not every earning activity needs to be based around chores. I am a huge believer in the power of vocabulary, so my daughter earns now by learning new words and how to use them in sentences. At some point, I will transition this opportunity to include spelling those words. And what about a lemonade stand? During our feeble attempt at a garage sale last year, my daughter sold out of every cookie and every drop of lemonade long before we made HALF what she did trying to sell household goods. She understood the market, and she killed it.
Saving.
Here is where I can start to teach about respecting money. My kids don’t get to spend everything they earn. Without exception, they puts half of their earnings in one jar for spending money, and a no-withdrawal piggy bank for saving. My explanation of this to them is that we save half of our money for emergencies. My daughter doesn’t truly understand what an emergency is yet, but in my view, it doesn’t matter. Nor does the percentage that she is saving at this point. If she earns 2 quarters, she knows the first one goes into the saving piggy, and the other goes in the spending jar. I want to develop in her a knee-jerk instinct to first put money in her savings, no matter what, that she knows she will not be able to touch. Then she is open to make decisions about the rest…with help for a while. Depending on your beliefs regarding charitable giving and tithing, you may at some point structure the saving portion to include these concepts as well.
Spending.
There are plenty of lessons that will be learned about spending money over the years. Some taught by me, some taught by their friends, some by the media and society in general. At this stage, I will begin to teach them about what things cost as compared to how much they have to spend, and ask them to consider if they want to spend part of their money, or all of it. I want them to also begin to think about what events are coming that may necessitate a need for money such as Christmas, a birthday, etc. Thinking forward and planning will start an undercurrent need to “budget”. In doing these things, I hope to teach them respect for their spending money, and ultimately, responsibility.
Model it, Be Consistent.
Trying to teach your kids respect for money will do no good if you don’t walk the walk, and walk it consistently. You probably discovered it already, they pick up everything. You will only help your kids and your family in general if you practice what you preach. Do what you can to avoid conversations later including arguments like “You don’t, why should I?”

I mentioned earlier that I was part egotistical fool, and I am. I regularly believe that I can control chaos, only to be disappointed…regularly. But to just hope that my kids will learn good lessons on their own would make me ALL fool, and respecting money is one I think I can teach.

Who knows…I don’t plan to let my daughter out of the house until she is thirty anyway. After she earns her money, maybe I’ll only have to teach her how to stack it.

Jay Lessons is a novice ‘burb daddy, a husband-in-training, and a sarcasm specialist. You can find more of his reflective rants at HalftimeLessons.com, and Twitter @HalftimeLessons.

Project Surprise – Baby Boy Nursery Taking Flight

We are week three into Project Baby Surprise…

The surprise baby and nursery are in full swing now.

John & Kaysie have taken the “No Peeking” card to their doctor.  Soon, Peekaboo will receive the card marked boy or girl and the grunt work will begin!

In our first meeting, we sat down with John and Kaysie to discuss what they would like for each nursery, boy and girl.

The boy nursery was a cinch…planes!  John is an avid pilot and works in the aviation field…so up, up and away!  Plus, they have a yummy brown with blue striped fabric that they deemed a “must-have”…all great starts for their baby boy nursery board.

So not to be so ‘themie’ with the airplanes; the motivation for the boy room is travel.  The bedding is simple and elegant playing off their favorite striped brown and blue fabric.  We will securely fasten travel posters above the crib to create a dramatic focus for the room.

My favorite part of this nursery has got to be the changing table.  The plan is to re-purpose a dresser, turning it into a fabulous and functional changing table with an old world feel.  To carry through the travel inspiration, we will adhere aged maps to the front of the dresser and finish it off with vintage copper drawer pulls.

On the closet wall, you’ll find art finer than any displayed at the DMA…it’s Luke and Emily’s art created especially for their new little brother…or, sister!  Below their art work are floor pillows for hanging out with their new little slave sibling.

John and Kaysie loved the boy board…phew!  But, that’s not the board I’m worried about.  I had a great idea of what they wanted for baby boy.

Baby girl is a different story.  They had tons of ideas, but couldn’t decide on a definite inspiration. After careful concentration and watching them talk about all of their ideas for baby girl, the team came up with something grand!  Or so we think.  I just hope John and Kaysie agree.

Here’s a hint:  Princesses are out…there’s a new chick in town!

Catch up on the fun with Project Baby Surprise – Introductions and First Comes Love

Don’t Take Life Sitting Down – GoGirl Review

I can pee standing up.

That’s right.

I can do anything a man can do including peeing in the upright position.

Thanks to my GoGirl.

Thanks to my GoGirl I am no longer of afraid of hiking and camping out in the woods. Because of the GoGirl I am not longer weary of long roadtrips across hundreds of miles of flat terrain with no rest stops in sight. More power to the GoGirl, because I no longer tremble with trepidation at nasty public toilets…like that one time I went to a community park and the inside of the restroom was covered in abominable bowel movements. I’m just sayin’.

What is the GoGirl you ask?

“Simply put, GoGirl is the way to stand up to crowded, disgusting, distant or non-existent bathrooms. It’s a female urination device (sometimes called a FUD) that allows you to urinate while standing up. It’s neat. It’s discreet. It’s hygienic.” It is also feminine and convenient. European women have been using it for years.

The GoGirl is easy to use: Just adjust your clothing, hold the device up to your body, and urinate. You can then either throw it away or place the GoGirl in the provided bag and wash it for further use. It is made from medical grade silicone and since it is reusable then I consider it also environmentally friendly. Read these instructions for more information on using the GoGirl.

I don’t think I have ever been more excited about a product made for women. Next to feminine hygiene products and the advent of the brazier (over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder), the GoGirl has to be the best invention for women!

Say NO to squatting over public toilets. Say NO to peeing on your shoes. Say YES to the GoGirl!

Just remember: Don’t Take Life Sitting Down.

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