{Kid}ding Around Friday * Linky Party! 9/30

Welcome to {Kid}ding Around Friday!

{Kid}ding Around Friday is the place

to share your kid-related posts about:

Crafts, Milestones, Homeschooling, Kid-Friendly Food, Pregnancy, Decorating, Photography, 

A Funny Story, Great Deals, Organization and more!

<a border="0" href="http://www.sbuxsweetie.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><http://i52.tinypic.com/mv0rgn.jpg" /></a>

{To Join the Party}

1. Follow your hosts, Katie & Amanda (first 2 links)

2. Link to a specific kid-related post - not your main page.

3. We'd love for you to grab our adorable little button.

4. Enjoy reading through some of the other posts and make new friends!

Each week we will feature a few posts

from the previous week.

By submitting a link, you are granting Amanda and I permission to use the photos from your post.

*****

We enjoyed reading these links

from last week:

A Very Hungry Caterpillar {Baby Shower}

from The Buerglers

Ghost feet - My Crafty Weekend
from Diary of a Working Mom

The day I found out we were having twins

from The Confused Housewife 

Featured? Grab the button on the left side of my page! Thanks for linking up!

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Seeing red... and I love it!

Over the past couple weekends, since the weather was so perfect, we decided to take on a project we've been wanting to do for a while. You see, when we bought our house, it was brand spankin' new. No "homey" touches, just the basic model: cream colored siding, black shutters, black door. Here's the "before" picture:

Since we bought the house, we've said that we wanted to add a pop of color. Two years later, we finally settled on what we wanted, bought our paint and supplies, and went to town painting. We used brushes rather than spraying it on. I really like the textured look the brushed-on paint gave the door and shutters. It took us two weekends, due to the fact that it is crazy hard to get three coats of paint done on a door and two shutters with an 8 month old little monkey trying to get all up in your business. It was worth the time we spent, though. It's such a pretty color! See?

 

What do you think? 

Have you done any renovations on your home sweet home lately?

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Oh Snap! Wednesday - A Bath Time Predicament

We have a funny predicament when it comes to baby bath time. Colin has outgrown his baby tub {pictured below}, but he isn't quite stable enough to sit up by himself in the big tub yet.

First bath without an umbilical cord stump :)

Our solution? Well, most evenings (we do baths almost every day), I just bring him into the tub with me and we do bath time together. However, on the nights I don't feel like it want to do something different, Colin gets a bath in the kitchen sink! Exhibit A:

He likes to splash so much that we have to keep the water level low or we'll both end up with a bath anyway. :) So, here's the predicament. As you can see, he's rapidly outgrowing the sink. So, do we buy a bath seat so that he can bathe in the tub by himself, or do I just continue to bathe with him until he's able to sit up on his own without catapulting himself into the water? What do you think, fellow moms?

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Things I'm loving right now - Diaper bag edition

Confession: I'm not one of those women who gets all excited over hand bags. I don't understand the concept of paying more for something simply because it's got a certain logo branded all over it. When it came to choosing a diaper bag, I felt that functionality was much more important than getting some fancy-schmancy name brand bag. That's why I went with a Fisher Price bag.

It's affordable (think $24), it's cute, and it has a ton of storage space. There are two side pockets - one for a travel-sized box of wipes, and the other for a bottle or sippy cup. On the front, there's a big zippered pocket that I use for my wallet and keys when we're out and about, and then there are two smaller pockets for pacifiers and other small doo-dads. The back pouch contains a handy dandy changing pad, which is a nice little bonus.

So, what else do I carry around in my bag of wonders? Well, I tend to err on the side of being over-prepared, so I'm a little OCD about packing the diaper bag. Here's a rundown of what you might expect to see in my bag at any given moment:

A Nuby Formula Dispenser - This is one brilliant invention. It makes formula feeding so much easier on the go. I pre-measure 6 oz worth of powder in each compartment, and that way we've got 3 bottles worth of formula, which lasts quite a while now that Colin is eating solids, too.

A couple Philips AVENT bottles with 6 oz of water in them. That way we can just dump the formula in, and boom - we're good to go.

One or two MAM "Air" Pacifiers. These seem to be Colin's preferred pacis. He likes them during naps and no longer fusses when he's sleepy. Can you say lifesaver?

Diapers. Duh! Gotta have the diapers. I'll use whatever is on sale, but our inexpensive standby is Luvs Ultra Leakguards. Luvs are cheap, and they work. We've only had one big blowout since we started using them.

Wipes. Again, we'll use whatever is on sale, but I really like Pampers Sensitive Wipes. Since Colin has sensitive skin, I prefer to use unscented wipes on his little tushie.

At least one extra outfit. I like how Gerber onesies fit, and they're easy.

A bib, because Colin is a major drooler these days. He still spits up sometimes, too.

Colin's Lil Jack Rattle & Teether. He got all excited when I showed this to him in Target, so of course I had to buy it for him. :) He loves to chew on everything he can get his hands on.

If we're going to a restaurant or the grocery store, I stuff my Infantino Shopping Cart Cover in there, too. While I'm not usually a germophobe in my everyday life, I am when it comes to things my son will be touching (or licking, haha). I just don't trust those icky shopping carts and sticky wooden high chairs. Know what I mean?

So, there you have it. If we're going to be away for a while, I'll bring some baby food and spoons, too. Since feeding solids can get messy, though, I try to just stick to bottles unless we're gone for the better part of the day.

So, tell me. What's in your diaper bag?

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Oh crap.

Let me tell you a funny story about what Colin did this morning.

It was about 10:15, and we needed to be out the door for church at 10:30.


Colin was playing in his exersaucer; I was getting ready in the bathroom.

I heard him fuss a little bit, so I hurried up and finished so I could go get him.


As soon as I picked him up, I felt something warm on his back.

Oh great, I thought. He peed through his diaper again.

But what was that smell?


Oh dear.

I stripped him down and found this:

Oh my gracious, child!

Seriously... it was almost up to his neck. And the smell.... oh, the smell!


Miraculously, we all made it to church on time, clean and poop free.

The poopy sleeper, however, is still laying in Colin's room.


We haven't yet decided its fate.

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Blog on Fire Award!

Many thanks to Monica at The Scherman Family Four for awarding me the "Blog on Fire" blog award! It's a lot of fun to share awards with other bloggers (most of them mommies, some of them just awesome women). What a great way to connect! I am so flattered that 158 160 people (as of this morning!) have become followers of my blog. While I may not have a ton of time to spend in the blogosphere, I do enjoy sharing little stories and pictures about my life, and I love reading all of your blogs, too, dear readers!

Now the rules for redeeming this award are:

•Write 7 things about yourself

•Pass this award on to 10 other bloggers

Here goes nothing!

7 things about me:

1. Pineapple is my favorite fruit. I heard pineapple core has something in it that can help with implantation, so I ate an entire fresh pineapple, core and all, the cycle that we conceived Colin. :) Not sure if it helped or not, but I enjoyed it until my tongue hurt from the acidity!

2. I don't swear. Like, ever. I completely detest the "f word." Blech.

3. Today is the first day of fall (yay!), and my house is already decorated with fall garlands and some Halloween miscellany.

4. I currently have a box of Hot Tamales candy stashed away in my desk at work. Oh, the sweet, sweet burn of cinnamon.

5. I could probably go a whole week without eating meat and be fine with it. I don't eat much red meat, and I don't like seafood. So pretty much the only meats I ever eat are chicken and turkey. I'd be cool with a week of salads, meatless pasta dishes, cheese pizza, eggs and toast, fruits and veggies, et cetera.

6. If I could have one superpower, it would be the ability to teleport anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye.

7. In a perfect world, I'd like to have 4 or 5 children. However, we don't live in a perfect world, and with our current situation we've decided that 3 is our max.

10 blogs you have to check out!

1. Random Thoughts of a Supermom - Kelli shares some adorable ideas on her blog. It's a really fun read!

2. Chase, Amy, Finn & RVCA - You will never get enough of Finn. Promise.

3. Finding the Light - Corinne blogs about her two little girls, who are utterly adorable, and the crafty and interesting things she does.

4. Fort Cox - Shannon is the wife of an airman and the mommy of a beautiful baby girl. Go check her out!

5. Growing Up Gardner - You might recognize Mrs. G as my Kidding Around Friday co-host. If you haven't already, go take a look at her blog. She has a talent for crafts, and her kiddos are so cute!

6. Loving Moments - Jennifer is such a sweetheart, and it shows in her blogging. Plus, her kids, Hannah and Colson, are too adorable for words!

7. Nurse Loves Farmer - I haven't been following Sarah's blog very long, but I fell in love with her writing style and fun stories right away! I think you'll like her, too.

8. Two Boksen Babies - Three words: Boy/girl twins. Can you say cute overload?

9. Adorkable - Mel is a mixture of dorky and adorable. Hence, "adorkable." She makes some seriously yummy foods, too. Click the link on her blog to her Etsy shop to buy some goodies!

10. {My} Life's Stories - Mom of three. Photographer. Maker of pretty (and yummy) things. Kim's blog is definitely worth a look.

I hope you keep the "Blog on Fire" award going, ladies! Share it with other bloggers and brighten their day. And by the way, if you've got a kid-related blog post you want to share, hop on over to my {Kid}ding Around Friday blog hop and link up! TGIF!!

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{Kid}ding Around Friday - Linky Party! ~ 9/23

Welcome to {Kid}ding Around Friday!

{Kid}ding Around Friday is the place to share your

kid-related posts about:

Crafts, Milestones, Homeschooling, Kid-Friendly Food, Pregnancy, Decorating, Photography, A Funny Story, Great Deals, Organization and more!

<a border="0" href="http://www.sbuxsweetie.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><http://i52.tinypic.com/mv0rgn.jpg" /></a>

{To Join the Party}

1. Follow your hosts, Katie & Amanda (first 2 links)

2. Link to a specific kid-related post - not your main page.

3. We'd love for you to grab our adorable little button.

4. Enjoy reading through some of the other posts and make new friends!

Each week we will feature a few posts from the previous week.

By submitting a link, you are granting Amanda and I permission to use the photos from your post.

SOME GREAT LINKS FROM LAST WEEK:

I'm growing a penis!

from Growing A Poppy

Mrs. J just found out that she is having a BOY!

Congrats, Mama :) Little boys are so wonderful!

Redneck Reading Program

from My Life's Stories

This is one awesome mom. :) Her blog is great, and so is her photography!

Lego Learning

from Barefoot in Paradise

Who says learning can't be fun? Cute idea!

Corn Dog Muffins

from Our Pregnancy Roadtrip and Beyond

I bet my hubby would like these!

Thanks for linking up! We'd love for you to share about this link party on your blog/facebook/twitter to get more great blogs involved!

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Terrible Mommy Award!

Yesterday evening, I was getting Colin situated in his high chair so he could eat his dinner. I sat him down in it, put the little tray on, and snapped on his bib. Suddenly, he held his breath for a minute and then let out the most awful wail. "What's wrong, baby??" I said. He was really losing it now. Then it occurred to me... I looked at his little neck, and lo and behold, there was a red spot. I had pinched my poor baby's skin while snapping the bib on!! I picked him up and loved on him until he felt better, which took all of 3 minutes. After that, he was back to his cheerful self. He ate all of his sweet potato & corn baby food and played until it was bedtime.

If this is the worst "injury" we've had so far, I think we're doing all right. But, still.. it just made me feel like such a bad mommy! Make me feel better.. have YOU ever unintentionally injured your child?!
 

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Oh Snap! Wednesday - Sweet Snuggles

We've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to take many pictures this week. Here is one I took on my phone a couple nights ago.. sorry it's so grainy. :) My little man is like the Energizer bunny most of the time (he keeps going, and going...), so when he's too tired to put up a fight and just gives in and cuddles with his Momma, I take full advantage and get all the squishy hugs that I can.

I know I say this all the time, but being a mommy really is unlike anything else in the world. Because of our crazy schedule and my full time job, I savor the time I have with my baby. Colin is such a happy boy, and I can tell he loves his daddy and me. Last night he was feeling especially silly and giggled at every single thing we did until he got the hiccups from all the laughter. I wish I had gotten a video! He's so stinkin' cute, I tell ya.

More to come!

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