Sick of being Sick

Our house is one sick place to be right now. Hannah has been sick for days and now Ella is sick too. It started with Hannah throwing up all night on Wednesday and recuperating with bouts of "the illness" every day (when she eats too much or drinks too much) and now poor little Ella has a very stuffy nose and can hardly breathe. It is so hard to see your children sick - especially so young and for so long. Hopefully it will be over soon. But until then I had to capture Hannah's first real illness, so here you go!

Move Over Martha

I just found this great website Matthew Mead. He is a lot like Martha Stewart in his presentation and projects and recipes. He has great dessert ideas and fun projects that I am just in love with. For instance, check out these absolutely decandent Chocolate Caramel Cups Oh my gosh! I have to find a reason to make these and soon... or maybe I need no reason at all. Well, just thought I would share this new find of mine.

In Search of....

With a new spring season on the way, it is time to update our closets ladies. And as we all know the little black dress is a closet necessity. We can thank Audrey Hepbrun and Breakfast at Tiffany's for this timeless must-have. And thank you! I love little black dresses and my closet knows it.

They come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. And luckily, with the help of the internet, we don't have to spend hours traveling from store to store or pay a small fortune to have this little black number.

Another thank you, goes to Like.com , a visual, digital shopping assistant. I found a collection of little black dresses ranging from the super cheap to the more expensive. My search for the perfect black dress just got a whole lot easier and more affordable. Now, I just need to go and make more room in my closet!

You Can Be a Top Chef

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a working mom or a single woman, figuring out a weekly menu is a constant challenge and for some culinary-challenged women, it is a nuisance! It is hard enough to cook the meal each night, but to have to create a three to four course menu (main dish, vegetable, fruits and sometimes dessert) up to seven days a week, puts us in the running for the next Top Chef.

What is the solution to this constant dilemma? Well, I am not sure there is an "end all, be all", but I have discovered a way to minimize the hardship in my life. The key for me is planning ahead. It might take some investment in time at the beginning, but it saves you time each day as you already have everything planned out. At the beginning of each week (or twice a week or each month, you can decide) I sit down and write up the menu for that week, what I will serve each night and the ingredients involved. Then I take that list and go to the grocery store just ONCE! (Going to the grocery store once is a big key to simplifying the "menu dilemma".) This way, the work is done and the menu is determined. Each night I have what I need and know what to cook - no more decisions or questions about the menu.

Also, a word to the wise and to make things even easier, there are tons of websites/blogs where women like you are doing this. They list their weekly menu and usually add links to the recipes. So, now it just got a whole lot easier. Here is a blog that has a list of links - Menu Planning

If you aren't afraid of a little planning and one-stop shopping, try this plan of attack out and see what you think. Eventually, people just might be calling you their "Top Chef".

A new found passion

We went to Color Me Mine (a pottery painting store) with Aunt Jill on her last day with us. We had so much fun. This is the second time there for Hannah and she loved it even more this time around. She was so concentrated on painting her mug and the best part was going back to the paint selection and picking colors. As you can see on her mug, she picked every color they had. She really loved it, so we will be going back again and again and again. I will post our end products later (we have to wait until the 21st to pick them up).

New Apron for House and Costco

Hannah has a lot of fun being artistic - paints, crayons and markers. I decided to get her an apron to help save her clothes. It is so cute and she liked it so much we had to wear it to Costco. She got a lot of looks and a lot of comments on how cute she was. I think she is pretty cute too!

Tip for Moms

I am sure this is not new, but I thought I would share it just in case you hadn't thought of this before. But as a parent I love having books around our house for Hannah to read and she loves reading books (as you can tell from most of my pictures), but books are expensive and get ruined quickly. $5 for a small paperback book that will be ripped in weeks.... there has to be a better way and there is! If you go to Ebay and search under Children's books "books lot" you can find listings for a bunch of books for the price of one at a regular store. I just got 10 Winnie the Pooh hardback books for $10 and they are in Like New condition. So, if you like books as much as I do, give Ebay a try!

A fun alternative

Jill, hannah and I had fun today creating flower crayons. It is fun to have Hannah at an age that we can do fun projects together. If you are interested in doing this, go here for instructions Making Crayons. It is easy and makes fun crayons for the little ones (and mommies too).

My Visual DNA - Pieces of Me

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

This is so much fun... pictures that capture the essence of ME. You can do one for yourself, just click on the link at the bottom of the image.

Quick, Easy and Yummy

I saw this ad/recipe in Rachel Ray's magazine and had to try it. And I have to say it is pretty good as far as store bought, fast brownies go. So, if you are looking for a yummy, chocolate treat... look no further.

If you love Rocky Road ice cream, you should try this recipe. It brings chocolate, marshmallow and peanuts together for that unforgettable taste you crave.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Duncan Hines® Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
Baking Instructions:

1. Prepare and bake brownies according to package directions.
2. Mix marshmallows and walnuts with Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Frosting and spread generously on cooled brownies.
3. Top with additonal walnuts, if desired

Time with the Fam

My sisters were able to come and help me after the birth of Ella. Jamie and Walker were here for one week and then Aunt Jill came for the next week. Hannah loved playing with Walker and taking all his toys and of course she loves Aunt Jill... the perfect playmate. We will be so sad when our time with fam comes to an end. I wish we lived near family, hopefully someday!

Good Friends

This is such a cute picture of Hannah with her good friend Serenity. They have a ton a fun together and we are grateful for good friends!

All Mixed Up

Hannah is so funny.... she is a huge singer. Constantly singing... she knows so many songs, so I guess the time would come that she would either (voluntarily or involuntarily) mix up the songs. The other night she was singing and she started out "I am a Child of God" and then shouted "Cleveland rocks". Not quite the same genre, but at least she got both in, right?. It was so funny.

PS - Cleveland Rocks is an older rock and roll song that of course, Chris taught her.

great photo

I have a lot of pictures that rotate as my screen saver. And this picture is one of them. For some reason, I just love this picture. It is of Hannah and her Uncle Brian at Sequoia National Park. What fun they are having, I think that is why I like it so much, you can see it in the photo. So, here's to you Uncle Brian!

Sister Bonding

Here are some pics of Hannah reading to Ella. I am noticing that most of my pics of Hannah are her reading. She loves to read and as a mother, I love it.

Fashion Help

I found this cool website that breaks down different celebrity styles and where you can find them for much cheaper than you would think. It is called Frugal Fashionista . It is fun to look at and pretty helpful in finding great fashion deals.

Something Orange

What a success story we have in our family! Hannah ate carrots and loved them. I can't believe it we added something orange to her appetite. Now Hannah will eat, cereal, Ham and cheese, tortilini and mac and cheese, strawberries and grapes and now we can add carrots. This is huge ... a little beta carotine in our little one's body... yippee!

Music we can both listen to

I don't know about you, but I am getting tired of listening to the same music again and again in the car. If it isn't Veggie Tales then it is nursery rhyme or Disney. Hannah has to have her music or else..... but I came up with a new solution, where we can both be happy. I made Hannah a mix of music that she loves from different movies she loves but by artists I like too.

For instance... "I like to Move It" from Madagascar or Jack Johnson songs from Curious George. One Little Slip from BareNaked Ladies on the Chicken Little Soundtrack and Sheryl Crow from the movie Cars. She loves these songs because she knows them from the movies and I like them because they aren't nursery rhymns.

We also have a few other songs thrown into the mix, thanks to the indoctrination of music from my husband... Songs like Shake your Boon Boon (which Hannah loves and shakes her Boon Boon with the song), Car Wash and other 70's disco hits.

We will keep the nursery rhyme and Veggies Tales, but we have added to our collection. So, if you are tired of listening to the same old songs... try making a mix from movies your kids might be watching.

Weird & ME

So, I have been tagged to share 6 weird things about myself... this was hard. But here it goes.

1. I loved the movie Grease so much as a kid that I tried to write the script out line by line. I got about as far as 15 minutes into the show and had over 20 pages, so I decided I might be in over my head.... luckily I came to my senses, what a waste of time.

2. I have a love-hate relationship with Pottery Barn. I love the catalogs and their interior design - I would like to think my home is somewhat reflective of their look and feel. But I hate them too! First they are so expensive and some of their items aren't even that good of quality (you shouldn't have to pay $1200 for something you have to assemble yourself) and the pages of the catalog are not reality. I want what they portray, but come on, when you have children and a real-life household, is it really possible to achieve what they display on their pages! I say NO - I just wish I could stop wanting it so badly.

3. I can't remember birthday's to save me life. I am the worst. I have tried so many different approaches to try and remember and still am the worst. So, to all my friend's out there that never get a birthday wish from me... I blame it on a diagnosed disease called birthdalitis. Hopefully they will come up with a cure someday.

4. I can't eat whole tomatoes. I like tomatoes and am able to eat them when they are diced, but to eat a whole tomatoe (either fresh or canned) actually any size tomatoe bigger than a grape ... I just can't do it. My husband often gets eats my extra tomatoes, because he can't bare to see them go to waste.

5. I love the color red. If there is a product that you can get in red, I will be whatever extra cost to get it. My toaster, my kitchen aid utensils, my razr phone...I tried to get a red kitchen aid mixer, but when I bought mine, they didn't have red yet... so sad, I had to settle for blue. Someday, I will trade it in for a red one. I think I have an unhealthy addiction to the color RED!

6. My second toe is longer than my big toe. They say it is a sign of royalty... all I know is that it makes me go through nylons about 3 times faster than the normal-toed person.

As for tagging someone else. I will stop the madness, I think everyone has already been tagged.

Fairy Princess in the house

Hannah received a fairy princess costume on her 2nd birthday, but hasn't been able to fit into it until now. I pulled it out of the closet and it was an instant hit. Especially the wand and the tiara, it has been to bed with her several times. thought I would share the cute pictures of our new fairy princess. (Try to overlook the pajamas underneath, a bit distracting, but representative nevertheless).

February's Memory Cards- For two now!

here are the memory cards for both Hannah and Ella. I think I will be able to keep this form of keeping memories up... hopefully. Click on image to enlarge and read.

Daddy's Little Mini-Me

Chris was getting the crib ready for Ella and of course Hannah was by his side. I kept trying to get her away, so he could just work, but she informed me that she could help daddy. She kept telling him "I can help." So, she grabbed some tools and mimic'd her dad. It was pretty cute.

As if she wasn't daddy's little girl before, this last week of them being together non-stop has made it even more true. I could hear Chris singing to his ipod and then hear Hannah singing, repeating what he was saying. It was so cute. Daddy's little Mini-Me.

Where's Baby?

There is a baby in there somewhere! Hannah loves to give hugs to Ella and when she does, Ella disappears in all that hair. Let's call it "hair love".

Mommy Realization

So, although I am nervous about being a mom of two (any advice from all you mommies of two or more would be greatly appreciated) I did realize something of great importance today. I think that I actually might be a better mom of two than I was at one (at least in one aspect). I am so aware of making sure Hannah doesn't feel neglected or replaced that I am more attentive to her needs and playing with her.

Now when she asks to play a game or read or blow bubbles I think to myself "you go and do it, so she knows you love her and the baby hasn't taken all my attention" whereas before I would play with her but sometimes I would say "just one second Hannah, let me finish this" or "play with yourself and I will join you in a minute".

I might be showing my faults as a mom, but it came to me today that being a mom of two children might be increasing my willingness to try and be even a better mom than before. Just something that I learned today, thought I would share.

The New Williams Clan

We are so excited to have Ella home. I thought I would quickly post some pics while Chris has Hannah and Ella is a sleep. I am overwhelmed by the thought of being a mother of 2, but thrilled at the same time. As stated, she gave 2 weeks early (which I loved not having to be pregnant those 2 last weeks). She was breech and so had to come by c-section (which means that will probably be the only way I ever give birth.) She looks a lot like her sister did, but still is her own person. She has the blackest eyes right now, that remind me of an "alien" (a few cute alien, I might add). I am doing better than I thought I would and feel good. Chris has been the best husband ever and I am so thankful for all that he has been doing! So, for now that is it. Loves to all!

And then there were 4...

We welcomed our little girl, Ella Jane Williams, on February 17, 2007 at 9:56 p.m. She decided to come 2 weeks early and we are thrilled to have her here with us. She was born 6 lbs 13 ounces and 19.25 inches long. Everyone is doing well. More to come...

Safety Man

Can't help but love the guy :-) This is Chris ready to paint Hannah's room. Not a stitch of him exposed, but somehow he still got paint in his eye. Go figure. He has been working hard this weekend and I think it might actually get done this weekend. We will see, it always takes longer than you think.

My Manifesto for Creating

Well, Ali Edwards asked her readers to create a personal mission statement about why they create/scrapbook. Since, Chris is busy painting the room, I thought I would sit down and think about mine. Something do to and be creative. Here are two thoughts.

The first one is an equation that sums up my creativity in a nutshell.

The second is my list of how I create.

1. Learn as you go... for someone that is such a huge planner, this is quite contrary to my nature. I tend to have to have everything figured out before I do anything, but when it comes to learning... I figure you can learn as you go... I personally learn more that way.

2. Make it up.... I can't tell you how many times I haven't known how to make or do something and for fear of messing it up, I procrastinate. But 9 out of 10 times I just dive in and make it up, it turns out better than I expected. For instance, I have this wooden shelf thing that needed a new canvas cover. Did I have a pattern or really even know how to sew... NOT AT ALL. But I just dove it and the darn thing looks great! Cuter than if I went and bought it.

3. Organization. Like I said, I am all about organization and planning. A place for everyting and everything in its place. For me, it encourages creativity and happiness. Some people may call it an "illness" (my husband) and some people call it a "talent" (me).

4. Do as Others Do. I have come to realize that I get my best ideas from others. At times I feel bad that I look to others so much for inspiration and ideas. But I have come to realize as a mom, I can only do so much and my brain can only create so much on its own. I need help and luckily there are others more talented than me that I can learn and be inspired from.

5. Follow Thru. I am notorious for starting a project and having great ideas, but not finishing or taking forever to finish. Or having an idea and that is it. I like to finish projects, it makes me feel good, but sometimes just the creative process is enough and the productive process takes a back seat. So, I have to work on following through with more ideas.

6. Share Talent. I tend to keep my talents hidden under a bushel. I need to share my talents with other more. First of all, to give to others and to let others know what I can do that is different and unique. Everyone loves to be acknowledged for the things that make them different. So, everyone no matter what your talent - share it with others.

Rules to Live By

I came across this website where this guy created these great "rules" to live by. So, I thought what a great idea .... I will re-create them and print them out as 5X7 photos , frame them and put them on Hannah's wall. So, when things settle down and I have more time to devote to the "details" of Hannah's room, I will get frames and hang them up over her bed. What a fun way to help her learn about the basics of life.

Days Late but feeling better

Well, after being sick for the last 11 days and feeling my worst on valentine's day... the day came and went. Not much fanfare in our household, which is too bad.

Although, I realized what a big holiday it is (not realizing, since I don't have kids in school). At Hannah's dance class everyone had valentine treats to pass out (except us.. didn't even cross my mind). Then several of Hannah's friends came by and gave her valentine's too. (thanks Firpo's and Serenity).

I managed to make Chris' one of his favorite meals, but that was about all I could muster up for the day. We discussed it being a low-key day as far as gifts go, so Chris didn't get anything (since I couldn't get out to get him anything) and he brought me home a ton of magazines and chocolates. I love them, the magazines will come in handy while I am recovering in the hospital. I just can't look at them for a couple of weeks (that is the hard part).

Other than that, that was our holiday. We will do much better next year!

Big Sister Story Board

Thought I would make a story board with these photos. Enjoy!

What is a Big Sister?

Well, Hannah is learning. My friend Sheryl bought Hannah these books about being a big sister. We have been reading them every day. I think it is sinking in... she talks about being a big sister, so hopefully this will help her adjust to the big day.

Too Beautiful

So, these are the flowers that they had at my shower. Aren't they so beautiful!!! I didn't even play with the coloring at all. This is what they really look like in real life. I get a little feeling of "happiness" each time I see them. Thanks Jen for the flowers, I love them!

Running Song

Since, many of you are putting together music for running songs, here is another one to add to the mix. It is called Flathead by The Fratellis. Apple is using it on their new ipod commercials. Just thought I would share... it just made it into my latest mix. Check it out

Pregnancy Memory Card

Here is my memory card for Ella's pregnancy. I have to be just as good at keeping her memories as I have been with Hannah, so here we go.

Love Pirate's Booty

I rediscovered an old time favorite. I totally forgot about this stuff, but it is so good. Pirate's Booty White Cheddar Cheese Rice Puffs. I had some today after probably 3 years. It was so good. If you haven't tried it... go and get some.

Our Wall Collage

After a year of wanting to put a collage of pictures on the wall, I have finally done it. I was nervous about getting them up on the wall in the right place, but decided to just do it. And I love the way it turned out. The middle picture I am keeping blank for now, it will be a picture of Hannah and Ella when she comes. But I am relieved it worked out and I love having pictures of our family showcased on our wall... It makes me so happy to look at each day.

My Attempt

I am constantly looking at other photo blogs and admiring their photography. I wonder how they capture moments without capturing faces. They crop and manipulate their photos to look so good and actually tell a story. I think it is hard for me to take photos or crop them so there are no faces. I love it when others do it, but I don't know if it is for me. But here is my attempt to do the same. This is a cropped photo of the ones below. I don't know that I capture the story the same, I guess it just takes practice and finding my own point of view.

Pics for the Fam

Well, not much going on with us, but I took some pics of Hannah so that I could have something for the family to look at. I hope you enjoy. As you can tell, she is wearing mommy's shoes and loving it.

Easy, Cute and Cheap

I need to take pictures of Hannah, so that the site will be interesting for my family, but until then I wanted to share these fun little cards that Flickr sells. They are called Moo cards. I love the idea, but couldn't really figure out how I would use them... but it came to me today. I am going to use them for Ella's baby announcements. You might wonder how? Well, you will have to wait, but I am excited I think they will work and will be easy, cute and cheap... I love when that happens. Well, just wanted to share this fun little item.

Christmas Day in January

Today is the day I have been waiting for.... we brought home our new minivan.... a 2007 Honday Odyssey EX-L. It is beautiful and so luxurious after driving around my 10 year old Honda civic. The last month of pregnancy will be that much easier, now that I don't have to get in and out of the small, low Civic. The Minivan has all the luxuries a mom could ever want... and a child for that matter (with the DVD system) Thank you, Thank you Chris!

January '07 Memory Card

It isn't the end of the month yet, but since we aren't going to Disneyland anymore, I figure we can close this month's memory card. I have revamped my memory cards for the new year. Hope you enjoy! (click on image to read).

Great reading for Insomniacs

So, it is midnight and another night of not sleeping, so I went online and found this site (from my sister) that has some of the most interesting facts. Things you have heard about, but might not really know much about. So, if you can't sleep or have time to read.... check it out. Neatorama

Whimsical & Unique

During my daily EBAY fix, I came across the adorable baby blankets. Cocoa Bean Boutique Oh, my gosh. The fabric choices are so great, it would be hard to choose just one. I probably spent an hour looking at all the cute blankets/fabrics. Now, I am trying to decide if I should just buy one or make one myself. It is super easy to make, but I am working on another sewing project right now and I think when I am done with it, I won't want to sew for awhile.

New Must Have

Well, I haven't ever thought about investing in something like this, until I realized, how much I would use something like this. It is the Skip Hop Pronto! diaper kit. It seems like a luxury, but when you think of changing diapers for the next 10 years, always having to have wipes and a diaper with you (just in case) and carrying them with you everywhere... this doesn't seem that "luxury" anymore. I figure I am always carrying a bag of wipes, a diaper or two and have given up the pad because I have too much (but wished I hadn't when I step into a public bathroom), so this little products keeps it all packed up in a nice little package. So, I am hunting a NEW one out on ebay... wish me luck.