CTBaker in the Acres: 09/2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

Forget-me-not Friday

I don't want to forget:

Today, when I picked Oliver up from preschool he had a special request as we were buckling up to go home. He asked that his Happy Meal dinosaur that he took for show & tell (it's "D" week) sit next to him in the vacant seat. He was very concerned about his plastic friend's safety, as he asked me to buckle him too. The entire way home he said "talk to him, mommy!" over and over again. I think he just wanted Mr. Dino to feel like a part of the family! So I did just that. I made idle one-sided chit-chat with a toy dinosaur and it made Oliver as content as ever. He is currently napping and sharing his bappy with Mr. Dino!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

My Birthday is Coming! My Birthday is Coming!

My (3?th) birthday is just around the corner in the beautiful month of October! It's just a smidge under a month away. I love celebrating birthdays. Anyone's. Although, the older I get the less fun it is to celebrate mine...uuuuhhhg!

Even though I do not expect gifts from ANYONE, it's always fun to keep a running wish list.

If for nothing else, than to just keep track of things I'd like to save for or splurge on one day.

Here goes...

1. A new Swivel Sweeper. This mama ain't too proud to ask for a household appliance. My dad gave me one a few years ago and I used it on a daily basis. I just loved the convenience of not having to drag out "JAWS". Well, it just bit it a few weeks ago and I really want another one. It is perfect for the crumb and dirt trail left by the littles.

2. A heart rate watch like these by Garmin or Polar. It will make it a little easier to calculate my daily intake vs. output. I don't really need all the whistles and bells my running friends use. The simpler ones would do just fine.

3. I'd also LOVE some rocking chairs in black for my front porch...4 please! Well?!?! I have a big porch that I like to obsess over.

4. Next up...this is my totally unrealistic request... THE NEW SILHOUETTE CAMEO!!!! I. WANT. IT!

{I even conveniently researched the best pre-order price here and am posting the link just in case Shan wants to make my year...I'm not sure he even reads this dumb blog. Have I ever mentioned how much I love him!!!! ;0)}

Any who... that's just my little wish list. However, homemade cards and artwork are always welcome too.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Bullets, Pics, and Bull

I've got a case of the MONDAYS!

I love it when fellow bloggers do bulleted updates. It makes for a quick, easy read and you feel fulfilled afterward!

The last few really rainy days have left me a tad washed upin the blog department -hahaha!

So! I give you Bullets, Pics, and Bull...

If you were in "The Acres" then you were probably blessed enough to see the double rainbow around supper time last night. It was absolutely gorgeous. I have never seen a rainbow so vivid. From our perch the double bow was quite faint, but the other was magnificent. The sky had a yellow hue which made it stand out even more! The picture doesn't do it justice at all, but you can take my word for it.

I am a DD girl (~no, not like that~). One day last week my super presh husband treated me to a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Dunkin Donuts. Holy cow!!! It was A.MA.ZING! For me, Starbucks is way too strong, so I fancy DD. Any who... Given the $-price-$ tag of that cup-o-goodness, I had to find a recipe to make my own. My friend Shannon "pinned" one on Pinterest the other day and I decided to try it. It was pretty darn good. Hindsight, I should have used a creamer or half & half instead of skim milk, but other wise it was tasty!

Recipe and Photo here

Any who... I had a friend and reader tell me last week that she thinks I should rename my blog "ANY WHO". I've never realized it, but I must say it a lot. I think that's actually a cute name and something to consider. Who knows, once I figure out where I'm going with this blog, I just might do that.

It's the time of year when I start obsessing over which planner I'm going to buy to usher in the new year. I have a couple of friends (Southern Mama and Blue-Eyed-Bride) who have gone bonkers over the ErinCondren.com planners. I first discovered Erin Condren's fabu Life Planner on shutterfly last year after I had JUST purchased the MomAgenda, which I currently have and love. I was so bummed because I immediately fell uber in love with it. Erin Condren's Life Planner offers so much customization and something I have been longing for that MomAgenda has left out of the spiral bound planner...POCKETS!!! I looooooove a pocket! There's even a mini zipper case to hold stuff like coupons and stamps. I MUST GET ONE! I can't decide which one...

This one

or this one?

This summer Shan built an entryway bench and entertainment shelf to use in our den. We replaced our very traditional, dark wood, bonnet-top entertainment center with the new, more functional pieces. We got the plans from ana-white.com (LOVE THAT SITE!). I have a virtual notebook full of ideas I'd like to build. We picked this one and modified it for our needs. So if you know someone handy, it's a great place to find DIY furniture projects. Any who...My little bench was in need of a cushion; a soft place for the boys to park their little hineys and put on their shoes and to serve as extra seating if need be... so I made a cute striped tufted bench cushion! I think it turned out pretty nice!

(Apologies to Misty on this bullet...it was too good not to steal.) If you've gotten to this point then you're considered a "reader" and I am so happy to have you here. I have noticed increasingly more traffic on my blog. That, my friends, is exciting! Comments are what bloggers live for - nice comments that is. Please let me know you've been here by leaving a comment below (see that little link?) and give this lowly blogger something to live for. ;-) And if you feel compelled, you can subscribe over to the right. -----> That's right! Over there, under "subscribe". Go ahead. We don't bite.

XOXOXO

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Doctor, Doctor...Gimme the News!

Friday morning I awoke to a house full of crummy-feeling little boys. One had a sore throat, one had an ear infection, and one hasn't been sleeping well, so I had him checked out too. Once I told them we were going to see Dr. Laura they perked up (even saying her name is like magic!), almost enough for me to question their complaints. I told them if they were malingering (they loved learning that word) they'd have to reimburse me the co-pays and they would be taken to school at once ;-)!

In an earlier post I mentioned Sam's dislike for medical procedures. I forewarned him that a "swab" would be involved. Nervously, he agreed to be brave...uuuummmm, not so much! Like every time we go to the doctor, we have to create as much chaos as possible. Sam only had to be restrained by 1 nurse this time while Dr. Laura swabbed him, unlike having 3 in the past. Now, that's what I call progress!

That tiny exam room was making us feel a tad claustrophobic. While waiting on strep results, flu shots, and scripts they had miraculously re-gained all their energy.

So much that they literally began climbing the wall. In an effort to curtail boredom and to remind Sam in the future that a strep test is no big deal, we did a video interview. Fulton and Oliver wanted to join in too.

Unfortunately, because they missed school, they also had to miss Friday and Saturday practices and games and they were none too happy with their "mean mom"! Thankfully, they are all on the mend now and no one had to reimburse mommy.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Devoholic

Hi! My name is "The Manager" and I'm a Devoholic!

Wow! That feels good.

Y'all might remember my post on my "Devo-Bin". I have a bin full, shelf full, and Iphone full of inspirational and devotional books, blogs, and apps. You can't have too many, I don't think. I like them all for different reasons. I think it is so interesting that whichever one(s) I choose to pick up or click on they some how speak to me that day. (It's probably because I'm so screwed up and need so much help that ANYTHING could speak to me...even if a dog wrote it.) Seriously. It's almost as if I'm led to the WORD at the right moments. I LOVE THAT! Sometimes, even if I can't apply it to a current issue, I can reflect on it at a later date. I LOVE THAT TOO.

There are so many talented people who have the ability to minister through these devotionals and inspirational texts and websites. I admire the way they can reach out and touch so many hearts...hearts looking for direction, hearts looking to minister, hearts looking to heal, hearts looking to forgive. It really is an awesome gift, divinely granted.

I thought I'd share my faves.

About Children:
Book- Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian
Web (also available in print)- 31 Biblical Virtues to pray for Your Children

For Children:
Book- Veggie Tales 365 Very Veggie Devos for Kids
Web- Keys for Kids (register to have them come to your email inbox)

For Couples (together):
Book- Moments Together for Couples by Barbara and Dennis Rainey, The Love Dare
Web- Crosswalk Moments Together Daily Devotional

For Marriage:
Book- Power of a Praying Husband, Power of a Praying Wife both by Stormie Omartian

For Organization/Inspiration:
Book- More Hours in My Day by Emilie Barnes, The One Year Devotions for Women by Jill Briscoe
Web- Proverbs 31 Ministry

For Peace:
Book- Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

General:
App- (iphone) You Version Bible App, iTalk to God (free for iphone), Logos Bible (for iphone)
Book- The Essential Bible Guide by Whitney Kuniholm

Any who...thought I'd share!
Let me know if I'm missing out on any really good ones. I'm up for studies or daily devos!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Mama's lost her Mojo

Mojo! Mooooooooojooooooo! Has anyone seen my mojo?

Remember in my summer catch up post the other day I mentioned my quest to lose more weight?

No?

Oh well, you can go back and read it later.

Any whooooo...

I have completely lost my mojo. Back in May I started logging and paying attention to everything I put in my mouth. I adopted the motto "it can't possibly taste as good as being healthier feels." I was eating a very clean 1200-1500 calories a day and was never hungry, had very few cravings, and didn't feel guilty for splurges because I was in "my zone". I was going to the gym (Zumba, particularly) 5 times a week. By mid-June I was down 16 pounds. I am still down 16 pounds, which is good, I know. It came off slowly and I am obviously doing enough to keep it off for the past 3 months, BUT I just wish I could get my mojo-vation back. I was on a roll! But I have felt super lazy recently.

I feel like if I publicly put "IT" out there then I just might get it back.
I need to start logging again. I personally LOVE sparkpeople.com and their iphone app for counting calories. I also need to get back in the gym at least 5 times a week, again. I enrolled in a 10-session small group personal training with a friend of mine who is a trainer. I love it but it's only 2x/week and I am being kinda slack only adding an additional day or two to that in the gym. I have not been paying great attention to my eating habits and I REALLY want to. I have heard the breakdown is 80% what you eat, 10% exercise, and 10% genetics. I truly believe that.

I have a couple goals in mind...
Lose 25 more pounds and run a 5k (that's it) with a few precious girlfriends who have the same goal (one of them is right here). None of us have any intentions of being marathoners. We just wanna check it off our bucket lists. I also secretly want to do a triathalon, but I need to get through these other things first.

Before: April 2011

(this picture was my mojo-vation in the first place)

Now: September 2011

Ok. So that's a little better. But I gotsa looooooong way to go!

Now. If someone, anyone has seen my mojo, please tell it to come back!

Oh and prayers are also welcome. Thanks, y'all!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Circle of Life

Sunday, Shan and I took the boys and a couple of their friends to see the re-release of The Lion King. I never actually realized that it is one of the few Disney movies the boys have not seen start to finish. I have a fondness for that movie and couldn't wait for my boys to see it. So, we treated them to a movie date.

It is definitely one of my favorite animated movies of all time. The first time I saw it was back in 1994. Shannon and I had been dating a little over a year. (Wow!) We both loved it and for some reason still feel a sentimental connection to the movie. In fact, I loved that movie so much that I named 2 of my beloved college pets after the characters. My one and only cat , Simba (1994-2005), and my beautiful parakeet, Zazu, who I loved for several years during and after college.

I have seen it so many times, but the last time I saw it I was not a mother. I don't think I was even married. The parts of the story by which I was moved the most were very different from what they are now. Originally, I watched it and processed it as a child. I put myself in Simba's place, thinking of how sad it would be to lose your father and carry the blame. This time I processed it as a wife and mother; thinking about how awful it would be to lose your husband and have your child runaway, feeling guilty, and having the weight of the world on his shoulders. That would probably be the deepest of pain for a mama. On the lighter side Pumba and Timon offered the same comic relief as they did the first time around. They truly signify the importance of loyalty in a friendship. Adorable!

I loved hearing the boys's critique! Of course they LOVED the music. Who doesn't?!?! The soundtrack is crazy good! My favorite is the opening song, Circle of Life, it brings me to tears and covers me in goose bumps EVERYTIME! Everything about it is so beautiful, majestic, and peaceful. It's kinda funny that a cartoon can make you appreciate the wonder of the earth. Hakuna Matata is as precious as always. And the scene with Can You Feel the Love Tonight is so sappy, cheesie, sweet! I just love it! When I asked Sam and Fulton what they thought of the movie, naturally, they thought it was great. But it was very interesting to hear Sam express those same feelings from the perspective of a child as I had when I first saw it. I told him I felt the same way before I became a mama, but now I feel differently. He said, "yeah that would be sad for your child to be gone for so long. I bet she missed him a lot."

Any who... I guess the "circle of life" does go on. I was glad to be able to share a long-time favorite movie of mine with my boys. Hopefully, they will tuck it away as one of their faves too.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Fulton's Birthday Party (2 of 2)

Part 2 of 2...
In case you missed part 1---it's here
The birthday boy requested a small group of friends for his birthday this year. He wanted it to be a Scooby-Doo Mystery Party! I was all over it! The possibilities are endless!!! It's a perfect backyard party theme. There is something so quaint about a backyard party - ya know?

The hour-and-a-half party was filled with games and clues to slove a mystery.

I'll set the stage for you...

The kids were busy playing "Scooby-Scooby! Where's your bone" and the Freaky Phantom Villain (a.k.a. Boppa, Fulton's Grandad) crept into the backyard and swiped all the birthday presents. When the game was over, we discovered that all the gifts were missing. The phantom had left a trail of clues!!!

Any who...here are the deets!

The Invitation---designed by moi!