She Is a Strange One, But I Love Her!

My daughter LOVES the bath, LOVES it!

Cranky? Throw her in the bath!

Sleepy and want to keep her awake? Throw her in the bath?

Teething? Throw her in the bath and she is bound to forget about it.

This morning I gave her a bath, and rather than play with the dozen of toys that accompany my daughter at bath time, she was infatuated with the faucet. Not only was she licking it, and pressing her face against it, she was holding full on conversations with it in Grace talk.

I do not want her to grow up, but I honestly can't wait to see what she comes up with when playing make believe as a toddler!

Apps for the Tech Savvy Mom

I've been meaning to post this for a while. A friend of mine is considering buying a smartphone and so it reminded me that I had left this post on the back burner for a while.

My husband and I purchased smartphones this summer. I was incredibly resistant at first. Why do I need so much internet on my phone? I have a computer for that. Do I really need fingertip access to my e-mail? The answer was a very big no. However, Ken really wanted one, and we were lowering our minutes, so the data plan (with Ken's discount) had us breaking even with what were were initially paying. My husband is weird and won't buy himself things of that caliber unless I get something equal to it, so we took the plunge.

And,
I have to admit,
I love my smartphone.

It's so much more than having the internet and e-mail. (Although I use that too. I'm the queen of googling things I don't know, and my phone makes it that much easier.)

Over the last 9 months, I've stumbled over quite a few really useful apps that have made life, and motherhood a bit easier, and I thought I'd share my top five. (Did I mention their free? I have yet to buy an app.)

*ShopListFree

This is a grocery list app and I love it! I can add things that we need throughout the week and shop for them on our weekly trip to the store. I also always have my list on me at all times (and I won't loose it in the mess I call my purse), so if I stop at the store midweek, I know exactly what I need to pick up, without having to rack my brain too much. It allows you to check items off and get rid of them as you go. It also has different sections you can separate your items into, which makes getting in and out of the store quickly, really easy.

*MyFitnessPal

This app is a calorie and diet tracker. You can put in your weight and your goal weight, as well as how many pounds you want to lose and it calculates how many calories you should take in daily. You're also able to add in what you've done for exercise and it will subtract your calories burned from those you've consumed. At the end of each day, after you submit your entry, it computes what you'd weigh five weeks from that date if you continue to consume/burn that same amount of calories. I use this A LOT, not too say that it always keeps me inline when it comes to eating healthy and exercising, but it does put things into perspective.

*Cozi

This is a family calendar. Anyone in your family can sync to the same account and have easy access to dates and appointments that involve everyone. You can also set it to send texts or e-mail reminders. I just recently downloaded this app and haven't use it too much, although it's a great concept. I imagine if you have older kids with phones that this app could prove to be really helpful. For example, Fenix doesn't have a smartphone, but he can still get text reminders for events I have put into the calendar.

*LoveFoodHateWaste

This a great app for trying to figure out what to do with left over food. All you have to do is throw what you have left over into the "blender" and the app spits out recipes that incorporate those foods.

*BestBudget

One of my goals this year was to be better at writing and sticking to a budget. I think in categories. We spend this much on food, this much on gas, this much on utilities, etc. This app is organized in that same way. You create categories for how your money should be spent and saved. When you make a purchase, it subtracts it from the category you select. This app is easy and intuitive and runs without a hitch. The only thing I don't like is it doesn't synch to Ken's phone. I initially had an app called EEBA, where you had similar categories, called "envelopes", and that did synch. Unfortunately it was painfully and oddly slow.

*KitchenDial

This app converts measurements for you. It's quick, simple, and pretty handy.

Of course there are others I use as well, like Pinterest, the Idaho Statesman app (my smartphone has made it so that I am psychotically always up to date on local news), and WebMD, which I use to self diagnose myself with strange illness. But the ones above I can actually argue as being useful:)

In Need Of an HGTV Intervention

My big goal for spring break was to finally finish decorating my daughter's room. I've worked on it little by little over the break. I also wanted to finish a book, trim my roses, build a raised garden bed, and lay down for at least one nap a day with Grace (not to nap but to hold her). I've managed to accomplish all of the latter, but Grace's room is still in the works.

I probably should have had her room decorated before her arrival...you know, the whole nesting thing. In my defense her room has been set up for over a year now. It's the decorating thing that has had me at a standstill.

I can't make decisions in regards to decor.

It's too much pressure.

What if it looks terrible?

What if I have to do it over?

Do I need a theme?

Should I paint her walls a different color?

There are too many ideas to choose from, how the heck can I choose?

You get the idea. Many a day did I pray for an HGTV intervention that unfortunately never came.

So, after much debate, this is the direction I'm going in:

I refuse to paint her entire room...at least for now. That was too big of a decision to make:)

Her room will be sans theme. I just couldn't narrow it down to just one thing, unless you count eclectic as a theme. There are certain things in her room I can't part with just yet, which makes giving her room a theme nearly impossible.

For example, I have a collage frame with pics of my mom, Grace's aunts, and myself all wearing the same hideous cowboy outfit...and guess what? I'm going to make Grace take the same picture and add it to the frame. Yup, I'm THAT cheesy!

I have this HUGE teddy bear Ken gave me our first Christmas that sits in the corner of Grace's room and makes a great pillow for sitting and reading.

My belly cast from when I was pregnant.

Numerous photos and a beautiful poem Elise, Sharlee's mother wrote for Grace.

And last, a cross-stitch my mom made ages ago. Yes, that's right folks, a cross stitch.

To add to the hot mess of decor I already have going, I'm building one of those cubbyhole shelf things for her toys, books, stuffed animals, etc. (By building I mean all the pieces are coming out of a box from target. I didn't mean to scare you!)

I'm painting a cherry blossom-ish tree in her "reading corner".

Putting up forward facing book shelves, as well as repainting some old shelves from my mom's house.

Phew! It's a lot. A week is plenty of time to get that all done in, but truth be told, a baby at your feet slows down the process a tad.

At this point I have made 2.5 of the four forward facing book shelves. Which means, I have a very busy weekend ahead of me.

So, if by chance you see Monica Pederson,





or any of her HGTV cohorts just hanging out with nothing to do, please send them my way.

Tricks of the Trade

Grace is just a tad over ten months old, so I definitely can't claim to be an expert on motherhood (but really, can anyone?). I have however, learned a few tricks of the trade that I thought I'd share.

These are just a few things I've learned in the last ten months that have made mommy-hood go a bit smoother.

*Nurse if you can. This isn't really a tip or a trick, but once you get the hang of it, it makes life much easier (and more affordable). We all know it's what's best for baby, but there are some selfish perks as well. It's significantly cheaper than formula. Grace still nurses and I pump, but we supplement with formula when I work. Even THAT is expensive, so I can only imagine how spendy it would be if she had formula all the time. On top of that, it allows your body to burn extra calories, without the effort of exercise. I gained 35 pounds in my pregnancy. I've lost all but five. (My goal is to be back to my prepregnancy weight by Grace's birthday.) I know there are woman who dropped all their weight within a few months, but I'm just not one of those, and if I can drop these last five pounds by May 8th, I'll be content. I have only recently (as in the last few weeks) started exercising on a regular basis again. (I know, I'm not proud of this fact, but baby and work have kept me busy.) The majority of my weight has come off without much effort on my part, and I attribute that to extra calories burned because of nursing. (Now, I have a feeling these last five pounds are planning to stick around until I work them off. Which is a completely different story/post.)

*BRAT-Bananas-Rice-Applesauce-Toast. Works great for a baby's upset belly (can we say explosive diaper?). Anytime Grace's belly is having issues, or even my step-son's for that matter, we serve up at least one of these four.

*Cranberry juice helps you rid yourself of excess water weight. How is this a mom tip you're wondering? When I came home from the hospital I insisted on stepping on the scale. My daughter weighed 6 pounds and 12 ounces, but I had only lost six! I don't remember going into the hospital bloated, but I definitely came out that way. My legs were like balloons. I blame it on the meds they give you right after birth to help your uterus shrink. It took almost two weeks for my legs to return to normal, and during that time I drank a lot of cranberry juice, and it helped. Plus, it's just plain delicious!

*I've been a pretty lucky mom when it's come to my daughter teething. However, when her teeth are bothering her (and sometimes just when I need to quickly clean the kitchen), I hand Grace a frozen washcloth with applesauce in the middle. I make the washcloth ahead of time by wetting the washcloth, spreading applesauce in the center, twisting, and then tossing into a plastic bag and into the freezer. When Grace's mouth is hurting her, I hand her the frozen washcloth. The cool cloth feels good against her teeth, and she also gets a sweet and healthy treat as the cloth begins to thaw out.



*If you're planning to make your own baby food (also cheaper than buying already prepped baby food), make it ahead and freeze it. This is what we've done with the majority of Grace's food. At first I was trying to make it almost daily, and I just couldn't keep up. By the time we get home on a typical school day, we only have a few hours until bed, so I started making the majority of Grace's food on the weekend and then freezing it in ice cube trays. In a typical ice cube tray, a cube equals one ounce. This makes it super easy to determine how much food to heat up for baby. When it comes to using frozen fruit and veggies, you can unfreeze it, cook it, purée it, and then freeze it one more time.

We just recently started freezing chicken. I cooked a chicken breast up, stuck it in the food processor, and then froze it in a freezer bag. If we end up eating something for dinner that Grace can't, I just pour a little puréed chicken in with her veggies and heat it up.

*Always pack an extra set of baby clothes in your diaper bag (above picture illustrates what happens when you don't:), if not two. Also, ALWAYS keep an extra diaper and wipes in your car. ALWAYS. You'll never know when you'll need it.

*Another thing you should always pack is a plastic bag.

Just recently we had an incident where I did not have extra clothes, and I have learned my lesson. I took Fenix to his first soccer practice last week. It had been a super long day. We had been in the car the majority of the afternoon. As I was walking up to introduce myself to Fenix's coach, I noticed that Grace was beginning to smell pretty rank. I didn't dare look down. Instead I quickly introduced myself to Fenix's coach (and prayed he didn't mistake the wretched smell as me) and booked it back to my car, only to discover that Grace had completely (COMPLETELY) blown out her diaper. I changed her in the back seat, and she had to ride home in just her diaper. Luckily I didn't have anywhere pressing that I needed to be. Most public places frown upon a semi naked baby:)

Well, there's a few tricks I've learned a long the way. I'm sure there are many I didn't think to mention, and quite a few more that I'll learn, and hopefully remember to share:)

I'm not much for ending on a question, but if you're a mom and you have any other tips you feel like sharing, please leave a comment, or blog it and leave the link. I'd love to add a few more to my mom bag of tricks!:)

Walk This Way

Grace and I took a stroll today to check out the new walking path they are putting in behind our neighborhood. It doesn't look like much right now, but we are psyched for it to be finished, so we can reap the benefits. As of right now, our walks consist of a plethora of turns down the various streets in our neighborhood, and we are looking forward to the change in scenery.

We decided to trudge through some of the path before they lay any cement or gravel down. Possibly not the brightest idea after a day of rain. Our thirty minute walk turned into sixty, as I attempted to walk as much mud off the tires of Grace's stroller as I could.

The walk felt good, and the prospect of a new walking path had me fantasizing about summer.

Summer walks in the morning before it gets too hot.

Ken making dinner on the grill.

Evenings spent on the patio with a glass of white wine.

Mornings spent on the patio with a cup of coffee and a good book (can you tell I love our patio?)


Needless to say, I am ready for summer.

So, here's to the new walking path and the quick arrival of summer.

"You're hair looks really flat today, Mrs. Dietz."

"Um...O.K. Thanks for that."

"I didn't meant it in a bad way. I just mean it's not as poofy as it normally is."


I couldn't decide which part was the insult:)

March Already?!?!

After writing that huge recap of how my family spent 2011, I made a blogging vow that I would never do that again. Or, that I'd at least make it easier by posting monthly updates. Well, January came and went, and then February sped in and out just as quickly, and now here we are at March 4th, and I have yet to post an update. So, here goes.




*The beginning of January seems so long ago at this point, that it seems weird to be blogging about it now, but I'm going to:)

We rang in out new year with our friends Alan and Tara. We got the boy and the girl looking spiffy, and took off for a night of games, good food, and superb company:)





*Grace started crawling at the start of January. She had been close to crawling for the last month, if not longer, and finally it just clicked. She has been on the move ever since, and has definitely been giving us a run for our money. Her favorites are crawling for dog toys, bowls, bones, etc. If it belongs to the dog, she wants it.

She also started pulling herself up to a standing position within a few days of crawling for the first time. It looks like our next big adventure is walking, and I have some mixed emotions about it. Doesn't it seem like I was just recently posting newborn photos of her? Now, she's crawling and on her way to walking?! How did that happen? I was told by many that it would go by too fast, but I did not even realize what that meant until she was here.

*Grace turned 8 months old on the 8th of January...






and then 9 months in February. (Four more days and she'll be ten months!) Taking the monthly photo continues to be a trial:)



*We took the kids to the Boise Aquarium and made them try on horribly embarrassing costumes (and prayed that no one who tried them on before had lice).



*We celebrated my birthday by having dinner with friends and a game night. The game night didn't end up being much of a game night, but we had a good time nonetheless. I got next to no pictures of the entire night, with the exception of this one:



My husband makes a pretty good cherry chip cake. Ken claims it's because he used the Kitchenaid, which just makes me laugh because it was a boxed cake:)

Let's see, what else have we been up to?

*Grace has started feeding herself and using a sippy cup.






Of course all the finger food has meant extra baths. Somehow she has the ability to get food EVERYWHERE! In her hair, behind her ear, mixed into her eyebrows, in her diaper, behind her knees...EVERYWHERE!

Lucky for us, she loves the bath. I'm looking forward to taking her swimming a lot this summer!

*Fenix went skiing for the first time on a class trip and had a blast. I have to admit I was nervous for him. He tends to overthink stuff and freak himself out, and I was worried he would get there and then get scared. When I told him skiing might be be kind of scary, he replied, "But I can always just ride the ski lift." I had to explain that when you ride the ski lift you have to then ski back down. He did great though!

*Fenix also started doing some weekly chores and earning an allowance. He's been obsessing over a game called "Mindcraft", and is hoping to save up his allowance so that he can buy it. I attempted to take a picture of him on payday, but he was having none of it, so you'll just have to settle for this:



*Grace went to the park and played on the swings for the first time and LOVED it!






*Grace and I had lots of failed attempts at indoor photo shoots. The whole crawling thing makes our limited space in the living room a little tricky.



*I did, however, gather a bunch of really cute photos of Grace and Fenix.

Here are a few of my favorites:










That's pretty much the gist of the start of our year. We're looking forward to March and spring break, and more than that, the arrival of summer. If these next few months go by as quickly as the last, then it will be here in no time!