A Chalk Art Gallery

When we moved into our current home, I knew I wanted at least one chalk board wall in the house. Since it was my first experience with chalk board paint, I decided to start small and use the longest wall in the laundry room. It ended up working out perfect because our laundry room connects to our garage, which is the main door that we use to go in and out of our house. My daughter and I would draw funny or sweet messages for my husband to see as he left for work and came home in the evening. Now that my husband has changed to primarily working from home, the chalk wall isn't getting much action. I decided tonight to make revamping the chalk wall a family project and it ended up being a lot of fun. First, we cleaned all the chalk off of the wall so we had a blank canvas. Next I had my daughter pick out some of her art work to hang and had her decide where to hang them on the wall. Then came the fun part....we used chalk to draw picture frames around the pictures in different styles. I think it turned out super cute and it got my daughter interested in drawing on the wall again. Even the baby got involved. It was a fun little Sunday evening project.

My budding artists.

 



 

 

I think we will periodically change out the art and maybe even do themes for the art that we hang up like winter themed, portraits, etc. I also need to pick up some colored chalk to make colorful frames and drawings. Our own little chalk wall art gallery.

 

Now we move on to do the less fun Sunday night activities like making lunches and all that fun get ready for the week kinda stuff! Night night!

 

 

 

Have you ever used chalk board paint?

 

What kind of artsy/fun projects have you done?

Strange Signs That You Are Living With A Toddler

Today as I was cleaning my house, I came across several things that my BC (before child) self would have thought to be very strange. Since this is my eighth year in Mommyland, it all seemed quite normal to me, but I decided to share them here and see what other parents think. Take a peek and tell me if this is/was normal for you during the toddler years:


1. Snacks and crumbs hidden throughout the house

Mrs. Piggy is going to have some explaining to do when she brings these babies home.

 

 

 

2. Tiny toy booby traps EVERYWHERE

Toys everywhere the eye can see waiting to attack your bare feet or to send you flying across the room. Sadly, in my experience, the toys just get smaller and more painful the older they get (Legos anyone?)

 

 

3. Fingerprints on everything

For some reason even their clean hands leave sticky fingerprints. Weird...and kinda disturbing.

 

 

4. Random items in even more random places

Today I found this DVD sleeve in the bathroom shoved under the counter. Perfectly normal.

 

 

5. The bathroom door appears to be stuck in the open position





Now I didn't find this one while I was cleaning, but you cant talk about having a toddler and not mention how impossible it is to get a minute alone, even in the bathroom. Shut the door and instant screaming will commence. Using the restroom alone is a LUXURY.....a very, very sad luxury.

 

 

So there you have it...these are some "normal" everyday occurrences around here. All in all...its pretty awesome! Hope your day is great!

 

 







 



Not Eating A Red Pear

Apparently my eight year old did not like the fruit I gave her with lunch today.

This is what she wrote for the "thankful tree" today at my in laws-

"I am thankful for not eating a red pear."

Good times. Hope your day was great!!

Mom Hack: Keeping Bibs In Arms Reach

I always forget to put a bib on my baby until it's too late. At one point I could buy stock in stain remover, it was that bad. That all changed though when I started to attach the bibs to the highchair. Now they are right there in arms reach and, not to toot my own horn, but I think this was one of my more genius ideas. The highchair we have has a bar that runs across the back and it is perfect for bib storage.

Gone are the days of ruined shirts and stain remover madness. 

Just thought I would share because, I don't know about you, but I love any tips that make mommy life easier! 

Do you have any mommy hacks to share? 

Gold Cats, Gnomies, And Toilet Mugs....Oh My!

In celebration of my thirty fourth birthday this week, I have decided to list the top three gifts that I have received from my amazing husband over the years. Now this is the part where other blogs would take the time to say they aren't bragging, etc, but I think after you see them, you will understand why I did not feel the need to say that here. I will say that I absolutely and truly loved these gifts, but that most people will probably feel confused rather than jealous after seeing them. So, with out further ado, here they are (in no particular order)

1. My Gnomies

Rollin' with my gnomies.

2. A Gold Cat

Apparently this waving gold cat brings good luck. I think it brings good taste.
(Gnomie photo bomb!)

3. A Coffee Mug...That Looks Like A Toilet

I keep this gem in the guest bathroom with a bottle of poo-pourri in it. Its the gift that doesn't stink.

So there they are...my top three gifts in all their glory courtesy of my loving hubby. Don't be jelly.

Disclaimer: As a 34 year old mother of two, I promise I do not use phrases like "Don't be jelly" in real life. I only do it here on the Internet where I can be totes anon. Fo shizzle.

New Baby Essentials-A Boppy Update

It has been a little over a year since my Boppy post and we are still going strong. I no longer use it for breastfeeding, even though she is still nursing and probably will be until college. Instead, I now use the Boppy as part of our bedtime routine.  I must first explain that my baby is a horrendous sleeper. After trying numerous methods and reading countless blogs and books on getting baby to sleep, I have decided to just deal with it and try to be as calm and comfy as I can during the hours it takes to get her down at night. That is where the Boppy comes in. I simply put it around my waist, lay her on it, and sing until she finally drifts off to dreamland. I will then gently tiptoe to her bed and take about five minutes inching her down into her crib. Once she is down, I begin the slowest walk known to man out of the room and if I detect any movement, I will promptly hit the floor and army crawl the rest of the way out. It is a looooong process and I am so thankful that, with the Boppy,  I can at least sit down comfortably instead of the holding and pacing I used to have to do. So, in the past year, I have used the Boppy for not only nursing, but for bottle feeding and bedtime. Not bad for around forty dollars! 

This is a reenactment of how I put my baby to sleep every night. In order for it to be accurate, you must imagine the bunny's arms and legs flailing while simultaneously pulling my hair and screeching for at least 45 minutes. Good times.  

 

 

Have you tried the Bobby or similar product?

How do you get your baby to sleep?

A Very Important Question.

Am I the only one who watches shows and movies on cable even when they are available uncensored and commercial free on Netflix? I do this on a daily basis from 11am-1pm when Gilmore Girls comes on ABC Family. Please tell me I am not alone in my weirdness.

 

Did I mention I have all 7 seasons on DVD as well? Don't judge me.