Cold Temps & Warm Hearts

This past weekend brought friggid temps (can you fathom -10 degrees?) which required a lot of cozy-hunkering-in kind of moments. With my hubby having to work both Saturday AND Sunday, Leila and I were left to our own devices. That being said, we ventured off on an hour+ long car ride to the hubster's parentals house to visit with them and his sis and her fam who were visiting for the weekend. OMG did Leila sure have a blast with her cousin Beau!

Can you see the crazy resemblance between these two?












So, Saturday was spent lounging on couches, inhaling homemade brownies (with marshmallows AND frosting), watching kiddos jump on beds, and catching up with family. It was fabulous! We headed home with warm hearts, that's for sure!

As for Sunday it was still a day spent hunkered inside all warm and cozy, but not quite as much fun. Leila was needy. Billy (our doggy) was needy. Mommy was needy. And, Daddy was working. Basically, remember how I said that we had the BEST day last Thursday during our snow day at home? And remember how I said it totally made me wanna be a SAHM? Well, yes I would still like to spend more time at home with my little lady, but Sunday drove me batty. For some reason little miss Leila was extra whiny and wanted me to hold her all the time. Billy had an upset stomach and also wanted me to hold him all the time. I basically just kept looking at the clock, counting down the hours until Andy would be home. The highlight of our Sunday? Meeting my momma for an early Mexican food dinner! And let me tell you, a hot enchilada with some rice and beans warmed my heart right back up!

Two more random tid-bits from our weekend:

• Leila ate a chicken nugget!!! For those who don't know, my daughter is a self proclaimed vegetarian and this just about blew me away! Never has she wanted anything to do with them before!


• Leila ate out of every box of cereal we own. See below.

HAPPY MONDAY!

My first snow day with my daughter!

And by snow day I mean over a foot of the white fluffy stuff causing cancellation of Leila's "school" which forces me to stay at home with her all day. Poor me! :-)

We have had the BEST day! Lounging and eating and playing briefly in the friggid temps out in the powdery goodness. Funny that I was dogging the snow yesterday, huh? Well, when it allows me the most perfect excuse of staying home from work and bonding with my daugher, I am loving it! Me and snow are like BFFs now.

Wanna know what I love about this pic? Leila's precious little mouth saying, "Snow!"




Poor Billy...the snow was up past his belly and he had a heck of a time finding the right spot to potty.


Wanna know my fave part of the day? Leila went down for a good 2.5 hour nap and I lounged on my bed and watched some Baby Story on TLC. (No, that's not my fave part, this is...) Right at the end of an episode as a baby popped out and the mom and dad were crying with joy, I lost it. Got all teary eyed and weepy. Then I heard my precious say "Mama" from down the hall, ran and scooped her up, she gave me the hugest smiles, we ran back to my room, jumped back in bed and snuggled together. She was so happy and giggly and cuddly...I loved every second of it.





In a way I got a little teeny weeny taste of life as a stay at home mom. Now I know it really is much harder than my day was today, but if it could even be half that good 50% of the time, sign me up. This just gives me more motivation to tackle my dream of finding something I can do from home to make a little $ and be able to spend more time with my funny girl. The fire is a burning!

Oh, I must leave you with one last pic! Now I know you probably don't care to see my feet again after the last post, but this one captures the color a little better (and my mini-me feet, too!):



Peace out!

Wise Words Wednesday: Snow, Snow, Go Away!

"A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water." - Carl Reiner

Photos courtesy of Daddy, who took Leila out to play while Mommy was at work.

This is what God gave us today (quite a contrast from this past weekend, eh?). A beautiful dusting of snow. The problem? It's almost friggin March and I am sick and tired of winter! Boo! So, to make myself feel better I decided to remove the dark, depressing purple color on my toenails and replace it with this:


Trust me, these are MUCH brighter in person/daylight! HOT PINK!

Ahhhhh! I feel better already!

Happy Hump Day!

A FABULOUS weekend full of failed dreams & failed technology!

And no, I am not being sarcastic. Our little family had the BEST, most relaxing weekend despite a few issues. Obviously I failed in one of my Dreams To Do, sleep training Miss Leila Jade (see previous 2 posts). BUT, I have officially decided that this is not considered one of my "dreams" anyway... so I'm removing it from the list! I am no longer afraid to admit that I love snuggling my little princess at night and we're gonna keep on co-sleeping.

Another bummer side of our weekend included the fact that our massive TV died and the Trojan.Zefarch virus took control of our computer again. So it was a no-go for technology this weekend. We just had to order a part for our TV, which should be here any day now, but as for our poor computer, we're pretty much giving up. Yes we are getting the mac book that I'm always drooling over...we just don't know when yet. It's a HUGE purchase so we're looking for deals and taking our time deciding on exactly what we want.

Anyhoooooo, These little annoyances of the weekend are what ended up making it so fabulous (along with a little bit of sunshine, too)! Since we couldn't watch TV or play online, we ended up spending much more time enjoying eachother's company... and getting the house awesomely clean! Oh yeah! And, we played outside in the glorious sunshine, too:

Leila absolutely LOVES being outside!


Coming after daddy with a branch...


Our new little garden gnome - he will be much happier once he's surrounded by tulips!


He He! Snack time for Leila & I thought it was pretty...


Beautiful flowers from my darling hubby...


As for progress on the quilting front, yes I have started to cut my squares. I really should have taken advantage of my downtime this weekend to get some more done, but I'm not gonna lie, I had much more fun loving on my daughter and hubby all weekend. Love them!

Happy Monday!

Sleep Training The Beast: FAIL

Last night was a joke. I lasted maybe 40 minutes with Leila crying and putting her back down and crying, etc. until I couldn't take it anymore. I bundled her up in my arms and snuggled her up in our bed until we were both sound asleep. And I don't regret it. Andy and I talked about it and neither of us are really willing to let her scream all night when, for now at least, we sleep perfectly fine with her in our bed (minus the occasional Pillow Hog episode). So, we may end up with a child in our bed for the next several years. But ya know what? I was the same as Leila. I woke up in the middle of the night and crawled in bed with my parents until I was probably about 6 years old. They never once said I wasn't allowed to sleep with them. Eventually I just decided I would rather be in my own bed all night. And I turned out just fine! (jury is still out on that one I guess... he he!)

So, tonight we will resume our routine: Leila down in her crib around 7:30pm, Leila cries out for us around midnight, Mommy (or Daddy) stumbles down hall to get Leila, then we all sleep peacefully until 7am-ish. And life is still good!

Sleep Training the Beast: It all starts tonight!

Maybe. I really do plan on attempting to get the pillow hog to sleep in her crib all night tonight, but here's the deal... I love snuggling her and I don't want to make her cry! She's my baby! It tears me up inside when she cries so hard she can barely breathe (especially when she is crying "Mama! Mama!" between big sobs). So, the plan (or lack there of) is to NOT go and grab her out of her crib at the first sound of a whimper. We will go in and lay her back down. And then go in and lay her back down. And then do it again until HOPEFULLY she will fall back to sleep. Ahhhh, it sounds so easy when put that way. But I know it will be hell. And the reason for the "maybe" at the start of this post is because, in all honesty, I don't know how I'm going to react in my half asleep state in the middle of the night. I don't know how strong I will really be. And part of me maybe feels that I don't want to get her to sleep in her own bed. Part of me just loves having her close and being able to kiss her cheek in the wee morning hours. But, the other part of me knows that I don't want her to double in size and still be hogging my pillow. I guess it is better to train the beast now.

But how can I bear to hurt this precious creature?











Oh, you will be getting an update on our first night tomorrow!

In other news, our older car (my first car I got when I was like 16) was broken into the other night. Sad, right? Funny thing is that NOTHING was taken or broken or anything. They just got in the car, smoked a few packs of ciggs, and left. We just have a nasty smelling car now. Just thought I'd leave you with that little enjoyable tid-bit.

Happy weekend! TGIF! (except for me who will get hardly any sleep tonight)

Wise Words Wednesday: Boy do I sure need some inspiration...

"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up." - Paul Valery

Wake up Ariel! Wake up!!! Yes, this is me yelling at myself. So I know I had a super positive "go me" kind of post last week, but right now I'm not feeling too hot. I feel like I started the year off with a bang, but now a couple months in I am starting to revert to my old ways. I've been watching a little too much sleezy TV (but, oh how I love you Bachelor & Teen Mom) instead of tackling the mountains of laundry calling my name or the toilets that need to be scrubbed... not to mention my dream list! Sure, I bought quilting supplies, but have I done anything with them? No. I'm slacking.

I REFUSE TO LET THIS HAPPEN!

Tonight I am taking action. I will not sit on my arse. I will DO something. But first I must add some humor to this post:

Leila = not a fan of the camera...

Love is in the air...

Happy Valentine's Day!


Please don't judge my messy face, just my cuteness!

Ahhhh, a day dedicated to love. Gotta "love" it! Me and Valentine's Day have had our ups and downs... from days where a bag of cutesy character cards hung off the back of my gradeschool desk to days where I cried when my boyfriend didn't buy me flowers to days, like today, where I look at my daughter and husband and see pure love and know that nothing else matters. That is what Valentine's Day is really about. It's about seeing and experiencing and sharing LOVE. I am such a lover of love! Cheeseball me.

As for my Valentine's Day 2011, it really wasn't anything extraordinary. I worked. I had a fab lunch with my bestie work girlfriends (at a romantic Italian restaurant!). I picked up my Leila love from daycare and have spent the rest of my evening playing with her, cooking a delicious dinner with my wonderful hubby, and just relaxing. Actually, it was perfection. Andy and I decided a couple of years ago to forget about the flowers and the jewelry and the junk of Valentine's Day and just focus on eachother. And it is worth it! (No stress in buying a gift or wondering what he'll do for me... just extra time with eachother)

Enough of the day. You are probably wondering how progress is coming on my little quilt. Not gonna lie...haven't even touched it. The fabric is still laying on the desk just like the photo in the previous post. BUT, it WILL get done.

I'm on a roll!

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I am on fire this week! The week started off a little rocky with Leila spiking a nasty fever and us getting hardly any sleep, but things are looking up! The boss man called me into the office the other day to tell me how awesome I am and let me know that I'm gonna get a sweet little bonus on my paycheck tomorrow (can you say mac book pro?). Then Leila started feeling better. Then I started getting a burst of energy and cooked a wicked good meal tonight (chicken biscuit bake... yum yum!). And, I went to the craft store and got the rest of my supplies to start my mini-quilt!

So, when I got home from work today this is what our office looked like:

Yikes!


But, after a 10 minute power clean this is what I have now (don't ask what the inside of the drawers look like):

My new sewing area!




And supplies to make a little quilt!


As far as when I'm going to get started on said quilt, I'm not so sure. And, as far as a pattern goes, there isn't going to be one. I'm winging it baby! Stay tuned...

Wise Words Wednesday: Destin Zen

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky." - Rabindranath Tagore

I would like to introduce you to my brave little nephew, Destin Zen. Destin was born with a "little ear," or what we like to call his Shrek ear. His hearing was tested shortly after birth to see if it was just an external deformity, or if it might be more. Unfortunately, it was more. He can't hear out of his left ear. But, he does have a super cool hearing aid called the Baja Band (it looks like a headband with a little box attached to it) that he wears during the day to balance out his hearing. The vibrations will help his inner ear to develop so that when he is 5 or 6 years old, they will be able to repair his ear and hopefully his hearing.

Anyhow, last night we had the pleasure of Destin's company along with my bro and sis-in-law. They spent the night so that they could take Destin to have a CT scan early this morning at the hospital right by my house (currently they live over an hour away). Destin is about 6 months old and they've started to notice that the left side of his face may have some nerve damage, too. So he had a scan to determine if it is something that can be fixed (and prevented from getting worse), or not.

Please, please, please keep this little guy in your prayers! He is such a happy, enthusiastic, strong willed baby boy! We are so blessed to have him as part of our family. And I am personally hoping they will come stay with us more often because we had such a fun slumber party last night!

What a "Super" weekend...

Ok, so I totally dominated our bedroom disaster and then this happened:



That is a beautiful photo of my Leila Jade, lying on the floor in a broken frame. I spent a good chunk of time today FINALLY getting this picture matted and framed and hung on the wall. After it was hung, I literally turned around to grab the camera (so I could share my work with you here on this little ole blog) and it fell to the floor and broke. Thank goodness the glass didn't shatter! I was soooo frustrated, though! So, Andy and I went out and bought a new frame (a much sturdier one) and here's what we have now:



There is just something about that pouty face that melts my heart. Sure we have tons of smiley pics of her, but this is the classic Leila face. I could just eat her up for dinner.

Besides dealing with a ridiculous amount of laundry, wiping Leila's snotty nose (yes, she has yet ANOTHER cold), and watching the Super Bowl (Go Packers!), we also got out on a wonderful, sunny family walk to the park! Check it out:

Warning: I will never get sick of taking photos of branches against a blue sky.


A lone skater on our frozen park pond...


My beauty playing in the park...






So, even among the craziness of dirty underwear and gameday junk food, we found the time to relax as a family. And it was wonderful. I heart the weekend.

As for my promise to figure out what to tackle next on the dream list, I want you to know that I ventured out to Hobby Lobby for the first time today. And it was closed. BUT, I DID go to the fabric store and buy some cute fabrics for a little test run quilt. Probably just something for Leila to wrap her dolls in. Ultimately, I would LOVE to make a large patchwork family quilt full of bright, colorful, random patterns and bits and pieces of special clothing from each of us... something I can pass down through the generations. I'm sure this will end up being a long work-in-progress type of project, but it will get done eventually. Stay tuned...

Me Time

Last night I was talking to a friend who has just ended an abusive relationship. Throughout the relationship she totally spent all of her time and energy taking care of someone who treated her like crap...she didn't take care of herself. As we were chatting, the wanna-be therapist in me came out (remember, I did get my degree in psychology). I told her that now is the time for her to be selfish. It's time for her to do what she wants to do. That if she takes care of herself and even spoils herself, that she may have a chance at being happy again and in turn the people around her will be happy.

As I was trying to drift off to sleep, my own words kept popping into my head. I started to realize that it is totally valid and even important to make time for yourself... for me to make time for myself. Me time. As a full-time working mom with a child in daycare, it is a daily struggle for me to not feel guilty. But, working makes me happy. It makes me appreciate every single second that I have with Leila and Andy. It keeps me sane. And, I actually like it. It is my "me time." Working may actually even make me a better mom! I mean, if I'm happy then they're happy, right? Now, I'm not saying working part time wouldn't be better. But, doing what is best for you and your family is different for each and every person. Maybe if I were a stay at home mom I would be totally nutty! Maybe I would get depressed, or lonely. I don't know because I have never done it. All I do know is that I'm pretty happy now and I feel like I have a decent balance between myself and my family. And this little blog is just a little bit more of "me time." Allowing me to explore things I like, or may like, to do.

Speaking of that! I am totally torn between trying to sew a quilt (mind you, a baby quilt most likely) or pursuing my jewelry making dreams. What should I do? The lazy ass in me is just wanting to hunker in at home this weekend and do nothing. But, because of this blog and the things that I've started I know I need to go out and do something. That will happen tomorrow, I promise. But for now, I must tackle this:

Please don't judge.


Yes, that is our bedroom floor. And, we still haven't even unpacked from our trip (our suitcases just sit there staring at us at night, waiting for us to unload them). Having me time and having a family makes for very little house cleaning time. I know, no excuses! I'll just flat out admit that I am a crappy cleaner. But, I am getting better at cooking! Check out this stir fry...

Thank you Christine for Andy's wok! We are LOVING it!


Adios for now. I promise to touch on the dream list next time. :)

Wise Words Wednesday...& Hawaii Pics!!!

"It is better to travel well than to arrive." - Buddha

And travel well we did! Ok, prepare yourself for a LOT of my fav pics from our amazing journey...

Trying out the leash in the Seattle airport...(ha ha!)


My fearless beach babe...




We were in shave ice heaven (I miss it)...


The bird chaser...


Some BEAUTIFUL Hawaiian scenes...








My favorite series of pics...










The loves of my life...






And FINALLY, the family pics taken on our wedding beach...




Hope ya enjoyed the photo overload! Now it is time to get back to business... crossing off some dreams to do!