Things I used to splurge on...

The other day, I caught myself saying, "Well... I'd really like to find some new, awesome, yoga pants or leggings. Since I wear my leggings so much, I need some good, quality ones." 

Do what?! Who is this person who once said that yoga pants or running shorts do not an outfit make!?

Before I became a mom, my spending/splurge list looked kind of like this:

- Designer handbags
- Fancy shoes
- Pedicures every 2 weeks
- Fancy manicures to go with those fancy toes
- Lots of sunglasses
- Heels for each outfit
- Concert tickets
- Nights at the bar

But when you become a mom...
that list tends to change.

No, the spending and splurging doesn't necessarily stop, although it does slow down.  What really changes, though, is what you splurge on.

If I am going to splurge on myself, it's usually on something like this:

- A haircut...yes, you read that right... a hair appointment is a mom-splurge these days!
- A pedicure... oh, but I assure you they are not bi-weekly anymore!
- Ballet flats
- Salon shampoo/conditioner
- Anti aging skin care
- Yoga pants or leggings

Or if we want to look at household splurges, they tend to look like this:

-  Preschool tuition... ok, so it's not a splurge per se but it's a huge chunk of change!
- Tickets to see characters from Disney or Nick Jr *live*
- Dance class tuition
- That toy you couldn't leave behind in Target
 - Redoing spaces in your home to be more toddler-friendly

But you want to know what the cool part is?  

I would have it no other way.

So, what are some things that ya'll splurge on?

xoxo,
Linda

Potty Training: Prep

About one week ago, Lainey came up to me and this conversation occurred:
Lainey - I go to potty?
Me - Do you need to go?
Lainey - Yes, momma!
Me - Do you want to go in the potty?
Lainey - YES! 

And so she did.

And the rest is history...

Just kidding!! That was just the beginning!!

After the song and dance of praising a big girl, we headed to Target to officially start the potty training adventure.

Potty Training Shopping List

1. Potty seats for all of the bathrooms - We chose the Prince Lionheart WeePod Basix - They only had gray and blue; so I got gray for the downstairs bathroom, which has gray walls, and blue for the others.

2. 3M hooks to hang them all on next to toilets - Lainey got to pick the one for her bathroom while the other two bathrooms got plain hooks.

3. Pull Ups - I have also purchased some cloth training undies because these are a little big on Lainey. But she seems to grasp the concept of not peeing on Minnie or Cinderella, so I am going to stick with these for a little while.

4. Potty prizes - stickers, little candies, a monster truck and a couple of small puzzles - I haven't made an official jar or anything yet, although I do like this...but I have another idea.

I had one of these Thirty-One room organizers sitting in a closet, and decided to use it for the "potty center."  I am going to clip a laminated potty chart to it and use the pockets to hold some extra pull ups, wipes, and some of the prizes/stickers.

Some of you may know, I am not a huge fan of characters -- I don't particularly like them on clothes, bedding, or anything really. (Yes, I almost cringed at the Hello Kitty hook, but she liked it and it made her even more excited... pick your battles, folks.) So I took it as a personal mission to find a non-cheesy potty chart! It took some scouring on pinterest, but I found one! You can download it, here, if you want to use it in your home.  It's customizable so you can put your child's name on it.


So far, she's doing pretty well! I try to ask her every hour or so and she almost always goes when I take her.  And she's starting to ask to go! At school, I am sure it is trickier for her teachers since they have a dozen children.  But I am overly pleased and impressed that they are at least taking her so she can try.  

Tip: Adjust the water pressure in the faucet you think your child will use the most often.  Since Lainey insists on washing her hands by herself, we turned the maximum water pressure down in the sink she usually uses so that it doesn't create a giant mess or anything.

For now, no horror stories of potty training at {the nuthouse} - I probably just jinxed myself, didn't I?

xoxo,
Linda

Looking for planes

For the last two mornings, Lainey has woken up to be greeted by the smiling face of her grandfather, Pap. I can not even begin to tell you how many times my heart has melted watching the two of them as she has opened up to Pap while he's been in town.

But...

This morning was a little different.

My dad left to head back to Menno, South Dakota on a ridiculously early flight out of Richmond. He was watching the sunrise through the clouds, I am sure.

When Lainey woke up, she looked at me and said, "Momma! My Pap downstairs!!" Fighting tears, I told her, "Wellllllll let's chat about that.  He's actually not downstairs.  He is on a plane! How cool is that?!"  She looked at me a little puzzled.... then it clicked. A light bulb went off in that little head of hers and she said...

"Ok! I'm gonna go look for him!!"

She got dressed quicker than ever and didn't even fight me to leave the house.

Then as I carried to the car, she looked up the entire time looking for planes.  Looking for her Pap.

She didn't see a plane this morning, but I have a feeling we will be looking for planes for a very, very long time.

If you follow me on instagram, you have already seen our time with Pap, but I know not everyone is on there, so here's a recap of some of our weekend with him.

Until the next visit.... 

October can't come soon enough!!

xoxo,
Linda

Sour Patch Kid

I have been warned about the terrible twos and the tantrums that accompany. And believe me, we have hard our fair share of some gnarly temper tantrums lately.  It has taken me some time, but I am finally at a place where I {kinda} know how to handle Lainey's tantrums.  It's usually more of a let it roll attitude, but I have learned it doesn't help the situation if I try to stop the tantrum.  Trying to stop a tantrum usually turns into more of a headache.  I fuss at her to stop, she screams more, I fuss louder, she scream louder.  So, I just let her go... and after a few minutes, a couple of wall kicks, a thrash or two, she calms down.

What no one tells you, though, is that when your child turns two, they are no longer a toddler.

They are a sour patch kid.

Minutes before a tantrum strikes, I have a sweet and loving child.  Then the sour strikes and she is evil. And then, just as quick as evil strikes, she is back to being a loving child.

So, I kid you not... I think my child may be part sour patch kid.

xoxo,
Linda

a {not so} perfect announcement!

Ha! I know how all of ya'll think... the word announcement automatically makes you think I am pregnant.  If that's what you are looking for in this post, I can assure it is not here.

But if you are looking for lovely design work and someone to photograph your life's moments, then you have come to the right place.

I'd like to introduce you to...

my new {not so} perfect logo!

Hooray! 

Carly Reed Designs has knocked it out of the park... as usual! I really can not say enough how much I love working with her on projects!

I guess with a new logo, I should probably do something with it, right?

Good idea!

And so, the {not so} perfect photo facebook page was created!

Feel free to like it, share it, tag it, etc etc. If you're interested in book a session with me, just let me know! I'd love to chat!!

xoxo,
Linda

Step right up!

Well, it's only taken a month to get this post together, but step right up! Step right up!!

Welcome to the greatest show you've ever seen!

I love when you can pick a theme that is easy to put together, even though you guests may not realize it.  The party looked great and, in all honesty, it wasn't that hard to pull off.  

Pick a theme.

Pick key colors.

Go to town!

The Birthday Girl!!

Snacks for the show!

 Balloons everywhere!

 Yummy sweets!

 And no circus is complete without...

a clown!!

I wish I had gotten some good pictures of the tinsel banner and party favors.  But at least you will see the banner in an upcoming post. I love a good decoration that can pull double duty as a photo prop! 

Want to have your own circus party?  

 Here's some details on ours:

Invitations
I so wish I had a picture of the invitations to share with ya'll! If there's one thing I say to spend a little extra on... it's paper! I love good paper.  I love the feeling of handwritten notes and I love the smile you get when you get a piece of real mail in the mailbox. So, I tend to spend a little more than others when it comes to invitations and cards.  I love working with my good friend, Carly, from Carly Reed Designs.  She did an fantastic job with the invites and thank you cards!!
 
Food
We served really simple food -- hotdogs, popcorn, peanuts, Cracker Jacks, snow cones, and cotton candy.  Most of it I got from Sam's Club.  The popcorn popper is my aunt's and the snow cone machine we borrowed from another aunt. I only served 2 types of drink and then juice hugs for the kids.

An easy tip: use "food boats" from Sam's Club.  They are super cheap and very easy to use. Not to mention, they fit into the circus concession stand theme perfectly! 

Blue solo cups and red striped straws and napkins were the perfect touches to round out the table.

Decorations
Balloons were the major decorations for the party.  We had them everywhere. I bought big bouquets of them from the local party store.  Our store keeps polka dot balloons stocked, so yours probably does too!  We also had two GIANT red balloons at the gate to the pool.  I got them from a friend, but she bought them at JC Penney - they are part of the Matha Stewart collection.

Cake
I say it every time we have an "event" but my biggie is the BEST! She always makes the most spectacular and delicious cakes.  The tiny elephants on top of the cupcakes were from a toy store, so they aren't edible, but they were the perfect size so I couldn't resist. The glittery "2" candle is from my favorite store, Target!

Circus Attire
Lainey's dress was made by my friend, Yolande.  She owns LindyLoo Whimsical Wear and has made several things for Lainey. I absolutely love her dresses and fancy tops for Lainey!!

Petunia the Clown
Yes, I know... a clown?! Really?! Sure it may be a little over the top, but when your best friend's godmother is a professional clown and you're having a circus party.... it's too good to pass up!

Favors
I used popcorn boxes from the Target dollar section and filled them with bubbles, punching balloons, a tiny set of crayons from Target's Valentine's Day clearance, and I used paper tickets to fill the bottom.  I also found little snack cups from the same clearance as the crayons and included them.

Where did it all come from?
Alot of stuff for this party, as you read, came from Sam's Club and our local party store.  But I got a lot of the party "extras" from Shop Sweet LuLu.  I always love the stuff they have in stock.  Sometimes I can find similar stuff for a little cheaper, but some things I can only get there. 

Happy Birthday, Lainey!  We love you!!

xoxo,
Linda

Took a week off

Last week, we took a week off -- from pretty much everything. But don't worry, we are back and ready to rock!

I will be working on posts about the Circus party, birthday portraits,  and sleeping in a big girl bed - recap #2.

Here's what my week looked like last week...

 In the mean time, I hope you have a fantastic 4th of July!

xoxo,
Linda