Friday Favorites/ Baby Name Update

Happy Weekend! Okay it's not my weekend and that makes me tiny bit bitter. After work tomorrow the fam and I plan on heading to the pumpkin patch for pictures and fun. Tonight, we are thinking a fun hockey game!! I am super excited. I have also been doing some online shopping too, there are some great deals going on right now!! You didn't come here for me to babble, here are my current faves!! Oh, and stick around for a bracket update!!

Fashion Find:

Lularoe
also seen on me here and here 

My Lularoe leggings, I live in them. Even after several washes they are super soft!!

Toddler Fashion:

from Cotton On

Although Mackenzie is "Elsa" for halloween. I love this mask! It would be perfect for dress up.

Yummy Treat:

Pinterest

Second week of Whole 30. Things are going great but, I crave all things unhealthy right now! Maybe you can indulge for me?

New TV series:

Scorpion

I love the return of too many shows. Hubby and I watched this and we both like it.

Halloween Decor:

Parenting Magazine

I am hoping to recreate some of this with my mom!!

Blog:

The Little Things We Do

I love her ideas and tips living with a toddler and newborn.

Book:

The Best Yes

I can't get enough of this book! So Good!! Everyone is getting this for Christmas!!

Now onto the baby name bracket!!

We should be down to 4 but, we have a tie with 2 names. So, we decided this is our bracket and we can do what we want!! HAHAHA! We have a final 5.

Point update:

Dawn: 70

Amy: 68

Kim: 63

Marnie: 56

Karm: 54

Joel: 54

G.G.: 44

No longer able to get points: (these people no longer have names in the running)

Myk: 68

Wendy: 63

Rhiannon: 51

Nicole: 50

Heather: 45

Vanessa: 39

Justin: 34

Lonny: 26

See you soon with another update!!

Dorinda

Mackenzie Update/ Friday Favorites

I wasn't sure how I wanted to write this update. Although, knowing I did want/need to, since I haven't updated on her in awhile. I did not want to do it how I used to because all favorites would be toys and I thought that would be boring. I love reading the blog Snappy Casual and she does updates in a list fashion, I thought of doing that and Little Baby Garvin (another favorite) does a Friday favorites list. So I have decided to try and combine the two. Let's see how this goes....

Mackenzie at her 2 year checkup was 24 lbs, and 34" tall. She is definitely growing but is still a tiny little girl.

Mackenzie

True size probably 18 months although I put her in/ and buy 2T

Diaper size 4 might be able to still fit in 3

Shoe size 5

• talks like crazy and everyday surprises me with new words, says 3 to 4 word sentences
• loves football
•  terrorizing  loves her animals (although Leela and her are best friends when outside)
• Loves to help in the kitchen
• Lives outside, once out you can never come back in!!
• Loves taking selfies

Some of our favorite activities are:

Going to the library

Swinging (which she hated until about 4 months ago)

Going to the gym daycare bonus if we take her swimming afterwards

Slides including the super scary waterslide at our gym

threading pipe cleaners in a colander (spends like 20min at time doing this)

Favorites in general

football

mickey mouse (bickey bouse)

coloring

balloons (bouys)

Favorite toys

baby stroller and babies

Melissa and Doug birthday cake (happy birfday)

doc mcstuffins doctor set

Favortie foods

pizza (asked for daily at each meal)

(she recently asked for a pizza party after seeing a Chucky Cheese commercial)

Mac and Cheese

Smoothies

She also sleeps in a "big" girl bed, is in the potty training process and I am trying to get away from pacifier but, break down after I hear "bink please". Can get out of tub by herself (not so great), daily has to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Loves to head bang to any and all music but boy bands are her favorite. 

There is my Mackenzie update. I hope you enjoyed, should I do more in this style? Maybe every couple of months?

Dorinda

DIY: Cheap Chalkboard

I know I said I would be posting a new point on my "Fight Like A Girl" series each week. Since this topic is so important to me I want to make sure I spend a lot of focused time on each point so, I will post every other week. Also, I plan on blogging again two times a week here shortly.

Until then here is how I made a super cheap chalkboard to last until I find the perfect frame to make my own.

Start off with one black and one white poster board. Measure 3" in and draw a square. This see through large ruler really helped!

Cut that square out with out cutting the edge. Give inside square to your toddler to draw on to keep them busy!!

Next hand draw your frame outline. I just rounded out the corners, use a cup to help keep it perfect. I also rounded out the edge. You only have to do half of the frame, just carefully fold in half before cutting to ensure they both match.

Glue the black poster board and white frame together.

Cut off any showing black.

Measure string across the back and glue down, near the top. I chose to use string so I can take it off the wall to draw on.

Draw on your board with chalk.

To erase use a slightly damp cloth, I found wet wipes worked great. There will be residual chalk, that just makes it look more realistic. When it gets two worn down just replace the black. Also, I am going to try painting it with a thin layer of homemade chalk paint? I will let you know how that goes.

Thanks, have a great week!!

Dorinda

Christmas favorites

It's hard to believe that Christmas was 3 weeks ago!! Time is going by so fast! I wish it would slow down more!

Here are our favorites from Christmas and these are all things we are still using.

Baby:  wagon/ farm/ mega blocks/ owl: similar/ puzzles: similar

Mommy: books/ long sweater/ bring it on the musical

Daddy: Shave club/ ammo/ Skillet shirt

I don't think the wagon pictured is quite right but, my parents bought this for her and she loves it! It even came with skis that you could replace the tires with to use in the snow. So far that's all we have used it for. The Little people farm is quite funny she, loves to make all the animal sounds and open the door and sing the song. The mega blocks and puzzles are played with daily! She has become a pro at these puzzles I may need to find her more. Even though the puzzles are playskool I was unable to find any matches online. My aunt made the owl she carries it around yelling hooooooo! A few other favorites not pictured are a barbie doll her bestie got her, a princess phone a friend gave me that her daughter had outgrown, and a Sophia blanket, doll, and pj's.

I got 5 books for Christmas!!! I was super excited this is the series I chose to start with and I love it!! I am almost finished with the last one. I think I will post a mocked up picture of what my empty shelf would look like because I have been a reading fool. My husband bought me these and he is smart to have bought me all three if he would have bought me one, I would have ran out and bought the others right away!! He also got me the sweater that I have been living in! I could not find it online though, I got mine at Costco. Bring it On the Musical!!!!! Sister in law got me tickets, I CAN'T WAIT! It's coming to town in March.

Husband didn't want anything for Christmas but here are a few things he got. Dollar Shave Club Membership, so far he really likes the blades and loves the Shave butter. I am thinking the shave butter will be great for Easter, they only sent a sample with his first box of blades. He also got ammo, I don't think the box pictured is what he got. We got to see Skillet in town last week and while we were there his sister bought him a Skillet shirt because, the one she got him for Christmas didn't fit. If you have not seen Skillet in concert I would recommend it!! Great show!!

Those are all our Christmas favorites, this year was truly a blessing and I can't wait to see all this next year holds. Any Christmas presents you are still loving? Any one read the Divergent series? Did you like it?

Here are some pics of us using Mackenzie's wagon in the snow!

Until next time,

Dorinda

Our Christmas!

Hey, Everyone our Christmas was a whirlwind of busyness, and I was determined to enjoy every last minute of it!!

Here was how our house was decorated this year. Minus Mackenzie and our room. Mackenzie's room I put up her pink tree from last year and hung some snowflakes above her bed!

Mackenzie's tree

washi tape decor

It all started with Mackenzie's bestie coming over on Monday. I had her all day and it was a blast!! The only bad thing was with 2 toddlers by yourself you can't take pictures! boo!!!

playing with washi tape

The girls' had a busy day. We wrapped presents, after I wrapped them in craft paper they stuck stickers on them. We baked chocolate chip cookies for Santa, also made homemade play dough. After the nap they tested the cookies with some "hot cocoa" chocolate milk with marshmallows in it. They also played with washi tape. Seriously though this is the best way to entertain a toddler, I also have used painter's tape. Just stick a bunch of strips on a table and let them peel and stick on.

Tuesday (Christmas Eve) we always spend with his sister, my BFF! Usually we cook a nice meal but, since me and hubby had to work, panda it was! After dinner we put on pj's and opened presents! Then off to look at lights! When we came home I still hadn't wrapped any presents, so time to wrap.

christmas pj's

opening gifts with aunty

cats loved the boxes!

Christmas morning we opened stockings in bed! Favorite tradition! Then came up and opened Mackenzie's presents before family came over. I made apple crisp oatmeal for breakfast with bacon (what is a holiday with out bacon?), we also had "special juice"; which is juice with more that one flavor. My family came over for breakfast and after breakfast we opened more presents. Although Max saw one of her presents before breakfast and loved it!! Her little happy dance is so cute, I must get it on video!! That was her new wagon my parents got her! Mondo and I can't wait to use it!! It also has like ski things to put on to use in the snow. I am going to see if I can track down a canopy for it for summer use!  I will post another blog on what our favorite presents were, I don't want to take up to much of your reading time! 

stockings

new headband!

opening gifts with mommy and daddy

Add caption

her with her new wagon!

playing with gramma and granty before breakfast

she moves too fast for pictures

Of course after breakfast and family leaving we napped, then went to my mom's house for a super yummy dinner! And we also skyped with his family in Minnesota!

attempt to get a family pic

her outfit

another shot

Day after Christmas we all went over to my cousin's house for our day after celebrations. This is probably one of my favorite things! We eat leftovers and play games with extended family! LOVE IT!!

How was your holiday? I have a lot of posts to catch up on, so stay tuned!!

Dorinda