Monday, November 29, 2010
To Pee or Not to Pee
Just a quick rant. When a pregnant woman is coming in for an ultrasound appointment, don't let the appointment before run late. Having a full bladder is not comfortable. Having a full bladder when you're pregnant is just painful. Having a full bladder, while pregnant, for an hour and a half, is excruciating. I was seriously considering rescheduling my appointment!!
I'm Walking on Sunshine
Our Florida trip was probably the best we've had since Benny was born. Before he came into our lives, the trips had an extremely different dynamic (obviously), thereby making them incomparable! This trip just went as smooth as a baby's butt (???). [I'm really tired so excuse the weirdness coming out of me!] We saw basically everyone we wanted to see and more!
Shuky's brother gave us his oceanside apartment for a night so we even got our little getaway we are always looking for. Granted, Benny joined us, but such is the life of a parent! He went to sleep pretty quickly, and I fell asleep right after he did! It's fun being pregnant!! The morning was really what made the experience. The apartment is a penthouse apartment so think amazing views, total relaxation. We had breakfast in pjs on the balcony. Then we threw on our bathing suits and walked across the street to the beach. Sat for a nice little while, playing in the waves (until Benny got thrown in the air from a huge one), drawing letters in the sand (only my boys would draw letters instead of building sand castles), burying Mommy's feet (amazing exfoliation trick).
Both in and out, we had crazy flight hours. As long as Shuky is traveling with me, I completely prefer that to daytime traveling! Benny was tired and slept alot on the flights and it didn't completely screw with his schedule. The airports weren't extremely congested yet so security was a breeze. Completely through in under five minutes, with a car seat and stroller in tow!
The rededication (renewal of vows) that we went out for was beautiful. It was great seeing all the family and the words shared were total tear jerkers. Benny had a ball dancing with all his aunts and uncles. The ceremony was hard for him to stay quiet through. He kept getting excited at all the planes passing by overhead. And yelling to point them out, of course. But it was just an extremely memorable evening. Great to see a love like that between two people. After 30 years of marriage, they are only stronger than before! May we all have love like that in our lives, whether it's the first try or the third!
As I write, I am chugging gallons of water down. About to go in for my 20 week ultrasound. Tomorrow will be my 21 week mark but we were in Florida so today it is. It happens to be that with this pregnancy, I have been drinking A LOT of water so this should be no biggie for me. I go through a 24 pack of water bottles at least once a week, if not more. Now that it's required, I'm obviously dreading it. And I need to pee already, not even halfway through my first bottle. It's going to be a long hour.
Gotta finish getting dressed now, just wanted to write while I had the quiet (Benny has a video on).
Shuky's brother gave us his oceanside apartment for a night so we even got our little getaway we are always looking for. Granted, Benny joined us, but such is the life of a parent! He went to sleep pretty quickly, and I fell asleep right after he did! It's fun being pregnant!! The morning was really what made the experience. The apartment is a penthouse apartment so think amazing views, total relaxation. We had breakfast in pjs on the balcony. Then we threw on our bathing suits and walked across the street to the beach. Sat for a nice little while, playing in the waves (until Benny got thrown in the air from a huge one), drawing letters in the sand (only my boys would draw letters instead of building sand castles), burying Mommy's feet (amazing exfoliation trick).
Both in and out, we had crazy flight hours. As long as Shuky is traveling with me, I completely prefer that to daytime traveling! Benny was tired and slept alot on the flights and it didn't completely screw with his schedule. The airports weren't extremely congested yet so security was a breeze. Completely through in under five minutes, with a car seat and stroller in tow!
The rededication (renewal of vows) that we went out for was beautiful. It was great seeing all the family and the words shared were total tear jerkers. Benny had a ball dancing with all his aunts and uncles. The ceremony was hard for him to stay quiet through. He kept getting excited at all the planes passing by overhead. And yelling to point them out, of course. But it was just an extremely memorable evening. Great to see a love like that between two people. After 30 years of marriage, they are only stronger than before! May we all have love like that in our lives, whether it's the first try or the third!
As I write, I am chugging gallons of water down. About to go in for my 20 week ultrasound. Tomorrow will be my 21 week mark but we were in Florida so today it is. It happens to be that with this pregnancy, I have been drinking A LOT of water so this should be no biggie for me. I go through a 24 pack of water bottles at least once a week, if not more. Now that it's required, I'm obviously dreading it. And I need to pee already, not even halfway through my first bottle. It's going to be a long hour.
Gotta finish getting dressed now, just wanted to write while I had the quiet (Benny has a video on).
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Halfway Gone
Today was my 20 week marker. All day, I had Lifehouse's 'Halfway Gone' running through my head :)
We've been having a great time here in Florida, extremely enjoyable! Beautiful weather, lovely company, good food, did I mention the amazing weather?
Just checking in quickly. Lots of love!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Things To Do, Things To Ignore
I just want to pat myself on the back quickly. I actually got Benny down for a nap today. At the correct time. You heard me, the correct time! So, obviously, now that he's asleep, I find myself on FaceBook and blogging. Because it's not like tonight is Shabbos and I have food to make. Or we are going out of town super early Sunday morning and I need to pack. Or I'm still in my pajamas. Nope. Everything is totally under control over here!!
Have a good Shabbos, an enjoyable weekend, and safe travels to all of you on vacation this coming week!!
**Slowly backing away from the computer**
Have a good Shabbos, an enjoyable weekend, and safe travels to all of you on vacation this coming week!!
**Slowly backing away from the computer**
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Beating the Winter Blues
I've been getting a few requests for lists of projects that are easy to do on an 'inside day' so I decided to do a post on crafts to stay stocked on and simple projects to keep your little ones entertained!
My craft box has essentials so that on any random day, I can pull it out and make something. When I am thinking of a specific project that calls for more, I go and get that. Whenever we go to WalMart or Target, I cruise through the clearance aisles to see what I can score for super cheap that can be used for crafts. We have a wall in the apartment that has been designated for all the art to hang. It's great! Benny points to previous projects and asks to repeat them. Or he tells me about how we made them. He really loves it! The other day, while coloring, he goes, "Oh gy gosh! (his version of oh my gosh) I love projects Mommy!!" Sigh. Love.
Anyway, here's what I keep in my box:
Alright, here are some quick ideas. Feel free to ask questions!
Let's start with some Thanksgiving crafts:
** Paper plate turkey - Paint a large paper plate and small paper brown. Glue foam feathers to the back of the large plate, and two foam arms to the front. Make a face on the small plate with eyes, a beak, and a gullet. Attach foam feet to the large plate so they hang off the bottom.
** Pine cone turkey - Cut out feathers from different colored foam papers. Glue them to the pines. Using a pipe cleaner, make feet and glue to the bottom of the pine cone. Make a beak out of pipe cleaner as well. Make a gullet out of foam and attach to 'beak', along with googly eyes. Attach beak to the pine cone.
** Hats - There are so many cute ways to enjoy the meal itself. Different hats are a great way to get everyone at the table involved and give your kids a little feel for what the history of the holiday involves. You can make Pilgrim hats, turkey headbands, Indian headbands. Another cute thing to do is make turkey beaks with a gullet hanging down, attached to a large popsicle stick, that can be held up to your nose.
Some other non-holiday crafts here:
** Hand creations - Easiest and one of Benny's favorites. I trace his hands on construction paper and then outline them with permanent marker. Give him some crayons or paint and see what he can create!
** Apple prints - This one calls for paints. (I prefer to use the washable finger paints unless I'm working with wood.) Slice an apple in half. Paint it and use it as a stamp on paper.
** Fish aquarium - Decorate blue construction paper/cellophane with fish and other marine regulars. Create a frame for the tank out of popsicle sticks. Use a pipe cleaner to make a handle on the top so it can be hung up.
**Egg carton school bus - Paint one side of an egg carton yellow (or red, if your kid loves fire trucks!). In the dips, glue pictures of friends and family members who would be riding along with you!
There are so many things you can do with random things at home. Just be creative and think outside the box! Hopefully this is a good start for everyone! Enjoy!
My craft box has essentials so that on any random day, I can pull it out and make something. When I am thinking of a specific project that calls for more, I go and get that. Whenever we go to WalMart or Target, I cruise through the clearance aisles to see what I can score for super cheap that can be used for crafts. We have a wall in the apartment that has been designated for all the art to hang. It's great! Benny points to previous projects and asks to repeat them. Or he tells me about how we made them. He really loves it! The other day, while coloring, he goes, "Oh gy gosh! (his version of oh my gosh) I love projects Mommy!!" Sigh. Love.
Anyway, here's what I keep in my box:
, 
, felt paper
Pom-poms
, fuzzy straws
(pipe-cleaners), popsicle sticks
, wooden letters
, I have googly eyes
somewhere but I couldn't find them for some reason
, fuzzy straws (pipe-cleaners), popsicle sticks, wooden letters, I have googly eyes somewhere but I couldn't find them for some reason 
Different adhesives - tacky glue
(craft glue) (I prefer the quick dry in clear), school glue
, glue stick
, wood glue
, packing tape
, and I also have a hot glue gun
(always good to have a large bag of glue refills
)
(craft glue) (I prefer the quick dry in clear), school glue, glue stick, wood glue, packing tape, and I also have a hot glue gun (always good to have a large bag of glue refills) 
Different mediums of color - washable finger paints
(I use plastic shotglasses
to give Benny a bit from each color), acrylic paints
, colored pencils
, crayons
(not pictured)
(I use plastic shotglasses to give Benny a bit from each color), acrylic paints, colored pencils, crayons (not pictured) 
, 
, 
and 
in a separate container for my use. Every roll of toilet paper or paper towel that gets finished goes straight to the craft box.
Sometimes I find craft kits in the clearance aisle or just super affordable. We have a sun-catcher kit that comes with supplies for 8, picked it up for $5 at WalMart. We also found a felt puppet-making kit at Hobby Lobby, priced at $4.75, with an additional 40% off!
On quiet days, I browse through different crafting sites for ideas - Oriental Trading, Rhode Island Novelty, etc. I keep a list in my box. When we have a hankering for a project, I just look through my list and pull out the supplies!
Even though it's not quite Chanukah yet, my father got Benny an early present (amazing sales call for early gifts!). We got him a Step2 Train Table that doubles as a craft table! We roll this out for the bigger projects. His little picnic table
just wasn't cutting it anymore! I really want to get a roll of white butcher paper
for large projects, keeping my eye out for good deals still.
just wasn't cutting it anymore! I really want to get a roll of white butcher paper for large projects, keeping my eye out for good deals still.Alright, here are some quick ideas. Feel free to ask questions!
Let's start with some Thanksgiving crafts:
** Paper plate turkey - Paint a large paper plate and small paper brown. Glue foam feathers to the back of the large plate, and two foam arms to the front. Make a face on the small plate with eyes, a beak, and a gullet. Attach foam feet to the large plate so they hang off the bottom.
** Pine cone turkey - Cut out feathers from different colored foam papers. Glue them to the pines. Using a pipe cleaner, make feet and glue to the bottom of the pine cone. Make a beak out of pipe cleaner as well. Make a gullet out of foam and attach to 'beak', along with googly eyes. Attach beak to the pine cone.
** Hats - There are so many cute ways to enjoy the meal itself. Different hats are a great way to get everyone at the table involved and give your kids a little feel for what the history of the holiday involves. You can make Pilgrim hats, turkey headbands, Indian headbands. Another cute thing to do is make turkey beaks with a gullet hanging down, attached to a large popsicle stick, that can be held up to your nose.
Some other non-holiday crafts here:
** Hand creations - Easiest and one of Benny's favorites. I trace his hands on construction paper and then outline them with permanent marker. Give him some crayons or paint and see what he can create!
** Apple prints - This one calls for paints. (I prefer to use the washable finger paints unless I'm working with wood.) Slice an apple in half. Paint it and use it as a stamp on paper.
** Fish aquarium - Decorate blue construction paper/cellophane with fish and other marine regulars. Create a frame for the tank out of popsicle sticks. Use a pipe cleaner to make a handle on the top so it can be hung up.
**Egg carton school bus - Paint one side of an egg carton yellow (or red, if your kid loves fire trucks!). In the dips, glue pictures of friends and family members who would be riding along with you!
There are so many things you can do with random things at home. Just be creative and think outside the box! Hopefully this is a good start for everyone! Enjoy!
Monday, November 15, 2010
He Needs To Know
Been feeling pretty 'blah' these past few days. I'm going to Des Moines for a project date with the Feeley boys today and I'm pretty excited to be getting out!
Originally, Shuky and I decided to keep Benny on a need-to-know basis about the pregnancy. Judging by the way Benny behaved with Baby Essie (Slater) and his level of rough-housing with me (specifically my midsection!), we decided it was time to start talking baby with Benny. So, we all sat down together to discuss it. We told him that there's a baby in Mommy's tummy. His response was: "Baby Moshe (Feeley) in your belly button!?!?!?!"
"No, Benny. It's not Baby Moshe!"
"Baby Essie in there???"
"Nope, kid. Not Baby Essie either! It's our OWN baby!"
"Oh."
Apparently, he was a lot more excited at the prospect of getting a Baby Moshe or Baby Essie. Was very cute!
The following day, without talking about it, I pointed to my stomach and asked if he remembered what was in there. He did. :) He started rubbing my tummy, saying, "Hi baby! How are you today?" The next day he came to sing the ABC's to the baby. Of course, like his father, he believes that my belly button is the intercom system so he talks directly into it!
When he gets too wild and I remind him, he 'makes nice' to my stomach, accompanied with, "I sorry baby!"
Originally, Shuky and I decided to keep Benny on a need-to-know basis about the pregnancy. Judging by the way Benny behaved with Baby Essie (Slater) and his level of rough-housing with me (specifically my midsection!), we decided it was time to start talking baby with Benny. So, we all sat down together to discuss it. We told him that there's a baby in Mommy's tummy. His response was: "Baby Moshe (Feeley) in your belly button!?!?!?!"
"No, Benny. It's not Baby Moshe!"
"Baby Essie in there???"
"Nope, kid. Not Baby Essie either! It's our OWN baby!"
"Oh."
Apparently, he was a lot more excited at the prospect of getting a Baby Moshe or Baby Essie. Was very cute!
The following day, without talking about it, I pointed to my stomach and asked if he remembered what was in there. He did. :) He started rubbing my tummy, saying, "Hi baby! How are you today?" The next day he came to sing the ABC's to the baby. Of course, like his father, he believes that my belly button is the intercom system so he talks directly into it!
When he gets too wild and I remind him, he 'makes nice' to my stomach, accompanied with, "I sorry baby!"
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
It's Hot, Then It's Cold
Today, my A/C is running. Benny went out without a coat or a hat. Shuky went out in short sleeves. This weather is really weird but, hey, I'm not going to complain about gorgeous weather in November!
Friday is my 25th birthday. I feel old. Imagine how the generation above me must feel!! ;)
Not much to report on the home front. We had a great shabbos with our guests from Postville (come back soon Slater family!) and the apartment is mostly back to the way it should be. I decided to keep the extra bed in Benny's room for now, makes bedtime a bit easier, giving us our own bed to lay on instead of curling into his! He actually loves it, "You go on the smiley face bed Tatty, I go on my bed!" Don't let that fool you into thinking night time is going smoothly. He just has something to be excited about until he realizes it's time to go to sleep!
Being that one can never travel often enough, we are getting ready for our upcoming Thanksgiving vacation. Almost a week in Miami. Sigh. I'm ready! Bring out the shorts and sandals, the bathing suits, the lack of homework for Shuky. Add a side of fries and a milk shake. We're talking perfection in the making!
In the meantime, I'm working on plans for winter break. As of now, everything keeps falling through. It may be a quiet vacation at home, as sad as that sounds! Not that this comes as a surprise to me, but planning trips without any money just doesn't have a way of working out. We finally rounded up enough mileage to make California the winning ticket and they bounced the flight costs up to double because of the holiday season. So now, my three tickets just became one and a half. Better than none, but still leaves me with a bill. No can do!
Oh, and I'm still below my pre-pregnancy weight. As I'm nearing my halfway mark, I'm really hoping this grossness is going to fade out sooner rather than later!
My show is fully buffered, it's back to Gossip Girl I go!
Friday is my 25th birthday. I feel old. Imagine how the generation above me must feel!! ;)
Not much to report on the home front. We had a great shabbos with our guests from Postville (come back soon Slater family!) and the apartment is mostly back to the way it should be. I decided to keep the extra bed in Benny's room for now, makes bedtime a bit easier, giving us our own bed to lay on instead of curling into his! He actually loves it, "You go on the smiley face bed Tatty, I go on my bed!" Don't let that fool you into thinking night time is going smoothly. He just has something to be excited about until he realizes it's time to go to sleep!
Being that one can never travel often enough, we are getting ready for our upcoming Thanksgiving vacation. Almost a week in Miami. Sigh. I'm ready! Bring out the shorts and sandals, the bathing suits, the lack of homework for Shuky. Add a side of fries and a milk shake. We're talking perfection in the making!
In the meantime, I'm working on plans for winter break. As of now, everything keeps falling through. It may be a quiet vacation at home, as sad as that sounds! Not that this comes as a surprise to me, but planning trips without any money just doesn't have a way of working out. We finally rounded up enough mileage to make California the winning ticket and they bounced the flight costs up to double because of the holiday season. So now, my three tickets just became one and a half. Better than none, but still leaves me with a bill. No can do!
Oh, and I'm still below my pre-pregnancy weight. As I'm nearing my halfway mark, I'm really hoping this grossness is going to fade out sooner rather than later!
My show is fully buffered, it's back to Gossip Girl I go!
Friday, November 5, 2010
I'm That Neighbor!
Our upstairs neighbors (cute, single college girls) have a tendency of really enjoying their weekends. Normally it's just music, it usually ends around two in the morning, at the latest! Nothing that keeps me up at night.
Last night, they had at least 30 people in their apartment, running around, screaming, drunkenly throwing/dropping things. Until 3:45. In the morning. I was up the whole time, as was Benny. At around 11, Shuky went up there and asked them nicely to tone it down. They, of course, profusely apologized and promised to be quieter. Obviously, they only got louder!
Aside from the music and noise of their movement, this group of people must have all had bad bladders. Literally every ten seconds the toilet was being flushed. And, for some reason, any time they flush their toilet, it sounds like a hurricane in our bedroom!
Shuky had to stop me from going up there. I was not feeling like a nice person and it would not have been a friendly visit.
Today, I went up there (not at 7 like I wanted to...) to talk to them. After I had coffee, needless to say. I was nice and explained the frustration we were feeling. We talked. They were extremely grateful that we hadn't chosen to call the police on them (I'm assuming that has happened with previous neighbors), or the building management. I told them I really didn't want it to get to the point where I would feel that was a necessary move!
Keep your fingers and toes crossed that this has some sort of effect on tonight!!! I really would like a good night's sleep, for me and for our guests!!
Last night, they had at least 30 people in their apartment, running around, screaming, drunkenly throwing/dropping things. Until 3:45. In the morning. I was up the whole time, as was Benny. At around 11, Shuky went up there and asked them nicely to tone it down. They, of course, profusely apologized and promised to be quieter. Obviously, they only got louder!
Aside from the music and noise of their movement, this group of people must have all had bad bladders. Literally every ten seconds the toilet was being flushed. And, for some reason, any time they flush their toilet, it sounds like a hurricane in our bedroom!
Shuky had to stop me from going up there. I was not feeling like a nice person and it would not have been a friendly visit.
Today, I went up there (not at 7 like I wanted to...) to talk to them. After I had coffee, needless to say. I was nice and explained the frustration we were feeling. We talked. They were extremely grateful that we hadn't chosen to call the police on them (I'm assuming that has happened with previous neighbors), or the building management. I told them I really didn't want it to get to the point where I would feel that was a necessary move!
Keep your fingers and toes crossed that this has some sort of effect on tonight!!! I really would like a good night's sleep, for me and for our guests!!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
A Service Unto Others, Part Duex
Back in February, I put out a list of the regular mama sites I visit to find great products at even greater prices. My day usually starts with checking this list!
Some require membership (always free, never join a site that has a sign-up fee), some don't. Both types are worth checking!
I hope this is as helpful to everyone out there as it is to me!!
(I pulled some of this list right off my old post, after double checking that each link is still a functioning site!)
My advice to you, though, is to check shipping rates before getting too excited. Sometimes, they really hike up those rates and at the end of the day, you're better off scouring Amazon or the likes!
These are daily deal sites. Every day brings you a new treat!
www.kids.woot.com - updated every night at midnight EST
www.babysteals.com - updated daily at 9 am MST
www.kidsteals.com - same deal as above, sister sites!
(www.scrapbooksteals.com - another site of theirs for any crafty folk!)
www.ecobabybuys.com - updated daily at 9 am EST
www.greenbabybargains.com - updated at 12 pm EST, Monday through Fri
Some require membership (always free, never join a site that has a sign-up fee), some don't. Both types are worth checking!
I hope this is as helpful to everyone out there as it is to me!!
(I pulled some of this list right off my old post, after double checking that each link is still a functioning site!)
My advice to you, though, is to check shipping rates before getting too excited. Sometimes, they really hike up those rates and at the end of the day, you're better off scouring Amazon or the likes!
These are daily deal sites. Every day brings you a new treat!
www.kids.woot.com - updated every night at midnight EST
www.babysteals.com - updated daily at 9 am MST
www.kidsteals.com - same deal as above, sister sites!
(www.scrapbooksteals.com - another site of theirs for any crafty folk!)
www.ecobabybuys.com - updated daily at 9 am EST
www.greenbabybargains.com - updated at 12 pm EST, Monday through Fri
www.dailydeals.target.com -not always baby products but they have great stuff with great prices!! They tend to have up to five items listed daily! Updated daily at midnight PST
www.mamabargains.com - updated as soon as each product sells out!
The following are flash sale sites, not daily deals. They usually have weekly schedules to show the round up. If you are watchful, you can find great swag at unbeatable prices.
www.onekingslane.com - more household items but they do have kids products sometimes (let me know if you want an invite to the site!)
http://www.ruelala.com/invite/cmeyer774 - a handful of everything, from home to mom/dad/babyhttps://www.theminisocial.com/myaccount.php?invitation=73642 - This flash site is for 'mom, baby, and child'
http://www.hautelook.com/invite/CMeyer741 -Has a bar across the top to help you choose which department you want to see sales from. They have great weekend blowout sales, easy to score major deals on gorgeous clothing!
http://www.gilt.com/invite/itzybtzychani - my personal favorite flash sale site, a little bit of everything for everyone: mom, dad, kids, home, even traveling! Very often puts up amazing stroller deals. Definitely the best site to check on an EXTREMELY regular basis! If you're a traveler with not such a limited budget, they have a section of their site called Jetsetter where they offer extravagant hotel deals around the world.
http://www.gilt.com/invite/itzybtzychani - my personal favorite flash sale site, a little bit of everything for everyone: mom, dad, kids, home, even traveling! Very often puts up amazing stroller deals. Definitely the best site to check on an EXTREMELY regular basis! If you're a traveler with not such a limited budget, they have a section of their site called Jetsetter where they offer extravagant hotel deals around the world.
http://www.totsy.com/join/itzybtzychani - BTrendie recently was bought out by them and is now a part of their site. Credits on either account should have been merged. Baby and toddler products with the occasional mom deal.
http://www.zulily.com/invite/cmeyer501 - Same as above, mostly baby and toddler deals with the occasional mom deal. I have noticed stroller companies like Inglesina and I'Coo frequent this site! Now, if you're an online shopper, as I usually prefer to be. There are ways to save money on regular sites. I personally use Ebates, for cash back on each purchase! Browse through their available stores (most are on there!) and click through their site to get a percentage back on your purchase. I recently did some winter online shopping. Old Navy was offering 8% and Famous Footwear was offering 9%. It worked out very well!
Well, there it is. My list of scrimping and saving. My way of surviving as a 'college wife'. I hope this is as helpful for you as it is for me!
And, just a reminder to all my friends out there, I do baby product consultations. If there's something you're looking for, I'll help you figure out the right thing for you in your price range! And luckily for you guys, I'm still not charging yet! Hop on the train before I start!! :)
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