What? Do I have something on my face?

So Jack is learning to feed himself.  Sometimes the food doesn't get to his mouth.

Jack's first modeling gig, and a giveaway!

I have a super cute giveaway today, and I  think you'll agree:

(**Baby not included in giveaway)   ; )

Donna at Grace Filled Hands, on Etsy, sent me this ADORABLE onesie.  Dad thinks it is perfect, in fact, I think he wants Jack to wear it every single day.  Donna, at Grace Filled Hearts even gave Jack his first modeling job at her shop! You can see him here.  I think he has a future in modeling.  ; )

Grace Filled Hands has so many wonderful items: dresses, diaper covers, sandals, and more! You are sure to find something for your little one!  Donna has been creating and designing for over 25 years and has been so generous as to give one my readers the same onesie Jack is modeling! 
Official Entry: (Required)
Please visit Grace Filled Hands on Etsy, and pick out your favorite item, then come back here and leave a comment!


Bonus Entry (after required entry)

1. Follow my blog (if you do just tell me)

**Contest will end Friday, July 9, at 11:59pm.  Winner will be choosen using random.org!

Good Luck!

P.S. Donna is offering a discount to my readers! Just mention my blog when making a purchase!

Future Food Critic?

So I have been making Jack's baby food since he started on solids.  It takes some time, but I really like it, and I figure I will be making his food for the  next 18 years or so, so why not start now.

We have slowly been giving him finger foods here and there.  That has not been going as well.  I think he is not used to anything crunchy or with a non-pureed texture.  This is his face when we give him watermelon.



With tears and all.  I am hoping the more we give him different textures, the better this will get.  Otherwise, I think we may have a future food critic on our hands.
Did anyone else have this experience with their little ones?

Speaking of food, I found a great website for those with children that are a little bit older.  The site is called Cooking With My Kid, and this bloggers goal is to teach her kids the art of cooking.  Her mission is 365 recipes in 365 days, but all cooking must be kid assisted.

It has some great ideas and recipes, like this cheesy corn on a stick:

IT looks SO tasty, and it's super easy! Check it out!

Meetup Monday and a Giveaway!

Happy Monday!  I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing weekend.  We had a great weekend.  Saw friends, went swimming and attempted a bike ride with Jack (which didn't last long).  Now that the weekend is over, join Meetup Monday, and enter this great giveaway I have! 

First the giveaway!!!

Last week I recieved the cutest necklace ever from Amie at Laffty Crafty

It is beautiful!!  I can't wait to wear it,  and it is something I will have as a keepsake forever! Amie at Laffty Crafty is so generous, and is giving one of my readers their own photo pendant!

The winner of this giveaway will get to choose their favorite photo of their little one, (or anyone else!) for this pendant.  You can have the necklace picture done in color, black and white, or sepia tones. 

This necklace is the perfect keepsake for mom, grandma, sister, or friend!  Laffty Crafty also sells custom    t-shirts, onesies, bibs and burpies! You are sure to find something you like at her shop!

Official Entry: (Required)

Please visit Laffty Crafty on Etsy, and pick out your favorite item, then come back here and leave a comment!


Bonus Entries (after required entry)
 1. Follow Laffty Crafty's Blog
 2. Like Laffty Crafty on Facebook
 3. Follow my blog (if you do just tell me)


Please leave your email address with at least one of your entries. Contest ends July 7th at 11:59pm, and winner will be choosen via Random.org. Good Luck!

Now for Meetup Monday!

<a href="http://www.justanothermomday.blogspot.com"><img border="0" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i219/agrip76/coffee.jpg" /></a>

*The rules:
1. Add a link to your main blog (or most current post)

2. Leave a comment on the two blogs above your name in the list.
3. Visit as many blogs as you can and leave comments and follow if you like.

So grab my button, and I hope your Monday goes by quickly!

New Friend Friday!

Welcome New Friends and Old!  Happy Friday.  I made it through my first week of Summer Break! It's amazing how fast time goes when you are off of work.  If you are new, I hope you enjoy looking around, and if you are a frequent visitor thank you for coming back! 

What are your plans this weekend?  Anything fun?  I have a girls night tonight, which is always fun, and a Michael Jackson Party tomorrow with friends. Today I am taking Lenny and Jack to the farmer's market in my town and then we will go for a swin at our pool!

Be sure to come back Monday for Meetup Monday and today is the last day to enter to win a custom necklace from My Belle Boutique!

The Battle Begins....

I have been on Summer Break for 3 days.  I waited and waited, and counted down the days for this day so I could spend the Summer with Jack (and Lenny).  And while I would not trade these 9 weeks off for anything, I have to say, being home is way harder than I expected.

The hardest part is naptime.  I am in a napping nightmare.  Jack naps welll for everyone but me.  He napped well for my dad and mother-in-law when they watched him, and he napped well for our daycare.

 I'm starting to wonder if he knows Mommy will pat his back until he is asleep.  That is what I have to do. For EVERY nap.  I pat and pat and pat, until I think he is asleep only to have him start up crying again for me to keep patting.

My newest battle?  Naptime=playtime.  Jack learned to pull himself up to standing Monday.  This is what I saw when I walked in the room.

I panicked and moved the mattress down, but the standing continues.  Once he pulls his little body up the laughing begins.  He thinks standing in his crib is the most hilarious thing ever.  He stands for five seconds, laughs, falls, and does it over and over again.  This goes on for 20-30 minutes and then I still have to pat.

I'm wondering if this is a phase, or if this is a battle I am just going to have to deal with. 

Any ideas?  Can this battle be won?

Everything you could ask for...

Coming soon...A CSN stores review


I recently partnered up with the CSN stores promotional team to do a product review. I have been to their site many times and LOVE it.  I know you will too, they have EVERYTHING!  They have everything from pet supplies, and baby decor to lights for your home! I will be posting my review in the upcoming weeks, but I just wanted to let you know about a great all-in-one shop!

Have a great Thursday, the weekend is almost here!

Can it be??

I CAN NOT believe Jack is 8 months old. 2/3 (thanks Alyssa!) of a year.  I feel like it was yesterday. 

It's amazing to me how many things Jack has learned and how he has developed in these 8 short months. 
He is now crawling....backwards.  He hasn't quite mastered forward crawling yet.  He goes from laying to sitting and can pull himself up to standing (which will be addressed in my next post).  He LOVES puffs, and he can now feed himself. 

But mostly what amazes me is how his personality is showing more and more everyday.  How he cracks up at the silliest things.  How he loves to dance with me to music. How he lights up whenever Lenny walks by, even though Lenny won't give him the time of day.  How just a look tells me "I need you Mama" .

I fall more and more in love with Jack everyday.  It's amazing how much love a heart can have for one person.

And now my pictures.....a mom's gotta brag!

Monday Meetup!

Summer Break or not, it's still Monday!  Grab your coffee and join the party...and please TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!

And enjoy every single second of the "official" First Day of Summer and the longest day of the year!
*****The Rules*****

1. Add a link to your main blog (or most current post)
2. Leave a comment on the blog above your name in the list.
3. Visit as many blogs as you can and leave comments and follow if you like.


So grab my button, and enjoy Meetup Monday!

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Father's Day

So I'm now on summer break!  How great is it that my first offiical day of summer is also the official first day of summer, and the summer soltice!

I hope you all had a great weekend, and that the man in your life had a great Father's Day.

This is my husbands first Father's Day. 
The weather was perfect. 

We tried out the new bike attachment...

We also went to spend the first half of the day in Wisconsin with the in-laws.  I love it up there.  So peaceful and quiet.

Everyone says Lenny looks just like his daddy.....

I don't think I ever imagined how wonderful of a father he would be.  I mean he is AMAZING.  The way Jack's eyes light up when my husband comes home from work, or walks in a room would make your heart melt.  He is more incredible of a father that I ever thought possible.   He has helped me on my good days and supported me on my bad.  I could not be the mom that I am, without him.

I can't wait to see what the years to come bring us. 

No warm Sunday afternoon would be complete without some relaxing, swinging and a good game of bags. 

Oh and Lenny...he had the time of his life.

So to my husband, thank you, I am so proud of you.  And to my own father, I can never tell you enough how much you mean to me.  I love you. 

Enjoy every second of summer.

I feel like I was just here...

]]

Oh that's right, I was.

We had our end of the year work party on a rooftop yesterday. It was 98 degrees and humid.  The Cubs lost.  Again.  I had a blast.  It is such a relief to be done.  No crazy mornings and crazy evenings.  No missing Jack, less disorganization.  At least until September.

A Giveaway, Day 192 and, New Friends!

CLOSED! Congrats LIZ! 

It's here! It's here! Day 192!  That's how many days of school we have (which is longer than anyone!).  We get out at 11:30 today and SUMMER IS HERE!

To celebrate I wanted to give away one of these perfect little necklaces I received in the mail yesterday,which I will also be wearing on my last day of school.....

 The picture does not do it justice!  I just love it so much.

My Belle Boutique is a great little Etsy shop I found one day while browsing.  Kayla is a stay-at-home mom and loves making handmade creations for her shop. Her products are SO affordable and are a great treat for yourself, or for a gift for a friend!

The winner of this necklace will get to personalize this round disc with your first or last initial{s}, number{s} or short name! The disc can hold up to 4-5 characters, depending on the size. There is also a silver puffy heart charm, as well as a pearl charm, hung on a fine {1.2 mm} ball chain.

Official Entry: (Required)
Please visit My Belle Boutique and pick out your favorite item, then come back here and leave a comment!

Bonus Entries (after required entry)
1. Become a fan of My Belle Boutique on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mybelleboutique09
2. Follow My Belle Boutique's blog at http://mybelleboutique.blogspot.com/

Please leave your email address with your entries. Contest ends Friday June 27th at 11:59pm, and winner will be choosen via Random.org. Good Luck!


To all my new friends visiting, welcome to my blog!  I hope you like what you see and return! Have a great weekend!

Working Mom Meals....Frozen Edition and a giveaway

CLOSED! Congrats #11

JC said...

I'd like to try Kung Pao Chicken!

tcarolinep at gmail dot com

June 18, 2010 9:23 AM

So we almost never buy frozen dinners. It's one of those things I feel like I should do as a wife and mom, and I also LOVE to cook. 

Well Wanchai Ferry and MyBlogSpark.com sent me their new Beef and Broccoli frozen entree to try. We love Asian food, but I still was a little hesitant as to how this would taste.  I was REALLY surprised. 


This meal was excellent, it tastes just like take out!   It is a perfect meal to have on hand for those nights you really want Asian but don't want to make it or spend the money on expensive take out.  It's also perfect for those nights when you just are exhausted from working, and want something simple and easy.  These meals have it all, meat, veggies, rice and a soy garlic sauce.  I did make a little more rice, becuase we love rice with our meals.  

The best part?  It's ready in 14 minutes.  The only thing I would suggest is to not add as much water as it says to for the sauce.  Our sauce was a little runny and we would have preferred it a bit thicker.
Wanchai Ferry frozen entrées have six other flavors, Kung Pao Chicken, Szechuan Style Chicken, Orange Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, Spicy Garlic Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken.
You can print a $1.60 off coupon for any of these meals here . Also check out the website at http://www.wanchaiferry.com/MealTips.aspx later this summer for meal tips to enhance your Wanchai Ferry frozen entrée.

Wanchai Ferry along with MyBlogSpark.com, is giving one of my readers a prize pack that includes one VIP coupon for Wanchai Ferry along with  two tea sets.

To enter just comment with the flavor you would like to try!

Contest ends Friday June 18th at 11:59 pm. 

World's Biggest Rooftop Party

So not only is this a great week becuase it's the last week of school, but we had a mommy and daddy night last night at the Cubs game.  I have to say, I think Wrigley Field,  and the neighborhood, on game day, is probably one of my favorite places in the world. 

Our seats though, were one of the surrounding rooftops, which is just ONE BIG PARTY.   (That's my sister)  If you ever come through Chicago, you HAVE to see a Cubs game.  It's an experience that can't be put into words.  Where else in the country can you watch a baseball game from a rooftop deck with an amazing view of the city?  And after the game the party continues on the streets and bars in Wrigleyville.  Now just hoping this work day goes by fast.  I ate a few to many hot dogs and italian sausage sandwhiches and drank a few to many drinks.