This Old House

It's been a long 4 months, but we are now the proud owners of this 1966 Ranch.  Sorry... there's no "wow factor" yet.  (wah-wah) We are the 3rd owners in it's 50 year existence and we like to think that she is happier now that we're here.  We tell her all the time that we're going to make her beautiful again and I think that makes her happy.  We will be documenting/recording our progress online,  through social media and this blog if you'd like to follow along over the next 20 years little while.  It's a challenge for sure, as you will see in the photos below... It lacks style but has lots of charm and strong bones.  After moving all the boxes in, we started working on fixin' er' up just a few hours later.  We started by pulling all the ivy down from the brick.  This house was covered in ivy... which made it look all the more haunted.  It's insane what a difference it made.  The yard needs a lot of work and we plan to do that on the weekends and work on the inside of the house during the week.

 Here are some before and afters of the two projects for this week!  Not only did we cut down the ivy from the house, but we tried to spruce up the only bathroom that we will be using for a while.  It's the hall bathroom and while there's not much you can do with blue tile, we aim to try and make it presentable with a gallon of Lysol and a couple pretty things.  

Cleaning off the ivy and cleaning out the flower bed areas:

*pay no attention to the dungeon door*

Hall Bathroom:

Sorry about the quality.  This is a picture that I snapped when we went to look at the house for the first time.  I know I have a better picture on my camera, but it's dead and God only knows where the charger is... Ever been there?  That's where our lives are right now. 

Yep.  That's blue tile.  Don't be jealous.  We had planned to redo the bathrooms first.  Like totally gut them, but when I began to clean out the kitchen I realized how much better the bathrooms are than the kitchen, shape wise.  So we've decided to start with the kitchen first and leave the bathrooms as they are... well, for the most part.  We're putting in new toilets this weekend and new hardware on the tub/shower.  Here's the bathroom so far... 

2 bottles of Mr. Clean, Windex, grout cleaner, and Lysol- later.  

No updates other than a shower curtain rod... just added a few of our things.

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*Month 16*

In the midst of cardboard boxes, we've managed to keep life going as normal as possible but I'm sure Juliet is wondering what in the world is going on.  Her room is a 1/3 of the way packed away, so far.   We sold her poppy red dresser before the move to another couple expecting a little boy in May.  I was so happy that it was going to another Mama and baby to enjoy.  Her room in the new house is a little less "nursery" and a little bit more "playroom".  She's getting to be a big girl!  The calendar says 16 months, but my Mama brain can't seem to except it.  

Age:  16 months

Stats: 22 lbs even

Sleep:  Sleeps through the night- Naps are usually about an hour & a half.

Clothing: Still fits 12-18 clothes but we've started wearing a couple 24 month & 2T things.  (Mostly dresses since the weather has been nice!)  Pajamas all day- Ery' day!

Favorite Foods:  Pineapple, pasta, french toast, Ritz crackers, sweet potato fries, graham crackers, Chick-Fil-A nuggets, & grapes.

Words:  We're talking now!  (Well, saying more than Da & Mama.)  She pretends to talk on the phone but hasn't learned the art of conversation.  All she says is "He-doe" or "He-woe"... both meaning "Hello"!  She has a stuffed puppy that she loves- "puh" and she can say Jack, which usually comes out "Jay".  

Favorite Activities:  Cleaning up is a big thing lately. Since we moved and every room is basically a disaster, I've let her play in boxes with stickers.  She loves the foam ones from Target that come in a box.  (She can peel those easily!)  Afterwards she will help pick up every little piece of paper and sticker left behind. Two fun interests combined! Also, I've got to get this girl her own makeup bag.  Maybe clean out some old containers and pallets for her to play with... I can't keep her out of mine!  Bath time has become I favorite.  It's always more fun when you add a few glow sticks.  (I bought these at the Dollar Tree for her Valentine mailbox.  You can also buy them here.)  I have found that they also help distract her when she's being fussy in stores or in the car.  

  

Favorite Things:

laptop  :  toothbrush  :  toothpaste  :  unicorn pillow  :  glowsticks  :  Violet Puppy 

 Hape wood bike

Funny Things I Do:  She makes the best faces in the mirror!  She also hugs herself now.  It's seriously the cutest thing.  She hugs herself as tight as she can and pats her arm with her hand.  Now if you say "I", she'll hug herself (for love) and then say "you" in the sweetest, highest pitched voice.  And I save the best for last----- making spit bubbles.  

Other Milestones:  Talking more and she has taken 3 steps... progress!  Also we've started using just a little bit of fluoride toothpaste this month.  Not everyday, just a couple times a week to make sure her teeth are getting really clean.  For the other times, I just use the non-flouride toothpaste.  

Highlights

We celebrated Valentine's Day with balloons, presents, and another house showing!  (Ha!  For a back-up offer.)  Juliet had her first day-date at the aquarium with Jack.  They had so much fun see the sharks and sting-rays.  We even got to pet a starfish!

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Treasure Baskets & Discovery Boxes

Play is such an important part of child development, but so many times I've heard parents say... "They only wanted to play with the box". It's Christmas morning and your child has just opened this flashy, light-up, noisy toy and yet you turn around to see them playing with the packaging.  Why is that?  Why do all children share the same interest in the box, the wrapping paper, and/or the bows?  It's called Heuristic play.  The theory was coined by child psychologist Elinor Goldschmeid.  It's nothing knew, honestly.  Her theory basically indicates that children focus more on discovering the properties of an object rather than the object itself.  Our ancestors knew this about children, without realizing it.  They gave us pots and pans, spoons, pitchers to pour water, cups, funnels, rocks, mud, and they didn't have to store half the junk most parents of today do.  

"Treasure Baskets/Discovery Boxes" are part of Heuristic play and you can implement them from the time your baby can sit up until about 18 months.  They are baskets full of objects that range from random items to items that share a common attribute, like this reflective items basket I made for Jules a couple months ago.  

They should be items that are found around the house/yard that will stimulate baby's senses.  Nothing plastic or electronic seeing that those toys are usually very similar and can become boring very quickly.  I usually update the items every 2 weeks or so.  Sometimes her interest lasts for longer depending on the items.  I love to sit back without interrupting and watch her explore and concentrate on each item intently.  It's like the Tupperware drawer on steroids!  

Make sure the items are not too small or too dangerous.  However, at times I've put a few things in like small magnets and clothespins that I wouldn't normally let her play with, but wanted her to have the experience of magnetism and resistance. I sat with her and supervised while she played with them, then took them away when I had to leave.  It's also a safe way to tell your baby, "yes, you can play with these things" and you won't feel like you're constantly telling them, no-no. 

Children love playing with anything from the adult world and pretty much anything that was NOT meant for them, right?  It gives them a feeling of autonomy which leads to self confidence and happiness.  And don't we all want that for our little ones?

Other treasure basket ideas that were a big hit:

Music/Noise
Nature
Textile
Shapes (2D & 3D)
Primary Colors
Balls
Animals
Rooms of Home (Bathroom/Kitchen)
Scents
Black & White

Happy Tuesday and I hope you are having a great week!

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February Outfits

I can't get away with the heart onesies or red and pink outfits as well as Juliet so it's extremely fun to dress her for holidays, especially Valentine's Day.  We are recouping from our 3 snow days at home and I thought it would be a fun time to share a few cute Valentine outfits that I've come across before they're all gone!  Last year she was such a tiny little peanut in her I "heart" U onesie from Old Navy.  

Other than these pajamas and outfits, there are a few things that Juliet has had for a while that she's been wearing quite often this month!  Like these Carters pajamas and this outfit from Carters.  (It's no longer available from the store but you can still buy it on Amazon.)

pajamas  :  dress  :  necklace  :  shoes  :  tee

boots  :  backpack  :  pajamas  :  hat  :  sweatshirt

What are some traditions that you guys enjoy for Valentine's with your cuties?  Making cookies? Wearing festive clothes? Mailing cute little valentines to friends and family? Making gifts for each other?  Juliet will be sending out a few valentines this year and I've been eyeing these for a while... how cute is it that you can personalize them?  Happy February everyone!

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*15 Months*

Age:  15 months

Stats: 22 lbs 4 oz

Sleep:  Sleeps through the night... except for the 2nd week in January when she got 4 molars at the same time.  No one got much sleep that week.  

Clothing: She's growing out of the 12-18 month pants we've bought her.  She's so tall.  However, I technically have no idea how tall she actually is other than she's the exact height as our dining table.  

Favorite Foods:  Pizza, turkey, roasted red pepper humus, veggie straws, poptarts, meatballs, mandarin oranges, Pirate's Booty, all-beef hotdog wieners and cucumbers.

Favorite Activities:  Turning the pages in her books.  Playing with straws.  She knows where my stash of paper straws are in the pantry and she loves to get in there and pull them all out; one by one.  She likes to brush her hair.  Also, climbing.  We can't keep this girl off the kitchen table. (It's so hard to be consistent when they do it over and over.)  We simply have to redirect her attention to something else and we have to do this about 20+ times a day.  Putting together puzzles and playing in the tupperware drawer.   Her new favorite thing to watch along with George, Kipper, and Pooh is Emmy and Max from Dragon Tales.  She absolutely LOVES the dragons!  We think Zak and Weezie might be her favorites.  (She waves and giggles at them mostly.)  She's also known to sit through an episode or two of HGTV. 

  

Favorite Things:

puzzle  :  snack cups  :  banana  :  humidifier  :  book  :  pop-up toy

Funny Things I Do:  Cutting her eyes to Daddy when I tell her "no, no" as if to say, "he'll say yes".  Sometimes when she stands up she'll just stand there with her arms dangling down and her back humped like a little monkey... so cute.  She makes the best faces.  She has realized lately that she has a tongue and she'll stretch her mouth open as wide as she can and stick her tongue out.  It's hysterical looking.  (But then she tries to take her tongue out of her mouth.)  And she still loves putting random things on her head and it leave us in stitches... clothes, blankets, headbands, and lately, plastic plates.  

Other Milestones:  Walking around toys and furniture one-handed.  Standing for longer periods of time.  She understands "Come here" and "No, No".  She has started using a spoon the right way.  It no longer gets slung across the room like a comet with a yogurt tail. She also "pretends" that she's eating by smacking her lips together when she's playing with her toy spoons and forks.  

Highlights

What a month!  Juliet got to see snow for the first time.  It did snow last year, but we didn't take her out into it.  We stayed inside where it was warm and cozy.  I remember getting "the call" last year saying that we wouldn't have school and I was so excited to get a day home with my baby.  This picture was taken that night.  Crazy to think it was a year ago.  

Last year

This year

Having fun at Pappy's (New Years)

Shopping for houses

Making coffee

Walking with Daddy

Being silly in pigtails

Went to sleep in her pirate hat

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Complimentary Foods for Lunch, Dinner, & Dessert.

Over the past two days, we've mostly stayed inside because of the 2 inches of snow and slush that's frozen on the roads.  However, we did find a pizza place that was open yesterday... Made for a fun napkin lunch while we all unthawed from playing in the snow outside.  To keep from going crazy, I whipped up a few recipes to compliment some foods we had leftover in the fridge. 

 Let's start with dessert, because... why not?  Thursday I made some cream cheese frosting to go on top of lemon pudding that I made earlier in the week.  I wish I would've had some limoncello to add, but no such luck...  

LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 pkg of cream cheese

1/4 c of sugar
*you can also you powdered sugar or brown sugar*

1/2 Tb of fresh lemon juice 

*or vanilla if you don't want it to have a lemon flavor*
4 Tbs of milk

mix all ingredients until creamy and pipe.

add to cupcakes, cakes, puddings, or cookies.

 Friday for lunch we had wedge salads and I made an awesome dressing to go with it.  

WEDGE SALAD DRESSING

1 c mayonaisse

1/2 c buttermilk

1/2 c sour cream

1 clove garlic, pressed

1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

wisk all ingredients together and 

add to wedge salads, caesar salads, pizza, or veggies.

Saturday we had hamburgers and I've always wanted to find a great roasted red potato recipe.  I've tried several, but none had the taste I wanted.  I combined two recipes here to make a brand new one... and I think I'm on to something!  

ROASTED RED POTATO WEDGES

6-8 red potatoes cut into wedges

3 Tbs of flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

*for seasoning I used Zoe's Kitchen's Spice of Life seasoning*

(We use it on so many things... burgers, steaks, veggies, etc.)

If you don't have access to Zoe's Kitchen's seasoning, you can add in 

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

Add all ingredients into a plastic bag and shake.

Line baking sheet with foil and cover foil with olive oil.

Bake at 450 for 20 mins

Take out and flip all wedges.

Continue baking for another 20 mins. 

Sorry, you've probably all gained 5 lbs just from reading this post... sorry!  Enjoy the last day of the weekend and hopefully the "Sunday blues" won't set in for a least a couple more hours.  

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Valentine's Day Prep & Big News!

Relax, I'm not pregnant.  The big news is that our house went on the market Monday night!  Ok, well it's big news for us.  We're not sure where we're moving to, but we're excited.  (More like half scared/half excited.)  We've lived in this house for 3 years.  That's 3 years of memories: holidays, graduations, parties, bringing home baby, etc., so it'll definitely be hard leaving her behind as we go on with our lives.  There really isn't a specific reason for selling other than the market is really good right now... that and the fact that we're completely out of our minds for moving- again.  Honestly, we would rather be in a different part of Charlotte; closer to Joey's work, church, and the city.  We've been looking for another house for the past 2 months and now that our's is for sale, we can start thinking about offers, paperwork, and all that fun stuff.  Our first open house is tomorrow... keep your fingers crossed!

On another note, I had to rip down all my Christmas decor really fast before we left for PA, (we met Joey's family there for New Years), so that our realtor could do a showing, and as always I was sad to see it all go.  Since we've been back, I've been sneaking a few pink and red things around the house...
Moving can't stop us from having some holiday fun!  Juliet's not impressed with the new Valentine's decorations...  Ha, that face!

She is going to love all the valentine stickers and glitter this year, for sure.  Last year we bought her a little mailbox for her highchair that we could pack all of her goodies into each year.  Here are a couple of my ideas for this year!  

tights  :  book  :  pillows  :  lights

Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to a new year!  Ours has been pretty busy and hectic with our PA trip, trying to keep the house tidied and tour-ready with a 1 year old, and cleaning out the house of junk so we can start thinking about boxes, 

labels, packaging tape, and bubble wrap! 

Speaking of moving, I will leave you with one of my favorite moments from Friends.  (It's between this one and Ross's leather pants episode.  "The lotion and powder have made a paste." Hahahaha!)  Joey and I always seem to work in the "Piv-aaat" moment some time during the process of moving.  Chandler get's me every time.   Have a great weekend everyone!

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