This picture is Straight off of Camera (SOOC)
A little too much?
Getting better...?
What do you think?
An avenue for me to journal my thoughts, events, our growing family, life and anything else that comes to mind.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Photo Editing
As some of you know, I got a new camera (Nikon D3000) for Christmas. I've enjoyed learning more about photography, but I have a lot to learn and not a lot of time to dedicate to it. To boot, our house gets TERRIBLE, terrible lighting. Any reputable photographer would tell you that starting with natural light is key to great photos. We literally live in a cave (much to my husband's delight). Last night I was given a few tips from "a friend" (thanks, Cathie!) and so I've decided that I'm going to try and edit some of my photos to balance out the lack of natural light in our house. Now keep in mind I do not have proper photo editing software like the pros do, but I made these few changes by using Microsoft Office Picture Manager.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Play Date and Bon-bons!
Danny is out of town for the rest of the week so I invited his cousin, Marie, over for dinner. She has a 9 month old, Aubrey, so we thought it would be nice to get the girls together for a play date. She generously made alfredo and brought it over for dinner. I made salad and garlic toast to go along with it! She also brought homemade bon-bons, they were delicious. I had never had a bon-bon before, who knew they were so yummy! These had oreos, chocolate and cream cheese in them. I may have to steal the recipe for a blog post. :) Hopefully I can have enough self control be a nice little wifey and save a few for my groom.
Marissa fell asleep on me the other day and I was soaking up all the snuggles! I don't get to do this often. I love snuggling with her.
My big girl sitting up by herself and wearing her Amber teething necklace. Miss Rosey Cheeks!
Here's a few pictures of the girls. They were so cute together! Squealing, patting each other, trying to get a few hair pulls in and sharing toys.
Marissa and Aubrey
So I've already started getting carried away with Marissa's 1st birthday party plans (and it's still 6 months away). I bought her a special first birthday onesie and it came in the mail the other day! We are doing a pink and black lady bug theme and I think it will be a lot of fun. I'm hoping that a family friend, Monika, who also did our wedding cake, will do the cake for Marissa's first birthday party. Okay, I better stop with the details before I give everything away before the big day.
Must step away from the bon-bons...
Sorry, I'm about to put myself in a chocolate induced coma. I had a cup of coffee while Marie was here and having coffee past 5:30 in the evening is never a good idea. I'm sure I will be kicking myself in the butt tonight when I'm tossing and turning and unable to fall asleep.
My brother, Josh, will be celebrating his 26th birthday on Friday. He and my parents are going to come visit and we may go out to dinner, or I'll end up cooking in. Either way, it will be nice to see the family! Danny won't be back until late on Friday, so it will be nice to have some company.
Time to catch up on my trashy TV (since Danny isn't here to complain about it). Teen Mom 2 it is!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Want to W-O-W your guests?
Head on over to my recipes tab and check out my latest addition - Crockpot Jambalaya! Seriously, you can't go wrong with this dish. A little bit of spice and a whole lot of comfort. I was surprised at how delicious this recipe was. I can't take credit for the original recipe, but I can take credit for popping some ingredients in a crockpot and serving up a hearty meal.
Serve with a french loaf of bread and you've got yourself a New Orleans favorite!
Serve with a french loaf of bread and you've got yourself a New Orleans favorite!
Features
This morning as I was showing my co-worker some recent pictures of Marissa, I started thinking about her features. Right now her eyes are still blue, but they are a darker blue than Danny's. I think she has a 50-50 chance of having blue or green eyes and I'm curious to see what they end up being. Some people say that she has my eyes, but I don't really see it. I still can't decide who she looks like. I think she has Danny's ears and eyebrows. Some people think that she has my chin and lips. She definitely has my feet and fingers. It's crazy to think that I grew her from just a little molecule. It's so much fun watching her grow and learn!
Yesterday we went to Danny's parents house for a few minutes and when we were leaving we were waving "bye-bye". Marissa was opening and closing her hand like she was trying to say bye too! It was sooo cute. We've been working on that for awhile with her and I think she is starting to catch on.
I've been wanting to join a local moms group in our area, but haven't really had time to. They do meet and greets mostly through the week. Since I work full time, it's nearly impossible to find time to do anything during the week. I'm hoping that a weekend event will open up soon so I can meet some other moms in the area.
This is the week that Danny will be on travel. He leaves for Baltimore tomorrow around mid-day. He is going to keep Marissa in the morning to spend a little extra time with her before he goes. Since he gets back so late on Friday, he doesn't get to see her until Saturday morning. My parents are coming to visit this weekend and since there is a Civil War Relic show in town, you can bet where my dad will be!
There is a "Wee-Cycled" children's event coming up on the 12th - 15th of this month. It's at our local expo center and families from all over the area come to sell baby items that they no longer need. Last year I went when I was pregnant and was able to find a few maternity outfits at a relatively reasonable price. I didn't know if Marissa was a boy or girl yet, so I settled on getting a few books and gender neutral baby outfits. I'm so excited to go this year and see if I can find some outfits for Marissa. They also sell larger ticket items like cribs, swings, strollers, bouncy seats, jumperoo's, etc. These items typically go kind of fast, so you have to go the first day if you want in on the goodies.
A friend of ours gave us a really nice pink swing and bouncy seat for Marissa that she had for her grand daughter. The items were barely used and it was very generous of her to give us these items. I had originally registered for gender neutral baby items that we could use for additional children. Since the swing and bouncy seat were given to us, we weren't going to be picky about them being pink. I've been debating on trying to sell the swing and bouncy seat to get a more gender neutral color for when we have a second child (just in case we have a boy next). Marissa still loves her swing though and I can't decide I want to part with it just yet. She loves "catching" the butterflies on the mobile and I really love that it has an adapter for the wall or you can use batteries. It seems like a lot of the swings I've seen recently only have a battery option.
A friend of mine, Sophie, who is due in August with her first child is currently researching cloth diapers! You have no idea how excited this makes me. =) I posted the pictures of Marissa in her diaper on Facebook and a friend commented that her 14 month old son is already starting to use the "big boy potty" all thanks to using cloth diapers! Did I ever mention that some children learn to use the potty faster if they are in cloth diapers? Apparently, babies can't feel when they are wet in a disposable diaper because the gel like chemicals soak up all the liquid. Another W-I-N for cloth! I wish that I could challenge everyone with a new baby to try out cloth diapers. I would be willing to bet that they would be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Well, that's enough ramblings for one day. I'm hoping that I can start blogging more, I've been slacking big time here recently.
Have a great day, blogger world!
Yesterday we went to Danny's parents house for a few minutes and when we were leaving we were waving "bye-bye". Marissa was opening and closing her hand like she was trying to say bye too! It was sooo cute. We've been working on that for awhile with her and I think she is starting to catch on.
I've been wanting to join a local moms group in our area, but haven't really had time to. They do meet and greets mostly through the week. Since I work full time, it's nearly impossible to find time to do anything during the week. I'm hoping that a weekend event will open up soon so I can meet some other moms in the area.
This is the week that Danny will be on travel. He leaves for Baltimore tomorrow around mid-day. He is going to keep Marissa in the morning to spend a little extra time with her before he goes. Since he gets back so late on Friday, he doesn't get to see her until Saturday morning. My parents are coming to visit this weekend and since there is a Civil War Relic show in town, you can bet where my dad will be!
There is a "Wee-Cycled" children's event coming up on the 12th - 15th of this month. It's at our local expo center and families from all over the area come to sell baby items that they no longer need. Last year I went when I was pregnant and was able to find a few maternity outfits at a relatively reasonable price. I didn't know if Marissa was a boy or girl yet, so I settled on getting a few books and gender neutral baby outfits. I'm so excited to go this year and see if I can find some outfits for Marissa. They also sell larger ticket items like cribs, swings, strollers, bouncy seats, jumperoo's, etc. These items typically go kind of fast, so you have to go the first day if you want in on the goodies.
A friend of ours gave us a really nice pink swing and bouncy seat for Marissa that she had for her grand daughter. The items were barely used and it was very generous of her to give us these items. I had originally registered for gender neutral baby items that we could use for additional children. Since the swing and bouncy seat were given to us, we weren't going to be picky about them being pink. I've been debating on trying to sell the swing and bouncy seat to get a more gender neutral color for when we have a second child (just in case we have a boy next). Marissa still loves her swing though and I can't decide I want to part with it just yet. She loves "catching" the butterflies on the mobile and I really love that it has an adapter for the wall or you can use batteries. It seems like a lot of the swings I've seen recently only have a battery option.
A friend of mine, Sophie, who is due in August with her first child is currently researching cloth diapers! You have no idea how excited this makes me. =) I posted the pictures of Marissa in her diaper on Facebook and a friend commented that her 14 month old son is already starting to use the "big boy potty" all thanks to using cloth diapers! Did I ever mention that some children learn to use the potty faster if they are in cloth diapers? Apparently, babies can't feel when they are wet in a disposable diaper because the gel like chemicals soak up all the liquid. Another W-I-N for cloth! I wish that I could challenge everyone with a new baby to try out cloth diapers. I would be willing to bet that they would be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Well, that's enough ramblings for one day. I'm hoping that I can start blogging more, I've been slacking big time here recently.
Have a great day, blogger world!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Little Fluffy Butt!
This weekend I took some pictures of Marissa in one of my favorite diapers. It is a Kawaii (which means cute in Japanese) with daisies on it. We had fun and Daddy joined in too! He would make her smile for the camera, since she normally hides all of her smiles when the camera comes out.
Sitting up like a big girl
Such a happy girl
Love this little monkey!
Standing tall with daddy's help
Goodness, I don't know how Danny and I managed to have such a perfect little baby girl! She melts my heart everyday.
This past weekend was pretty low key. We had some friends over on Saturday to catch up over a few drinks. Then on Sunday I had a skype date with Cierra and she got to "see" Marissa. Later that day I had a friend over and we did some scrapbooking. I'm trying to finish up my pregnancy album so that I can start on Marissa's baby album. Danny watched Marissa for me which was really nice of him. I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner with garlic toast and salad. After dinner we relaxed and watched a movie and called it an early night. And here we are at another Monday....I swear the weekends fly by too fast.
Marissa sort of gets cheated out of her "six month birthday" since February only has 28 days and she was born on the 30th. She has her 6 month well baby visit next week and I can't wait to see how much she has grown! Stay tuned for the results. :)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Crunchy, what?
I’m Crunchy! There, I said it. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I mean I'm a hippie, eco friendly, saving one tree at a time, etc. I have become so conservative since becoming a mom. I cloth diaper, make my own baby food and I’ve kept up with my New Year’s resolution to recycle.
Lately, I’m finding myself wanting to convert every new mom to cloth diapering and baby food making. I know it’s not for everyone, but I’ve had so much fun exploring new things that I just want to share the wealth of information.
Everyone thinks that cloth diapering is hard, gross or just not for them. I never would have considered cloth diapers before, because I didn’t know anything about them. The more I researched and read about them though, the more interested and intrigued I became. Six months later, I’m addicted (seriously, ADDICTED, I say!) to cloth diapering. I can’t get over how cute they are, how easy it is and it makes me feel like I’m really doing my part to provide a better environment for Marissa.
You probably have questions like "don't you get tired of doing laundry?" and "will I have poop in my washer?" I will say, I do 2 extra loads of laundry a week, that's it! If she were in disposables, we would be doing twice the amount of laundry for "poo-splosions" (trust me, we had to use disposables for a trip and I couldn't wait to get back to my cloth). And your washer comes out clean, just as if you were to wash muddy clothes in your washer, everything comes out fine.
Though I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again…just in case someone stumbles upon my little blog and says “hey, that sounds interesting!”
Here’s a few helpful links if you are interested in cloth diapering:
http://www.theecofriendlyfamily.com/
http://littlebitofme22.blogspot.com/search/label/Cloth%20Diapers
Baby Food Making 101
Also, making your own baby food doesn’t have to be tedious or hard. It’s a great way to save a little money (who doesn’t want to do that?) and you know exactly what you are giving your baby! I start off by steaming vegetables so they are soft. Then I pop them in the food processor to give them a smooth consistency, such as a puree. For hardier vegetables, like butternut squash or sweet potatoes, I thin the puree with breast milk or a little bit of water.
Next, I put the puree in cheap ice cube trays (you know, the old school ones that you have to fill with water, ahh…the days of ice makers have changed the world as we know it). Place the ice cube trays in the freezer until they are solid. Once they have solidified, place the cubes in Ziploc bags, or if you want to be extra environmentally savvy, you can buy reusable Tupperware containers to store the cubes in. I like using Gladware containers, because they stack nicely in the freezer. I can also label them as “fruits”, “veggies” or narrow them down to peas, carrots, squash, etc.
So far we have tried avocado, peas, carrots, banana, butternut squash and sweet potato. Banana and avocados tend to change colors quickly, so I’ve found that it’s best to get them in the freezer as soon as possible. The color changes do not affect the fruits at all, so don’t worry about that.
When I’m ready to feed Marissa I pop a cube out of the freezer and warm it up in the microwave. Each cube is approximately one ounce so it’s a perfect serving when you are just starting out with solids. It’s easy to add another cube and you never feel like food is being wasted! I do recommend making small portions before you crazy with the food processor. You don’t want to make a ton of food to find out that your little one despises peas!
You might be thinking, how do you find the time to make baby food? Honestly, I spend about an hour to an hour and a half once every two weeks or so. I make enough food to last about 2 weeks at a time (sometimes longer) and the food can stay in the freezer for upwards of a month. I set aside a little bit of time while she is napping or after she has gone to bed, so no time is spent away from Marissa. Trust me, being a full time working mom, I cherish the time we get together.
This website has a plethora of great information for baby food making, check it out!
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/
And can I just leave you all with this:
Lately, I’m finding myself wanting to convert every new mom to cloth diapering and baby food making. I know it’s not for everyone, but I’ve had so much fun exploring new things that I just want to share the wealth of information.
Everyone thinks that cloth diapering is hard, gross or just not for them. I never would have considered cloth diapers before, because I didn’t know anything about them. The more I researched and read about them though, the more interested and intrigued I became. Six months later, I’m addicted (seriously, ADDICTED, I say!) to cloth diapering. I can’t get over how cute they are, how easy it is and it makes me feel like I’m really doing my part to provide a better environment for Marissa.
You probably have questions like "don't you get tired of doing laundry?" and "will I have poop in my washer?" I will say, I do 2 extra loads of laundry a week, that's it! If she were in disposables, we would be doing twice the amount of laundry for "poo-splosions" (trust me, we had to use disposables for a trip and I couldn't wait to get back to my cloth). And your washer comes out clean, just as if you were to wash muddy clothes in your washer, everything comes out fine.
Though I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again…just in case someone stumbles upon my little blog and says “hey, that sounds interesting!”
Here’s a few helpful links if you are interested in cloth diapering:
http://www.theecofriendlyfamily.com/
http://littlebitofme22.blogspot.com/search/label/Cloth%20Diapers
Baby Food Making 101
Also, making your own baby food doesn’t have to be tedious or hard. It’s a great way to save a little money (who doesn’t want to do that?) and you know exactly what you are giving your baby! I start off by steaming vegetables so they are soft. Then I pop them in the food processor to give them a smooth consistency, such as a puree. For hardier vegetables, like butternut squash or sweet potatoes, I thin the puree with breast milk or a little bit of water.
Next, I put the puree in cheap ice cube trays (you know, the old school ones that you have to fill with water, ahh…the days of ice makers have changed the world as we know it). Place the ice cube trays in the freezer until they are solid. Once they have solidified, place the cubes in Ziploc bags, or if you want to be extra environmentally savvy, you can buy reusable Tupperware containers to store the cubes in. I like using Gladware containers, because they stack nicely in the freezer. I can also label them as “fruits”, “veggies” or narrow them down to peas, carrots, squash, etc.
So far we have tried avocado, peas, carrots, banana, butternut squash and sweet potato. Banana and avocados tend to change colors quickly, so I’ve found that it’s best to get them in the freezer as soon as possible. The color changes do not affect the fruits at all, so don’t worry about that.
When I’m ready to feed Marissa I pop a cube out of the freezer and warm it up in the microwave. Each cube is approximately one ounce so it’s a perfect serving when you are just starting out with solids. It’s easy to add another cube and you never feel like food is being wasted! I do recommend making small portions before you crazy with the food processor. You don’t want to make a ton of food to find out that your little one despises peas!
You might be thinking, how do you find the time to make baby food? Honestly, I spend about an hour to an hour and a half once every two weeks or so. I make enough food to last about 2 weeks at a time (sometimes longer) and the food can stay in the freezer for upwards of a month. I set aside a little bit of time while she is napping or after she has gone to bed, so no time is spent away from Marissa. Trust me, being a full time working mom, I cherish the time we get together.
This website has a plethora of great information for baby food making, check it out!
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/
And can I just leave you all with this:
Yep, that's Marissa's latest diaper print! TOOO CUTE (if I must say so myself)! :-P
Questions? Feel free to comment!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Giggle Box
She sure loves her Grammy. She was having so much fun! And she also thinks it is funny to watch herself on video.
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