four websites...and a little mamarazzi goodness!

Every morning I get up {sadly a lot earlier now that we are transitioning Cormac to the 'big boy bed'...but more on that soon...} make my cup of coffee, and settle in at the kitchen island with my Mac to peruse the internet.  
So for this week's linkup with Lauren and Tiffany at Life.Love.Lauren and Austin Family Diary here are my four must-check daily websites...

I'd like to say the first website I check is something really intellectual, but...it's Facebook.  I don't even know why anymore, as I get less and less pleasure out of Facebook, particularly since they started notifying me every time one of my friends breathes.  But I DO love to look at pictures of the ever-changing lives of my family, good friends, and heck, even aquaintances and learn the important news of weddings, moves, jobs, and, of course, babies.

Then I will check my email, which was Hotmail, but now is somehow Outlook.  I delete all the crap and read the one email that looks interesting or is actually personal, then it is off to...

Pinterest!  Gotta obsessively see what is creatively inspiring my friends, and what project/recipe I might actually try today.

Last but not least is Blogger, of course.  I love blogs, just as I love blogging.

Linking here...

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And here are some mamarazzi shots of "Mac" as he now refers to himself.

Doing what he does.

Always with messy hair.

"Mah, I'm pretty sure this periscope needs to be hosed out."

future fireman/calendar model - Mr. April   

"I love watching PBS Kids at lunchtime with you, Mah.  Actually, I could care less that you are sitting here with me.  And I have no idea what I am eating.  I just keep grabbing and putting in my mouth."  Occasionally he will let out an animal noise, since the show we watch has farm animals.

"Bah-Bahs!  I love bah-bahs!"  

(First time he has been able to blow the bubbles by himself!)

The face I got when I asked him to smile on Easter morning.

"Well, why did the Easter Bunny give me flatware?"

The face I got after I said, "Um, don't smile quite so big for this one." 

And finally, his first Ipod experience.

Which he stole out of my gym bag.

Did I mention one of his first words was "Ipad?" 

Also recently added to his vocabulary - "Int-net"

Hey, don't judge.  He also says "book" a lot.

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one year ago : we were in t-shirts!

When I look at my iPhoto "last twelve months" folder and this video comes up from almost exactly a year ago, it makes me want to cry - a little.

The weather last winter was warm.  We were in T-shirts in March.  We were jovial and lighthearted!  We were running with the running stroller every day.  A rainy day didn't get us down.  No way - we were lovin' life!

Lately it has been gloomy, rainy, snowy, cold, blech...every day.

{well....the weekend was 70 degrees and beautiful. a teaser...today - snow again!!!?!?!}

Spring, where are you!?!?!  This isn't Minnesota.  I feel a little cheated.  I moved "South" for a reason.  Well, and my hubby.  :D

Hope it is getting warmer where you are!

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awkward family photo.

This past weekend my parents drove here from Minnesota to visit us.

I am pretty sure I was the laziest hostess ever.  I cooked only one meal.  I spent half the time in my pajamas.  I didn't refuse any junk food that was offered my way.  I may or may not have gained five pounds.

Despite my laziness, we spent three days doing a lot of laughing, eating, and walking around the city, an amusement park, and a farm/pumpkin patch.

It was sheer bliss, and though I tearfully said goodbye to my parents this morning, I am grateful for the three days we had together.

Anyway, I think there is a book dedicated to really awkward family photos.  While I don't think I have any that are quite awkward enough to make it into such a book, a few we took this weekend made us all laugh when we finally downloaded them and viewed them as a slideshow on our TV.

I might have peed a little.

Here is my favorite:

This year's Christmas card, perhaps???

Happy Monday!

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6 places + 5 foods + 4 books = playing catch-up!

Been a little distracted by unpacking and organizing process going on full-swing in the 'dream home.'  So, extremely late, here are:

6 places...
1. boundary waters canoe area
2. my kitchen {even in its current state}
3. my parent's farm
4. napa valley
5. seattle
6. new york city {any season, for any reason}

5 foods...
1. pizza
2. warm, crusty bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar
3. goat cheese {plain, on things, doesn't matter}
4. hummus + 'naked' pita chips
5. 'my' chipotle burrito - steak, rice, corn salsa, cheese + sour cream
(Yes, clearly I like cheese and carbs.)

Source: someecards.com via Greta on Pinterest

4 books...
1. pride and prejudice and zombies - reading right now, think is hilarious and fantastic!
2. the great gatsby - how can you not be in love with this novel?
3. the poisonwood bible - such a good read about sisterhood and motherhood.
4. the awakening - will forever remind me of my college women's lit days.  so much to analyze, such a classic.

Linking up again here with these lovely ladies...

We close on the sale of our 'other' house tomorrow -
so happy and hopeful that all goes well!

Hope all is going beautifully in your world!
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chinese birth chart: a sham... *tear*

source

This is exactly why I am (usually) not superstitious.

My one superstitious weakness was the Chinese Birth Chart, which, because every single mama I had talked to said it was correct in their case, I decided maybe the Chinese knew what they were talking about.

I even started looking ahead to the next twelve months, deciding which specific months Hubby and I might possibly try to conceive our second child.  {I'll let you guess whether we would prefer a girl or a boy.}

Yes, I know.  Crazy.  Obsessive planner.  Nutcase.

My husband in particular thought it was annoying that I would put faith in any such chart.  "It is always a 50/50 chance," he would say, ever my logical better-half.

Still I would argue that because of how many people it is accurate for there must be something to this chart.

It was true for all three of my sister's babies.  It was accurate for every pregnant friend of mine thus far.

Then, recently I discovered that some of these friends had gone by a completely different chart than I had. Somehow, the Chinese have at least two charts predicting their births.  Wha???

Here is the one I went by when I was pregnant with Cormac:

http://www.webwomb.com/chinesechart.htm

It showed that Cormac was, in fact, a boy.

However, I recently was shown, by my blog friend Julie, that the chart she had looked at {which had correctly predicted the gender of her son} was completely opposite of what mine said.  Check it out here:

http://www.chinese-tools.com/astrology/birth-prediction.html


Hers says Cormac should have been a girl.

It doesn't happen often, but let the record show, Hubby : I was wrong.  :}

I will hereby cease my obsession with the Chinese Birth Chart.

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{fresh air}

Not surprisingly, my stuffy head and runny nose cleared up after only one day at the farm in Minnesota.

Fresh air.

Something I take for granted.

Something I am glad my son can experience fully...at least a few weeks out of the year.

Other things...

a million stars visible in the night sky.  

gravel roads.

crickets and bullfrogs.

lightning bugs en masse.

endless corn fields.

raspberries right off the bush.

sweet smell of wildflowers wafting in the window.

lakes.

lots and lots of lakes.

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why do I blog...and other questions answered

Source: thegiftsoflife.tumblr.com via Greta on Pinterest

Recently I was "tagged" by my sweet blog friend Tanya at A Glass of Wine and a Good Book.   Just the name of her blog tells you she is my kinda gal! Anyway, here are my answers to the questions she posed to myself and various other bloggers...

1. What do you like to do for fun?

I'm kind of weird, but under the category of "fun" I put:  running, working out, gardening, taking photographs, and cooking.

  Don't worry, I won't write "folding laundry."  That is under the "relaxing" category...

2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you want to live?

Here! I love to travel...but I like our neighborhood and the city we live in, and we are renovating the "dream home" here...so I kind of want to be here for that.  :)

3. What made you decide to start a blog?

I love to write.  I kept reading these beautiful, artful, inspiring blogs and thinking, "I could do that - or at least try!"
 Plus, blogging is an awesome creative outlet -- a positive place where I can "put" all my happy thoughts.  Maybe some sarcastic ones, too. :D

4. If you could give new bloggers advice, what would it be?

Be yourself, write about things you love, and post lots and lots of LARGE photographs.

5. Who is the most influential person in your life?

Okay, weird answer: my baby.  Or at least right now.  He influences how much I eat, how active I am, how much sleep I get, how little alcohol I drink, when I can go out on dates {is there a babysitter?} etc, etc.

6. What is one talent that you have always wanted to learn, but haven't yet?

Salsa dancing.  I've tried.  I love to dance.  But I am not good at salsa.

7. What is the best life lesson you have ever learned?

Let stuff go.  Still learning this one.  I'm super passionate with a easily flared temper.  I have found that I wasted a lot of thought/energy on people/things that weren't even important to me.  Some things just aren't worth wasting your time being mad about.  Better to focus on what means the most to you.

8. What would your dream life look like after retirement?

Living in the 'dream home,' grandkids popping up here and there, lots and lots of travel -- oh, and still running and feeling GOOD!

9. What message{s} do you hope others "hear" when they read your blog?

To enjoy life.  To do things that make you happy.  To be strong and healthy.  To write/journal!!!!  Your life is a journey and others can learn and gain from your experiences, as you can from theirs.

10. What are your favorite blog topics to read about? {ex: crafting, style, life, humorous, etc...}

life, home decor

11. What is one thing that you could never live without?

Coffee.  Why would I want to?  ;)

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Thanks for the tag, Tanya! 


Another installment of the "my life" series to come...

Is it Friday yet?

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made my day.

1. running with baby. {always does.}

2. finally choosing a font for the little one's first birthday invites.  anyone else geek over free, cool fonts?

i completely do. 

3. fabric arrived!!!  for a future attempt at being crafty {which I'm not.}  here is a sneak peak:

4. it was 'world malbec day' yesterday.  aka an excuse to open that bottle of malbec I've been eyeing on the rack for a while.  was not disappointed!   {espuela del gaucho, malbec, 2010}

5. yoga class!  enough said.
6. flipping through the current Martha Stewart Living magazine and seeing Louisville featured.  We live in Kentucky, visit there a lot, and now I reeeeally want to go to this coffee shop:

{full article}

7. blueberry pancakes for dinner.  with malbec.  below are not my blueberry pancakes.  I burnt three and the others were not photo-worthy.  note to self: do not 'facebook' and make pancakes simultaneously.

{recipe}

What made your day?
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one word

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

sometimes...

I can't stop myself from taking photos of each and every little thing my baby does.

I want to freeze frame everything.  See above.

I find it mildly concerning when I get tired at 7pm.  I'm not pregnant.  I get 7 hours of sleep per night.  I only have one serving of caffeine a day.  I take my vitamins.  I eat well.  Why the heck am I so tired???

I want to soak up all of the energy so many mamas seem to have and bottle it so I can chug it down at 7pm each night. 

I decide to take the plunge and try hot yoga this month.   Recently got back into yoga, as  when I lived in MN I went to classes regularly at my gym.   Now I go once a week to a pilates/yoga mix class. I  have always wanted to try the hot version - super excited!    

It really hits me that I have been a mama for seven months.  Wha-what???  

I can't believe how lucky I am when I get four hours on Sundays to do whatever.I.please.  while my trustworthy Hubby takes care of the sweet babe. 

I feel like I never, never, ever want to move/sell a house again.  It is sooooo much work!  This will hopefully our last move for at least 7 years. 

I feel like a really good person when I play around and laugh with Cormac.  Having a baby has made me a happier, kinder person.  Laughing with him and sharing joyful moments together with a baby is something I was definitely missing in my 
life...but didn't know it until now.


How would you finish the sentences above?
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Linking up to the 'sometimes' series on this sweet blog:

mouse.mice.meece

We have a mouse {mice????!!!!} in our house.

I blame karma.  You may remember my rant about the stray cats that hang out in our neighborhood in this post.  Well, my the evil glares I would shoot them and occasional chasing them out of my flower beds is now, karmically speaking, coming back to me in full force.

A mouse.  Who avoids our traps, who poopies in the most random places, who {even though I was assured by Hubby that mice avoid humans and light areas in general} skampered across my granite counter top this morning.  Eeek!

Believe me, ever since I first saw the mouse {weeks ago!} I have been overly diligent about sweeping the kitchen every day, wiping the countertops, picking up any dropped pieces of dog food that prior-to I would have lazily left and hoped Colbie would snag them quickly.

To no avail.

I'm sure Hubby will soon figure out a way to oust the mouse.

Until then I keep comforting myself by imagining he is my own "Little Chef"....
from my favorite animated film, Ratatouille!  Be sure to pause my music player at the bottom if you want to watch this cute scene:

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{25 things}

Source: etsy.com via Greta on Pinterest

1. I have exactly seven half-finished blog posts in my queue, and yet I decided to write this completely random one instead of finishing any of them.

2. Today I entertained Baby Cormac by whistling the Andy Griffith Show theme song for literally a half hour straight.

3. Then I allowed him to chew on my beaded necklace...that was still around my neck.

4. The first thing I thought of after putting him to bed was pouring myself a glass of wine.

5. I love wine.

6. I really love wine.  Especially after whistling the Andy Griffith theme song for a half hour.

7. My husband can't whistle.

8. I get a sense of satisfaction when I find things I can do that my Hubby can't.  Sorry babe.

9. Tonight I am hoping my Hubby will pick up a pizza for dinner on the way home.  By Thursdays I don't feel like cooking.

10.  I'm a total city girl...but I kind of want to escape to the country.  Wake up in a big feather bed and eat a huge, homemade breakfast.

11.  I'm determined to learn to make homemade cinnamon rolls, a la my Grandma Mole.

12. Grandma Mole is not her real name.

13. Did I mention I love wine?

14. I really, really don't want to get up off the couch and wash bottles right now.  So many bottles...

15.  Okay, only six bottles.  But still.

16. I can't wait to finish all those other posts.  Tomorrow, maybe?  One of them, maybe?

17. I made some really good linguini with scallops last night...but my camera battery died so I couldn't take any pics.  Boo.

18. When I finally make those cinnamon rolls, I promise to take pictures.

19.  I have been doing really well with my resolutions!  I took a nap and ran and drank lots of water today.  Yay, me!

20. I'm watching the Seinfeld episode where Elaine tells Jerry she "faked."  This is why I love Elaine.

21.  Now Jerry is calling all his exes to ask them if they did, too.  This is why I love Jerry.

22. Pizza's here!

23.  I love my Hubby.

24.  If you made it this far, I salute you.  And wonder about you.  :)

25.  I promise my next post will not be this random...

Much love!

g

{I am ________ }

(Saw this on one or two other beautiful blogs I read...had to join the fun!)

Obsessing over: our possible "new" old house (!!!!)  gray boots. snuggly baby hats.

Working on: getting in the Christmas spirit - despite no snow!  developing an organized way to clean my house, losing that last bit o' post-baby belly, reading Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness {thanks Laura Love!} 

Thinking about: gift-giving. baking something sweet. not over-thinking things.

Anticipating: baby's first Christmas, road trip to Minnesota, the first snowfall, the sweater from Victoria's Secret that was backordered to arrive - this week!  

Listening to: Christmas tunes on the Christmas music cable station

Drinking: orange Fanta...had a major craving

Source: visitoffice.com via Steve on Pinterest

Wishing: safe travels on upcoming adventures. health + happiness for my son. always.  snow...snow...snow...SNOW!

Source: aforadio.com via Jenna on Pinterest

Oh...now I need to watch White Christmas!

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