What does a cute hat look like?

He wouldn't keep it on (hence the bad photo) but it is seriously the cutest hat I have ever put on his head. I got it from my friend Allie, who crochet'd it herself! We had a really fun time hanging out with her and her son will yesterday:



Yes that is Twilight on in the background, total baby material!


Ethan hasn't quite learned to share yet, he kept picking up this toy and walking away with it, so Will couldn't have it.

Allie has so many cute hats for sale on her Etsy shop, you should all check it out! I certainly have a soft spot for moms who have their own businesses, I like knowing that my money is going towards a family who needs it, and not a huge company.

Life as a 1 year old

If you are one year old (and Ethan)-

All things with four legs and a tail is a "doggeee", you should follow it around and woof at it, even if it's a cat.

Music is for dancing- make sure to shake your butt and wave your hands around a lot.

Anything that is out of your reach must be amazing, and YOU NEED IT NOW.

Anything that is soft and on the floor is subject to a head dive.

Climbing on chairs is awesome, getting down? Not so much.

If it's a string, belt, earphones, wires, anything bendable and long- it goes around your neck.

Anything that is in the general shape of a rectangle is a phone.

Keyboards are for smashing.

Ash from the fireplace is delicious.

Rugs are for dragging around, and flipping over...right in front of a doorway.

Coffee mugs are fun to carry around- the fuller the better.

The word NO just means you should try again in a few minutes.

Eyes are there to be poked. The same goes for nose, mouth, ears, and belly button.

Naps are for babies.

If you shake the baby gate enough, it just *might* open.

Day old food found in the couch is fair game.

End of the world constitutes- having to wait for food, someone leaving the room, getting left behind the baby gate, falling off the couch....

Highchairs are meant for standing in, not eating.

If you cry long enough at naptime/bedtime- someone will come get you! This means you can play more- and by playing you really mean walking around in circles and whining.

That bark stuff at playgrounds? Delicious!

Dogs are awesome until they bark at you. Then they really suck.

Edible leaf?!

Why being a mom makes you a social pariah...

It's been a while, but it's time I get back on track! I've been wanting to write about this for a while, because it is definitely something I have been dealing with (and with no-one in particular, just in general). I've really noticed that while being a mom is the greatest gig in the world, it really does put a damper on your social life (who KNEW?!). There are several reasons why you may feel that your close friends are moving in the former friends category, and believe me, I totally relate.

•  They don't relate to you anymore- This is especially true for the party on the weekend types. I feel like a lot of friends just don't want to go out with me because they think I'm a wet blanket. Well, in the sense that I want to be home by 11, I worry about my kid constantly, and Ethan is the main subject of every conversation. While I know I should tone this down, it really is part of being a mom, which moms GET!

• They think you never have time-  Ok people, lets get this straight. We have kids but that doesn't necessarily mean that 100% of our time is taken up by changing poopy diapers. This actually makes me really mad. Ask me if I want to go out, if I can plan it, I will! Don't just assume that I can't do it, so you don't invite. It really makes me feel like a piece of shiz. 

• It takes too much effort to plan- A lot of friends are the "fly by the seat of your pants" friends, or so I've noticed. If they can't call you and make last minute plans, they aren't at all. I even have some friends who refuse to make plans ahead of time, forcing me to try and plan last minute- which is not easy with a kid. 

Truth be told, when it comes to me- I am just in a different category than all my former friends. I am married, they are dating around. I have a kid, they have a dog? I can barely stay up until 12, they stay up till 3 or 4 every weekend! I hope that eventually they will catch up to me, get married and have children. But for now, I have to be patient and bear it. At least I have some wonderful mommy friends, even if the depth of the relationship isn't near what I would like it to be. I would love to meet some more friends who are my age and are at the same stage in life as me. Unfortunately it seems that 27 is too young to have a kid anymore! Who knew?! *sigh*

Mommy App: Homeroutines

I haven't done an app review in a while, so I figured I'd let you all in on this secret. Homeroutines is a great app that uses the FlyLady model to keep your house organized and clean. The app allows you to plan your daily routine, in conjunction with a rotating schedule that will help keep your house immaculate! Here are a few screenshots:

Create your own routines, you can set a reminder or just play it by ear!

Using a system similar to FlyLady, you only spend 15 minutes a day deep cleaning your house, but manage to get a lot done!

Each zone rotates each week, and repeats each month.

Husband asking what you did today? Show him this list!

You can set certain routines to show up a certain day of the week. In my case, Mondays are grocery shopping and dusting day!

I have really gotten a lot of use out of this app! I am not a naturally organized person, although with the many applications I have on hand I feel that I have become much more so. The worst part about cleaning a house is feeling overwhelmed with how much there is to do, and I feel Homeroutines really addressed this. Who doesn't have 15 minutes a day to spend cleaning?

In addition to organizing your chores and routines, Homeroutines also features a to-do list, and a website that you can update from your desktop (www.my.homeroutines.com). It costs 3.99 from the apple app store, which is on the high end of the amount I'm willing to spend on a program. However, this is one of the few times I will say it is worth the money. I really couldn't live without this app.

Hilarious things Ethan thinks about while eating

I am totally stealing this from a group of mine on facebook, but it really is too hilarious to not post. Here are some things we have decided babies must think whilst eating:


While eating macaroni:

"I want more macaroni!"
"How DARE you move the macaroni I already have into a pile!?"
"Ooo, macaroni."

 "Get this macaroni away from me NOW!"

"ooooh, I bet I can use macaroni as conditioner"  

"One for me, one for the dog, one for me, one for the dog--" 

‎"If I hide this macaroni under my leg, she won't see it, then when she takes my tray away, I have a snack!" 

‎"Uh oh! Macaroni fell out of my hand onto the floor. Accidentally, of course."


‎::throws macaroni emphatically on the ground:: "UH-OH!"


"You eat this, Mommy. NO! It's mine."
‎


 "Let me chew it for a bit and then spit it out into my hand to look at and put it back in my mouth for consumption."  


"No, mom. I'm pretty sure the floor is hungry. NoDon'tPickThat----uhhhh. Sorry, floor. I got your back, buddy. Here's more."


"Don't wipe my face. Never wipe my face!"


"Bring me my sippy cup, woman!" **gulp gulp gulp ** "I tire of this sippy cup!" **throws forcefully to the floor** "Now, give it back to me!"


So true!    

Thanksgiving Stuffing!

So my family has about the best Thanksgiving stuffing recipe out there ever. I may be a slight bit biased, but I have tried looking for it online- and I can't find it anywhere! I really should post pictures of it, but since we really only make it during Thanksgiving I can't justify making it without a turkey! Our recipe has always been verbal, so writing it down will just make it last longer in my opinion.  It truly is original.

Nila's Family Stuffing:

What you will need:
1 lb sausage (breakfast kind)
2 cans of unpitted olives (these can be hard to find, we use Graber olives here), drained
Seasoned cornbread dressing according to size of turkey
Celery according to dressing package, minced (leaves included)
Onions according to package, minced
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 carton of chicken broth
1-2 eggs

Instructions:
Cook sausage, set aside and leave the drippings in the pan. Saute the minced onions and celery in the drippings, then drain. In a large bowl, add cornbread according to the size of your turkey, the cooked minced onions and celery, cooked sausage, 1-2 eggs (start with one, if it is not enough to spread evenly, add another), butter. Mix together, then add drained olives. Lastly, add chicken broth- but only enough to lightly (very lightly) moisten the stuffing. Adding too much broth will make it gooey. This recipe gets better with experience- my first attempt at it made it way too gooey, I will know better next time. Stuff the turkey with the dressing, making sure NOT to pack it. Packed dressing doesn't cook thoroughly, increasing risk of Salmonella (YUCK).

If you have leftover stuffing, you can put it in a casserole dish and place the turkey neck on it; then cook to the directions on the back of the stuffing.

If you attempt this, let me know! I'm excited to see other's results.

Everybody should have a kid...

When I say everybody, I mean some people. I really mean that having a kid changes you, and being a parent makes a huge difference in how you see the world. I really believe that if some people could experience life the way a parent sees it, they would improve their life for the better!

For example, my birthday was this last Saturday. I didn't care! I was trying to figure out what had changed so much in the last year, and the answer was quite obvious. Ethan has changed me, completely and for the better. I used to get sad, depressed, and angry on my birthday. I think the main reason for this is because we grow up with this sense of anticipation. When it's my birthday I am going to get this, when it's my birthday I'm going to get to do this...and so on and so on. How selfish it really was! I was being totally self-centered and throwing a fit every year because my birthday wasn't what I wanted it to be. Then I had Ethan, and everything changed.

It's really not about me anymore. It's about this tiny little toddling kid I love from the deepest part of me. It's about if he's happy, if he's healthy. I'm so glad that I have a child who is happy and healthy when many parents don't. So this really leads me to the title of my post, everyone should have a kid. They should have a child so that they can see the world through someone else's eyes, so that they can realize it's not "about me".

I know there are many parents out there who have a child, and still are self centered. I know having a child is not a solution to anything. I have a really hard time understanding how a parent could ignore, beat, or otherwise impair their kid like that. I can't even imagine what I would have to be feeling in order to hit Ethan. So here's just a thought for those children's parents. Look outward, not inward. See life through your child's eyes and enjoy it.

And now...for a lighter subject. Pickle in a puppy costume!

Of course he changed my life! Look at him!

Ethan's First Birthday Pictures

So Ethan's birthday came and went, and it was quite the blur! It has been more than 2 weeks now, and I still can't believe I have a one year old!

I love how parks find the most grabable, delectable, substrate known to man. Here is a picture of him about to ingest some!

Mmmmm delicious substrate!

This is the funniest, most serious face I've ever seen him make!

Can't catch me!

This picture is perfect!

Ethan and Grandma D.

Trash+Park=Fun

Ethan and cousin Jackson. They are 3 months apart!

Why does Jackson get all the fun?!

Jackson is almost walking, soon they will be terrorizing the park together.

My mom would have yelled at me for doing this, haha. So I let him.

I want to be just like you when I growed up Patrick!

Smiley Jackson!

Jackson loves the swings, Ethan has yet to make up his mind.

There's a smile!

There's a frown!

Shanee got the cake made by her friend at Le Courdon Bleu. Although I was holding it on the way there, it managed to slip on the round and squish the FRONT. :'(

She made puppy pops, which I managed to break while putting them in the Styrofoam. I'm pretty sure I ruined Ethan's birthday.

Puppy Chow, the most easy, delicious, party mix ever,

Cute little puppy cupcakes! They turned out great.

They were red velvet and delicious!

Miles the Moose.

Great great Aunt Loranne, Great Aunt Diana, Great Grandma Caputo, Great Aunt Deena.

Rachael, Mady, Jillian, Ian, Me, Uncle Andrew, Gramma Ferguson, and Laurie.

Brendon being....Brendon.

When I see this picture I think of a dog, in car, ears flapping back in the wind. Don't ask.

The turnout.

Mikey is a special agent.

 All in all, we had a really great time. Ethan got some wonderful presents, and we are thankful to each and every one of our guests who gave him something! He loves everything he got!

Teething will be the end of me..really!

Today has been a tough one. Ethan really wasn't his normal happy self and spent the entire day whining and crying. I feel really bad, the poor kid is teething so his mouth hurts like the dickens. Then, the teething makes him have some "loose" (that's putting it mildly) poops. Nobody wants to hear about my kids bowel movements so I will spare you the horrible details. Lets just say his poor behind looks like a skinned rabbit :( I have been coating it with abnormal amounts of butt paste, triple paste, whatever I can get my hands on! I know this isn't going to last forever, he will stop teething eventually. For now, I just wish both ends of him weren't in pain (and as a result, making my head be in pain also).


In other news, Ethan said Mama finally! It feels like it took forever, but these last few days he has really been spouting it out. He is so proud of himself, you can tell. When you ask him to say it, you can see him thinking about it; he will purse his lips together and try to remember how to make the "m" sound. I really am blessed to have such a adorable son!

Austine made me my business card finally, and I have to say it looks amazing! I have never had a business card before, being a nanny really doesn't require one. Having one suddenly makes me feel legit and professional, it is amazing what the little things can do to boost your self-esteem. I really cannot wait for my first party on the 19th, I have some really fun stuff planned and I have been working really hard on the information I give to my hostesses. The whole Scentsy thing is starting to feel real, and I am really enjoying it! I think I enjoy it the most because I get to network and talk to people I haven't seen in a really long time. I got to see on of my really good friends from highschool last night on Scentsy business and it was a total blast.

I'm feeling really guilty about not posting pictures of Ethan all that much, so I'm going to be trying a lot harder to include some every week! He is such a cutie, how can I not?! I would really love to work on my photography skills too, I know that my iPhone isn't perfect, and I see some other folks's pictures that put mine to shame (not surprisingly). I promise my next post will be Ethan's First Birthday pictures! I will get to it right now :D

I'm thankful for...

My good friends at GlitzGM have started a trend on twitter: 24 days of gratitude. I have to say, this is an absolutely great idea, especially with Thanksgiving on the way (of course this was their inspiration). But really, I think everyone  complains a bit too much at times. We all get sucked up with the negative parts of life. I know I am certainly guilty. It seems like if ti's not one thing I'm worried about it's another. So this month, I am going along with the 24 days of gratitude and posting on my twitter something I am grateful for!  I encourage all of you to join me, all the way up till' Thanksgiving.

My first giveaway!

So, in light of becoming a Scentsy Consultant, I thought I'd do a little giveaway! I've always planned on doing one, and I was even thinking of doing one with candles (my most favorite item in the world!). Now that I'm partial to a candle company, I must do a Scentsy Giveaway! One lucky winner will recieve this warmer, and 2 bars of Scentsy Scent (Welcome Home and Vanilla Cream).

Chianti!

Mmm Vanilla and Cream!

I got this scent with my starter kit and it is a fav!

Now here comes the nitty gritty. Here are ways for you to enter!

1. Comment here, on my blog, and tell me your favorite thing about the holidays.
2. Visit my Scentsy Shop and comment on this blog, telling me which warmer is your favorite.
3. RT this message on twitter: "RT @meattatersmama I just entered to win a Scentsy warmer and 2 bars of scent! Check it out:http://bit.ly/twBi6a" Comment here, telling me you have done so.
4. Like my Facebook page, and comment here telling me you have done so.
5. Follow me on Twitter, and comment here telling me you have done so.
6. Follow my blog! Comment telling me you have done so.

Don't forget to leave your email address on at least one of your entries so I can track you down if you win!

That's it! The winner will be drawn on November 11th, 2011 at 9PM PST. Good luck!

18 years and only, USA only please :D

ETA: I noticed some of the entrants have condensed their entries into one comment. I will be using random.org to pick a winner, so I would make each entry separately if I were you! Also, no multiple entries please. Thank you!


11/11/11: Our winner has been chosen via Random.Org!

Congrats Lea! Sending you an e-mail right now. Stay tuned to my FB page for some more giveaway goodness in the coming weeks!

E and I got the chance to visit the local pumpkin patch with the mom's group in the area. It was really a lot of fun and I got some great pictures. Here's my entry for wordless Wednesday.