Thirteen Thursday

Another attempt to get me back into blogging regularly....bringing back Thirteen Thursday!

Thirteen Things on my To-Do list right now...

1. Organize TS stuff in  closet

2. Clean out the catch-all basket

3. Wipe down the blinds

4. Deliver food kits to Jen and Abbey

5. Send postcards

6. Finish sending team emails for this month

7. Start to tackle the toy room

8. Finish frames for bathroom

9. Make growth chart

10. Renew my license

11. Fill out survey paperwork to send back

12. Start compiling tax papers

13. Schedule Gavin's haircut

Thirteen Thursday

Jarrod surprised me and took tomorrow off.  He knows there are still some things I want to get done before this baby girl does arrive.  Having an extra day off together will be helpful!  And because I'm a list maker, I'm organizing my thoughts here.  These are 13 things we either need to do or get for the baby still.

1. Clean out the inside of my car one last time.
2. Have car seat inspected.
3. Finish disinfecting pump parts.
4. Clean last set of toys.
5. Do one more load of baby laundry.
6. Organize diaper bag to include more of her stuff, not just Gavin's.
7. Make a couple batches of pizza dough to freeze.
8. Figure out what I'm going to use for baby wearing when she's little and order it.  {If you're reading this and have suggestions, please let me know!  I had a Bjorn with Gavin, but sold it.  I have an Ergo and plan to use that, but wanted something else for when she's still tiny.  I've had many recommendations for a Moby, then lots of people tell me it will be way to hot to use here, for both her and me.  I don't want to spend a lot, but I do want something to use.  Any ideas???  Anyone use a Moby in 100 degree weather?}
9. Order her onesie stickers from etsy.  Aren't these adorable?  Monthly Onesie Stickers
10. Get the high chair and set it up.  Gavin's still trying to decide which chair should be used for her high chair.  And yes, I know it seems early to some to worry about the high chair, but the one we are getting reclines and she will be sitting with us at the table as much as possible from the beginning, just like Gavin did.  
11. Get some sticker books and start organizing a little basket for Gavin.  I'm planning to have some things set aside that he and I can do together if he wants my attention while I'm nursing the baby.  
12. Clean the baby bathtub out.
13. Get a spare key to Jarrod's friend in case we need him to help out with Shirley.

 Ok, now I guess we'll see if we get all that done before she decides to arrive! :)


 

Thirteen Thursday

13 wishes...

1. I wish I could see my family and friends more often.
2. I wish my friends blogged.  I love reading blogs, especially when I know the blogger.
3. I wish people would learn how to reply to messages and voicemails.  Seriously, since I moved here, I've noticed more and more (mostly Tastefully Simple related) how many people just don't get back to you.
4. I wish Chipotle would hurry up and open.  It was supposed to be ready in March, now they're saying mid-May.
5. I wish allergies didn't exist.  Gavin and I are both suffering!
6. I wish Jarrod had a 3 day weekend, every weekend.
7. I wish gas prices would go back down.  It really messes with my budget.
8. I wish my diaper bag would come.  I can't wait to see if I really like it! :)
9. I wish we could decide on a name for Baby Hamm, but I think it's looking like we may wait to see her to decide.
10. I wish I could get some energy today.
11. I wish there were more hours in the day!
12. I wish Gavin would fall asleep for his nap.  
13. I wish Shirley knew how to vacuum up her own dog hair.

Thirteen Thursday

I feel like we have so much going on in the next few months!  Here are some of the big things we're looking forward to (not necessarily in the order they're happening!) -

1. Finding out if Baby Hamm is a boy or a girl!
2. Getting Gavin's new furniture
3. Getting our tax return
4. Going to Florida for Steve and Heather's wedding in May
5. Taking Gavin to the beach (while in Florida)
6. Setting up the nursery
7. Getting all the baby stuff out of the attic and starting to fill the house with all the memories of having a baby in the house again
8. The beautiful spring weather that is coming our way
9. Holding my first ever team meeting for my expanding Tastefully Simple team, Simply Ambitious
10. Taking a little weekend trip - we're not sure when or where, but we'd like to take Gavin somewhere when Jarrod gets his bonus check
11. Skyping with friends!  I'm so excited that some of friends are finally on skype and I can 'see' them again
12. Jarrod gets to see Sara Evans next week at his morning meeting - he's beyond excited to see his crush
13. Finding out if Baby Hamm is a boy or a girl!  (Oh wait...did I already say that?)

Thirteen Thursday

13 reasons I blog and love reading blogs...in no particular order.

1. It's a place where I document our lives and capture all the memories I want to cherish forever.
2. Blogging about my daily life will allow me to always remember my days as a stay-at-home-mom.
3. This blog keeps our family 'in the loop' since we don't live close.
4. Keeping my blog and reading my friends' lets me stay connected with all the friends I miss so much - I just wish more of them would blog.  :)
5. I can express myself - I've always been a writer.  Journals, letters, etc.  This is my journal.
6. It lets me share my experiences with other moms and get input about things we're going through.
7. It gives me a place to share some info about my Tastefully Simple business with others.
8. I like to swap recipe ideas with friends, family, and other bloggers.
9. I've learned so much about parenting, activities to do with Gavin, and photography from other blogs I follow.
10. I love leaving comments on other people's blogs and reading what comments are left on mine.
11. It's my 'me time' most days.  I love starting the morning off checking my favorite blogs and updating mine if I have time.
12. It's a lot quicker and less expensive than my previous scrapbooking obsession.  I still miss scrapbooking some days, but at least with my blog I can stay current.
13. It's my little home on the internet.  :)

Thirteen Thursday

I'm starting to get the calls and emails...what do I want for my birthday?  Hmm...  I've had to spend some time thinking about it, but thought I'd just try to make a list for everyone here. 

1. Money which will help us buy Gavin's new bedroom furniture
2. Gift cards for Walmart, Target, or Sam's Club.
3. Restaurant gift cards - Chick Fil A, Outback, Red Lobster...trying to think of places that are both here and in Ohio...we may be able to add Chipotle to that list!  Rumor has it one is coming to Fayetteville!
4. Taylor Swift's new CD
5. Amazon gift cards to go toward my new camera lens
6. New gloves - the kind that are fingerless gloves with the mitten that go over top - kinda like these: http://www.amazon.com/Ladies-Thinsulate-Glomitt-Fingerless-Gloves/dp/B004B1F4TQ/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1295530183&sr=8-25
7. Subscription to All You magazine
8. Sonoline B doppler to listen to the baby's heartbeat (but I've only seen them on ebay.)
9. Wii Fit
10. Wheel of Fortune or other game shows for Wii
11. Gift card for Blog2Print to turn my blog into a book (available at www.blog2print.com)
12. To be debt free
13. A promotion to Team Leader, which means I just need one more team member.  :) Who wants to join me?

Thirteen Thursday

13 of Gavin's favorite phrases right now...

1. 'That's a super duper great idea!' - though when he says it, it sounds more like 'That's a scooby doo great idea!'
2. 'Little help here!'
3. 'My beary beary hungry.' (always said as he is rubbing his belly)
4. 'I have a big problem.'
5. 'You think that's funny?'
6. 'I did that on curpose.' (*purpose*)
7. 'Don't talk to me like that.'
8. 'Mom, follow me.'
9. 'I want to play for two more minutes.'
10. 'I love your hugs!'
11. 'I grew up!'
12. 'I don't want a time out!'
13. 'I want to drive Shirley crazy!'

Thirteen Thursday

13 random things on my mind right now...

1. I am so tired!
2. I hope Gavin wakes up in enough time for us to head to Walmart before dinner, because I really don't want to go out tomorrow.
3. I still need to get Jarrod another gift.
4. There are clothes in the dryer from yesterday....should probably fold them soon.
5. The new Tastefully Simple incentive for the next couple of weeks is awesome!  I hope I meet my goal so I can earn some extra money.
6. I can't believe it's almost Christmas!
7. I wish I knew why Gavin is going backwards with the potty situation.
8. I really want to take a nap.
9. We have plenty of time, but I wish we would get some snow!
10. I just found out Melon Bean is closing, and even though I'm not in NY anymore, I'm sad!
11. We really have to mail our Christmas cards!
12. I love our Christmas tree.
13. I think I can squeeze in a 20 minute nap if I lay down right now...

Thirteen Thursday

13 bits of cuteness about Gavin....

1. He says, "Where did that come come come?" when he is trying to ask where something comes from.  Not sure why he says 'come' 3 times, but he does it every time.
2. For some reason, he randomly has starting licking my leg.  It's weird!  And he cracks up every time.
3. He's becoming more like his daddy.  Everything he sees, he says, "I like that.  I want that."  Commercials are awful....he wants to watch whatever show they're advertising, buy whatever toy they're showing, eat whatever food they're talking about.  Last week, he cried when we left Target because I wouldn't buy him the princess doll that was at the checkout.
4. We made such a big deal about how much we liked his haircut that he got at the beginning of the month (hoping he would want to go back again) that now he will randomly say, "You like my haircut, mom?" or even, "Mom, I love your haircut!"
5. He loves going to Hobby Lobby with me. 
6. We're working on spelling his name along with 'Daddy' and 'Mommy.'  The other day I was wearing my Shaw sweatshirt and he said, "S. H. A. W. spells Mommy!"  :)
7. With Jarrod getting into hunting here, he's obsessed with seeing Daddy's bow.  He watches Jarrod practice in the backyard and yells "Bullseye!"  when he hits the target (even if it's not a bullseye.)
8. I love his use of the words 'my' and 'us'.  It's just so cute.  He says 'my' instead of I'm, so we constantly hear things like, "My tired," or "My hungry."  And when he refers to himself, he says 'us' as if there is someone else with him.  "Mom, come watch TV with us," or "Mom, come play trains with us."  Imaginary friend?  Or just misused pronouns?  :)
9. He's been sleeping a ton lately, so I think he's growing.  But at the same time, he's trying to get out of napping!  In a ten minute period earlier this week, I went into his room 6 times.  He wanted more, he was cold and wanted a blanket, he pooped in his pull-up, he need more milk, he had to pee...
10. This allergy season has been bad for me, and we've had to avoid the outdoors at times because of it.  I guess I talked a lot about it with Gavin.  While rubbing his eyes recently, he said, "I got something in my eye."  Being the comforting mom that I am, I said, "Oh no!  What is it, baby?"  Without skipping a beat he said, "Allergies."
11. Yoshida's Sauce is now known as "Gavin Sauce" in this house.  Gavin loves it, so if he won't eat whatever meat we're having for dinner on any given night, we add "Gavin Sauce" to his plate and he will eat it.  So silly.
12. We recently switched over to flannel sheets on our bed.  When Gavin came in our room and saw them, he said, "You put red sheets on Shirley's bed."  Guess who spends the most time on our bed???
13. Aunt Meggie bought him Finding Nemo when she was visiting and he loves it.  He will now randomly ask us (at dinner, in the car, while we're playing...) "What happened to Nemo?  Where's Nemo's Daddy?"

Thirteen Thursday

13 things on my mind right now....

1. I can't wait until the first frost so my allergies take a break.
2. This little boy cracks me up...."I love carpet!"  Seriously, Gavin???
3. I wonder if Gavin will wear a Halloween costume this year....I'm guessing no.
4. I really need to get all my photos uploaded to Shutterfly.  I was doing so well remembering to do them monthly until we moved here.  Now, I have to get caught up since April!
5. I'm glad Jarrod's off tomorrow, but I wish it wasn't going to rain.
6. I wonder how my Tastefully Simple 'Grand Event' will turn out.
7. I can't believe my little bug hasn't worn a diaper in 12 days!
8. Why did Gavin wake up at 5:30 today?  After two nights of not sleeping well because I've been up sneezing all night, I really could have slept a little longer!
9. I wish I could find an apple orchard to take Gavin apple picking.  (This is definitely a reason to miss NY!)
10. I'm excited Juli is coming over today.  I'm really looking forward to getting to know more Hip Mamas.
11. I need to call Valinda!
12. Since we're celebrating Christmas a month early, I better start thinking about gifts.
13. It's time to fold laundry.  Lovely.

Thirteen Thursday

I have to get these photos finished from Megan and Kyle's visit so I can upload new ones and get caught up!  The last day they were here, we took them to the Bentonville Farmer's Market.  Our downtown area is one of my favorite things about living here.  It's so small and quaint.  I love going there and walking around.  Gavin loves the fountain!  We try to go to the market every Saturday morning just to get in an early morning walk and buy some local veggies.  So, here are 13 of the photos we took while we were there.  We loved having you guys visit!

Thirteen Thursday

I wrote about the 13 of Gavin's favorite shows....now it's my turn.

13 shows I love to watch, in no particular order ~

1. Modern Family
2. Real Housewives (OC and NYC)
3. Bethenny Getting Married
4. A Baby Story/Bringing Home Baby (they're pretty much the same thing, right?)
5. Intervention
6. The Today Show
7. Shows like Dateline and 48 Hours Mystery, depending on the topic
8. House Hunters
9. The Big Bang Theory
10. Friends
11. 90210 (the old rerun, not the new series....)
12. Two and a Half Men
13. Say Yes to the Dress

I obviously like TV too much because I could definitely keep going...  Oh well!  That's what I love about DVR.  What shows do you like to watch? 

Thirteen Thursday

If money were no issue, my 'Dream House' would have....

1. A large covered deck/screened patio so we can enjoy dinners outside.
2. A gorgeous wrap-around porch with a swing.
3. Four bedrooms, plus a bonus room.
4. An inground pool, with a 'pool house/guest house' for our family, and a hot tub.
5. A walk-in pantry.
6. A place in the yard big enough for a vegetable garden.
7. Several wood burning fireplaces - one in the living room and master bedroom for sure!
8. A half-bath for guests to use, so they don't have to use Gavin's.
9. An outdoor firepit.
10. A kitchen big enough for an island with barstools.
11. A laundry room that had a counter in it for folding clothes.
12. Mature trees that offer some shade....I hate not having any trees around us right now.
13. A 3 car garage - so we can each park in the garage and still have room for our junk! 

Thirteen Thursday

13 things I hope we never forget....


1. The way his right arms swings a mile a minute while his left remains still when he runs.
2. The way he says "nuk" instead of "milk" and "P.V." instead of "T.V."
3. The way he tilts his head back when he takes his vitamin, because he sees Jarrod and me do that when we swallow ours.
4. The way he says, "T'mere" when he wants me to come with him somewhere.
5. The way he uses his manners so well, even at 2 years old.
6. The way he give us a "squeeze!"
7. The way he sleeps on his belly, with his knees tucked under and butt up in the air.
8. The way he says, "Oh, ok!" and "I love...."  Everything is just so wonderful to him these days.  He loves everything!
9. The way he laughs hysterically when he takes a "horsie ride" on mommy's lap.
10. The way his neck and arms are tan, but his back isn't - Gavin's version of a farmer's tan.
11. The way he picks at his lip, and then asks for chapstick.
12. The way he jumps up and down and says, "Oh boy!" when he gets excited.
13. The way he smiles at me when I sing to him.

Thirteen Thursday

13 TV Shows Gavin loves - and how I feel about them....
**I should add, we DO NOT watch all these shows on a daily basis.  He may love TV, but he doesn't get to watch it all day.**

1. Sid the Science Kid - I think Sid is the cutest character.  I love the show and think it's very educational.  I'm glad he likes Sid. :)
2. Word World - again, a favorite on PBS.  I think I love it most because it reminds me of my classroom.  Inside recess days always meant Word World was on TV, and recess lasted about 20 minutes longer than it should have....  But seriously, I love how the show is embedded with phonics and phonemic awareness.
3. Barney - eh, I could live without Barney.  Though, I have learned to really tune him out. It's a Barney CD that plays over and over in my car, and I don't even realize it's playing, even after Gavin falls asleep or if he's not in the car with me at all. 
4. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse - everyone loves Mickey, but his voice can get annoying after a while.  I love how Gavin sings the theme song and yells, "Oh, Toodles!" though.  It's quite cute.
5. Max and Ruby - this has never been a favorite show of mine, but he laughs so hard at it.  I don't get it....
6. Dora - again, a show I never really liked.  Luckily he doesn't ask for it often, but he does enjoy Boots. 
7. Super Why - another show that any former teacher would love.  Whyatt and the Super Readers to the rescue!  :)  I love everything about this show - the focus on vocabulary, comprehension, decoding, letter recognition, and problem solving, just to name a few.
8. Thomas - oh, Thomas.  How I have love/hate thee?  Gavin's obsession with Thomas continues (though he's had other loves come in and out of his life.)  The show just doesn't do it for me, but I love how involved he gets and the vocabulary he's learned from the show.
9. Real Wheels - I don't even know what channel this show is on, but we found it shortly after moving here and DVR every episode (which seems to come on at the strangest hours.)  Gavin loves to sit and watch the Dairy Farm episode and the Construction episode over and over again.  Thanks to Real Wheels, I know how farmers bale hay and the difference between a loader, a backhoe, and a bulldozer. :)
10. Sesame Street - who doesn't love Sesame Street?  It's very different from when you and I were kids, but it's still entertaining and educational.  I remember when Gavin was about 15 months old and first learned the word 'Surprise!' after it was the 'Word on the Street.'  He still loves to 'surprise' people thanks to the gang on Sesame Street.
11. Handy Manny - Poor Manny and the Tools are hit or miss these days here. One day he asks to watch him, the next he cries when I turn it on.  But, I like the show - Phillipe, Turner, Pat, Stretch, Rusty, and all the others.  "Hop Up, Jump In....Come on, Let's go!"
12. The Wonder Pets - I wouldn't consider this the most educational of shows, but the pets are pretty darn cute!
13. Curious George - this is one of those shows that aren't my favorite (I'd much rather read the books) but I LOVE to sit and listen to Gavin laugh while it's on.  He thinks George is hilarious!

So, how do you feel about these shows?  Feel free to share the shows your little one watches. 

Thirteen Thursday

13 things that drive me CRAZY!!!

1. Hearing Gavin scream 'MINE!' or 'No, Sir!' 37,000 times a day when Gracie's here. (Yes, he now calls people 'sir' no matter their gender.)
2. When the UPS man rings the doorbell during naptime, making Shirley bark like we're being attacked, only to find out the package is for the neighbor.
3. Having plans change - I like to know what's going on....don't change things at the last minute, it annoys me.
4. People who are so much "busier" than me.  Seriously...we all have a lot going on.  Just because I am a SAHM does not mean I'm not busy.
5. This pain in my lower back and hip that's been there since Gavin was born and will likely never go away...it drives me crazy!!!  Just when I thought it was all better, it's back.
6. When the book I'm reading doesn't end the way I was hoping it would.
7. Having the customer service rep tell me they can't talk to me because Jarrod's name is on the account as the primary.  Grrrrr!
8. Waiting until 'tomorrow' to get gas and then the prices go up. 
9. My favorite creamer flavors not being available in 'Skinny' or 'Sugar Free.'
10. People who don't take care of things that aren't theirs - like our house!
11. Having no willpower - I want to lose weight so bad, but I like food too much! 
12. Cutting open an avocado and finding it's bad.
13. Hearing Gavin scream 'MINE!' or 'No, Sir!' 37,000 times a day when Gracie's here.  Oh, wait....I already said that one.  Can you tell what kind of day we're having????

Thirteen Thursday

13 ways Gavin is like his Mommy and Daddy!

1. He is already impatient - just like DADDY!

2. He sweats like crazy in his sleep - just like DADDY!

3. He loves to read books - just like MOMMY!

4. He loves his sweets - just like MOMMY!

5. He has to have his sunglasses on outside - just like MOMMY!

6. He doesn't enjoy posing for photos - just like DADDY!

7. He is an early bird - just like DADDY!

8. He loves being outside - just like MOMMY and DADDY!

9. He loves milk - just like DADDY!

10. He loves doing crafty things - just like MOMMY!

11. He has little feet - just like MOMMY!

12. His hair is super blonde right now - just like MOMMY and DADDY had as kids! (Not so much anymore....)

13. He loves Mexican food - just like MOMMY and DADDY!

Thirteen Thursday

For whatever reason, I've been on an emotional roller-coaster of sorts lately. So, today.....I thought about 13 reasons I have to be lucky.



1. My amazing little boy that will give me a hug just about anytime I need one.

2. Having a husband that loves us both very much.

3. Knowing my family (and Jarrod's family) is always there for us and loves us.

4. Having friends that continue to call and email, despite the miles between us.

5. Meeting a new group of moms in our new playgroup that I know will become great friends.

6. Getting Tastefully Simple parties on my calendar here in Arkansas so I can continue to do what I love - party and eat!

7. I have a bottle of Moscato in the fridge that I can enjoy tonight.

8. I'm going out for Mommies Night Out tomorrow.

9. Gavin gets to spend everyday with his Mommy and I get to see all the ways he changes everyday.

10. We are all pretty healthy and haven't had to deal with any major illnesses. When things start to get tough, I try to remind myself of that.

11. I have two little ones that I get to watch a few days a week - giving Gavin a playdate (or someone to argue with, depending on the day) and giving me a chance to bring in a little more money.

12. Our families get to "see" Gavin so much thanks to webcams, cell phones, and the blog.

13. It's Jarrod's week to do swim lessons with Gavin so I can get in a good workout, something I feel like I really need!

Thirteen Thursday

I'm going to be having a Tastefully Simple Client Appreciation Day in about a week. Here are 13 of the Spring/Summer products that I think you just HAVE to try!

1. Creamy Southwest Chipotle Pasta Salad - mix this with some grilled veggies and shredded chicken....so yummy!
2. Garlic Pepper Seasoning - we put this on nearly everything we grill now. It's delicious!
3. Juicy Watermelon Margarita - I can't say enough good things about this drink bucket! WOW! We made it with rum the first time, so it was a "daiquiri" instead....still amazing!
4. Zesty Cracked Peppercorn Sauce - Gavin inhales the chicken when I use this sauce, so you know it must be good!
5. Sun-Dried Tomato Veggie Dip - Love this dip with some carrots and cucumbers!
6. Bacon Ranch Dip - this is a new favorite for tortilla chips!
7. Sweet Pineapple Chipotle Salsa - I avoided trying this for a while...thought it would be gross because the idea of a fruit salsa just didn't do it for me. OMG! I ate the whole jar in 2 days...it is soooo addicting and soooo good!
8. Roasted Garlic Infused Oil - this is what we use to saute veggies in now. It smells heavenly!
9. Blue Ribbon Blueberry Bars - these are listed in the "Sweets" part of the catalog, but I consider them breakfast since they're blueberry. :) They remind me of a muffin bar. So yummy with their white chocolate chips!
10. Party Pals - these smaller drink buckets come in a 2-pack and make the cutest gifts! You get the Juicy Watermelon Margarita and the Mmm...Mojitos in the pack.
11. Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler - another product I didn't expect to like and did! I'm not a big fruity pie/cobbler person, but this is so delicious and EASY! We ate more than half of the cobbler in one day. Don't tell anyone....
12. Cake Batter Chiller Drink - this is a great go-to drink when it's hot out and I want something sweet.
13. The Essential 4 - Ok, so this is a Spring/Summer product so to speak, but it's new to this catalog. This is such a great collection since pretty much everything you cook calls for garlic, onion, and salt these days. You get a Value Pack of the Beer Bread along with Seasoned Salt, Garlic Garlic and Onion Onion. What more can you ask for in a collection??? :)

So, look for more details about my Client Appreciation Day coming up next week!

Thirteen Thursday

I've mentioned before how it makes me mad when I don't take pictures of family when we're visiting them or they're here. This time, I made it a point to get pictures of my family's visit, even if it meant that I had to take them myself! :) So, here are 13 random shots of my family from their trip here.

My parents, my son, and me....such a great picture, despite that we were all sweaty! (Except Gavin, who obviously had just gotten out of the bath!) On our way to the safari

Gavin sharing his love of Sesame Street with his Aunt and Uncle

Gavin and Beepa

Me and my Daddy

Briana and me ~ Sisters!

Tyler and his big (best) sis

My mama

Briana's legs!Beautiful Bri!