a new phase

So I'm officially deciding that Peanut is a toddler. She's still a baby, don't get me wrong, and like my mom, I'll probably be referring to her as my baby when she's grown with kids of her own... But she's a toddler, now, too.

A few weeks ago, I had her in the stroller at the library (much easier - that way I can put my books in the basket underneath her!), when some nice ladies came up to see her and commented to me, "That is the most content toddler we've seen in a long time!" I thought they were nuts - this was my little baby, who I can cuddle on my lap, this isn't any toddler!!

Yeah. Silly me. She's cruising around all the furniture, experimenting with standing on her own, loving table food, pointing, clapping and babbling all day long. I don't think she's a baby anymore.

Because I'm the googlenerd that I am, I had to look up what the official definition of a toddler is. This is what I came up with:

When she learns to walk.

Phew. Does that mean I'm off the hook for a little bit longer and can keep calling her my baby? I think I will. For as long as I can.

trying to get motivated

I have to confess that I'm really anti-exercise. It's worse when I haven't done it in forever. I love the way I feel when I'm done, but I just don't like the process of getting to that exhilaration. If I've been exercising regularly for a little while, it's SOOO much easier to get motivated.

Lately, though, I've just been sitting on my duff. Like right now. Peanut's sleeping, the oven is cleaning itself (what a great invention) and I could totally be downstairs exercising, in the kitchen scrubbing cabinets, working online, etc... but no. I'm reading blogs that I just read an hour ago. I'm running google searches for the perfect MS Access database (for free/cheap, of course) that will organize my recipes, hold my menu plans and print out grocery lists by store / aisle... still haven't found it yet, but I have spent many hours looking for the right one. I do this about every two weeks.

Do you have serious time wasters?

Now that I've put this out here, I'm feeling properly shamed by my laziness. Here's where I get off my tush and go do something. I think I'll stay out of the kitchen, though, as it's still a little stinky. I did just take a bath a little while ago, so I'm not going to go getting all sweaty. Maybe I'll go pick up our bedroom and then go plan meals for the rest of the week. It's amazing how much work planning meals / organizing coupons / figuring out the grocery list / shopping / putting groceries away can be!

drooling and sad at the same time

So I'm totally drooling over these pendants at Littleput Books on etsy - and you can even enter for a chance to WIN ONE!! or at the same blog, a chance to win some gorgeous earrings...

That's the drool. On the other hand, I'm sad because I just set up plans today for my brother and sister-in-law to come down to our house and watch the PACKER GAME on our gigantic-really-insanely-enormous screen. We were going to feast on wings and snacks and really kickoff football season with a big bang - and then appease my Mister by watching the Bears play after them. But I just doublechecked and the Packers aren't going to be shown here. We only live a state away! Too bad that St. Louis is a lot closer than Green Bay - they're televising the Rams.

"I am a stranger in a strange land." - Exodus 2:22

If only everyone around here embraced the deep love I have for the Packers. Ah well. It is my duty to convert them away from their Bear-lovin' ways.

put your thinking caps on!

If I were able to do all of the jobs I'd ever wanted, marketing would be one I'd love to try. Here's a way for you to see how fun / addictive thinking about things like that is! I'm racking my brain right now to come up with the entry for the day! Let me know if you put an entry in - I'd love to hear what you came up with!

rest in peace...

Luciano Pavarotti died this morning after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

I don't know about you, but I grew up thinking his name was synonymous with all things cultural, beautiful and passionate. He was graced with an amazing gift... I'm a little sad this morning and it seems that a little bit of color has gone out of the world. Maybe I'll just have to go listen to him singing Nessun Dorma a few times, and be uplifted...

yet another

okay I'm following their rules: The guys over at Nuts and Milk are having a contest and giving away free money... $250 to be exact! All you have to do is follow their simple rules to enter the contest. Nuts and Milk is a blog about tech news & online tips & tricks.


Another contest out there involves being funny... go check it out. That one's for $350!!

Tackle It Tuesday - it's been a while

I know it's been quite a while since I officially participated in a Tackle It Tuesday. Does anyone else out there wake up and say to themselves... "oh, it's Tuesday. What should I tackle?" or "Hmm... Wednesday. Anything work for me?" Yeah. I feel like a bloggity dork sometimes!

Today's tackle is a list. The Mister is in Florida on business and comes home TONIGHT - but super late. Like 11 if all the flights go according to plan, which they most definitively did not last night when he was flying to Florida. He was supposed to get to his destination at 11:30 pm, but it looked like it wouldn't be until about 2 am the last time I talked to him... Ick.

Oh. But. Tackles. Um. So yeah - I have a whole list that I'd like to get done today. This is a long day for me - I don't need to start thinking about dinner at 5 like I usually do - I can keep on working. Hopefully then I can actually get this list done!

• Go to Target:
• Need a new bin for the newspapers that have been read
• Need a container to go on top of the bin for Peanut's kitchen toys
• Get some double-a batteries
• More binkies!
• Adhesive squares
• Mailing envelopes for stuff I want to sell online
• nondairy creamer (we're gradually testing Mister's dairy intolerance)
• Go to JoAnn's:
• rotary cutter
• rotary cutter mat
• craft foam for making dividers for in between clothes
• Go to Lowe's:
• paint chips for the garage door (before we sell next summer, we have to paint over all the little rust spots on our garage door!)
• put the final coat of spray paint on the new handles for our cabinets
• if they dry in time, install the new handles for our cabinets
• make dividers for in between clothes
• organize Mister's closet
• organize my closet
• organize Peanut's closet
• finish sorting clothes that I've bought that are too big for Peanut - figure out where they go
• go through all the bills that need to be paid and get them all ready for Mister to review
• prep the stuff I want to sell online (I have a ton of craft stuff and some clothes)
• write thank-you to Peanut's cousins who each gave her one of their toys this weekend
• figure out where extra spices need to go - they had a home, but they need a new one
• clean and organize shelves in laundry room
• do diaper laundry
• FOLD diaper laundry

Yikes. I'm tired just contemplating! Peanut's napping now... gosh, maybe I'll just go lay down for a minute...

ETA: Sorry, I was having trouble with my deleting... it sure looked like I'd been productive, but this is much more accurate. :)

contests...

Growing A Life is having a whole week-full of contests to celebrate her Flybaby's first birthday... go on over and check it out!

I just won a copy of Brandilyn Collin's book Coral Moon over at Camy's Loft... so as soon as I've read it, I'll be giving it away here! See, one of you can share in the winning-ness!! How fun is that?