Happy Holidays

I'm in the mists of being off work for 13 days...I have to go back on Wednesday and I am hard core dreading it.  BLAH.  I've reached full lazy mode though in the past few days and quite honestly it was much needed.

Christmas was awesome this year, Addison is the perfect age for the excitement of presents.  She may not be old enough to understand the rest of Christmas but boy oh boy does the girl love presents!  She was adorable ripping things open, getting excited hoping that the next present was pajamas too.  Of course as soon as one was open she was ready to rip into the next one.  We, Santa, got her a Doll house which has been a huge hit, as well as the new kitchen from grandma, her new sparkly LED shoes from grandma, her stick horse, her magnetic dress up doll who she calls barbie, anything she got that had Dora on it and her dollies.  The girl is spoiled rotten!  We had lots of Christmases to celebrate with our families and she actually did great for skipping naps, refusing to sleep in the car on the drive to ohio for more than 30 minutes even after waking up SUPER early on Christmas day..you really never would have known by how well she did all day.

and while we were in Ohio for Christmas we got hit with a big snow storm so we took some time to throw together some random snow attire (Browns hat..eek!) and made a make shift snow man in the not so packing snow.  Addison lasted about 15 minutes before a total cold hands break down.  To be fair those gloves were not meant for real snow!  

Now we are de-Christmasing the house sniff, sniff... I love the holiday decor.  Time for some pink/red/hearts I suppose!

Getting into that VoxBox

I promised to return with a review on the Boody Quickstyle Brush (retail $11.99)

 It definitely does its job, I brushed my hair with it for about 5 minutes before I started blow drying and I cut down my blow drying time by at least 1/3.  Also my hair dried much straighter than normal without the help of my straightener.   I've used it a few times now and definitely think it helps, I'm interested to see if it helps more once I finally get around to chopping the dead ends off my hair!  In serious need of a cut!

 This morning I tried the Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal (retail $1.79 cup).

 I've looked at buying these in the past because they are easy on the go, I can't tell you how many times I've melted a plastic cup at work because I tried to make a bag of instant oatmeal in it....Not a problem here because the cup comes with the oatmeal.  The instructions give you the option of adding boiling water or microwaving.  While I am home this week I figured I'd keep it real and use the microwave because honestly that's what I would do 90% of the time at work.  It claims to not boil over so I though I would test that out also since I hate nothing more than having to clean out boiled over oatmeal.  Good news is it doesn't boil over. 45 seconds and its done.  I would add more water next time as I like my oatmeal to be a little more liquid than this came out.  Overall I like this product.  Its great for on the go and its healthy.  Apples, cranberries, walnuts and whole grain.  Nothing on the ingredient list that I don't recognize.  The only part I wasn't a huge fan of was the walnuts but I'm picky about what food I like walnuts in anyway.  I don't know if I'll buy these when they aren't on sale, I like to keep my breakfast cheap, but if they are on sale I would love to try some of the other flavors that are available.  Peach Almond, Summer Berry and Cherry Pistaschio.

Holiday VoxBox

I joined Influenster a few months back and was selected to receive and review the holiday voxbox.  I just received mine in the mail today and I'm pretty excited about some of the products that were included in the box!  Mostly the Goody Quickstyle Brush considering that I literally had one in my hand in Meijer the other day but put it back since you know it's Christmas and all and I probably "shouldn't" spend money on myself! I sure hope it does what it claims and cuts down the hair drying time.  I'd love to shave some time off my hair drying routine!

And if any of you are interested in joining Influenster send me an email amberleelvt at gmail I'd be more than happy to send you an invite!

I'll be back tomorrow with a review on a couple of the items I received in this box!

I received these complimentary products from Influenster for testing purposes in exchange for my personal review of them.

Another I'm still here post!

On a day when many bloggers are choosing to take a day of silence I make a post.

 Life has been Ca-Razy.  Capital on the Craze.  I seriously thought I was loosing my mind for a few weeks in there.   Let's see September, October, November I had a photo session or three nearly every single day that I wasn't at my "real" job.  Like I mentioned before, great for all things photography and I am so happy to be busy with it but let me tell you it was wearing me out.  But oh how I love to be behind my lens, the editing feels like work but the actual sessions never do.  I've learned a lot in the year that I've been doing this and I can see the areas that I really enjoy vs. the areas that I'm just not that excited about.  That doesn't mean I'm going to stop doing anything just yet but its good to know where I feel my own strengths lie.

We're in month 4 of my husbands new job, I've pretty much gotten used to single parenting when he's out of town.  I'm still stressed as all hell when Wednesday hits but nothing I seem to do changes it.  I guess day 3 of 10 hour shifts, hourish commutes to and from work, and little sleep is bound to do that to a person.  Addison has improved a ton with her tantrums/crankiness at night.  I'm not sure if she's gotten back into a better nap schedule at the sitters or if she was just acting out as a result of the husband being gone.  Lately Tony's been home a little more often than he had been the first few months so that's definitely helped my sanity also.  Seems to be work two weeks be home for a week has been the norm for the past monthish.  Still waiting dreaming for the day that I get to be the stay at home mom with a photography business ...hint, hint, hint husband.  For real though some days most days I wish I could just say screw it stay at home and forget that I ever went to school to have a career.  Other days though, I'm still very proud of what I do and love my job.  Not saying I couldn't give it all up in a heartbeat but I'd even take part time at this point!!  Oy!

Been having some sitter issues which is mostly a result of stupidity on her part but it's very frustrating to me and just adds to my stress.  I don't even have time to think about finding a new sitter let alone a clue where I can find one who is available for 13 hour days.   So frustrating.  If she could just stop being so lazy, and use her brain a little more we'd be fine.  I work the same shift EVERY DAY, so calling me in the middle of surgery on the work line to ask me what time I get out of work that day because you don't want to miss a birthday dinner that you just learned about the day of = not a good idea.  This is what I deal with among other things.

Addison, oh how I love that kid.  She's really been quite the awesome child lately (and in the wake of Friday's events even if she hadn't been you wouldn't hear me complain about it)  She still has her two year old temper tantrums when she can't get what she wants when she wants, or can't do something that she thinks she should be able to but they aren't as bad as they were for a few weeks there (or perhaps I've gotten used to them).  I'm kicking myself really hard right now because last night was an off night and I know that once I type the words it's over for me but in general she's done pretty amazing at bed time routine lately. Last night she decided she'd like to be awake at 3, and again at 4.  Her vocabulary is ridiculous   She says the most off the wall things in the correct context that I have to wonder where she heard it.  She told my mom after taking her toy barn in the bathtub while my step sister was watching her "isn't that so cool gamma?"   really?!  She has quite the imagination lately when playing with her toys if you listen to her she thinks up all kinds of silly things.  I could sit and listen to her play for hours.  She's full of hugs and giggles, I love you's and kisses.   So much personality in a little body.  Seriously you can't help but love the little show off.

I'm overly excited for Christmas this year.  I LOVE Christmas time.  I'm not one for the religion part of it all but the spending time with family, baking, crafting, shopping for gifts, holiday music, gift wrapping, Santa  and lights and yes presents (that I get to give)  I LOVE it.  I cannot wait for Addison to open presents this year.  We've been doing a winter/Christmas book a day for the 25 days of Christmas  she is so excited every night to rip that book open even though she knows exactly what will be inside the paper.  I can't wait to see her open something that she actually wants/will think is cool.  She's been helping me do all kinds of Christmas crafty things like salt dough ornaments making some food in jars gifts, Momma loves it.  Santa told me he's bringing her the most awesome doll house and I do believe she's going to flip over it.  My step sister dug her old on out at my moms house and the kid played with it for 2 days straight, so I was sold on the idea then.  She's also getting enrolled into a mom & tot gymnastics class where I get to chase her around a gym while she learns how to use the equipment on Saturday mornings.  We stopped in there this past weekend and had a meltdown because she wanted to go "play with the kids" while we observed the class to make sure we wanted to do it.  That leotard is already wrapped and embroidered with her name on it, I was sold before she got hysterical over not being able to join in the fun!  I finished up all my shopping this past weekend with a little solo stop at the outlet mall in Howell (Santa even bought me something for my stocking he just doesn't know it yet)  so now I can avoid the stores like a plague until after the holidays.  (minus the trip I will need for making passing dishes...forgot about that one.  damn.)

Well I thought I'd check in, make a better attempt to keep the world updated on life.  Hopefully in shorter more coherent posts with pictures cause, come on now, this is boring.

Trick or Treat!

Is there anything more fun in the world than trick or treating with a two year old?  Seriously this kid had a blast.  Running from one house saying "I go get more canny!" on the way to the next house.  So much fun.  We went up to Mason to trick or treat with my step-dad who really wanted to dress up and go and his kids have reached the age where they are far too cool for trick or treating with their parents, and close to too old for trick or treating peroid.  So I took a half day of work and picked Addison up from the sitter early and made the drive up to Mason in time for a quick dinner before freezing our buns off and trick or treating.

I need your help!

Hi bloggy friends, could you take a minute to hop on over to Facebook (you know you already have a tab open anyway) and vote for my photo of Addison in the Jacksonopolis Art in a day contest?
  http://bit.ly/Tw7CJZ  


Thank you so much!

Wednesday, with words

OMG life, chill out and let me blog.

Anyway, on Pinterest, I found a recipe for homemade bath paint.  I checked it out, saw it was SUPER easy and that I of course had everything on hand at home and decided to try it out with Addison for her bath last night. 

 Major success, she LOVED being able to "maka mess" kept adding more paint with the brush taking a step back and saying "Ta-Da almost done, I maka mess!"  so proud of herself.  Pretty sure this is going to become a bath time standard. Huge awesome factor when she dropped the container into the tub after 20 minutes of painting- the water turned pretty!  

Don't mind the yellow tint, my bathroom has horrid old florescent lighting and iphone doesn't seem to have the right white balance for that!

Momma needs a little ME time!

I survived Tuesday, to tell you the truth the thought of Tuesday was harder for me than the actual day.  Also I was so busy at work that I barely sat down until 2:30 when I finally got to eat my lunch.  Such is my life lately BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

I'm not trying to complain because quite honestly I like to be busy, but I am going to.  I'm the kind of person that hate's having nothing to do, a full calendar makes me happy.  But lately the feeling of overwhelmed hits me like a ton of bricks roughly around 8pm every Tuesday without fail, and doesn't go away until about the same time Thursday night.  Seriously a 2 day 20 hour work week would be totally fine with me.   I mentioned it before but my husband started a new job the first week of August.  When he's working he is out of town, since he started he has been home for a grand total of I think 6 days....6 days folks, out of 46...so yeah, I'm not used to being a single parent.  And I work 10 hour shifts, an hour from home...do the math I get up at 4:30am get myself ready for work, get Addison up and head to the babysitters house by 5:15-5:20am, I leave work at 5:30 pm, drive to my car, drive to the sitters, get home at just about 10 minutes to 7...7PM.  That's real close to 14 hour days outside the house.    Andplusalso, I still have to make Addison and I dinner, find time to do household things, I try and squeeze in a workout, give Addison a bath and get her in bed close to 9.  Nights without toddler breakdowns aren't that horrible, but let me tell you right now on I-didn't-get-enough-nap-break-down-of-the-century-nights, we are both lucky to make it out alive - FOR REAL.  Of course after I get her to be I then spend any time I can editing pictures for an hour or two (lately till 11:30 when I curse myself for staying up too late).  After 2 days I am exhausted, and I still have 2 days left to go.  THANKFULLY it is Thursday (my Friday) and tomorrow I will go back to LOVING working 4 10's cause having a 3 day weekend every weekend is wonderful, it would just be nice to not be so stressed out all week long.  Part of me (a ginormous part of me) wishes I was a stay at home mom, or an I only work part time mom right now.

Breathing time, I need some.  And a few chill pills.

On top of my "real job", I've been doing my photography on the side, where busy is a good great thing, but adding to my stress level.  I've had a VERY busy September, and I love it, but wow I've had a session (or two) almost every day that I've not worked my real job.  Making me feel even more like I don't want to go to work Mon-Thurs.  I was actually relieved when one of my sessions this weekend rescheduled with me to give me an extra free day and I had purposely left one open because I knew I needed some time off.  (I have things that need paint on them!)

Good news is Tony has next week off.  ALL WEEK.  So we will be happy to have him home.  Partly because we miss him, mostly because mommy is going crazy.  :)  a little extra sleeping for me, and hopefully a lot less stress.  I got us tickets to the Lion's game on our anniversary so I am looking forward to that on the 30th also!

So excuse any extra absentmindedness, bitchiness, or my ability to just not notice anything around me.  My brain has no time for anyone else's crap.  I am dead on my feet and I think I might start developing narcolepsy.  For reals.

Anxious

 I'm completely filled with anxiety over tomorrow actually happening.  366 days ago (it is a leap year) was the last time I ever talked to my dad.   Just thinking about September 18th actually happening makes it a little hard to breathe.  I know that it's just another day on the calendar and nothing spectacular is going to happen,  but, how is it possible that a whole year has already passed?  It still feels like it was yesterday.

The fact that it's been a year just makes him seem that much more gone I guess.  I still can feel the panic I felt last year when I got the phone call just thinking about it.  So not looking forward to having to actually having to experience tomorrow.  The good things - I have a super busy work day to help keep my mind busy throughout the day so that will be helpful.  Also, as vividly as I remember the day he passed away, I can also remember the last night that we were lucky enough to have decided to have a "small" (HUGE) bonfire in the back yard with Dad, Gail, Nick & Joey.  I can remember laughing and joking with him, him holding Addison letting her pull all over his beard saying he was training her for Santa.  Talking about teaching Addison to pick up the walnuts for money when she got bigger because she was obsessed with all the "balls" that were falling in the yard.  Making a pan of brownies and my sweets loving Dad & Nick devouring them.  He mocked my driving skills and I had to remind him that he was the one who taught me in his old maroon truck back when I was 15.  And I remember him struggling to place a pop in his cooler that was too low to the ground for him to bend, and him stopping outside of his truck before driving home because his neck was hurting/spasming where he had had his surgery in July to remove the blockage in his carotid artery.  Both of which were hard to watch and made me thing, wow my parents are really starting to get old.  (not DEAD, not DYING, just older....)

And so here we are 1 year later.  It's gonna happen whether we like it or not.  It makes me sad all that he's (we're) missing out on (him) being a part of.  Nick and Joey got the push they needed to finally get married, I know he was waiting for that for a long time and losing him may be what finally made them do it.  Family gatherings are not the same without my smart ass dad  (though I must admit the whole family carries this gene).  I can't attend a wedding with a daddy daughter dance without tearing up (proven by Satuday's most recent wedding!  (Can you all just refrain from playing butterfly kisses or I loved her first at your weddings when dancing with your fathers? K, thanks!).  So many grandkid moments he'll never get to be a part of, and so many changes in our lives that I'd love to share.  

We miss you Dad!!

Trash to Treasure Tuesday!

Howdy Neighbor!  I haven't shared many fun things with you lately....Perhaps you could take the time to blog about them for me when I finish them?  Kammy?  

A few months ago I picked up 4 pressed back oak dining chairs for $15.  Yep $15, the reason?  Most of them were in craptacular condition.  Missing screw covers/missing spindles/all kinds of wobble.  I used the parts from four of them to make two of them into sturdy use-able chairs.  Met my friend Mr. Boring.

and his pretty back side.

These were going to become part of my "new dining set"  So on went the paint!  And while I was at it I snatched up Addison's $10 boring but nothing really wrong with me highchair and painted that too. (the second one since the first one I painted teal is too tall now for our new table)

don't mind the instagram photo its all I have :)

I picked a creamy white to paint them...

and while the creamy white was very pretty and looked nice in my house....it's just not my style, so I sanded/stained/distressed the heck out of them before adding a coat of polyurethane.  And now?

I love them.

   

The chair you can see across from the highchair big girl chair in this one is the too tall highchair big girl chair that we have to find a new place for.  Goal, to find 2 more mismatched chairs to complete the table!....(and paint the second press back chair I still have only finished one.)