would you like to share? (+ family photos)

Hi.  I forgot to send a reminder e-mail again.  So you get me :o).  That isn't so bad right?

January 4th is the last Wednesday I have scheduled for 'a day in the life' posts.  If you would like to be featured, please leave your first name, e-mail address and blog address in the comments section of this post.  I'm trying not to repeat anyone who has already participated (because it is a fun way to introduce people to new blogs), but if you really really REALLY want to write another post, go ahead and leave your name.  I'll think about it :o).

I'll do my best to have a schedule put together and e-mailed out by the end next week!

Since nobody loves a post without pictures, I thought I'd include some from our family session about a month ago.  These photos were taken by the talented and oh so sweet Adrienne Maples*.

don't you just love her face in that one?  pretty sure she had no idea what was going on.

Ryann was totally just eating marshmallows in that last shot.  None of these are the one I selected for our holiday card.  I can't call it a Christmas card anymore since, well, yet again they won't make it out before Christmas.  I did order them last week, but unfortunately when I checked the tracking they won't be delivered until the 23rd.  Boo.  On a positive note, I apparently didn't order any holiday cards until December 27th last year according to my shutterfly account, so I am getting better!

I'll be on top of my game next year.  I swear!

*The disc I received contained web ready files that were unedited.  All compositions are Adrienne's, but any retouching (i.e. removing the giant scratch off Ryann's forehead) was done by me.  Therefore if the minimal editing sucks, don't blame Adrienne or assume it is an accurate example of her work :o).

glitter makes me merry

I've always had a thing for sparkles, rhinestones and glitter make me happy.  The amount that I need varies day by day, but like I said, I'm currently in the middle of a glitter obsession.  When pinterest showed me this and this and this, I knew I just had to jump on that train.

Now I'm terrible at executing crafts.  My glitter letters probably won't last all that long, because who knows if I really did it right.  And I should have spray painted the letters before I glittered them.  Then you wouldn't see any of the wood spots that I missed.  But whatever.  The banner makes me happy and I actually crafted.  That is a success right?

For this project you will need...

• 4 inch wooden letters (.99 for a pack of two at Hobby Lobby*)
• modge podge (school glue could probably work)
• glitter
• a paint brush of some sort (to spread on your modge podge)
• a bowl to put some modge podge in (because you will definitely get glitter in that stuff)
• wax paper or some sort of surface to work on (to collect the extra glitter)
• clear acrylic spray sealer
• decorative cording
• hot glue gun

Really this project is very easy.  The short version?  Put glue (modge podge) on letters, dump on some glitter, spray them with sealer, glue the to cording, hang and enjoy.

I would definitely suggest pouring a little modge podge in some sort of bowl.  I didn't, and glitter got on my brush, therefore glitter inevitably got in my modge podge.  I'm hoping that isn't a problem for future craft projects!  Also, the paint brush I used was different than the one pictured above... when I went to start dumb me realized that brush wouldn't fit in the opening of the bottle.  Only reason I switched :o).

The semi longer step by step instructions:

1. I didn't do this, but I would suggest spray painting the letters in whatever color glitter you plan to cover the letters in.  My letters look fine, but there are some spots where the glitter didn't exactly cover, and the spray paint would have helped.
2. Working one letter at a time, cover the front and sides in modge podge.
3. With the letter on wax paper or a paper plate, cover all the modge podge with glitter.  Let sit for a minute or so to set up.
4. Tap off excess glitter.  Modge podge and re-glitter any spots that are sparse.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 with the rest of your letters.  Let them set up for a little while, so the modge podge is dry.
6. In a well ventilated area, cover the letters with clear acrylic sealer.  This will help hold the glitter on (although while gluing my letters to the cording I still got glitter everywhere, who knows.  It seems like it should help.).
7. You're supposed to let the sealer dry for 24 hours, I didn't (possibly the reason I had issues, whoops).  Once the sealer is dry, attach the letters to your cording with hot glue.
8. Hang banner in your desired location and enjoy!

My banner is in kind of a tough spot to get a good overall picture, but it really makes me happy to have those glitter letters greeting me every time I make a trip into the family room.

This was a fun little project that allowed me to destress during nap time on a semi crappy day.  And it would be super easy to make for lots of different occasions.  I may or may not make one for Ryann's birthday party!  Really, I have no idea what I'm going to do for that party.  Can someone please come up with a fun color scheme for me?  That would help!  Ha ha.

week in iphone pics

Seriously, this week I felt like I didn't stop from Tuesday until Saturday.  It was full of playdates and crafts and friends coming over and errands and... well, you get the idea.  It was a good busy week, but exhausting!

sunday

This block tower is very impressive for a couple of reasons, 1) It was pretty dang tall.  Taller than Ryann, so like 3 feet ish?  2)  It lasted long enough for me to take a picture to send to Chris.  That is incredibly impressive with baby Godzilla running around.  Towers don't usually stand a chance in our house.  After the gym we had a little playdate with JT.  When Chris asked Ryann what we did that day, she said we played at JT's house, and JT was naked :o).  Sheesh Ryann, not true!  He was just shirtless.  Crazy girl during lunch.  A quick trip to Target to pick up a humidifier.  And somebody got some pretty red toenails for Christmas time.

monday

I believe someone was regretting the early morning wake-up during our trip to Hobby Lobby.  Nap time was glitter time!  That evening Ryann requested a hair bow.  I was happy to oblige.  She read the bible for the bazillionth time.  We started some Christmas cards.  And Ryann got her babies all tucked in and ready for me.  She said they needed to sleep with the train and the blocks.  Looks snuggly right?

tuesday

The first two photos would be extra adorable, seeing as she wanted to wear a skirt (rarely happens), except it was 6:30 in the morning.  And we'd already been up for an hour...  Grammy was in town so we hit up our favorite lunch spot (CPK) for some salads.  That afternoon lovely and hilarious Michelle brought baby Effy over to play.  Well, or nap, whatever.  Ryann helped rock her to sleep and sang her 'Rock-a-bye Effy...'  That kind of cuteness can kill.  Tuesday night we threw on the gingers before heading out to look at Christmas lights.  It was awesome, Ryann 'oooed' and 'ahhhed' the whole time.  And I think the blow up stuff is incredibly tacky, but man, they definitely thrilled Ry to no end.

wednesday

Another morning with Grammy around, so we did some shopping.  Ryann wasn't exactly feeling retail therapy that day, and frequently threw her shoes and socks from the stroller.  We did pick up an adorable fur shrug for her to wear on Christmas Eve.  She may not be so sure about it but I can't wait to have her all decked out.  Ryann took an extra long nap (she slept until 5:15... like 3.5 hours!), so I got to crafting some teacher gifts.  We made some treats to go with it, and I finished up the Christmas cards.  That was a way past my bedtime kind of night!

thursday

My mom was still in town, so while Ryann was at MDO we did some shopping on the Plaza.  Say hello to my Christmas present (the phone, not the water :o).  Thanks mom, I'm in love!  We also had to stop in Halls for some Andre's chocolates.  If you ever come across them, do yourself a favor and get a raspberry truffle.  Mmmmm.  And just some silly post bath photos.

friday

Friday we had a fun little playdate at our house.  I'm sure Jenn is going to kill me for that picture, but that is the only one I took.  We made some salt dough ornaments and then the kids dumped plastic balls all over the family room.  Ryann sent daddy a sad face to tell him she got an owie at the gym, but no worries.  She was still super crazy.  And it was absolutely wonderful to see my friend Jess.  Probably wasn't the best experience she could have had at my house, but Ryann loved playing with her.  And I loved seeing her!

saturday

Road trip to grammy's house!  And please let me introduce you to creepy Santa Claus.  I freaking loved that thing when I was little, I have no idea why.  But apparently it is a kid thing because Ryann loves it too.  She dragged him all over the house.  We made a little art project after nap, Ryann loves to paint.  More creepy Santa playtime, she was feeding him cookies :o).  Lastly helping Papa play the piano.  He plays and she changes the instrument every two seconds.

It was a busy on the go kind of week, but we had lots of fun.  Can't wait for the coming week, hello Christmas!!

Linking up with our week by iphone and instaFriday.

oh hello there.

Well, apparently I took a little break.  I knew it would happen this month.  There is just too much going on to spend a large chunk of time editing photos and writing!  I do have a bit of time right now, so I thought I'd sit down and recap some funny things Ryann has said this week.

::  On Monday we had to make a quick trip to Hobby Lobby.  I was in the mood to craft, but short a small wooden 'B'.  I know, what am a talking about... I'll get to that in the next couple of days.  Anyway, since we only needed one thing, I decided to browse for a bit of course.  Ryann was talking her own ear off and randomly singing songs.  All of the sudden she started shouting at the top of her lungs, "J - E - S - U - S!  J - E - S - U - S!" to the tune of Bingo.  I about died laughing.  I figured if there was anywhere to be shouting Jesus at the top of your lungs, Hobby Lobby was the place.  I asked at school, they sang it last week :o).

::  Ryann has really started to enjoy tucking in her baby dolls.  She gets them tons of blankets and buddies to sleep with.  One evening she had them all snuggled in and ready for bed, and said to them, "Good night.  Sleep tight.  Sweet dreams! ... And don't climb out and don't touch the light switch.  Good night!"  She has been paying attention when I tuck her in!

::  Speaking of tucking in her babies, it was maybe the following evening and she was getting them all ready for 'bed' again.  She brought over one doll, and then grabbed another (Baby Sarah I think :o).  She said she needed to give the baby a good night kiss, I told her to go for it.  She gave the doll and giant smooch and a big "I love you!"  After laying baby Sarah down next to the others and covering them up, we asked her if they needed a lullaby to go to sleep.  Ryann started singing 'you are my sunshine' and slowly went down the row patting each babies face and making sure they were tucked in just right.  My heart was exploding from all the cuteness, Chris could barely stand it either.  Obviously you had to be there, but it was quite possibly the cutest thing she has ever done.  It was so sweet!

::  Even though she has been extra sweet lately, I swear Ryann also sounds like a thirteen year old.  She was in her booster seat having breakfast or snack or something, and I decided to tickle her toes.  Without even glancing up at me she sternly said "Leave the toes alone, MOM."  With a big emphasis on the mom.  Are you kidding me?  First of all, when did I become Mom?  I am mommy or mama thank you very much.  And the sass!  My goodness!

::  The other day when I picked Ryann up from the childcare center one of the girls stopped me.  She told me that Ryann had been talking to a little boy about her age.  Apparently Ryann said to him "I can't understand what you're saying.  Sorry," and walked off.  :o)

::  A not so funny Ryann thing this week?  It has been bloody nose central around our house.  Twice earlier this week she woke up from nap with a bloody nose, I'm assuming thanks to the dry air.  We put a humidifier in her room and everything was fine and dandy again.  However yesterday when I picked Ryann up at the gym, the guy at the desk said, "Oh, um, I was just about to page you.  She's in the boys bathroom with (some name I can't remember), she has a bloody nose."  Apparently she had taken a face first dive off some mat/cushion thing.  Kids fall, it happens, but seriously, with the bloody noses!  Sheesh.

But oh it gets better.  My sorority sister, Jess, was in town this weekend, and was able to swing by for a little bit yesterday (hooray!).  Ryann was still napping when she got there, but woke up after a bit.  On the monitor I could tell she was trying to rub stuff off her face, and knew her nose had started bleeding again.  But I wasn't expecting what I saw when I opened the door.  There was blood everywhere.  All over her, her clothes, the sheets, the bumpers... everywhere.  Poor Jess hadn't seen Ryann since she was born, and ended up having to help me strip her down and get her in the bath while her nose continued to drip blood like a bad leaky faucet.  Thankfully it did stop, but the poor girl.  Ryann was so out of it because she woke up before she was ready, and we were all in her face and throwing her in the bath.  I felt so bad.

She is also sporting her first shiner.  Yesterday (when I took a couple of pictures) it was just red, but today it is looking a bit more purple.  Makes her look tough, right?

I've got a couple of crafty projects to share sometime next week, but other than that, I hope everyone has a fabulous holiday.

a day in the life - meg

Keeping it short and sweet this morning... enjoy a day in the life of Meg!

***

Hi! I'm Meg, and I blog over at The Smyser Family. My husband, Josh, and I have been together since high school and you can read a lot more about us here if you'd like. Our daughter Madison was born in August of 2010.

We are very fortunate to own our own business (started by Josh's parents) so I am able to work from home and stay home with Madison. :)

I love organization, lists, and schedules...so we typically stick to a pretty tight schedule most days, but we still have fun! I'm documenting this last Monday...which was pretty hectic and off our normal schedule...but that's life!

7:36am I wake up, run to the kitchen to pour her milk (she won't drink ice cold milk), and jump in the shower.

7:55am Madison is starting to wake up. She is rolling around and talking to her beloved Piggy in her crib. Good Morning!

8:04am M gets a diaper change, all lotioned up, and we get her dressed for the day.

8:18am M gets to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while she drinks her milk.

8:32am M says, "Ba," meaning she wants a banana, so breakfast for M consists of a banana and some oatmeal.

8:53am She's done so I put away some dishes away and tidy the kitchen while M plays.

9:02am I eat a bowl of cereal while M plays and steals bites of my cereal.

9:13 Pack up M's stuff, change her diaper and we're off to run errands. We stop at the post office to get our mail (we live in a tiny town), and then to Farm and Fleet quick, and then to Super Target. (No cute pics of her at Target because we were in a rush...and...well, you'll see why.)

10:20am We are ready to head to the check out lane at Target when I realize one of M's Uggs is missing!!! Whaaaat?!? We retrace our steps...meaning I run through Super Target like a mad woman with my head down looking for her silly Ugg. No luck, so we get checked out, and run to Guest Services to report the missing Ugg and leave my cell number.

10:47am Arrive at my Chiro appointment. 2 minutes late. My MIL was able to meet me there to watch M during my appointment. After my appointment, we chat for a bit while M plays with her G'ma in the waiting room.

11:30am Target calls...the Ugg was found! Yay! Back to Target quick. We live about 25 minutes from Target (and most civilization), and as we're driving home M falls asleep...I take the long way home to let her sleep a bit longer. She still likes 2 naps a day.

(Of course she took of her shoes and socks.)

12:30pm We arrive home and I immediately change her diaper. Then, it's time for lunch for M (Milk, Gerber crunchies, mashed sweet potatoes, cottage cheese and berries). My husband is in the house since my new dishwasher (yay!) was delivered and he has started the installation process.

1pm Play time and helping Daddy with dishwasher. I scarf down a sandwich quick.

2pm My power is out and the water is off (for installation safety) when my husband realizes he needs some connector part and heads to the nearest hardware store in the little town next to us. He leaves.

2:15pm I get a text from Josh because the hardware store doesn't have the part so he has to head into town. :( Right at this time I notice someone is a bit smelly...so time for another diaper change.

3:12pm Dad home...with a surprise for M! (Josh always buys her stuff I would have said no too...I don't let her have the candy though - choking hazard I think). She also get's a snack of a fruit pouch and some water.

3:46pm The installation is complete! Yay! Time for a diaper change for M and she goes in her crib for a nap! I watch her roll around for a bit, and then settle in.

4pm I clean up our kitchen, then bag treats for tonight. Thanks to Pinterest for the ideas! Then, I start working on this post check FB, Pinterest, read some blogs....

4:42pm I check the monitor and she's still sleeping, so then I start working on this post.

5:25pm I can't believe she's still sleeping! I assume she'll wake up soon, so I start getting together her stuff for dinner tonight. Tonight we have our Annual Company Dinner with our employees and their families (we only have 3 employees) at Old Chicago. It's not until 7pm, which is late for our family...but it's the only time that worked for everyone.

5:30pm M wakes up. I feed her a snack to hold her until dinner. Then, we play and read books together.

6:15pm We head out to dinner. M does GREAT...which is a relief. She has good days and bad days at restaurants, and I was worried since we'd be out past her bedtime. It probably helped that there was another 1 year old and a 5 year old...and we were in part of the restaurant where she should safely get out of her high chair and play with the other kiddos a bit, too. (I snapped this pic of Josh holding M and Ellie. M isn't sure what to think about her Daddy holding another little girl! Sadly, my cell died after this picture.)

9:20pm Bedtime routine (an hour later than normal!!!) No bath tonight since it's late...just lotion, books, jammies, and kisses.

9:35pm I hop on my laptop to finally order our holiday cards. Josh goes to bed a bit early because he has a super busy Tuesday ahead of him.

10:20pm I head to bed...exhausted...as usual.

1. What is the most surprising thing about being a Mom? Umm. EVERYTHING. For me though...I think just how much you can love another human being. I didn't consider myself very motherly before having M...but that has most certainly changed! Also...that you can function on less sleep than you think...it isn't always pretty...but you can do it!

2. What advice would you give new or soon-to-be Moms? Just do what you think is best for you and your baby. You will get a lot of advice...but take what you want from it. Also, don't forget to take time for you and your significant other.

3. What are your top 3 baby products? The Boppy Pillow - I breastfed M for 15 months, our Video Monitor - especially as she got a bit older, too, it's awesome to be able to check in on her and SEE what she's up to...it helped (me) when we were sleep training her, and a good stroller - it's great to get fresh air and exercise with your little one.

Thanks, Ashley, for letting me a part of this series and your fantastic blog!

***

Thank you, Meg, for sharing your day with us!

i was wrong...

... people are paying attention to me at the gym.

You see, I am easily embarrassed.  Very easily (surprising I know, since I have posted so many ridiculous pictures of myself lately, but it is true).  I'm not very brave at the gym because I'm worried I won't be doing something right and someone will see me, maybe laugh at me, or make fun of me in their head.  But I always tell myself everyone is just there to workout.  No judgement.  Get over it and just do something.

Now I know that might now always be 100% true, but I keep saying it in my head so that maybe I'll go out on a limb and actually do some weighted squats without nervously checking over my shoulder to make sure no one is watching.  But this past week I was totally proved wrong.

For the most part I tend to just run on the treadmill.  One reason I love running?  You don't really have to think about it.  I mean you do, but I don't have to necessarily plan a 30 minute workout.  I show up, hop on the treadmill, and do what feels good.  I try and make myself do some ab work and weights at least three times a week.  Usually it only consists of push-ups and a variety of crunches.  Well last Monday I finished up my cardio and headed over to a mat to do some just that.  For the first time in a while I decided to actually do real push-ups instead of girly ones...

"Glad to see you finally bucked up and did some real push-ups today.  I was sick of seeing you wuss out with those girly ones."

I'm pretty sure I looked up with a completely dumbfounded look on my face as my cheeks started to flush.  It was a personal trainer.  He is frequently in that area with his clients.  I honestly didn't know what to say because I was so embarrassed by the fact that someone was paying attention to me.  I'm pretty sure I mustered up an 'oh... yeah...' before getting back to my set.  He then said, "I definitely contemplated putting weights on your back the other day, you can do real push-ups.  Quit being a wimp."

Cue awkward laugh from myself, "oh sure, ok."  He said all of this in a playful, not mean at all way, just for the record.  I'm sure he really was just trying to encourage me to try harder, as I know I should.  But sheesh!  I guess I should be flattered that he thinks I am strong enough to do real push-ups, right?  I suppose I need to write up a decent strength workout now...

More running related tidbits... I was pretty proud of this run yesterday:

I haven't increased my speed quite as quickly as I want to, because my right knee and hip are frequently begging for mercy.  But 6.5 miles at an 8:56 pace?  That is a heck of a lot better than where I was a few months ago.  Ryann, my mom and I scheduled a trip to Georgia in January, and even though I'm sure it will still be a bit chilly, I'm thinking I'll be able to get in some outdoor runs.  I can't wait to test my legs outside, I think I have been on the treadmill for almost a month straight!!  Say it with me, BORING!

Oh, and so far so good on all of my December goals.  I was a wee bit worried weight wise, seeing as I have eaten an embarrassing amount of cookies this week, but the scale was nice to me.  I think I put in 18.8 miles on the treadmill, but honestly I forgot to write down/take pictures of my workouts, and I can't completely remember what I did.  I'm pretty sure it was at least 15.

Have anything to share health and fitness wise?  Link up below!

week in iphone pics

Our weeks are getting busier and busier!  Hopefully that doesn't mean life will suddenly turn lame after January 1st...

sunday

Last Sunday my bestie took me to some great antique shops and thrift stores.  There were a couple of mirrors I almost bought to turn into a chalkboard, but I just couldn't make a decision.  I'm a terrible thrifter.  That evening we did some grocery shopping at Whole Foods and finished up our Christmas tree decorating!

monday

Oh Monday.  The first day she discovered the light switch.  We had a little playdate with Sarah and the boys at Monkey Bizness.  Ryann is obsessed with those giant blocks.  After our playdate I dragged Ryann to Hobby Lobby with me.  She wanted to send daddy a tongue picture during lunch.  When Chris is gone I absolutely dread bathtime.  I have no idea why but I seriously HATE giving Ryann a bath.  Luckily she is pretty cute (and loves brushing her teeth).  She also makes awesome faces when we take post bath pictures together...

tuesday

Tuesday morning we woke up to the tiniest layer of snow.  Ryann was so excited, obviously.  Grammy came to visit and we ventured to the mall  (where else?).  With one bat of the eyelashes Ryann convinced grammy to take her on the carosuel, and nearly got her to buy a bitty baby at American Girl (really it may have been me that put my foot down on that one :o).  That evening we used our matching ginger spatulas to make some cookies!

wednesday

After Tuesday's attempted crib escape Ryann's room got some new pillow flooring.  Between getting dinner ready for the crock pot and making more cookies I turned our kitchen into a disaster area.  By the way, Ryann was also a huge fan of the dough.  After nap we set out for a little advent calendar activity.  On the schedule for that day?  Hot chocolate from Starbucks.  We had an extra special trip by going to the Starbucks in Target.  Hot chocolate and Target, what could be better right?  I'm not sure if it the drink was coming through the straw too fast, or if was that she hadn't really had a warm drink before, but Ryann did not want the hot chocolate at all after the first sip.  The lemon pound cake though?  That she was perfectly happy with.  

thursday

Ryann woke up with some awesome bedhead.  It upset her just a bit :o).  I got her a set of counting/sorting bears, she loves them!  Not actually counting them or sorting them though, of course.  She lined up all the cups and told me the yellow one was for me, the purple was hers, blue was for Daddy, red was for Kyle and green was for Chris.  Kyle and Chris are a couple of our friends.  I thought it was funny that she decided they were their cups, and she has completely stuck to that.  Per the advent calendar Ryann got to unwrap a new book.  And because there wasn't enough junk food in our house I decided to make more!  Thankfully I dropped those sweets (along with a batch of cookies!) off to my friend Kenzie on Friday.

friday

My kid is cute.  There is no denying it :o).  And those little bears?  They definitely keep her occupied.  But man... they end up everywhere!  We are still on the hunt for a good holiday dress.  Ryann tried to humor me by playing dress up, but obviously it wasn't her first choice for our evening activity.  Crazy bath hair and more awkward post bath faces.  She looks THRILLED to be taking pictures with me.

saturday

The only phone picture I took yesterday was that awkward grocery store shot on the right.  Apparently our day was lame?  Not really... Chris took Ryann to the pet store (hello cheap indoor zoo) while I showered.  And after dinner we made a little snuggle fort in the family room and watched a Mickey Mouse Christmas movie.  It was a good day.

Really it was a good week.  A great week (of course it helps that the hubby had three days off, THREE!).  I'm hoping the next few weeks are just as fun, and not too stressful!  We've packed our schedule full, but I'm sure we will enjoy it.

How was your week?  Linking up with our week by iphone and instaFriday.