On the first day of my mission I scored a sandbox and a wagon.

New on Amazon

Ours is a little faded…but who cares.  It gets the job done and Karlyanne LOVES it.  Tim went a bit crazy on buying sand so we’ve got plenty to get us through the summer.  Good thing sand is cheap or he would have totally derailed my good deal!

New On Amazon (are people crazy!!!)

I had no idea how much this wagon cost but when I looked up prices before I bought one I knew they weren’t the cheapest things.  $524 is ridiculous!  I think this price is a little absurd on Amazon, so I looked further and couldn’t find the exact wagon anymore but  basically these plastic Radio Flyer wagons go from $80 bucks and up.  I am really proud of myself for only spending $35.  This wagon is great because Karlyanne actually wanted to stay in it and ride…the stroller is not her favorite place anymore.  She insisted that the seatbelt be on too.   Plus it has a nifty little storage bin for our phones/keys/waterbottles…etc.   When Tiny Tim is big enough they can ride together!

Next, I bought a one of these handy little things for Tiny Tim.  Rock N’ Play Sleeper

I don’t have any pictures because I basically washed it then stored it until he arrives.  I’ve heard great things about this sleeper, for several other parents, so I knew it was one of the items I wanted to get before he arrived.  The exact one I got is selling for $61 on Amazon and I paid $25 for ours.  The girl who sold it to me only used it for her son for about 5-6 months so it was in great shape.

Let’s see, next I wanted more toys for the backyard.  So I contacted a lady about a slide she was selling.  Her kids were outgrowing it.  I don’t think they make this slide anymore but when I looked up Little Tyke Slides on Amazon it looked like a good deal.

I was still on the search for some sort of playhouse and around this area they seemed to be going like hotcakes.  I was getting annoyed and figured I wouldn’t be able to snag one but I kept trying.  I found one in our area that was listed for $50 bucks.  I asked them if they would take $40 and she wrote back and said, “Hey, Myra!  You just bought our slide yesterday so of course we’ll take $40 from a returning customer!”  I laughed a good bit at the fact that I was now making friends on Craigslist.  So we headed back over the to this person’s house and picked up the Little Tykes Pirate Ship.

Even Doyle gets to enjoy it!  HAHAHA…rrrrrright!

And last but not least, I bought Karlyanne this picnic table , for $10 bucks.  I figured it would be good for painting and little picnics this summer.  I need to give it a good cleaning and haven’t done so yet so I have no pictures of Karlyanne or Doyle using it.  :)

Phew, well there you go.  My adventures on Craigslist proved to be a success in my eyes.  Karlyanne is thrilled and Tim was happy I didn’t go out and spend a ridiculous bunch of money.  For the first few days after bringing home all these “new” treats, Karlyanne started asking me when she’d wake up if I had a surprise for her.  What a punk…but a cute punk at that!

A helpful/important tip about buying stuff off of a site like Craigslist.  Always, meet at a public place or if you are picking up from their house take someone with you.  I either went with Tim or I met at a Target or a some sort of store.  All the people I encountered were really nice but you should always be extra careful.

I also, downloaded a Craigslist App on my iPhone just so I could see new postings right away and respond quickly.

Okay, I’m done.  Time for us to head outside and play.

To be honest my day started out rough. It was just one of those mornings when I woke up grumpy and annoyed for no reason. Then walking into Karlyanne’s room and her telling me, “No, mommy…where’s daddy?” didn’t exactly help my mood. My hormones must have been going wacko because I kind of wanted to jump out of my skin for good chunk of the morning. Luckily, things settled down and the sun was shining, so I had a nice rest of the day with my family. PLUS…I got a good long nap in. :)

Being a mom is a blessing but sometimes it comes with some bumps in the road. I fully admit I am no perfect mom and some days I want to pull my hair out, let Karlyanne watch TV all day so I can accomplish something other than mommy duties, and complain about my achy pregnant body…BUT…when it comes down to it I need to remember something. Not everyone has the chance to be a mom. It’s something we can take for granted so easily. It is a huge blessing that I have been given and I don’t want to forget that. I am not saying on certain days pity parties won’t slip back into my daily life but I will say that I will do my best to enjoy what I have been given. I pray for the ladies out there that hope to be mommies, that some day soon their prayers will be answered in one way or another.

If you are a mom, try and remember to be thankful on good and bad days. Simply, count your blessings.

Mom, thank you for being an AMAZING friend, mom, and role model for me. You are a stronger woman then you know. I will always love you no matter how loud you chew your gum.

Karlyanne, “I wuv you too” even when you don’t like me. I know you are going to be an amazing big sister and I can’t wait for you to meet your little brother! Thanks for making me a mommy. You really are the coolest little lady. Oh and thanks for always letting me know who you are over the monitor. With my pregnancy brain, I might forget. “It’s me…Karlyanne, open da door!”

I am working on a post with our cloth diapering process, so stay tuned.  Oh and don’t worry…it’s simple.  I.LIKE.SIMPLE.

For now, enjoy the pictures of my sweet Karlyanne.  By the way…where did those chubby baby thighs go?

1.) Tim and I have an outdoors lover as a daughter. Now that the weather has warmed up a bit she wants to be outside constantly. If we let the dogs out she is squeezing through the door and off sprinting towards the woods, shoes or no shoes…it really doesn’t matter to her. The other night, Tim went to go check on his pictures on his trail camera and an hour later they came back. Tim was in the woods in his work clothes and Karlyanne with no shoes. Tim eventually had to throw her over his shoulder and carry her back kicking and screaming. She probably would have stayed out there all night.

A girl after her daddy’s heart.

2.) Our housing situation hasn’t changed all that much. We are “under contract” on a property but the bank is slow at responding to anything so it seems to be taking forever. They have recently agreed to fix an issue that needs to be addressed before we could occupy the home so HOPEFULLY once that is finished we can schedule our home inspection and continue with the process. So please say a prayer that things move forward so that we can get settled in the near future. No matter what we have a great roof over our heads and quite a nice roommate. :) So we have no room to complain but it would be nice to get settled after many many many months!

3.) Karlyanne is talking up a storm these days. Lately she has been watching a lot of hockey with her daddy, so it’s not that all uncommon to hear her shout, “It’s HOCKEY night!” or “Let’s Go PENS!” I’m pretty sure she was born to be a Pittsburgh gal.

4.) I booked a photo session for our family. In a few weeks Tim, Karlyanne, me and my bump will be getting pictures taken. I’ve been wanting to do this FOREVER but always put it off because truthfully I get nervous being on the other side of the camera. However, I so badly want professional pictures of my family so it was time to make the jump! I can’t wait! :)

5.) This past Saturday I went and had a my very first prenatal massage which was only my 2nd massage ever. It was soooo relaxing and I will be doing another before Tiny Tim arrives. Tim and Karlyanne treated me with a spa gift certificate for Mother’s Day last year and I FINALLY went. Please tell me WHY I waited so long? I must be crazy. My mom cracked me up because I told her I was going for a pregnancy massage and she seemed puzzled. She wanted to know what they did at these massages…do they just rub my belly? Nope…no rubbing of the belly. That would just be weird.

6.) I can officially say that I have caught up on my albums from Karlyanne’s birth until now. I can also admit that I have 8 albums full of pictures! That’s A LOT of pictures but they make me happy so I am totally fine with that.

7.) I thought I’d share a few things that I am loving right now. The picture on the left is my new sippy cup! I am always thirsty so I can keep this one filled up and Karlyanne can’t spill it as easily as she can a glass. I also don’t have to worry about dumping my water over in the middle of the night when I’m searching for it in the dark. Pregnant and nursing mommas know what I’m talking about with the constant need to be drinking something. The picture on the top right is a yummy iced tea I found made by Turkey Hill. However, it’s not just iced tea but also half lemonade! YUM! Lastly, I am currently loving lime greek yogurt. My mom gets credit for discovering this yumminess. Our fridge is stocked with this stuff.

8.) I mentioned earlier that Tim has a trail camera set up in the woods behind my mom’s house. I also mentioned Karlyanne likes to tromp through the woods. Well, the other night I joined them on their little adventure. I didn’t even think about the trail camera catching pictures of us but it did. I was out on Sunday night and received an email from my loving husband titled “Finding Sasquatch” and the first line of the email read, “Hehehe. Barefoot and preggers….” Tim had retrieved pictures from his trail camera and forwarded one of the 3 of us walking through the woods. Let’s just say I will not share this picture with the world but it was in fact a perfect description of yours truly. While I was slightly appalled at my appearance, I also found it hilarious. I just pray that it was just a bad angle and not what I really look like! My mom got a real good laugh out of the picture too, so thank you Mom and Tim. If that picture ever gets out I will seek revenge!

9.) This past week I went on a mission to score some deals on Craigslist. In the past I always got discourage after not ever getting anything after contacting people. However, I stuck with it this time and ended up spending around $135 bucks and got several things. I’ll be doing a blog post on my success later this week. I’m so proud of myself! Karlyanne was so excited about some of the stuff she woke up the other morning and asked me if I had “A surprise for her?” Apparently, she now thinks mommy will be coming home with new surprises for her daily. Sorry kiddo, your next surprise will most likely be your baby brother. Now I need to back away from Craigslist before I spend anymore money.

10.) Karlyanne kisses my belly, well more specifically, my belly button, every night before bed and says, “night night, baby brudder.” Music to my ears. :) I can’t wait to bring her baby brudder home in less than 10 weeks. OHMYGOSH, I will have another baby in just a few short months. Wow!

THANKS!!!!

We went on our hospital tour this past week which was a good thing.  This time I won’t have to be in active labor and asking the security guard if I was in the right place to have a baby.

Tiny Tim…we can’t wait to meet you!!!!   

The book is truly a work of art and I couldn’t be prouder.  I put together a little interview so you could get to know her a little bit better and learn more about her book!

Love you Emmy! :)

(The middle picture on the top row are my maternal grandparents.  Emily used some letters that my that my Pap Pap wrote to my Grandma when he was a soldier serving in World War II.  Definitely my favorite page of the book…page 112!)

1.) What made you want to write a book about museums?

About five years ago, I decided to start my own business of some sort.  I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to create something on my own.  After a lot of strange ideas, I came up with the idea to write the kids guide for the Smithsonian.  The idea came to me right as I was falling asleep one night.  I sat bolt-upright in bed and knew what I wanted to do.  I ran downstairs and wrote the idea down and started looking in to it the next day.
One reason I thought I could do it was because I had made a mini-guide to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts for my sixth grade students to use while on a field trip.  I know how overwhelming museums can be for kids, and I have seen so many kids tune out within minutes of entering an exhibit.  I wanted to help my students connect with the things they were seeing.  I wanted the museum experience to be more meaningful, relevant, and exciting for them.  The guide turned out to be really helpful for them and they were engaged in the exhibits, completing activities related to each one.
I guess I had a lot of gumption to think that because I made a successful six-page guide to the Boston MFA, I could make a 125 page guide for the Smithsonian.

2.) What is your book about and who would benefit most from reading it?

Awesome Adventures at the Smithsonian focuses on the three big museums that most families visit when in Washington, D.C.–the Air and Space Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of American History.  Each section of the book highlights the permanent exhibits in each of these museums.  There’s tons of interesting information and lots of activities for kids to do in the museums and at home, like scavenger hunts, journal pages, mad libs, at-home projects, and more. It’s designed for kids between the ages of 8 and 12 years of age.
Parents and teachers would also benefit from using the guide to help plan adventures at the museums.

3.) How long did it take you to write the book?

From the night when I first had the idea to the release date, it took about 5 and a half years.  There was a huge learning curve for me–I had never written a book before and knew nothing about the publishing industry.  It took years to figure it all out.

4.) What do you like to do in your free time?

I love to read.  I’m the captain of my own book club with a bunch of friends.  I also like to hike, run, travel, and eat.

5.) Favorite Ice Cream?

It’s always been mint chocolate chip.  Yum…

6.)  Do you have a favorite museum?

I’m partial to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  I worked there for a few years while researching the book.  I love the mammal hall, the gems and minerals, the ocean hall… I just can’t get enough of it!
I also really love the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.  Their dinosaur hall is the best I’ve seen, and I really love the innovative things they are doing to engage kids in their exhibits.  I would love to work there some day, or make a guide for them.

7.) Any plans on writing more?

I would love to write more kids guide.  I have lots of ideas of next projects and a few that I have proposed and I am waiting to hear back on.  Fingers crossed!
I also have a great idea for a middle grade novel based on the ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz that are on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

8.)  What was your most memorable experience when creating your book?

The highlight was my phone interview with Alan Bean, Apollo 12 astronaut, and the fourth man to walk on the moon.  He is featured in the Air and Space section of the book.  After weeks of research on all things related to space travel, and the Apollo missions in particular, I had developed quite a crush on the Apollo astronauts. They became heroes to me.  So, to land an interview with Captain Bean was an absolute thrill.  He lives in Texas and called me on a Saturday morning at 9:00 his time, which was 7:00 for me in California, but I’m sure I was wide awake since I woke up long before his call in nervous anticipation.  He talked my ear off for 45 minutes.  It was fantastic.

9.)  What did you want to be when growing up?

Hmm… an astronaut, an architect, or an actress.

10.)  Do you have a favorite part of the book?

My favorite page is 112, which features letters from the front lines of World War II.  All of the letters were written by my grandfather, Tony Sailer, to his wife, my grandmother, Josephine Sailer.  There is the most darling photo of the two of them on the page too.
I had searched high and low for letters home from soldiers at war to include in the book.  I thought that would help kids get a personal perspective of life at war. I couldn’t find what I wanted.  One day my mom mentioned Pappap’s letters and sent me transcripts of them.  They were absolutely perfect–a touching mix of humor, boredom, longing, fear, sadness, and love–all the emotions I wanted to help kids access when considering war.

BUY IT HERE!

Em, you might have geared this book towards 8 to 12 year olds but I know next time I visit the museums I’ll have my copy with me!

Anyways, here we go for some randomness…

I love Instagram and now PicTapGo.  Together they make me really happy!  Realistically, I can’t always carry around my big momma camera and lenses so my iPhone is my handy dandy little tool for always having something to capture moments and memories as they happen on a daily basis.  These two apps provide a fun way to edit and then share these pictures.  Here are a few of my favorite iPhone/PicTapGo/Instagram favorite photos from the past week.

My phone will never replace my other camera BUT it sure does provide me with a fun way to capture some fun moments.  :)

A few tips when taking pictures with your iPhone.

• Touch your screen to lock focus & exposure.  If you tap in different parts of your screen you will see the exposure change.
• The better the light around you, the better your picture.  So play around and see what a difference you can make when taking iPhone pictures.

Oh and please follow me on Instagram.  My username is mawaj214. :)  I’d love to follow you too!

March, I hope you are kind and offer up some sunny days.