Chaos in the Bedroom

hi readers from Kellys Korner!  I had a horrible nesting bug with pregnancy #2 and am now in the middle of redoing our master bedroom.  I think too often people leave this room for last and I was sick of that!  So here it is, and yes it is VERY much in progress, but I love where it's headed!  To see the rest of our progress over the last few months, go to the "our home" tab at the top of the page.

Our bedroom has been lackluster since we moved in.  Not WHAT happens in the bedroom (wink wink totally inappropriate comment appropriate here), but the decor.  The decor was dark and in major need of a makeover.

We figured, if we could make Gloria's nursery look as cute as it does, then surely we needed to give some attention to our room right?

We have ONE big rule for our master bedroom.  Some might think it's weird, but here goes.

The Master Bedroom Rule

NO pictures of children in the bedroom.  Yes think we're weird if you want, but we want the bedroom to be OUR room.  OUR sexy retreat.  It doesn't really put us in the "mood" to see a huge picture of little one smiling on our nightstand if you catch my drift.  There is no putting frames down in our room (40 year old virgin anyone?).  Plus, since when is it wrong to have ONE room that is completely yours?

Other than this two rules, we were set!  To start from the beginning, here's what we had to work with:

Here's our inspiration fabric (something I have been doing with every room now ... choosing a fabric or pillow to inspire the makeover):

First things first, paint ...

We went to Home Depot and brought home three swatches.  They were all uninspired.  We didn't hate any, but didn't love any.  I started looking through blogs and kept seeing a name repeated:

Benjamin Moore's Palladian Blue.

We picked up a sample and were in love.  Palladian Blue it was.  We repainted and already felt such relief.

Next, the furniture dilemma.  Time to paint again!

Evan had to paint since when painting furniture they suggest oil based paints, so we painted the nightstands a calming white and the dresser a darker gray.  Our second dresser was actually Liliana's old dresser and is now in our guest room.  We went to Habitat for Humanity and bought one for $45 and painted it for approximately $20.  A new dresser for $65 (plus handles which we haven't tackled yet)?  Not bad!

This has been a tumultous process though.  We really were starting FRESH, so we are NO where near done.  We have curtains up, new lamps, a new headboard, new bedding and the budget is TIRED.  REALLY tired.  So is the mini-van.

We're taking a break for a few weeks I think.  And I realize that the room looks NO WHERE NEAR done, but man, it's coming out GREAT ... every single day we go inside the room and marvel at the progress!

I still have BIG plans for it.  We need a new rug, a new chair and seat, handles on the dressers (obviously) and then comes the accessories.

But here we are today.  HAPPILY enjoying the bedroom (and yes, I mean that in the appropriate and inappropriate way again. winky winky face repeated a SECOND time! BOOM.)

For a reminder.

BEFORE

IN PROGRESS

Bedding: quilt bought at TJMaxx.  Grey comforter (it's reversible) and shams purchased at Target.  Curtains and rods purchased at Target.  Lamps (both on nightstand and the floor lamp) purchased at TJMaxx.

Bed skirt: obviously still old.  Driving me crazy.  Will buy another soon.

Pillow on floor: the inspiration pillow that will sit on a chair sometime.  Bought from etsy.

Headboard: bought on sale at Pier1 imports.

Decorative pillows: all purchased at TJMaxx.

New nightstands: Benjamin Moore paint.  Will do another post on repainting furniture in the near future.  New knobs purchased 50% off at Hobby Lobby.

I need to show you guys before and afters of these dressers ... the makeover is RIDICULOUS!
Knobs purchased 50% off at Hobby Lobby.  Spray painted the old ones for the bottom drawers and they're on there now, but I think that will change.  It doesn't look quite right.

Dresser bought at Habitat for Humanity for $45.  Should have seen it before.  It will be a complete beauty when we're all done with it.

Where we are today! : )

Baby Girl's Nursery Reveal!

Hi visitors from Kellys Korner!  I worked really hard on my baby girls nursery and am SUCH a big fan of it!!  I've had a few people ask where the prints on the walls are from.  I actually designed and made them myself, so feel free to go to my etsy shop.  My prints are really affordable and I love designing for people (plus, if you read other posts you'll see I'm on bed rest and desparately want something to do, haha!)

I am so excited to announce that we are DONE with baby girl's nursery! Yes, I am only 32 weeks, but considering that the hubby is about to get REALLY busy with work once again, we thought this long weekend was as good a time as any to finish and I am so glad we did. It is BY FAR my favorite room in the house. Just this morning before I left for work, I went in to the room and had myself a little conversation with Gloria asking if she liked the room.  She did, very much!   Hope you guys do as well!

As you recall, putting this nursery together has been quite an obstacle.  Here are all the parts we went through:

Part I: Starting baby girl's nursery.
Part II: The print that started it all.
Part III: Gloria's bedding.
Part IV: choosing the paint color
Part V: the layout ...
Part VI: that darn corner!
Part VII:The Crib Mobile (DIY Steps)
Part VIII: Now that's progress!
Part IX: A Special Corner for a Special Lady
Part X: DIY no sew valances
Part XI: How to Embroidery Hoop Wall.

Sources of EVERYTHING are at the bottom.  I've already had quite a few emails asking for sources, so let me know if I forget anything! 

 Overview of the room

 Other side of the room

 Pretty bedding

Bedding fabrics are the "Kumari Garden Collection."  I had the bumper and blanket made on etsy.  I just used white crib sheets and bought 2 yard of fabric to make the bedskirt (aka, just laid the fabric down).  When it was all said and done, I spent $115 for the 4 piece set!  GREAT deal.

 DIY Crib Mobile

This project cost less than $15 and took less than an hour to put together.  Definitely recommended!

 More detailed views of room:

The little storage box was $15 from Walmart.  The furniture is ALL Ikea except for the pink table which is from Hobby Lobby. 

My recommendation for building a nursery is to come up with a color scheme and use something as inspiration, whether it be a pillow, fabric, or in our case, a print.  It helps make it cohesive.

 Sources for Baby Girl's Nursery:

Paint Colors: Blue is Robin's Egg Nest from Benjamin Moore.

Rug: JC Penney ($80)

Furniture: bookshelf, crib, dresser, shelves, and chair are Ikea.  Pink Table is Hobby Lobby.

Ottoman/ Pink Storage Box: Walmart ($15)

Bedding: blanket and bumper made on etsy.  Kumari Garden fabric collection.  Bed skirt is just 2 yards of fabric laid down below the mattress.  Crib sheets are just plain white crib sheets from Target.

Hoop Wall: Hobby Lobby letters painted white (gift from Grandma).  Hoop walls from Hobby Lobby (mixed 6", 8" and 10").  Fabrics from Kumari Garden Fabric Collection.

Decorations on pink table: lamp is from Target and humidifier is from Target (Crane humidifier)

Decorations on changing table: diaper caddy is from Target ($10) and sock monkey was a shower gift

Decorations on shelf #1: jewelry stand from Hobby Lobby and book ends (red and pink birds) were purchased with a Pottery Barn giftcard that I've had for 4 years and had never used

Decorations on shelf #2: glass bottles and bird cage from hobby lobby.  Books and bunny were gifts from baby shower.

Elephant on bookshelf: from Pottery Barn.

Prints and frames for "dedication" wall: elaborate one from Hobby Lobby,  plain from Michaels.  All prints made and designed by me (go to etsy shop link at top of page and contact me for any of them!)

Maternity Photos

Tomorrow we're getting our maternity photos done!  I am so excited!  Yes I look like a swollen cow, but it's still fun to document this exciting time in our lives.  We're getting them done by the same lady that did our Christmas card pictures.  She's trying to build her photo business so her photos are SO affordable (like $25 for a photo shoot and the CD with all the pictures in high quality resolution). 

Evan and I got some GREAT shots when we were pregnant with Liliana and it's so fun looking back on them to reminisce ...

In order to change things up this go around, and since we're going to be able to take some outside this time, I'm been looking up cute maternity picture ideas.  As you've probably gathered from the ones I posted above, I don't like the "nude" maternity pictures.  And let me tell you, that's about 75% of what's out there.  I don't mind showing the belly every now and then, but some of them are just flat out creepy.  Sorry, I said it, and I mean it!  If Evan's going to be grabbing my boobs (like the men are doing in about 50% of the maternity pictures), it'll be in a much more private setting, thank you very much.  Call me a prude, but I don't think having a belly gives me permission to flaunt my entire body out there for everyone to see ... plus, who wants to see that?  Trust me, I'll look MUCH more attractive 6 months postpartum than I do right now! haha.  Ok, that's my soap box.  Here are some cute new photos I found!  Thank you pinterest!

 This is too cute for words!  Liliana is ALL about giving LOTS and LOTS of kisses so hopefully we'll be able to snag this shot.

 I really like this picture for some reason.  I think it shows the importance of Mommy and Daddy still being in to one another (not to the degree of booby grabbing as I mentioned above).  It's sweet, intimate, and definitely one to try (though my belly does get in the way of kisses sometimes already!).

YES YES YES!  If we can get Liliana to comply, we're totally going to try this one.  It will mimic the one where Evan listened to HER heartbeat!  BEAUTIFUL.

There's something sweet about just lying in the grass.  Sure, it looks sweet and my  body will be totally uncomfortable in reality, but I like the simple shots a lot.

We have a train nearly identical to this at the park where we're going to take photos so this gave me some options to work with!
 

I like that Daddy got some attention in this one, even if it was just his backside, but Evan has a GREAT booty  and his wide shoulders are my favorite feature, so I'm a fan. ; )

* NOTE: Yes this was supposed to be the day that I posted my week 31 pictures, but it's not my fault ... really ... see, we went to Home Goods yesterday afternoon and found a ton of stuff (some worked, some has to be returned), and then we worked on the master bedroom some more (seriously, it looks beyond awesome), and then, by the time I remembered, I was very tired and it was practically 10 pm ... soo ... ok, I have no excuse.  We are SO lame about taking belly pictures this go around!  Sorry Gloria!

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

Time for a random post because none of them in and of itself warrant a post ...

You Lazy Bum!

Because that's exactly what I was yesterday. I seem to recall reading somewhere that people get fatigue in the 3rd trimester once again.  I don't remember having that with Liliana, though it's entirely possible that I did.  Truly we haven't been getting to bed NEARLY early enough and I probably end up falling asleep close to midnight, and wake up around 6:10.  That's not enough sleep for someone growing a beautiful girl, but it still doesn't excuse the horrific way I acted yesterday.  I got home around 5 pm and was lazy from the start.  Work has been exhausting this week, but STILL that isn't enough of an excuse.  I had Evan cook dinner, he kept telling me to relax, don't stress, just to take it easy.  While he was giving Liliana her bath I told him I was going to go check if our bed was still comfortable (yes, I literally said that).  Next thing I know, he's walking in the room telling me it's 10 pm and to keep on sleeping.  And that's what I did.  I slept from approximately 8:30 pm to 6 am.  I did wake up for about 30 minutes to talk to him, shower him with kisses, and thank him for all his help, but still ... I slept approximately 9 hours if I had to guess.  Talk about a LAZY BUM!

SEVERE Back Pains

I didn't blog about this, but about  a week ago, I woke up with SEVERE back pains that eventually led to some contractions.  They happened for about 3 hours straight and I started panicking thinking I was going to deliver Gloria at 30 weeks.  We ended up going to labor and delivery and my doctor fortunately saw that everything is still completely and 100% closed, like it should be.  He also told me to take it easy and that these back pains were probably causing the contractions.  Unfortunately I'm not totally rid of the back pains.  They came back a couple days ago, but I didn't have nearly as many contractions because Evan and I know that means "lay down!" and he proceeds to put Bengay on my back, give my Tylenol, and give me massages through my near screams of pain.  I had some back pain with Liliana, but nothing like this.  I don't know if it's the chairs I use at work, or what, but let's just say that summer break couldn't come any sooner.  My body is trying to have this girl WAY too early and relaxation is going to be amazing.

Let Me Hear the Tinkle!

 Tomorrow, we start potty training Ms. Liliana.  Truthfully, she's been ready for a while.  She's been telling us she went poo poo since she was about 16 months old.  She loves the potty and asks to sit on it.  We have, truth be told, been lazy and haven't wanted to tackle it.  But, now she's not really giving us a choice.  She's going to the potty all on her own, taking her pants off, and peeing.  Yeah ... I think she's ready.  Since Evan is off this weekend and since he goes back to a crazy rotation in a short week, we decided this weekend was just as good as any.  It's officially potty training weekend!  No diaper, just resolve, paper towels, and two pottys.  Let's hope it goes smoothly!  I mean, it would be pretty great to only change one set of diapers and to only BUY one set of diapers at Target!  C'mon Liliana, we can do this!  She's already saying she's a "big girl" and when she did go all by herself without being provoked, she was SO darn proud of herself, it was adorable!  She was running around the house wanting lots of love and attention.  And I'm ready to dish it, if she's ready to dish the pee and poo into that potty.  ; )

I'll come back with a 31 week t-shirt project tomorrow hopefully.  That's what I had planned on doing today, but as seen above, our bed was just too damn comfortable.

The New Ride & My New Fears

We officially did it.  We traded in the "cutesy college car" for the "shaggin wagon."  Yes, I call it the shaggin wagon frequently when in reality it's just a mini-van, but shaggin wagon just sounds cooler, and makes me giggle like an 8th grader.  Don't worry, I'm not disillusioned by what it truly is.

All last week we went test driving.  EVERY SINGLE day.  We would put Liliana in the old, small car, get harassed by car salesmen, and went to four different dealerships.  I know other people take much longer to do their car searches, but since we had quite a restrained budget and knew we would need a used car, the options were more limited.  I'm going to admit, this car buying stuff was overwhelming to me.

Evan kept telling me "what do you think?  This is your car sweety, give me some input.  I want you to be really happy."  But the truth of the matter was, I couldn't process it.  I'm usually so much more of a go getter, but fortunately, Evan stepped up to the reigns and handled the whole thing like a pro.

Bringing a second kiddo in to the world, just the concept of it, is starting to really freak me out.  This happened with my pregnancy with Liliana too.  I just get overwhelmed and stressed: will I be a good Mom to baby #2?  Will I have enough time for Liliana?  Will Gloria get the love she deserves since I obviously will still be caring for Liliana as well?  How will I handle doing all of this by myself since Evan works such long hours?  Am I a bad person for being proud of myself when people ask "oh are you staying home now?" and I respond "no, I don't think being a Mother means you have to stay home."  All of these questions are enough for me ...

And then we added on a car?  A new payment in addition to an extra daycare payment?  A new responsibility?  I mean, both Evan and I got slight raises for next year, but those only cover the car payment.  How will we handle an additional $600 daycare payment? 

Evan was so patient with me as we test drove and I stayed quiet.  I immediately knew I didn't like the Mazda 5.  I didn't feel safe in it.  Safety is a BIG issue for me and one I don't cut back on.  If there is a model with more airbags, we're paying for it.  I think that's a good place to put your money.  That is partially why, when we finally narrowed it down, I wanted a Toyota Sienna.  They have the best crash testing results and if that means we spend a little more (which we didn't b/c we got a fabulous deal), so be it.

Now it was all about narrowing it down.  We found 2 in Conway and 1 in Little Rock that were within budget.  One in Conway had 56,000 miles on it and was fixed up with all the amenities: leather, DVD player etc.  The other in Conway had 43,000 miles on it and had all those fixings too.  The one in Little Rock had 43,000 miles on it, was still VERY nice (top of the line, just not "limited") and was originally listed within $2,000 of the one in Conway.  Our plan was to just see the best deal we could get.  By the time Evan had done all his research (or as our car salesmen said "how many trees did you kill??"), the negotiating wasn't all that bad.

The place in Little Rock gave us a MUCH better deal, it would have been about $4,000 difference just for leather seats, and we decided to be practical.  Those leather seats weren't worth $4,000 to me.  I told Evan I wanted less mileage for sure b/c this car is going to be our everything as a family.  Evan will drive his current car to work, but if we ever go out as a family, my car will be the answer.  This took the 56,000 mile one out of the equation.  The other one with 43,000 on it was 2 years newer, which you would think is a good thing, but it drove much differently and though the amenities were nice, we weren't fond of the way the 2009 drove.

When it was all said and done, we had negotiated a HECK of a deal!  They gave us Kelly Blue Book "excellent" rating for my car (unheard of when trading in), knocked off thousands of dollars off the asking price, and even brought down the financing rate by  nearly 3% because of our AWESOME credit scores (yeah, I was proud of that!). 

When we left, I felt SO much less overwhelmed.  It was the exact opposite.  A HUGE weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  And I smiled, proudly, as we left the dealership in the new (well, new to us) MINI VAN BABY! ; )

We're still fighting over who gets to drive out while we're out and about.  We went to Toys R Us that afternoon and bought Liliana her new playground (that my parents got her for her birthday) and that box was HUGE.  It would have NEVER fit in an SUV, but it slid (tightly, but still fit) in the van.  We've already had this van full of stuff a couple times (let's just say our budget hasn't been doing so well, but our master bedroom makeover is coming along beautifully) and couldn't be happier.

PS Sorry that was probably more than anyone ever cared to read about a new car, but this was a BIG deal to us.  It was the first car we've ever purchased together as a married couple and we did it as a complete and total team.  We never argued and actually had fun throughout the process.  I'm so lucky to have a husband that cared about our safety, our happiness, and most of all, making sure I was happy with our shaggin wagon. ; )

Happy 2nd Birthday Liliana!

Liliana dearest:

Today you are TWO YEARS OLD!  It's AMAZING to me that you're growing so fast.  I thought that the first year of your life flew by, but this year was EASILY faster.  I felt like we had your first birthday party two days ago.  In one years time, you have changed so much.  We really are getting to know you as a PERSON.  We know that you are a smart, pretty, and hilarious girl, but the main thing we've learned this year is that you are so very KIND.  Your favorite thing on earth is to give people hugs.  You also adore giving heart felt kisses to just about anybody that is willing to look at you. 

Your hugs are nearly indescribable.  They're so sincere and full of love.  You squeeze tight on to anybody and have never, not even for one second, had an ounce of stranger anxiety.  You've never cried when you've left anyone's arms.  You're more than willing to do just about anything. Daddy loves to call you his sugar glider because when someone is holding you, you cling on so tight!

Your vocabulary is still VERY impressive.  I stopped counting how many words you could say months ago because I don't think Mommy can even count that high.  Now I'm just counting how many words you're stringing together and I think the longest sentence you've said is 6 words long.  You can count to about 10 in English and to 5 in Spanish.  We're still working on colors ... you can say a ton of them, but don't get them correct when being asked.  This is one of those things that Mommy always worries about and Daddy says, "SERIOUSLY?  Have you heard her speak?  The milestone says 2 to 3 words together and she's saying 6!"  Oh, by the way, the longest sentence you've strung together?

"No doggie, that is Liliana's cake!"

As you can see, you're still quite a fan of food. ; )  The ONLY thing you won't eat?  EGGS!  Weird huh?  You won't even TRY them.  We don't fight it much becuase you eat squash, cauliflower, and just about anything else, so if you have one thing that you're not a fan of, we're understanding of that.

You are NOT a girly girl at all (not that there's anything wrong with that).  This is what you wanted for your birthday and was Mommy and Daddy's birthday gift to you (thanks for choosing an $11 gift by the way!  That was pretty much our budget ... c'mon, you wouldn't remember if I told you we got you a million things right?).  We took you to Target and let you choose a toy.  We narrowed it down to 2 and the car is the one you wanted.  Daddy wanted to get a Tonka truck, but Mommy said this one was cuter.  I have no problem with you playing with boy toys, but since we know we're having 2 girls, might as well get pink stuff in case Gloria is girly girl.

Another favorite of yours lately is having us sing.  You like hearing Mommy and Daddy sing Ring around the rosie, old mcdonald, row your boat, happy birthday, itsy bitsy spider, and just about anything.  You try singing the words along, like giving us advice as to what animal Ol Mcdonald had at his farms, and have little dances that you do to each.

I'm not exactly sure how much you're weighing lately, but if I had to guess, it's about 31 pounds.  You're not a small thing, that's for sure.  You're still VERY tall, though I don't know the exact measurements.  You've been in 2T clothing for about 4 months and no longer fit in to any 24 month clothing.  You even have a few 2T items that are snug, and it's usually because they're too short.  Long torso and legs will do that to you.  You've continued to sleep like a champ.  You've never woken up before 8 am, EVER, and your average is 9 am.  Thank you for that!  I can't remember the last time you woke up in the middle of the night and we had to go in there to sooth you ... maybe when you were 4 months old?  Yeah, we're spoiled.  You still don't have all your teeth.  Those molars are still trying to come through, but other than that, we're complete. 

Your FAVORITE books on this entire planet are two that your Padrino got you for your first birthday: "Goodnight moon" and "nursery rhymes."  Both of them have recordings of people reading them to you, but since we read with soft light before bedtime we have to read them to you.  You've chosen these two books SO many times that Daddy has hidden them from you.  I think he's getting a WEE bit sick of reading them. ; )

You're a great helper around the house.   You put away your dishes without being asked, you clean up your toys in the living room without being asked, you ask for a paper towel when you spill something to clean it up yourself, and never have issues when we say "help do ________."  In fact, you like it!  You get a kick out of feeling accomplished.

One thing that gives us a GREAT laugh is your obsession with body parts.  You have been known to tell MANY women that those things on their chests are their "boobies" and then you pat yours and show them yours too.  Oy ... it gets worse.  You like patting "booties" and just yesterday, started screaming "GINA!" (vagina) while touching yours.  We originally taught you all the names of things you were curious about because with a Daddy as a Urologist we realized that body parts couldn't be a thing to be embarassed about in our house.  That being said, we're starting to tell you "no, we don't say those things in public." because it was getting a wee bit embrassing when you were screaming out "Mommy and Daddy's booty!" while grocery shopping. ; )  I only put this paragraph in this letter so that one day when you're getting married, I can read this at your rehersal dinner.

You've been ready to be potty trained for quite some time now but Mommy and Daddy have, quite frankly, been lazy about getting the ball rolling.  You've tinkled in the potty  a few times because you take your pants off and go sit there.  You're giving us a heck of a sign!  You've also done #2 a few times too.  We plan on doing the initiative this upcoming weekend and will hopefully have you mostly potty trained by the time sissy arrives.

LOVE you baby girl.  LOVE you so very much.  Birthdays get me so emotional, but not for a bad reason.  Just because I grow more and more proud of who you are as a person every minute.  We are honored to be your parents.

Mommy

The Cinnabon Story

Last week I flew to San Antonio all by my lonesome because Evan and Liliana made the trip earlier in the day while I stayed behind at work for a few more hours.  When I landed in Dallas, I had a pretty long layover which I put to good use.  I wrote thank you notes from our baby shower, I walked around to stretch the legs, and I used the potty.  Suddenly I realized I was pretty hungry and while I was craving an Auntie Anne's pretzel, there wasn't one in that terminal.  SO I did the next best unhealthy thing ... I got myself a Cinnabon.

For those of you that haven't had the pleasure of eating a Cinnabon, they're huge cinnamon rolls completely COVERED in butter, cinnamon, and gooiness.  They're exceedingly bad for your health, but so good to eat.  It's not a treat I give myself everyday.  In fact, I think it's only an airport thing and I hadn't had one in probably a year and a half?  Maybe even more.

Being 30 weeks pregnant, I decided this was about as great of an excuse to get a Cinnabon as possible.  I got water as well, to even out the evilness (ok, it didn't even come close to evening it out, but we women have to be irrational sometimes right?) and enjoyed my treat.

I sent this picture to my Dad and brother (both big Cinnabon fans, especially my brother) and said "stuck in Dallas for an hour ... what to do what to do"

As I was typing this text message, this complete stranger came up to me and said:

"Don't you think it's a pretty bad idea to be feeding something with so much sugar to your unborn child?"

I wish I was kidding.  I wish I was making this crap up.  But she SERIOUSLY asked me that.

I was sitting at one of those high top tables and about 10 other people heard.  Their jaws nearly dropped to the floor.

You're probably wondering "what did Ms. Opinionated Lawyer Cristy say in response?"  I have to admit, I wasn't nearly as mean as I should have been.  I think I was in a greater state of shock more than anything.

I just responded:

"Ma'am, I exercise regularly while pregnant and when not pregnant.  I think life is about moderation and I decided this would be my treat." 

But I could have said SO many other things.  This lady, not to sound rude, but I mean, she insulted me so can't I be insulting in return, was rather large herself and she wasn't pregnant.  Nothing wrong with that, but who is she to be judging me?  If she had seen me eating TEN of them, that's one thing, but if nobody ate cinnamon rolls, the world would be a VERY sad place!  I'm doing my part to contribute to the happiness of the world!!!

So things I could have said:

"Mind your own damn business."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you, I was stuffing my face with unhealthy food and laughing at how much it was hurting the baby inside of me!"

"Hey lady, you look like you've had a few of your own cinnamon rolls in the past!"

But I didn't.  I said the moderation thing.  and it was the best answer.  I didn't stoop to her level.  I didn't want to make her feel crappy.  But truth be told?  I didn't feel crappy at all for eating it!

Life is about moderation.  And if we can't have a Cinnabon every now and then, then we are taking life WAY too seriously.

A Minivan Mom?

A couple days ago Evan and I were eating dinner, just talking about life and he mentioned "how are we going to fit the two girls in your car?"  We laughed about it and said "haha they'll NEVER fit in there!" and kept laughing.

And then we kinda just looked at each other and had an "OH SHIT" moment. 

One of those ... why hadn't we thought about this sooner moment.  I'm 30 weeks pregnant and NOW we think about it?

I LOVE / ADORE / WILL CRY if/ when I have to give up my car.  It's my first real car, it took me through my college days, my law school days, and my first two Liliana years.  It's cute, has nice leather seats, a sunroof, GREAT brakes, was the safest package that money could buy, etc.  My parents bought me that car and to me, it was like a Bentley.

She looks like this (this pic is off the internet. this isn't my EXACT car.  Mine has the nice low grade tires):

But fitting two girls in it?  IMPOSSIBLE. 

Evan and I have considered (and still are considering) switching cars.  In other words, I would drive his 4Runner and he would drive the Mazda.  Slight problem though: Evan then wouldn't be able to drive the Mazda if he ever has the two girls with him.  This would involve us having to plan ahead day by day just in case he would have the luxury of picking them up from daycare.  He would still be forced to have both car seats in there because they require different ones since they're very different sizes.  Also, god forbid we EVER have friends try to sit in our cars or have guests come to town.  Even in the 4Runner, with the two big carseats that are on the market these days, I can't fit someone in the middle.  Ridiculous, I know.

So this left us thinking "we need a new car."

This wasn't a concept we had wrapped our heads around.  We originally thought "how about a crossover?"  Something like this:

Then, we realized this was WAY out of our price range (mainly because our budget is ... oh ... ZERO dollars). 

So on Monday, we set out to test drive this puppy, the Mazda 5.

It had quite a few criteria that we were looking for: sliding doors (GREAT for putting kiddos in car), captain chairs (again, GREAT for putting kids in cars and you guys should see how much Liliana loves running through these things), and VERY affordable. 

Slight problem:

I hated it.  I hated the way it drove.  It was too small (with the third row up, it literally touched the window so I had NO storage).  My idea of a crossover was either too expensive, didn't have the captain chairs, or just wasn't practical for me.

What to do what to do ...

Yesterday, we went and test drove one of these. 

Yes, she's 5 years used.  Yes, she's got 45,000 miles on her, but the price was within reason and the car?  JUST what we needed.  Just the right size.  This car was designed for someone with a family.  There are baskets to store stuff in the perfect spots, Liliana has TONS of room to sit (in other words, no kicking our chairs), and the world, while looking like a complete Soccer Mom kind of world, just seemed simpler with it.

We still have LOTS of looking to do.  We're going to go test drive a few more cars, but for now, I think it's relatively safe to say, I might join the minivan world.  Don't know which minivan I'll join it with, but man these ugly things are PRACTICAL!

And while there's nothing wrong with being a Soccer Mom, I am not one.  I am a full-time working Mom with two kids and a husband that works about 90 hours a week.  I just might be a minivan necessity Mommy.  And you know what?  That's a ok with me.

PS Plus, they're called shaggin wagons!! YEAH BABY!!! ; ) 

Liliana's 2nd Birthday Party! (Part II)

I posted some of the decor for Liliana's party on Monday.  Since then, life has been pretty hectic, but I'll blog more about that tomorrow.  For now, I want to finish documenting Liliana's big birthday bash! : )

Planning the party from states away was difficult, mainly for the food aspect!  I would have made signs for every single dish (even though I'm aware people have eyes and could have deciphered it themselves), but I simply didn't know what I would have time to do once we arrived in San Antonio.  Turns out the few signs that I did make came out beautifully and added the perfect "touch" to the decor.

Here's the birthday girls outfit!  I ordered the dress and matching clip on etsy for a really reasonable price and then we got the shoes at Walmart for $3.87!  A bargain, adorable outfit for sure!  She really did look ADORABLE.

As for food, I wanted to have some adult food yes, but ultimately, this is a KIDS birthday party and having KIDS food was my priority (hence the brownies and macaroni and cheese!).

For the adults, I bought red and pink plates and then for the kids, we had Dora and Elmo plates. 

I designed these little utensil holders and it was so fun adding a cute touch to the decor.  I made each about 1 inch long and then printed it on a 5 by 7.  Then, the night before, my aunt went through, cut each one and put a piece of tape on the back.  Cheap, pretty quick, and definitely a sweet touch.

These estrella brownies were probably the biggest "I HATE YOU!" moments of the party.  Cutting these out in to stars ended up being much more difficult than I had anticipated.  In order to achieve this look, make sure to do the mix THIN on a jelly roll pan.  This will enable you to be able to cut them with the cookie cutter afterward.  If you do it in a 9 by 13, they end up too thick and are impossible to work with (learned that the hard way). 

Since we had the party outside, I wanted to keep the guests well hydrated!  Elmo's Mint Lemonade was SOOOO delicious.  Just make lemonade concentrate (follow directions on back of can) and add mint leaves the day before.  The day of the party, take this out and add the stems to keep it looking pretty.  The day of the party, take lemons that have been soaked in sugar and add those too.  Makes for a delicious, yummy, simple alternative to your typical lemonade.

This macaroni and cheese was a HUGE hit!  I baked TWO of these big pans and we went through 1 1/2 of them.  We thought we had made WAY too much, but turns out that wasn't really the case.

For favors, each kiddos got one Elmo book and either an Elmo cup or Dora cup (depending if it was a boy or girl). 

All in all, a very successful party!  Or at least, the birthday girl thought so! : )