Damn you, Pinterest.

I held out for a long time. A LONG time. But, then, I got suckered into Pinterest, and now my life may never be the same. I seriously have gone into a full-on cooking and organizing frenzy since joining Pinterest. Here are just a few of the projects I've undertaken:

Taken A's stuffed animals and given them a home on her closet door, so she'll see and play with them and they won't be all over her new bed:


Apparently shoe organizers are good for a LOT of things. This one, crafts! So handy! I did this where I nanny also, and it's made for much more accessible (and therefore used more) craft supplies!)


Homemade shaving cream bath paints. Shaving cream + a drop or two of food coloring + paints brushes = euphoric child & mommy win!


I've also cooked more in the past two weeks than the prior two months, including chocolate covered peanut butter bananas, white spinach artichoke lasagna, sour cream chicken enchiladas, bacon and tomato grilled cheese sandwiches, roasted rosemary chicken, potatoes and green beans, and the list goes ON. D is one happy, happy man!

We're in the midst of undertaking a major organizational overhaul at my house, if for no other reason than Ava got her big girl bed this past Sunday and so we're shaking things up! Pics to come once her bedding arrives!!!

And, if I don't follow you yet, leave me a link to follow you on Pinterest. I'm hooked!

Phone Dump Friday.

My brave girl!

Wanting to ride on the big girl bike!

Tea party, mommy?

How hot is it where YOU live?

Touche.

Park Fun for Kierra's Birthday Party!

Mommy and Ava, pre-party:

Sliding at Springwoods Park:

On the tennis courts!

Riding the froggy:

Waiting "patiently" for her snack and cake :)

First time on a tire swing - she loved it!

Singing Happy Birthday!

Wordless Wednesday: HELP!

*Cue evil mom laughter*

Valentine's Parties (A Week Late).

Oops.

Anyhow, V-Day was pretty dang awesome this year, with us hitting up not one but two Valentine's parties with my mom's group. The earlier one, for the younger kiddos not in school, was held at a local park we love, and the second and one of our favorite places around town: Kids n Play!

At our first Valentine's party (and yes that is the same outfit from last year, just now it is capris instead of pants :)):

My happy Valentine!

Me and the ladies :)

Onto our second party of the day...

Sliding down alone this time:

She really got into the whole Valentine's card giving!

Wordless Thursday: Chef Ava!

Yeah, I got my days confused. Not shocked, are you?

Anyhow, here's what would've been an adorable WW post :)

Happy Valentine's Day, Friends!

Happy Valentine's Day (Eve)!

Two things you should know about me and Valentine's Day.

1. I think it's stupid.

2. I have found renewed interest in it since having Ava and revisiting the children's valentine's party circuit.

Which brings me to....

I'm excited for tomorrow. Nope - D and I aren't doing anything almost at all, nor are we exchanging gifts. But in a testament to the fact that I am in straight mom mode right now, I'm pretty psyched for my child's two (yep, count 'em, TWO!) Valentine's Day parties tomorrow!

First we've got the morning shindig, which is more for the littler ones who don't have school (aka Ava's age), and it's a potluck lunch/treat celebration at a local park we love. Awesome.

Then, we have an afternoon party, which I'll be attending with Ava and S in tow, at our favorite bounce house, complete with cupcakes and Valentine's exchanges. Woohoo! AND...Ava has the absolute cutest Valentine's cards, courtesy of the lovely folks at Tiny Print.

More to come, including many pictures, tomorrow!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Accidents Happen.

I haven't mentioned, but Ava and I were in a car accident a week and a half ago. We were heading down a busy road, and a woman made an illegal left-hand turn into oncoming traffic and I was, well, oncoming. I did everything in my power to stop, but there was a moment of complete clarity where I knew, without a doubt, there was absolutely no way I could prevent my car from crashing full-on into hers. It was truly terrible.

Neither of us are hurt, thank God, but don't even get me started on the fallout from the accident. The woman, who says she has a "witness" that can attest to her lies about having been stopped in my lane (um, what would that even matter - she was still sitting in oncoming traffic illegally!!!!!!) despite having only been on the scene for a matter of minutes before having to leave while I waited three hours for the police who never showed (!!!!!!!), so basically the whole matter of getting my car fixed is still on hold while they debate whether or not I was partially responsible. SUCH NONSENSE. Ugh.

Worse than that, however, has been the resulting effect on my driving. Trust me, I've always been careful with Ava in the car, but now I'm hyper vigilant about everything going on around me on the road. So much so, in fact, that I've started to have minor panic attacks in the car sometimes. If a car gets anywhere near too close to me, I'm basically seeing my own death in my head. Anytime a car is in the turn lane and could potentially attempt to turn in front of my car, I'm sweating and breathless praying that they don't. I haven't seen anyone about it, mainly because I know this type of thing can be common after accidents and ours is being particularly dragged out due to the lying b$%&@ woman who was involved in my accident, but still - it's starting to really bum me out!

Any suggestions/experience with this type of thing?

Friday Phone Dump.

Learning to ride with training wheels :)

Lovin' on our cat, Spencer:

Cuteness is a toddler in a ballerina nightgown:

One of those lovely moments where she curls up in her little nook to snuggle with me midday :)