Who's the Crazy Lady?

I'm not sure who in their right mind takes 2 kids, a double stroller, and an overweight dog to the vet in a windstorm!  Oh, I guess that would be me!

Ruby is doing well and I just can't believe she'll be 9 years old in June!  Nate and I have had her almost as long as we've been married.  She's still in pretty good shape, but now has a heart murmor that we need to watch and she, like many of us right now, needs to loose some winter lbs.! 

Snow & Smoothies

I don't know how I can possibly still be surprised by the midwest weather - but yesterday I was!  We got 2 inches of snow seemingly out of the blue!  Everything was covered, but by the afternoon it was melted.  Thank goodness!  

To trick us into thinking it was a hot summer day, I thought we'd "cool off" by trying a smoothie recipe that my sister had told me about.  It lived up to her rave reviews and Mia loved helping me make them.  They were delicious, healthy & refreshing. To get the recipe, check out the following link:  

http://lifelovelarson.blogspot.com/2011/03/smoothie-recipe.html

Daddy Daycare

Well, Nate survived his first weekend home with the kids by himself and actually had a GREAT time! He said the first day was rough, but got into a groove and had such a fun time entertaining the kiddos for 3 WHOLE DAYS! He said he had a great time bonding with the kids and playing 'mom'. Luckily he had Mia to help show him the ropes if he wasn't doing something right. Sounds like someone else I know! ;)

Thank you, thank you Nate for so happily taking a day off and "working" all weekend so that I could have a break. You're a great dad and the kids are so lucky to have you, as am I!!

        

The first day didn't go so well...Sam ended up smacking his face on the dining room window molding.  Ouch!!  Daddy handled this crisis by not calling me (thank you), but by hitting up my sister for advice in my absence!

Apparently under daddy's watch, Sam can stand on the top ledge of the stage and rip all of the animals off of the shelf at Border's. He's clearly way more fun than me!

Mia loving her new shades from Sophia's 1st birthday party! So impressed that daddy even accessorized her for the party with her silly bands & princess necklaces.  

Helping Nash open his birthday gifts at his 2nd b-day party!

Moms Gone Wild

Mommy had a great trip to beautiful and sunny Denver this past weekend. It was great getting away and I had so much fun hanging out and catching up with some of my oldest and dearest Moline friends!

We slept in, went out to eat (without sippy's & snack traps), shopped around (without strollers), drank (more than just 1 cocktail), and didn't have to be home by 7pm!  It was heaven! Our sweet kids even sent us a bottle of wine to our hotel room. They must have known we needed a break from them!  Woo hoo! 

Crocs Rock

Rarely do I pay full price for any of my kids clothes or shoes, but I just couldn't resist these Crocs for Sam!  Aren't they the cutest?

Rado or Bust

I haven't been to Colorado in years, but I love it already. 

I'm flying out tonight for a "girls" weekend in Denver with some of my Moliner friends!  I can't wait to get away and spend time with some of my oldest and dearest girlfriends. 

This is only my second time leaving both of the kids and the first time leaving them both home with Nate! He says he's ready for the challenge and it won't hurt that the kids clothes are laid out, meal options planned and a hour-by-hour schedule of their days has been documented!!! He'll do a great job I'm sure. My only rules are that they are fed, Sam's diaper gets changed and Mia goes on the potty. Other than that, I'll just let Nate roll with it! As he says, "you just never know what will happen during Daddy Daycare!" Let's just hope it's nothing too crazy :)  

Bookworm

Mia has been obsessed with books for a long time.  She loves "reading" to Sam and I, pretending that she is Miss Cathy (her preschool teacher) and we are her students.  Sam doesn't quite have the same love for books, at least not yet.  He would prefer to throw them or shoot them in his basketball hoop.  This doesn't make Miss Cathy very happy :)

Cheese!

Sam now has 10 teeth!!!  He has had his 4 top and 4 bottom for what seems like forever.  He now has 2 more teeth that have popped through on the top.  This boy has a mouthful!  No wonder he can eat steak and chicken like a champ!!

Trader's Tulips

I'm not sure how I lived without Trader Joe's for so long!  I really haven't found a product there that I don't love.  On the top of my list (right up there with the frozen chicken tikka masala & garlic naan :)) are these beautiful Tulips!  The best part is the $4.99 price tag, everyday!  It is a perfect excuse to have fresh flowers in the house ALL THE TIME and who doesn't love that?    

Aloha Spring Break

It was spring break this week so Mia was off from preschool.  Lucky for me, our gym had Hawaiian Spring Break Camp going on for a few hours each morning. She had a great time and gave me my break from the "2" kids for a least a few hours!! 

Nate has been gone all week - in Raleigh for work and now in Vegas for a bachelor party. Lucky him!! Lucky for us, spring has officially sprung in Iowa and it has been a lifesaver for me this week with him gone. The weather has been warm and sunny, so we've been playing hard outside every afternoon. It's so great seeing all of the neighbor kids out and about - blowing off steam after a long 4 months of hibernation :) 

   

All Girl

To say that Mia is a "girlie girl" is an understatement. I actually had to tell her the other day at breakfast to "put down the US Weekly and eat!!" She loves looking at the pretty dresses and the celebs with their kids!  Probably not my most proud parenting moment, but funny nonetheless. I also gave her a tube of my old lipstick and she dug out even the smallest bit left and smeared it all over her face. I guess we need to work on that :)

Ode to Big Boy

I cannot believe that my baby boy turned "1" on March 9! The time really does fly and you really do have to savor every small moment. Someone told me recently, while describing parenthood, that the days go slow but the years go fast. Very true, especially in the life of a stay-at-home-mom!

Sam was able to celebrate his big birthday with almost every family member and even some of our good friends. He is a lucky kid and very much loved. I am so happy to report that he is feeling SO MUCH better after having his ear tube surgery at the end of February. Let's hope that the worst is behind us and he'll be a healthier and happier kid going forward.

We had his 12-month check-up earlier this week and he is doing awesome. He was 22.7 lbs (45%), 30-1/4 in tall (70%), with a 70% noggin! Developmentally, he is meeting/exceeding all of the milestones. Dr. was happy to hear that he was already off the bottle/formula and onto whole milk in a sippy cup. Seems more like a toddler already :)

Sam is a wild-man...he is everywhere and into everything. Exploring, banging, throwing, chewing, running, dancing, eating, clapping, and babbling his way through life. Gotta love it.

Life Love Larson Blog

So my very talented sister, Andrea, started a blog back in December highlighting some of her easy, quick and cheap DIY projects that she enjoys doing.  A lot of the supplies for her "made from scratch" pieces come from craft stores like Michael's and Hobby Lobby.  She uses these supplies in ways that you may have never imagined!  Andrea is also a thrifty little thing, getting some of her pieces at places like Goodwill and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  She adds her special touch to them and breathes new life into the old.  

Her hope is that she'll inspire her readers to try some of these projects on their own and make a one-of-a-kind "conversation" piece, that is both creative and beautiful, without breaking the bank.  

When she was here visiting last month, she made me 2 wreaths and a yarn letter. See pictures below.  She also inspired me recently to try my hand at making a moss wreath on my own!  I did it and was surprised and how quick and easy it was.  Looks great on my front door and was a lot cheaper than purchasing a Pottery Barn one!  

Who doesn't love homemade items in their home?  So much more fun and interesting than buying them off of the store shelf.  And if I can do it, you can do it! Check out her blog and get inspired at http://lifelovelarson.blogspot.com.

YARN WREATH

So cute on a front door or even in a child's room.  It is so striking from the street - so many of my neighbors have noticed it and commented on it!  

COFFEE FILTER WREATH

Yes, this is just brown coffee filters!!  So cute on my pantry door.

 MOSS WREATH

I made this piece myself in about 20 minutes.  It is so fresh and springy.  

Tie it with a cute ribbon and ta-da!  

YARN LETTER

Inspired by my pillows.  We came up with this fun color scheme.
So cute and personal!

It's Good To Be Green

What a beautiful March day! We definitely had the "luck of the irish" on our side, as it was a balmy 70 degrees here in Des Moines!! A perfect day for some green pancakes and parade watching with my favorite little leprechauns...

Basement Reno Fun-o

We recently finished our basement and are so excited to have the extra living space to "veg" out, play and entertain. We went from a concrete floor and no walls, to a large space that serves as part t.v. area and part toy room. The kids' toys were taking over my upstairs living room and I couldn't escape them!! It has been so great reclaiming this space and the kids absolutely love hanging in the basement, as do Nate & I!

BEFORE:

AFTER: