Guess What I Did?!

This mama bought herself a .com!!

I am so excited and ready to up my blog game.

I simply love blogging and find it so much fun and a creative outlet for me.

I have made some great blogging friends and can't wait to expand my bloggin world!

Wish me luck.

I purchased it this morning so I'm going to be working on it in the mean time.

Wish me luck that I don't mess anything up on my current blog..haha.

Have a fantastic weekend ladies.

Check Me Out

Stephanie over at Polos Pearls & Pacifiiers did a great sponship post on me.

Go check it out.

While you are there look at how dang adorable her daughter is!

I could just eat her up in her little wellies!

I bit the bullet and got a new phone.

My old blackberry finally bit the dust and deciding to go with the droid.

And its 4G wooohoo!

I am loving this thing!

I am so connected now its almost scary.

I thought I was connected before but its almost ridiculous how connected I really am now.

Tweets, Facebook posts and pictures along with my blog posts all in the swipe of my finger.

Dangerous I tell ya.

I need to make a conscious effort to keep my phone away from me while C is awake and concentrate on being there with him and not glued to my phone.

I get myself one of Erin Condren's amazing life planners through the Plum District's amazing offer.

I can't wait to mark it all up with my entries, birthdays, to do's, notes, and ideas.

This mama is going to be sooooo organized and sooooo stylin!

I got it in this color.

Yummmmm!

And yes Erin Condren I will be waiting at my front door for this package.

I cant wait!!

A Lil Bday Photoshoot

I just had to.

It was hot as heck out but I had to do a little photo shoot of the birthday boy, in his bday shirt, with his bday present and his birthday balloons.

I think they turned out pretty cute.

Next year the photo shoot will take place at Disney World.

Yes, yes I am already planning for his next party. :)

1st Birthday Party

This is the Birthday Boy!

C had such a great birthday filled with family, bright fun colors, presents, cake, and fun!

His adorable little birthday shirt came from none other then Pocketbaby on Etsy. She makes great quality shirts and lets you customize how you want it. I think his shirt was perfect for his big day.

Mama and dadda got him this fun Step2 wagon.

He loves this thing! He has already taken two walks in it.

The wagon is perfect because in the front it has drink holders for the adults and in the middle it has two drink holders for the kids (fits sippy's perfectly), in both kids seats are buckle where you can buckle each kid in. And, of course the top, it keeps the kids shaded and the big bad sun off them. Safety first :)

Now here is the food table.

The table cloth is from Target.

We had deli meat subs from Publix. They were cut up individually and were huge and delicious!

Then there was the potato salad, popcorn and cake.

The popcorn boxes came from Sweet Lulu's and lets just say the popcorn was a big hit! I also got some pretty paper straws and those ginormous balloons I put on the wagon from her shop too. She has some of the most unique and prettiest party supplies. If you have a party coming up you must go visit her shop. You will want to buy everything. I promise!

Now onto the smash cake that was not smashed.

Mama made it.

I made the rainbow cake I have been seeing on Pinterest and trying to find a reason to make. Yeah, that one. I don't have any actual pictures of the cake inside which I am so annoyed about because it was so pretty.

I just have this picture of me making the cake.

This will have to do :)

So the little Birthday Boy did not smash the cake.

He just put the tips of his fingers in it and started to cry.

I think that there were too many people looking at him and he wasn't too sure about it all.

He actually really didn't eat anything the whole day because there was so much going on.

His birthday cake bunting and this high chair bunting came from Etsy as well.

Actually this was by far the best customer service I have ever had! Astrid was so sweet to me and whipped out two amazing buntings and got them to me in a matter of days. I contacted her a week before the party (heck it could have been even less time then that) and she was so kind to make sure I got it all in plenty of time and it was the perfect edition to the party. Please go visit Astrid's shop, its RedRedCompletelyRed she rocks!!

I wanted to display his monthly pictures I have been taking but I was just too consumed with life, work, and other party stuff that I didn't get around to it. So I just covered a huge canvas we have in our kitchen area with some wrapping paper and did a clothes line with some pictures, glittered up some clothes pins and WAH LA! I think it turned out cute. Not as cute as the monthlys but oh well. It did the job.

I of course did the balloon wreath with the 1 in the middle. It turned out super cute.

This isn't the best picture but you get the idea.

Again, off Pinterest.

I also made this bunting.

And by made I mean I went to Target and bought the actual bunting.

They have a very cool party section now, I think its called Spritz or something like that.

Each strand was like $5.00 I think, maybe even a bit cheaper.

Then I cut out some letters, glittered them up, got some fabric glue and glued 'em on.

It says "Colby is 1!"

Now that the party is over, we are hanging his name in his room.

It looks cute in there.

If you are looking for an inexpensive way to make bunting I would say that this is it.

Most on Etsy are very expensive and you can tell people you made this one.

I myself am not a sewer nor do I have fabric scraps laying around so this was perfect for me.

I did have some Printables too.

I got most of them for free from either Pinterest or other blogs I frequent.

If you are interested in any boy printables let me know and ill send you 'em.

Then of course there was the fun present opening.

By this time he was over the whole party so he kinda just sat there and watched us.

Overall it was a great party and I can't believe I now have a 1 year old!

I only cried hard once and that was at night when I decided it would have been a good idea to go rock him while he was sleeping. After a couple glasses of wine and my soon to be 1 year old. I just cried and cried holding my sweet little baby in my arms.

We love you C!

Glad you had a great day!

{Guest Post-Schue Love} Kid's Birthday Party

Did someone say it's Happy Hour around here??  Definitely my favorite time and Cheryl is one of my favorite bloggie friends, so I am thrilled to be here chatting with all of you about one of my favorite topics...fashion!

Kid's Birthday Party by schuelove featuring a scoop neck dress

Cheryl asked me to create a fun outfit to wear to a kid's birthday party and above is a little ditty I dreamed up.  I am a firm believer that just because you're a mom, does not mean you have to lose your sense of fashion.  True...you may adjust some things, but you can still be feminine and chic at any event.


First things first, I am in looooove with this adorable Joie dress!  It's casual for a daytime event, but the color and shape make it a true show-stopper.  The sandals are elegant, yet practical...they're a great alternative to wedges or heels...don't you think?


I think my favorite piece is this Kate Spade purse.  It's so whimsical, yet very practical to tote around all your belongings...and the kids' stuff too!


I love great accessories and these Kate Spade studs are feminine, while the leather bracelet adds a little edge.  Last, I love all things Philosophy and how appropriate is this "Vanilla Birthday Cake" lip gloss?


I think the whole outfit exudes the modern-day chic mama...what do you think?


Thanks for having me Cheryl...be sure to stop by Schue Love and say hi!  :)



xo natasha

Mission of Motherhood

I am so totally in love with Jami Nato.

She is such a strong and amazing Christian woman and mother and wife.

And, she has the cutest kids!

Her post from yesterday just tugged at my heart and had to share it.

Here are her....

14 ways to mentor your child:

1. go to church regularly. not so a sunday school teacher can tell your child about Jesus(which, yes, will happen hopefully), but to show them the importance of living together in a christ-like community.
2. read the bible with your child regularly. a lot of you mentioned the Jesus storybook bible. we love this too. hands down, i think it is the best children's bible out there. and sometimes i cry when reading it...but whatevs.
3. memorize scripture with your child. for example, have a verse of the week. write it on a chalkboard. practice it in the morning and at night. apply those verses to every day situations...i.e. when they're afraid, when they need an attitude change, when they need to show grattitude.
4. talk often about heart motivations, which leads to bad beahviour.

5. dream, plan, and pray about what you want to see in your family. write it down and pray it through.


6. remind children that obedience is obedience if it is: all the way, right away, and with a happy heart. if it is not all those things, it demands a consequence.


7. put your iphone away. or is it your computer, blog, craft, cleaning, etc? BE PRESENT when interacting with your child.


8. pray with your child. not just at bedtime. pray through rough situations with them.thank God for fun things. help them to know how to repent. pray that your child experiences the Gospel in a real way.

9. ask your child for forgiveness when you mess up. tell them what heart motivations led you to your behavior. model repentance.


10. journal your life honestly. journal your prayers and dreams for your children. this could be done once a year on their birthday. or more often.


11. eat dinner together as a family. no TV. no phones. no distractions. talk about their day...play high and low. what was your high today and what was your low?


12. build encouragement into your kids. build them up during the day or around the dinner table.say encouraging things to them alone and in front of others.


13. go through "catechism" questions with your children. it may seem outdated (actually, up until last year i thought it was just for catholics), but the word catechism just means to teach a biblical truth in an orderly way. it is amazing how many of us don't know the answer to simple biblical truths as we reach adulthood.


14. model charecter traits you want to see in your children. ask God to help you model them. if you don't like it when your kid lies, don't lie to them. if you want your kids to be grateful, don't complain constantly. the list goes on and on.


Amazing right? I need to print off this list and work on it daily. I want to be the best mother I can be and a good example for C.

This week I have been so stressed out with party planning and running around like a chicken with my head cut off that I just need to stop and spend my time with C instead of worrying if the house is clean. I need to do better about all of the things above and this is the perfect refresher. Thanks Jami for posting this :)

Birthday Week

It is Birthday Week in our house.

And yes I said week.

I like to celebrate my birthday for a whole week so why cant C?

I may be MIA from the blogging world this week I have a ton of things to do!!

My head is swimming.

We are just doing a family party at our house but its till a big deal to me.

Along with my million things to do I am very emotional.

I dont want him to grow up.

I can't believe he is already 1.

Where did my itty bitty baby go? I want him back. Dont get my wrong I love my big boy but there is nothing like holding a sweet little baby. Ugh my heart hurts.

So yes I have a million things to do and I will probably be crying through all of them.

I will keep you posted on how many times I cry through out the week. :)

I Love To Shop

It's that time of year again!!!

The Nordstroms Anniversary Sale!

Of course I found several things I would like to have :)

Wanna see?

These Nadri bangles.

I would like one in the black diamond please.

Now, I have been wanting a gold watch for a while now.

And its on sale!

So classic.

I should get it right?

This Kate Spade bag.

But in black.

My only problem is that I just pulled the trigger on my new LV.

Can I justify purchasing another bag??

Ugh!

I knew this would happen.

And Target is having a Black Friday sale in July.

Kinda like a Christmas in July thing I guess.

Go check it out.

They have some good stuff.

I might get the busy ball popper for Christmas for C and friends.

The Busy Budgeting Mama

I love The Busy Budgeting Mama

Of course I love all of her beautiful graphic design work she does.

She creates the most beautiful printables for parties.

She has some yummy recipes.

Her girls are  super precious too.

And.... she is the sweetest thing.

But what I really love about Natalie from The Busy Budgeting Mama is her strength.

This mama has me in tears every time I read her blog lately.

She is such a strong and amazing person and Christian.

She just lost her best friend.

Her best friend was murdered.

The case involved domestic violence.

But this girl is bloggin away about how to learn and become stronger from this experience.

I love it! God is speaking through Natalie and its pretty amazing!

She is simply amazing and you must go check out her blog.

This is her newest post on the loss of her best friend.

http://www.thebusybudgetingmama.com/2011/07/truth-needs-to-be-told-details-of.html

Be prepared with tissues in hand.

Clean 15 / Dirty Dozen

As you can tell I am totally on a health food kick.

I go back and fourth about organic stuff and buy it about 20% of the time.

I mainly buy the organic stuff for C and not my husband and I.

I was reading the new Parents magazine and they talk about the Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen and thought I would list them out for you guys.

The Clean 15

1. Onions

2. Corn

3. Pineapples

4. Avocados

5. Asparagus

6. Sweet Peas

7. Mangoes

8. Eggplant

9. Domestic cantaloupe

10. Kiwi

11. Cabbage

12. Watermelon

13. Sweet potatoes

14. Grapefruit

15. Mushrooms

The reasoning behind the Clean 15 is because most of the above have either a thick rind or covering that you discard (example, watermelon, pineapple), or a strong odor that naturally fends off pests such as onions or asparagus (courtesy Parents magazine August 2011 edition)

Now for the...

Dirty Dozen

1. Apples

2. Celery

3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Imported nectarines

7. Imported Grapes

8. Sweet bell peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Blueberries

11. Lettuce

12. Kale/collard greens

Parents magazine says that if your family switches to organic that its possible to cut you intake of pesticides by as much as 80%. Now that is crazy. That's a lot of pesticides if you think about it.  A pedi also says that the key is just to get your kids to eat fruits and vegetables whether they are organic or not.

I found the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen very informative as I have never thought about those things before. It will defiantly make me think twice next time I am buying produce. What about you?

Fitness

So, ya remember that baby of mine that I talk about all the time....

Well, he is about to turn 1!

Which is great.....

However, I can not keep blaming my cram sessions (and I don't mean studying) on him anymore.

It's time for me to get serious and get this last bit of weight off.

I found this website called the Daily Plate

Its by Lance Armstrong, so you know its gotta be healthy for ya.

What you do is enter in your

Age:

Height:

Weight:

Goal: How much you want to gain or lose per week

Activity Level: Sedentary, Light, Moderate, Very Active

Then it tallies up how many calories per day you can have.

Perfection!

Now I know.

Before I had no idea how many calories I was supposed to be eating.

They also have an App available for your iPhone or iPad.

I think its $2.00 or $3.00

For me, I want to lose 2 lbs a week and to be able to obtain my goal I can only have 674 calories a day. It doesn't sound like much but its actually very doable.

Here is what I eat through out the day...

Breakfast: Strawberries/blueberries (sometimes some instant grits)

Lunch: salad with spinach, romaine lettuce, cheese, tomato, mushrooms, and a light dressing.

Dinner: Deli meat rolled up with cheese

Sometimes for a snack I will have an apple or cheese stick.

And of course lots and lots of water through out the day.

And if I'm up for it, I might get some treadmill time in at night too.

I am so ready to get this last baby weight off and this is really helping me out.

Go try it out, it has helped me so much!

Mama's New Recipes

So, I thought I would share this yummy new recipe I got from this mama... 

BTW I love her blog, she has such great ideas.

Its the perfect snack for both baby and mama.

And nutritional to boot!

They are Spinach Nuggets.

And soooooo easy to make.

You first use this recipe

Spinach Nuggets

from Wholesome Toddler

time 35 mins

yield 28

cuisine Kids

ingredients

16 ounces frozen spinach, cooked drained and chopped if needed

3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup flax seed meal (if you don't have these things add 1/4 cup more bread crumbs) or 1/4 cup wheat germ (if you don't have these things add 1/4 cup more bread crumbs)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (you could also try cheddar flavored with sundried tomatoes and basil)

3 eggs

directions

1. Heat oven to 375.

2. Lightly coat baking sheet with oil or use a non-stick mini muffin pan

3. Combine all ingredients well.

4. Shape into nuggets or spoon into muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. (Turn nuggets over after 15 minutes).

notes:• Can use Ranch or Ketchup for dipping sauce if desired.

I used a cookie scoop and scooped them out onto a baking sheet and then just flattened them.

And WALAH!

They don't look to appetizing but they are suprisingly delicious.

I put some in the fridge to snack on through out the week and then put the rest in the freezer.

I am guessing you could do these with broccoli too...why not?!

Here are some additional recipes I have run across that I want to try next.

I am always looking for new and healthy snacks to try with C.

They all came from Wholesometoddlerfood.comhttp://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/toddlersnacks.htm

ENERGY BALLS
1/4 cup finely grated carrots
1/4 cup rolled oats or Granola*
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tablespoon honey
3 Tablespoons peanut butter

Mix and roll into balls. Easy carrots in the tummy!
*Granola makes these Energy Balls more tasty and adds a nice crunch!

YOGURT CEREAL BARS
2 cups corn flakes - 3/4 flour - 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon - 1/2cup butter or margarine
1 cup flavoured yogurt (banana/strawberry etc..) - 1 egg slightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour
Preheat oven to 350F

Combine cereal, 3/4 cup flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Cut in butter or margarine until coarse crumbs form.
Press 1/2 the mixture firmly into the bottom of a greased 8inch square pan.
Mix yogurt, egg and 2 tablespoons flour in another small bowl.
Spread over cereal mixture in pan and then sprinkle the remaining cereal mixture on top
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown; cut into bars when cooled.
Courtesy of Stonyfield Farms Yogurt

FROZEN BAN-OLA
1 medium sized banana - peeled
1/2 cup crushed granola
plain or vanilla yogurt (blueberry yogurt is yummy too!)

Dip banana in your choice of yogurt
Roll banana in crushed granola
Place in freezer bag and freeze. May be eaten without being frozen also