What?

This was the weather here on Saturday.  Spring break is next week.  Snow, I love you in the winter but it is spring time now.  Please go away!

Nourish

I just had a wonderful, relaxing bath thanks to this.

From this place

This is one of my favorite places to visit when I am in Savannah.  Obviously I haven't been in Savannah since this summer, but my mom ordered a few goodies for me.  Nourish products are hand made in small batches using only renewable resources.  I love everything I have tried from there.  I have sensitive skin and haven't had any problems with any of their products.  This page explains their philosophy and the ingredients they use.      

A new update

I just wanted to let everyone know we now have a new placement in our home.  An adorable little boy!  We will meet with his worker on Monday to get information on him.  He is an absolute sweetheart and it is nice to have a little one in the house again.  I'll keep y'all posted.

After a day like today

I am in need of some of this:

The hubby is busy with work and family stuff this week.  I am in need of my girls and a girls' night!!

Home

Today I took a personal day. Because of Miss L and my busy work schedule I haven't had a day off to get my hair done recently. My hairdresser is back home in my home town. It's funny because even though I haven't lived there for several years I still call it home. There are certain places there that I just love going to. For instance my hairdresser. I love her little shop and feel so cozy when I'm there. I had her son in preschool when he was three years old, he's going to be a freshman in high school next year. I also went to my favorite garden nurseries. This place hands-down has the best flowers vegetables and anything else garden related that I have ever seen. We went there first thing this morning and was so nice to just stroll around smell all the great smells, and enjoy the quiet. I go there every year to get my plants for the yard. Another place I love is the private owned bookstore in my home town. We didn't make it there today but I'm already pondering when I'll be able to go back and enjoy strolling through the books. It's this huge bookstore with an amazing children's section and a yummy little café. You could spend all day getting lost in the stacks of books. And I'm thinking while I'm there at the bookstore next time I'll have to stop by my favorite little Garden Café. It's in an old house and has an amazing garden outside, cute little rooms, and yummy food. I'm not usually a desert out type of person but I would not pass up dessert at this restaurant for anything. So yes my home is an hour away from where I grew up and I love my new home, but there's just something about my special places in my hometown that can't be bet by anything I have found where I'm at now.

Eating Habits post 2

This year I blend in easily with my fifth graders.  They are so big!  I'm convinced that this is because of the hormones and craziness that is added to our food.  I have always wished I could just eat organic, or have my garden all year round but it hasn't been possible.  I have been researching it more because hopefully we will have another baby in our home soon and as much as I want to eat healthy, I also want that for any child we have here.  I am a bit on the hippie side (as Anthony tells me) and I want to make my own baby food.  Along with this I have a few other goals to help me focus on eating better.  I can't do 100% organic but for now I am going to focus on these things:

• my garden- I am expanding it and spent last night looking through my gardening books to pick what I want to plant.  I want to have extra this year so that I can can at the end of the season.  Mammaw (Anthony's grandmother) is going to teach me how.
• organic meat- I've found places around here that do organic beef and pork.  I've heard of one that does chicken but I can't find details
• Focus on organic milk- it is yummier anyway
• Get organic from the "dirty dozens" list
• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red Raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

Eating Habits post 1

If you see me eating lunch at school you may think I'm a bit odd. If you know me IRL you may think I can occasionally take my eating habits to odd places. I have chosen not to eat read meat or pork since the 7th grade. My choice had something to do with a frog dissection and me thinking pigs and cows are cute. Great 7th grade reasoning right? Regardless of the initial reasoning it has stuck. Along with that I LOVE fresh food. Fruits and veggies from Farmers' Market or my back yard garden are my absolute favorite!! This time of year really gets me salivating. During the winter months I eat the steamed bag veggies for lunch, nothing compared to the crisp fresh goodies. This year I am also excited about the "road side markets" that my hubby's company (Kentucky Farm Bureau) sponsors. These are located all around Kentucky. Click here if you are interested in trying one out. I believe they open in April.

Ollie the Octopus

Okay today you get to see another piece of the nursery. I'm really excited about this one. It came in the mail last week.

Here it is... It's an octopus rocking "horse". I love love love it! Not only is it cute, but each tentacle has a different noise and it plays music, and it is good for kids ages 9months-3 years old.

Dierks

My friend Amanda invited me to see Dierks Bentley last week. I've been waiting for her to upload the pictures so that I can post about it. It was so great for multiple reasons:

1. It was free
2. We were in the 5th row
3. Amanda shook his hand
4. It was a pumper and cleaner convention

Do you know what a pumper and cleaner is? It is the people who work on septic tanks. Who knew? I grew up on country music and listen to all kinds of music now. I can't say I knew a lot of his songs before but afterward I loved them! After the concert we went to a cuban restaraunt and had some yummy food and a mojito. Such a good girl's night.

Our decision

When we started this foster process we had decided we would take a single child or siblings (as long as they were under the age of two). Last night we learned even more about ourselves. We are always learning something throughout this process. Last night we got a call for 2 little girls, ages 6 months and 3 years. You would have thought it was a no brainer. But we had a long talk. We both realized we had some reservations about throwing a 3 year old into the mix. It is a completely different animal. My concern was and is that I didn't really realize until Miss L how much I would love the baby stage. It is just so skinkin sweet. Anthony was concerned that it would be difficult to bond with a 3 year old, discipline a 3 year old, or gain the trust of a 3 year old. On top of all of that we really have nothing for a 3 year old, or are we prepared physically, mentally, or emotionally. So, as much as we wanted to say yes, to help out these little girls we had to really determine our limitations. We called our worker today and let her know we wanted to revise what we wanted. We are now on the list for a child (boy or girl) age 1 and under and we are could take 2 placements at a time. We may wait longer but in the end it is what is best. This summer may be a different story as I will have more time to donate to children. We'll decide that when the time comes. In the meantime prayer is powerful!

My first baby

My beagle. Sweet Gracie. On Christmas and her birthday I make her homemade "beagle" treats. This year I have created my own "beagle treat" recipe and I have just continued making them. It is super easy and cost friendly! I honestly don't have exact measurements for the ingredients, I just add until I am able to roll them into small balls. Here's what you need:

• wheat flour
• canned pumpkin
• peanut butter

Mix the ingredient in a bowl until you have a consistency that you can roll into a ball. Roll the dough into small balls (or any size you choose) and flatten a bit before placing on the baking dish. You can put them close together because they won't get any bigger. Bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour. Remove from the oven and cool. Store in the refrigerator so they will last longer.

Gracie LOVES these treats and so do her friends we have shared them with. Let me know waht you think if you try them for your "first baby

Wordless Wednesday

This is a perfect example of old to new. I found this of course at my favorite antique store. I always forget to take a before picture. It was a dark brown. I noticed that the design looked a bit like the inside of a sand dollar so that's what I turned it into. This is also another peek at the nursery. Total cost: $5!

Blog Award

My IRL friend Caitlin passed on this award to me.

So...I'm sharing seven things about myself... hopefully things I haven't shared with you yet...and then passing it on to seven more!

1. One day I want to write a book, actually a few books. A children's book, a book about our experiences with getting a baby, and one with the funny things kids tell me. All of these have actually been started.
2. If I wasn't a teacher, and I couldn't be a stay-at-home mom I would be an interior decorator.
3. My secret tv addiction is Real Housewives... all but Atlanta.
4. I just bought a study Bible. I'm excited because the Bible I had is King James version and I just don't get it.
5. I have diagnosed myself with sensory disorder. I love the texture of things and it is important when I'm buying things that they are soft or have a cool texture. I also love feather pillows for that reason.
6. I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 12. Basically I was riding horses before I rode a bike.
7. I have to have the tv on when I go to sleep. Preferably it is turned to my Friends dvds.

Now I pass this on to:

Taylor @ Bloggydoodle

Alisha @Life's Little Blessings

Joni @ So I Think I'm Gonna Blog

Alicia @ Eco Friendly Homemaking

Kate @ Searching for a Baby

Barbie @ My Freshly Brewed Life

A sneak peek

I decided that because the situation with Miss L was so insanely crazy (I so wish I could share the insane craziness with you) I wanted to start fresh. And thankfully Anthony agreed.

I feel like I need to insert this disclaimer here: I am aware that many foster situations can be crazy. You are taking little ones into your stable situation who come from an unstable situation. That unstable situation does infuse itself into your home in some form or another. Miss L's situation was unstable to the 10th degree! I just don't want you to think I will go jumping into buying new things and redoing rooms each time we have to give a child back. This was just an unusual circumstance. I am aware of what we have gotten ourselves into.

Back to the point here. I need to stay busy and have a purpose. The nursery never was really finished because we were not prepared to get a call so quickly. So, I've taken my free time (I have lots of it) these past few weeks to create a nursery I will love. I cleared out all the decorations that were in there and started fresh. It isn't completely finished but very close. I wanted to give you a sneak peek. If you know me IRL or have followed my blog for awhile you know I love the beach. Guess what the new nursery theme is??

Without further ado here are your sneak peaks:

This tray was $1 at Michaels, I already had the shells. The frame you see a snippet of is a creation by myself and friend Amanda.

I have been patiently waiting for these pillows. I am horrible at sewing. My friend Ashley has an etsy shop and produces amazing products. I will have 7 in all in the end.

These pompoms are super easy to make and add a perfect amount of whimsy. Ignore the messy bed. Gracie loves to lay on it and look out the window. She thinks I put it there for exactly that purpose.

I found the net and starfish at Hobby Lobby (under $10 for both) and the lamp is a TJ Maxx find. I added the seashells to the shade.

A touch of new, old stuff

My dining room is the room in the house I love the most. The table, chairs, and buffet was my grandmother's. When spring hits I like to spruce up the house in some little way. This year while I was at Pottery barn I found these sweet napkins and fun basket. I'm not sure if you can tell but the napkins all have different patterns in the same color scheme.

The basket has 6 dividers in it.

When I saw the basket I immediately thought of the old blue mason jars my Grandma had laying around her house when I was little. I had recently seen blue mason jars at my favorite antique store and knew they would be perfect in the basket.

I love the shabby chic look of the dining room right now. The blend of old and new are perfect for my style!

*Special note- I typically only window shop at Pottery Barn for ideas because they are a wee bit pricey. The basket and napkins were already on sale and then they were an additional 15% off. In this case it was a good deal!

Consignment sale

Last Thursday I participated in a consignment sale. Have you been to one? I can't really explain it, it is one of those things you just have to experience. This is one of the biggest consignment sales in my area. It is a place where moms come together and buy and sell all things related to kids. My friend gave me a ticket. Here is a picture just a few minutes before we were allowed in.

It is high energy and a bit intense. I actually was pushed when we first entered. Scary! Regardless of the intensity I did find some great deals among the rows and aisles of stuff. At the end of the night I came away with:

• a swing
• an Exersaucer
• a Bumbo
• a portable high chair
• towels
• burp cloths
• several toys

All for a total of $113.00. Pretty great!

A question posed

My friend and I were walking tonight. This happens a lot. Me, and Gracie, her, her little girl Bella, and her dog Caddy. I was explaining to her how at this point in my life I am just antsy to have a baby in the house again. I am trying to stay busy, get things ultra organized, and biding my time. She asked me a great question; "Is it harder now that we've had a baby in our house?" I've actually been thinking about this lately. I tell my friends who are moms to consider this; your baby goes away for a month... what do you do? For awhile you catch up on things that need to be done, but after a bit you end up bored. You don't want to go back to what you did before you became busy with a kiddo, you enjoy the things you do as a mom. So, on one hand it is harder, because I know what I am missing. On the other hand it is easier because I know it will happen again. I know you didn't ask for these rambling thoughts from my mind, but I felt the need to share tonight.

On On U of K

Sigh.. Wildcat pride

On Saturday we took advantage of a spur of the moment road trip to Lexington. We had planned on going to Lexington to watch the game at my favorite restaurant with my mom and dad. For those of you who don't keep up with UK basketball the game would be UK versus Florida. It would be a big win for us if we could get it. Saturday morning just by chance our friends called and had two extra tickets. Of course we said yes and headed to Lexington. We bought two more tickets while we were there for my mom and dad. The great thing about it is the two original tickets were free. Gotta love great friends. Being from Lexington I've known the starting lineup of the UK basketball team since I was in elementary school. Saying that I also have to tell you that I rarely get to go to a game in Rupp Arena. So this was a big treat. Honestly this is the first game I have stayed awake for the entire time. I know it's sad to admit it but those half time naps tend to go into the second half sometimes. So glad we went to the game. It was a fun one and UK pulled out a victory along with it being Coach Calipari's 500th career win. What a wonderful time. After the game we went to my favorite restaurant. The one we were going to go to in the first place. Over all an awesome day and night spent in Lexington.