Blonde Moment Monday

• Happy Monday Ya'll!
• I can not believe that it's been so long since I've consistently blogged each week. Yes part of that happened when we went out of town, and then with all of the changes that had been going on around here, but I am here to tell ya'll that I've missed blogging!
• Another reason I kind of got behind, was a day last week that started like any other during nap time. I was attempting to add photos for a blog post and my Blogger photos were full and I got an error message that stated I needed to upgrade in order to upload anymore photos. Now I'll be the first to admit that I go overboard with the pictures sometime, but how else am I supposed to remember when we did things? Well that, and that I do love posting a many photo on my ole blog, but that's mostly for me and I love sharing my pics with all 12 of ya'll too ha! So long story short, I just ended up deleting a few pictures from older blog entries, and decided to wait before making and payment decisions.
• I haven't decided yet if I'm quite comitted to paying a fee to post blog entries and pics just yet, but if that does become the case then I will certainly be paying someone to do a blog makeover too!

• Have you noticed all of the Christmas in July specials going on right now? It seems like I'm getting a deal a day from one Flash site or another, so I just got these sweet monogrammed coffee mugs for the Christmas season. I think I got these on Zulily and they're Mudpie brand, which it seems that Zulily does a lot of and I LOVE them! Of course when I showed them to Scot and told him that I got one for each of us (since the deal was for 2), he told me right away how "feminine" he thought they'd make him look!

• Of course, Ryder didn't mind trying them out and pretending to sip coffee from them!

• And, Monkey See.. Monkey Do. Story of my life with these two these days!

• I got bit by the organization bug recently, and we have been doing some things to change each room up a bit. For Brynley's nursery, she is going on 11 months old soon and I am just now getting her newborn pictures framed and hung up. Along with that I added some toys and bins in there so it gives her more things to play with rather than staying in just the living room area like we mostly do.
• So far I think Ryder likes this the most and has been known to bring in many of his own toys to play with in her room now. I do miss how big the room felt when we first brought Brynley home and how tiny she once was. Now she's standing in her crib, walking all over the place, and her nursery is more of a "Big Girl Room" now. Start the waterworks now, as she gets ready to turn ONE!

• And here's a closeup of Brynley's newborn portrait that we hung in her room.

• And this one hangs in the kids loft area now, considering there will be many a craft that goes on here (or I'm hoping for this anyways). I was so good at the beginning of my "stay at home Mommy" days. Making sure to fill Ryder's days with lots of crafts on letters and numbers, flashcards, and practicing writing out his name. And then came the "Terrible Threes" where he gave me attitude, and really wanted nothing to do with craft time anymore.
• So here we are almost a year later, and I am aiming to get back into the groove of more craft and teaching time with him. I just pray that he will be as eager as I am to get back into it!

• And this was our family portrait from last year. I can not believe that I am just now getting these pictures framed and hung! Craziness. I can't wait to get our one year family portrait taken this Fall though and I already have so many cool ideas to do for a great outdoor shoot!

• This would be my FAVE of Brynley Bug. We have this one in our livingroom on one of the walls and I like it so much better than the former wall decorations and candles.

• And this is Brynley at 3 months (top two), 6 months, and 9 months (which I took) 

• This is still a work in progress. But I have wanted to do a picture collage for some time now, and we got some different things and started playing around with them. The right still needs maybe a large round blue frame or mirror, and some of the frames still need pictures in them. Not to mention the couch is about shot from Ryder pulling cushions off and playing superman jumping on it, so we are in need of a new couch. I do like it though and can't wait to add more and make it complete.

• And since I wasn't posting all of last week, I should mention that Scot and I had a double date weekend! First my parents watched the kids overnight and we got to go out for a fun night. Then this past Friday, we signed up for once a month childcare at the gym and Scot and I got to grab dinner. Later, my Mom told me that the kids are always welcome at their house and I didn't have to go to the gym to get someone to watch them, but it was nice to have two weekends of date nights, and I told her I didn't want to wear them out for future babysitting needs ha! It was much needed, as always, and I am hoping we stick to our goal for more!

• On Saturday we were all invited to a Super Hero birthday party for one of the MOPS girls, son Carter. Ryder really is the only of his friends who isnt that much into Super heroes, but he was still a good sport about wearing his cape and busting a Super Hero move for me! I was so impressed that the Mom (who is pregnant with full on morning sickness), and had found time to make these capes with monograms for all of the kids, and manage her 4 and 5 year old too!

• It was a fun party, but it was SO.HOT! Like 100 degrees hot. And we were all so hot and sweaty being outside, it made me happy to have kids with birthdays in the Fall!

• More Monkey See, Monkey Do action as Brynley got pointers on how to climb the Bouncey House!

• I have been on such a Green Machine smoothie kick lately!
• (Although I guess I should add that it doesn't help to eat healthy when I'm just going to blow it by drinking a bottle of wine hrmmm.. note to self to have more control)
• Anyways, I love adding fresh coconut or coconut milk and strawberries with a few handfuls of Kale and some protein powder. I also added a banana and a dash of coconut water and pineapple, or varied it each day and it is sooo good!
• Here's the before.

• And after

• And these pictures were from our original date night two Fridays ago, but I'm too tired to go back to put them in the right order. Not the best picture of us, and the wind was blowing like crazy! First we grabbed a drink at a place right on the lake, and then ventured to get dinner.

• Fried pickles at TacoMac. Can we say heavenly?? I LOVE me some fried pickles!

• And as if the fried pickles and Philly cheesesteak weren't enough, Scot wanted to grab more drinks and split an order of crablegs at Vinnie's on the Lake too! It was a fun night but I am definitely realizing why I'm not losing any weight ha!

• And I should also mention that I made it official and gave up breastfeeding about two weeks ago. With that being said, we really needed to go through Brynley's bottles and these were the ones that we had to toss because she'd outgrown them. I can't believe that she's eating as much, and to think in just another month she will be on straight whole milk.
• Where has the time gone?!

• And what would a week be without a fun playdate? I don't know what I'd do without the friendships I've made from MOPS and the friendships my children have made. I am so excited about the new season of MOPS this Fall, and I do feel guilty for not taking on more of a leadership role like most of my fellow friends I've met in MOPS.
• I just have enough on my plate and didn't want to overcommitt myself, but do think I would love to take on more in the coming year once Brynley gets just a tad older.
• Well, I'm sorry it's been awhile since I've posted anything and I vow to do a better job!
• Happy Monday!