"All" About Me!

1. Who are you named after? In my case it is not a who, but a what. I am named after the Ash tree. I like that Ash is also a color and a thing.

2. Last time you cried? Very recently, several times, I blame the pregnancy hormones. Also, I cry easily

3. Do you like your handwriting? I like my printing, but I wish I had better cursive. My grandma always had the most perfectly beautiful handwriting and I wish mine was more like hers. 

4. What is your favorite lunch meat? I am not really into lunch meat. If pressed, I's choose smoked turkey.

5. How many kids do you have? One on the outside and another still cooking. 

6. Who are they named after? People incorrectly assume we named Harper after Harper Lee. The only part of his name that is after anyone is his second middle, Cash, as in Johnny. 

7. Do you still have your tonsils? Yeah.

8. Would you bungee jump? No.

9. What is your favorite kind of cereal? Not really into cereal either. 

10. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Not usually, but most of my shoes are lace less. 

11. Do you think you're strong? In some ways.

12. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Coffee with dark chocolate chips in it. 

13. What is the first thing you notice about someone? There eyes, not the color or the shape, but how they look at the other people around them. 

14. Football or Baseball? Football, I guess. 

15. What is the least favorite thing you like about yourself? Sometimes I let fear hold me back.

16. What color pants are you wearing? Black

20. Favorite smell? The top of my son's head.

21. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? My husband.

22. Favorite sport to watch on tv? Gymnastics

23. Hair color? Brunette

24. Eye color? Chocolate Brown

25. Freckles? Yes

26. Scary movies or funny? Scary.

27. Last movie you watched? Jingle All The Way

28. What color shirt are you wearing? Kind of magenta ish 

29. Favorite holiday? It is a pretty close call between Christmas and Halloween.

30. What are you most thankful for in your life? My husband, son and baby on the way. 

Toddler GIft Ideas

These are some things Harper has had for a while and some he has recently or will be receiving this year and are all things I can easily imagine most toddlers enjoying.

                       Toy Trains

Toy trains are consistently Harper's favorite thing to play with, and his very favorites are the Fisher- Price Thomas the Train Wooden Railway. Originally, Rob and I were going to give Harper a play kitchen as his big gift this year, but after not finding the exact one we wanted, we decided to get him a few more trains and tracks, knowing how much he will love them.

Art Supplies

Harper's interest in drawing and painting has really developed over the past few months and he will be receiving art supplies from Rob and I. He already has these washable crayons, they color really nicely and I have successfully washed them out of clothing and carpet as well as off windows walls and toys.

 

 Duplos

Like the trains, LEGOs are a toy we have found to be very worth investing in, considering the amount of time Harper spends with them and that they are something he likes to do independently or that we can enjoy together. This year, we are giving him this arctic themed set.

Fisher Price Little People Animal Friends Farm

This was one of the things Harper most loved last year and he still uses it, though most often lately as a parking garage for his trains. I would highly recommend it for a younger toddler.

 

Plush Animals

 Harper has two different jellycat animals that sleep with him every night, his attachment to stuffed animals has really developed over the past six months or so.

Hunter Boots

I thought I was indulging myself when I bought Harper his first pair of wellies, but he loves them even more than I do, which is a lot. He gets compliments whenever he wears them out and about and I honestly have to beg him to take them off at home, he would be happy to wear them just about all the time.

Musical Instruments

Harper has this percussion set and likes to sing and play either on his own or along with recorded music (he loves Laurie Bekner and Raffi). At some point we are planning to get him a ukulele, though we are worried about him being too rough with it, he did really well with his older cousin's this past weekend. He also likes to play his mini piano.

Books

I think books make especially great gifts for young children as they will enjoy them over and over. Here are some of our current favorites that would be perfect for gifting this season.

Merry Christmas, Baby!!

So excited to finally be sharing the news, Baby Burgess #2 is on the way! Check out our video announcement:

 

Family Christmas Activities

Lately, we have been having lots of holiday fun. 

We baked and decorated sugar cookies, while listening to Christmas music. Harper loves to help in the kitchen, but he loves it so much it can get pretty intense, he would be happy to keep mixing and stirring and adding new ingredients to the bowl, forever.

We brought home a nice fat, evergreen. 

As I added a second string of lights, Harper shouted out with glee "Christmas tree even more happy!",  it just filled him with such joy. 

Our local library had a real, live reindeer at their holiday party. Harper said she was "very fuzzy" when he petted her and then and he sang her the "Reindeers are better than people" song from "Frozen". Her name was Ana, and she had crazy eyes. It made me nervous to have my baby so close to her antlers. 

When Rob and I have asked Harper what he would like for Christmas, he says he would like "A little blue present for Thomas (his wooden train)... a little blue present for James (another train)... and little blue present for (insert the name of several family members, after Thomas and James have been taken care of.). 

On Our Bookshelf - Winter and Christmas Books for Toddlers

Things To Do Over Thanksgiving Weekend

I am so excited that Thanksgiving weekend is nearly upon us, I thought I would share some of the things I am particularly looking forward to this year.

Cooking Thanksgiving Foods

When I was a kid, though my mom made most things from scratch, we got our cranberry sauce from a can. I still loved it though and would fight with my brother over who got to slice it on the special little silver platter we kept just for it. Now, I make my own cranberry sauce and it is so, so good. The secret is to use orange juice instead of water.

Feeding My Child the Thanksgiving Foods

Last year after taking one bite of mashed potatoes, Harper decided that neither they nor anything else on his plate was edible. I am hoping for better luck this time, his palate has expanded a lot since then, so there is hope. He still hates mashed potatoes though. 

Thanksgiving Leftovers

I will not be making this "Friends" inspired Thanksgiving leftover sandwich inspired, but it makes me happy just knowing someone took the initiative. 

Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life

I have been wishing and waiting and hoping for years for this and it it finally happening the day after Thanksgiving!  Gilmore Girls is one of the shows that Rob and I both love that is also generally safe to watch while Harper is awake. Which is great because I feel I we have no choice but to binge watch this as quick as we can, to try and avoid spoilers.

Not Discussing Politics With Family

 

Playing Games With Family

We love Scrabble, Zombies and Apples to Apples, among others.

 

 Friday Night Lights

This is as close to watching football as I hope to get this weekend.

Reading Well Suited to The Occasion

I just picked this up and it seems so perfectly suited. 

Dressing for the occasion

Probably in plaid.

Halloween 2016

Harper had so much fun Trick 'r Treating and Rob and I truly enjoyed taking him around, we agreed it was the best Halloween we have had in years. I already can't wait for the next one! 

Happy Halloween Eve!

I Tonight I made Jack 'O Lantern mini pizzas topped with orange bell pepper, garlic and black olives. The peppers kind of melted into the cheese. I also mixed up some Halloween cookies, but they have to sit in the fridge overnight before I can bake them. Boo! 

We did did make it to the pumpkin patch a few days ago. Harper was more interested in pointing out the smashed rotting pumpkins than picking one to bring home. They had all kinds of fun stuff set up for kids to do there, his favorite thing favorite thing by far was was the big straw pile. We eventually had to carry him away crying. He loved pumpkin painting and crayoning this year, it was so much more successful than last year when he tried to eat the paint and burst into tears. 

Harper has been feeling much better and Rob and I are getting excited to take him trick 'r treating tomorrow evening. originally, we weren't sure if we would go, since we had planned to attend some other Halloween events this past week. But since we ended up skipping most of those because of his sickness, we decided we have to take him out tomorrow. I mean, his costume is too cute not to get one more wear and he is kind of obsessed with "treat! Treat!" as he calls trick 'r treating. 

Lately

Earlier this month, we went to a nearby orchard to pick apples. Harper had such a good time, though waiting until we got home to taste the apples was difficult for him! I tried to make crock pot apple sauce, but it was a flop since most of the apples we picked were varieties better suited for fresh eating. We still had no trouble polishing them off, Harper would ask for them all day long. 

I finally comitted to a costume idea for Harper and got it put together in time his first round of trick 'r treating last week at our library. I debated between having him be a bat, a cat or a wherewolf, but at the last minute decided to make him a spider. I was a spider one year when so was little and I remember having so much fun waving my extra arms about, I hope my little guy's memories will be just as good. 

Finally, in less exciting news, we, especially the little guy, have been battling some sort of sickness the past few days, Harper has been very grouchy, we have been trying not to let stop us from enjoying the season and I can't wait for him go feel better. 

Hello October!

On Our Bookshelf - Autumn Books for Toddlers

Last year, I shared a list of autumn board books, many of which we are enjoying again this fall - be sure to check it out, especially if you are looking for books for a younger audience.  Today I wanted to share a few titles that are currently popular around here, some of which are new discoveries and others that one year old Harper was not so interested in and two year old Harper cannot get enough of. I am always on the hunt for great books to share with my little guy, be sure to let me know if you have and recommendations!

This Is Two

 Everyday he says at least one new word. He loves animals, especially if they are either very fierce or very cute. he also loves vehicles of all sorts, and desperately wants a bike. If he sees people dancing on a movie he will grab his stuffed monkey aka his dance partner and dance along with them. He dances and sings with such passion at his toddler music class that the teacher has jokingly said she is worried about her job because he is ready to teach the class. He is obsessed with wearing his boots, which is great, because I am pretty obsessed with his boots too. He has recently gotten very interested in helping in the kitchen and will cry when we have to move on from stirring or mashing so the cooking can be finished. he is also still a huge bookworm. He feels things intensely and has a strong will, he is also very sweet and loving and hardly wants to leave my side. he brings so much joy to Rob and I, we often marvel at how vibrant he is and how lucky we are to have him.

Hello September

We are so glad you are here! 

Apples and Pumpkins - fall toddler learning activity

I am so excited about the felt board activity that I made to go along with "Apples and Pumpkins" by Anne Rockwell. 

"Apples and Pumpkins" (or "App" and "Pun-Key", as Harper calls them) is a sweet story about a family going to a farm to apple pick and select a pumpkin from the patch .

I cut shapes to resemble one of the apple trees, apples, basket and the pumpkins in the book. I made pumpkin vines out of yarn and made tried to cut the leaves for those and the apple tree in something like the correct shapes. The tree, and all the leaves are stuck down with hot glue, but the apples and pumpkins are loose so they can be "picked" and stuffed in the basket (I left the top unglued, so it is basically a pocket). 

Harper and I played with the felt board as we read through the story, picking the apples from the felt tree, when the family in the story picks apples and doing the same for the pumpkins. Then we put the pumpkins back in the pumpkin patch and the apples back on the tree (sorting, identification) and as we did that I talked with him about how the apples are red and the pumpkins are orange (colors), the pumpkins are larger and the apples smaller (differences, size) and how the apples grow in a tree and the pumpkins grow on vines (horticulture/nature). I could easily see incorporating a counting activity as well.

Harper had such a good time with this, he even asked me to get it back out again a few minutes after we had initially put it away. By my standards that makes it great success, I cannot wait to try more activities like this with him! 

Harper's Birthday - preview

What's In My Diaper Bag - Summertime - Going to the Zoo with a young Toddler

This is my diaper bag, packed for a hot summer day at the zoo with my young toddler. 

The Bag

I have the Tania B. diaper bag by Storksak. The bag exterior is a shiny nylon, mine is in the color called "graphite", to me it looks like some sort of combination of tarnished silver and antique gold, it is kind of an odd color and hard to describe. Grey and gold are pretty much my favorites, so I love that it manages to somehow be both of those and also neither, it ends up being a neutral that goes with everything and yet stands out at the same time. The silhouette of the bag is of a large handbag, but the materials are light and sporty, I have been using it heavily for two years and it is only showing modest wear. Some decorative hardware has come off and the straps are looking slightly frayed but overall I think it still looks great. 

Front Exterior Pocket

I keep a small hand sanitizer, tissue pack and sunscreen, where I can easily access them. I also slip my sunglasses in here and my phone (I was using it to take this picture) when we are on the go.

Left Exterior Pocket

A large despenser of Wet Ones. You may be catching on to the fact that I am a germaphobe, especially when it comes to my child mixing with public spaces. When I cannot avoid using a public diaper changing station, I always wipe it down first! 

Rear Exterior Pocket

The changing pad that came with this bag is nice and thick. Like the interior of said bag, it is a camel color and appears new and unstained after all this time. My husband recently asked me which are my worst enemy, stains or snakes? It was a hard call, but I picked stains, because snakes are not always bad (some of them eat other, scarier snakes).

Right Exterior Pocket

My Clean Kanteen and Harper's new straw cup! It was tight, but I was thrilled to discover I can fit both in here, i am trying to keep us well hydrated this summer. 

Inside

On top of everything, I have packed Harper's new safety harness. He is at a point where he often desires to walk while we are out and about, the rule is that he must always be holding me or his daddy's hand, but this will hopefully provide us with a bit of secondary security in busy, dangerous locations. I also have paci pod, with a pacifier clipped and dangling here. 

Interior Pockets 1 and 2

There are six open interior pockets and a zippered compartment. In the first two (behind the front exterior pocket) I keep diapers and wipes. We cloth diaper most of the time and can fit two Bumgenious diapers in a pocket vs about 6 disposables. For a regular day, when we will probably be out a few hours I carry one cloth and one disposable (incase things go pretty wrong, I would do two cloth for a bit of a longer day. For a full day out I keep a few extras in the car. When we travel we do disposables. I love this cute, simple wipes case we have. I previously had a fancier style that was bulky and often came open, leading to my wipes drying out.

Interior Pocket 3

Light Hooded jacket, lately we have pulled this out a few times when shopping inside somewhere with arctic AC. The sunglasses and sun hat are getting more play this time of year, for sure.

Interior pocket 4

I have found that as long as I carry an extra outfit, Harper will not need it, 95% of the time. But, if I don't pack spare clothes there he at least a 90% chance of clothes compromising incident. This must be some sort of mommy law.

Interior Pocket 5 + Key Fob

I keep the shoulder strap (with awesome built in stroller straps!!) in here when I don't have it attached to my bag. I really like that this bag has a key fob, to help me not loose my keys.

Zipper Compartment

In the zipper compartment I keep the small wristlet that acts as my wallet and lip gloss holder. I also keep personal care items, as needed and a little plastic container with some "just in case" items, a hair tie, a tiny bogey wipe packet.

Interior Pocket 6

I try to always carry a few snacks, a bib and a silicone placemat

Other Things Often Found In Here

Instead of the safety harnesses and depending on our itenerary, I will often either pack our Shopping Cart/High chair  cover or our Ergo baby carrier. Amazingly, wonderfully either of those things can squeeze into this packed bag, it is tight when I have this much stuff in there and I am shocked and delighted every time. 

If you have any questions about my bag, what I pack or anything I should go into more detail on, please let me know! And, I would love to know, what is in your diaper bag?