Green Basket

I bought this cute green basket last summer at a garage sale for 25 cents. If you know me, I'm a sucker for GREEN and for any type of basket and organizing! Problem is, I can't figure out what to use this for. I imagine it probably came with some kind of cup/container when it was originally bought so I thought maybe if I could find some little cups that would fit, maybe I could use it to organize Ava's little art supplies. BUT I am not sure they'll all fit or that we have enough yet. She pretty much has the basics right now: crayons, markers, paint sticks (brushes with paint in them), watercolor paints and stickers.

If you are reading this and have an idea for how I could use this, please share! :)

Here's a pic to give you an idea on size.

20 Months

Ava - One year ago!

Miss Ava - 20 months (or wait, is it 19 months?? LOL). I've been having a hard time keeping track lately. Never claimed that math was my strong suit.

Feeding the baby. (Note to self: We need to get some baby doll toys!)

My pig-tail girl!

Playing with baby Jackson. He is growing and changing so much too!


Ava is getting funnier every day--and especially with seeing baby Jackson, I'm realizing she isn't a baby anymore!! She will always be my baby, though. I will pick her up and hold her like a baby and she will say "Baby?" and I'll sing Rock-a-bye-baby." She still loves to play "Ring around the rosie," too, and anything related to music. She loves to dance. I'm super excited about Kindermusik starting this week!!

She has started using the word "No" more in response to questions. It's pretty hilarious *most* of the time. Last night I asked her to take a bite of her green beans (which she does love) and she said, "No." Today she noticed me putting out some coasters I got at IKEA a while back. She picked up the pile and then said "Here" as she was handing me one. As I went to take it, she wouldn't let go. I asked her if she was going to share to which she repeated "Share?" Then I asked her again "Are you going to share with mommy?" to which she simply replied, "No." Very matter of factly, too! We had a couple little crying fits over that one because I made her give me one. ha!

She has started to say several little sentences like "Where'd it go??" and "I don't know" and "Here you go." It's kind of like all one word when she says it. Funny. She also says "Right back." We are getting a little somewhere with the potty. She will still tell us "poopin" but I think she think peeing is the same because half the time we'll check her or try to get her to the potty quick and she has just peed. She will, however, sit on the potty a little longer than before and will grunt. It's pretty cute. She will also say "Big Girl."

I have noticed her going around saying, "1...2..." but that's about as far as she gets. hehe!
She has the Dr. Seuss ABC book and somehow she hasn't forgotten and will go around saying "ABC," too. One day she repeated the whole alphabet with me. I was pretty impressed just that her attention lasted that long. She at least gets the concept of colors and shapes though most things are 'lellow.' She will repeat all of the other colors, though. I think she kind of knows...PINK! =) She also (Kind of) knows triangle, circle and square. We love to use the bath crayons. I will make shapes for her. She has one of those little teapots that came with desserts in the shape of a triangle, circle and square. One day we couldn't find the triangle and so I started saying "Triangle! Where are you?" and she was repeating that and remembered that the next day. I think that helped her learn the triangle as well as the Melissa and Doug puzzle that her daddy got her with all of the shapes and colors on it.

Some of her other new/favorite words to say are:
pocket
tissue
walk (she likes to walk to the car when I pick her up from the sitter)
read (she asks us to read her books now)
keys
remote (mote)
hug and squeeze (she will wrap her arms around you and give you hugs)
pillow (she got a flower pillow for Christmas)
Brrrrr! and cold





She continues to amaze us every day. Her manners are great. She consistently says please, thank you, and bless you when you sneeze. LOVE IT!

What I Wore Wednesday...Take 2!

What I Wore Wednesday...Take 2!
I'm linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy! =)


Above: Casual Friday
Ann Taylor Loft lavender ruffled jacket. MY ABSOLUTE FAVE!
Ann Taylor Loft purple and gray t-shirt
I just had this paired with skinny jeans (Gap) and my gray slouchy boots.
Tiffany bracelet
Rings from Forever 21
Lovely picture, I know!




Above:
Tank from Aeropastal
Pink cardigan from Express
Gray pants from Maurices
Necklace and earrings from Premier (love them both!)


My 2nd grader's interpretation of me. LOVE THIS!


And by night. I switched it up to head out for my hair appointment.
Navy t-shirt from H&M
Jeans from Gap
Brown Uggs



Above:
Pants from Ann Taylor Loft (not sure but thinking they look kind of big/baggy!?)
Ruffle Tank from Kohls
Shoes from Steve Madden
Cardigan, you guessed it, Forever 21
Necklace from Premier

Again, I apologize for my poor quality pics. Please pay no attention to the mess in the background of most of the pics. =) And most of these were again at the END of the day!!!! ha!

Video

This is for you, Aunt "Bridett!!" We love you!

Ava LOVES babies right now!! Real ones like her cousin "Jack-in" (Jackson) or her baby dolls. Ever since seeing Jackson and my sister Bridgett at Christmas (on New Years Day), she holds her babies and bounces and says, "Shhh, shhh, shhh." It is soooo cute! I have a video of that...maybe coming soon! =)

She has one of those little books "Who Loves Baby" where you insert photos and she pulled that out the other day and it was so cute that she knows who "Gma" is and "Aunt Bridgett" too!

Anytime that I get my computer out, she says "Baby??" because I show her pictures of Jackson and herself, too. ha! =) I think the way she says Bridgett is soooooo cute! Usually she says "Baby...awwww..." but she was having a hard time sitting still in this video. Travis had just walked downstairs and anytime either of us leave a room, she is very concerned with where we are going and usually says "Right back..." Oh and I think at one point (when she yells out a word and I say "What??") she is saying "God!" Oops! What a stinker! I have honestly gotten better at saying "Gosh" but she hasn't forgotten!

Subway Art

Check this out!

(Thank you Megan AND Jessica!)

Jessica from Craftily Ever After is doing a

GIVEAWAY

for this awesome "subway art" that she created.

Considering crafting, scrapbooking, CrEAtInG and anything artsy is right up my alley, I am writing about it on my blog in order to receive the CoOl subway art FREE!!!! I was just thinking it is about time I get my Valentine decor out!

Check out her blog Craftily Ever After to do the same. There is also a tutorial on how to create these felt rosette decor balls here.

What I Wore Wednesday

Welcome to my FIRST attempt at a What I Wore Wednesday post. I'm linking up with Lindsday from The Pleated Poppy here. =)

Here are the only 2 outfits I've gotten recently. Please excuse the fact that each one was taken at the END of the day. Apparently I'm too busy to take it in the morning..........and they are horrible quality as they are from my phone. I can only improve from here, right?

Same outfit, 2 different looks...

Shirt: Ann Taylor (40% off plus 15% off Educator Discount)

Top photo: Necklace: Ann Taylor (same deal!) Cardigan: Bergner's

Bottom photo: the necklace can also be used as a belt!

Gray Boots: don't see a brand...

Butterfly Dress: Old Navy (used Birthday money)

Long sleeved tee: Old Navy (on sale $5)

Sweater tights: Macys' last year

Cardigan: Forever 21 (I have two of these and LOVE THEM!)

Necklace: Rue 21 (Christmas present)

Boots: Naughty Monkey (bought with birthday money from my mom)

New Look

Well, I've been playing around with my blog (like you, Megan!) and (for now)...I really like it! I finally got the pictures at the top centered!! YAY! I see myself playing around with it some more in the future, however! Now that I know how to do a few things, I'm sure I'll mess around with it soon!

Thanks to Sarah at Life {Sweet} Life blog for the awesome tutorial on how to do this! If you'd like to DIY, click here. =)

For my blogger template/background, I went here.

Enjoy!

Funny Ava Story

We have a bath hammock that holds all of Ava's bath toys and considering it is OVERFLOWING with squirters and other bath toys, LOL, the little suction cups that hold it to the shower, aren't holding it on very well. So, tonight she is taking her bath and I decide that I'm going to *attempt* to re-hang it (usually Trav's job, but he was at the office). Apparently I didn't do a very good job, because a few minutes later, the toys come falling down. Now, as I explained to Travis when I told him the story, I didn't have a reaction that I feel would really scare Ava...I only said "Ohhhh mannn..." I might have said it in a little high-pitched voice but I guess that coupled with the falling toys, it FREAKED her out. When I say FREAKED...I mean, screaming at the top of her lungs, trying to get out of the bath, real tears, etc. I tried to get her calm, said "it's ok, sit down" etc, but she wasn't having it. We were done with the bath part anyway, but I was trying to let her see that it was ok before getting her out. Anyway, I get her out, she continues to cry through me putting her jammies on and then is finally ok. JEESH!
I tell ya. She is a little scaredy cat! I kept saying "sorry, honey, mommy didn't mean to scare you, you are ok" and she is all about repeating the LAST word of everything you say now, so it was "scare" and "ok."

I will say at least, that now she will actually get her play vacuum out while I'm vacuuming and I no longer have to hold her while I'm doing the vacuuming (though I think that was a pretty good workout). =)

She is very sensitive and always has been very scared of loud things, etc.

I really wish I could just get inside her head and understand what's going through that little noggin of hers! Yesterday, Travis was going to our friend, Jamie's, to watch football, so before Ava and I headed out to do a little shopping, we stopped by. We walk into his house, Travis is holding her and I'm getting my shoes off, she starts SCREAMING! It is only Jamie and his friend Pauly (the least scary guy in the world!). I have no idea what brought it on...she was just scared apparently...maybe she thought we were going to leave her there, who knows! She has always been scared of men, but like I said, Pauly is the least scary guy (kinda short, very skinny, etc...not a BIG TALL GUY or something!). It took her all of the time we were there to warm up to them. And she's seen Jamie several times and never been scared of him. SILLY GIRL! She did 'knuckles' to them both when we left so that was a good sign.

I just honestly don't get it, though, because if we are out and about, she is the MOST social little thing. She says "HI" to everyone...she loves talking to people, comments on all the babies, etc. WHO KNOWS! She is also very attached to me and days off don't help--not that I'm complaining...=) While at Jamie's, I couldn't even walk out of the room to get more food without her freaking out, even with daddy in the room.........

Other funny stories: As I said, she is into repeating the last word, so now her big thing is to say "God." I know, I know...I'm working on it. I have really gotten better at saying "Gosh" but it's funny because she hasn't forgotten it and I have to now say "Oh my Gosh" on purpose to get her to say that instead of the other.

I was really REALLY shy as a little one so I guess Ava is getting at least ONE thing from me. =) I hope it isn't as bad as I was...my Grandpa had to bribe me when I was the flower girl in my aunt's wedding (with MONEY!!) to get me to walk down the aisle. Then, I STILL barely looked at anyone as I swung my little flower girl basket all the way down the aisle. I am definitely not shy now, but it took me a long time to grow out of it. Let's pray Ava grows out of it a little quicker than I did!

Here's a pic of me and my sister in our infamous sweaters with our names down the sleeves made by our Grandma Daniels. I have the perfect picture of me screaming my head off as about a 6 month old but of course I can't get it to upload. It says there's an error so I'll have to ask Travis about it later. =)

New Year

With the new year, I will be experiencing some new things going on in my life...

Tomorrow I start my first master's class - Theoretical Foundations of Reading. I am not technically registered yet because I am still awaiting some information to go through with my account at ISU but I am accepted into the program. I emailed the professor and she said to go ahead and come to class, that there is plenty of room, and then I will register as soon as the information goes through with my account. I can't really say that I'm excited!!! EEK! I am a little nervous but am taking the class with 2 co-workers so that is good. It will be every Monday night from 5:30-8:20. I would have loved to take an online program where you have your master's in a year and a half, but I decided I can't go more into debt considering I still have student loans from WIU...AND Unit 5 offers tuition waivers so I am FINALLY taking the plunge and doing it! I am sure I will be fine but I am feeling a little nervous about the fact that I haven't been a student in almost T.E.N. years! YOUCH! The fact that I am getting my master's in Reading and I am not teaching Reading or ever taught Reading is also making me a little uneasy. One of my professors in college once told me that I had a knack for writing so hopefully that will help me! Wish me luck! =) I just plan to take a class here and there, maybe one in the summer until I'm done!!! The only other thing that I am not looking forward to is not seeing Ava before bedtime (one of my favorite times of the day) but at this point, I will still be picking her up from the sitter and will have about an hour with her before heading out.

On another note, Travis and I have started P90X. If you haven't heard about it, it is a 90 day program with 12 different ONE-HOUR workouts designed to take you from 'regular to RIPPED in 90 days.' The secret behind it is a technique called 'muscle confusion.' Anyway, a few weeks ago, Travis asked me if I wanted to do P90X and I said, "ok!" because usually he isn't one to want to work out. So far, we have done 3 days of workout and they've ALL been KILLER!!!!! I don't have any expectations of doing it EVERY day for 90 days, but am hoping to do at least 4 days a week. There is also an ab workout scheduled in, and depending on how many days a week we do, I would like to try to do that at least 3 days a week, too. I am in SERIOUS need of some toning so I am hoping that having a workout buddy will help. We haven't really ever worked out together before...but so far it has actually been fun. I think I can finally cancel my gym membership and save us some money there! Sooooooo, I guess check back to see our after pics in roughly 90 days...THERE WILL BE NO BEFORE PICS! hahaha!

December Stuff

Well, my blogs are crazy out of order so here are a few misc. pics from December!


"Color!"


If you've read the recent "Ava Update" you might remember that she likes to say "no, no, no, no" with a pointed finger. Yep, that's my sweet lil angel!


We went to the other Cunningham's (my co-worker Annie and her hubby...no relation) for New Year's Eve. Here is Craig and Travis sporting their matching shirts. I'm annoyed we didn't get a pic of the 2 of us (or 3 of us). I was wearing a cute outfit, too with my new b'day boots. Oh well. Not like we don't have enough photos or anything!

All the kiddos!

I thought this was adorable of Ava, Holden and Lauren...not that the rest of the kids aren't super cute!

Happy New Year!!!! Don't you love her "outit"??? I got it all on clearance at Old Navy.

Flashback to early December...Here is Annie and I at the Ugly Sweater party for our staff Christmas party. :) One of our co-workers let us borrow her sweaters and even matching earrings! I of course tried to make mine look a little cute!!?

Me and Trav. I know we should have just went as "ELVES" but Travis wouldn't. haha! His vest and shirt was borrowed from my step-dad but I didn't think it was ugly enough so I went to the Dollar Tree and found this beautiful Santa (it was an ornament...but we turned it into a pin.). Crack me up!

Ava loved it!

Ava and Lauren at Lauren's Dora birthday party.

Recent playdate with friends at Kim's. Crazy how the group of kids keeps growing. Lil Lukie (Kim) will be added to the group this spring!

Hunter and Chase. So cute!

Ava and Natalie. Love it!

Noon Year's Eve

On New Year's Eve we went to the Discovery Museum for their "Noon Year's Eve" celebration. It was fun but a WEE bit crazy! I don't know if we'll go again...I didn't really see it as any different than going on a regular day. None the less, we had fun...well, let's say that AVA had fun. hehe! Travis and I were exhausted! I got some cute pics of her though. She even liked the countdown and loud boom with confetti. She said, "More, more!"


hehe!





Her beautiful tiara!

Reading...

Future artist??

Yum.

Peek-a-boo!

I'd say she liked the water table!

So fresh and so clean!

My house is so organized right now I can hardly even stand it!!! Just thought I'd share some pics. Once I got my Christmas stuff put away, I was just in the mood to get things organized, and was in a PURGING mood! I finally came to the conclusion that I don't need (literally) 100 gift bags (a few of each type and size would be sufficient). I also don't need 15 extra copies of Ava's birth announcement. I've scrapped one and saved several...nor do I need 100 hangers...you know, the kind that comes on the clothing!! WhAt the HeCK????? This is how I ended up with about 10 bags of trash (and about 5 or so tubs with garage sale items!).

We are hoping to put our house up for sale SOON so I also wanted to get the staging process started. I think I did a pretty good job in about probably 20 hours of work time. I did it all by myself, including the rearranging of furniture. So...who needs P90X?? haha! I am anxious to talk to the bank again and a realtor, but I am HOPING it works out to put our house up for sale in March and try to sell by summer since it didn't happen last year. Then we can look for a new place. I am even willing to move into an apartment if we have to so we aren't rushed while looking but WE'LL see!!!!!!!!! I know that would be hard. Anyway, I am kind of a neat freak (though you wouldn't always know it...haha!). Now if only I didn't have to work, I think I could keep my house looking this way! (I wish I had taken before pics!)



Dining room. I moved the table at an angle instead of square. I moved the curio cabinet out of the corner and onto the one wall so I could hang the 3 boards there (2 cork and one magentic). I also switched Ava's little kitchen cabinet (made by my great-grandpa for my mom) and a wire shelf that you can't see.



New set up in the living room.


My office/play room...

I got new bins for my shelf a while back and the brown polka dot ones for Christmas.

This is the area right between the living room and dining room.

Back to regular decor on my shelves. I switched up just a few things.

Ladder shelf - I was debating what to do with this thing. I still like the shelf but was wanting to move it. Instead I just redecorated it as well and I LOVE IT!

IKEA is having a sale right now and I think we are heading up there this weekend as Travis got Texas de Brazil gift cards for Christmas and his mouth has been watering ever since. YAY for me, though, because this is just about the only way he agrees to go to IKEA. Not sure what the sale will have in store for me other than a dresser (can't fully finish our bedroom until I get one). We got a new flat screen TV for our bedroom for Christmas (our gift to each other) so we can get our huge one and stand out of there. I am in desperate need of a dresser!! I don't plan to buy much else since I don't want to put more furniture in our house if we are going to move soon!

Wish us luck!

Lastly, the only thing I need a solution for is WINTER COATS. Ick. I have a really cute shelf hanging right inside the door but I hate how cluttered it gets with all of our coats. My 'coat' closet is already filled with other coats. hmmmm...a sign I need to get rid of a few??? We'll see.