Proof of work!

Lately I have been getting the knitting bug...a lot! I started knitting a nice blanket for one of C's cousins, but it's taking a long time, so I took a break and made this cotton hat for C! It only took about a day and a half, and while it's supposed to be a 4 to 6 hours project, I really am not an expert and I have to knitt in between chasing Noodle around the house! I used the patern from this book called " Last minute knitted gifts", and I love it! It should be great for cool fall nights.
I have to say though... the cord nearly killed me!

Buni is back!

After 4 months of being away, my mom has returned for her second tour of baby-sitting services:) I can't even tell you how much easier my life gets when she is here. Now I get to run around like crazy (still) but at least I am not dragging a 1 year old (tomorrow!) with me! Grocery shopping gets to be a lot quicker and so does every other chore around the house or elsewhere. On top of everything I actually don't have to cut and chop and pack lunches and b-fast for day care and that is a huge stress reliever. Not to mention that I was promised Romanian meatball soup for dinner tonight and I was also told that all the downstairs windows were cleaned today!

Overall... having my mom back is awesome. She loves playing with Noodle and Noodle loooooooves her "buni". She even kicked A and I out of the house on Saturday so we can go out for lunch and to buy presents for Noodle's birthday.
If you have not had the chance to meet her during her first stay, please come by. She might not speak a lot of English (though she is doing better and better each day), but she will give you a huge hug and feed you some yummy food!

Should have a group for this...

My daughter is totally addicted to Gerber puffs! I think I need to start a group for her (and probably for mothers with kids like C.) so she can "discuss" her obsession with this snack. I guess in all fairness, she is a good eater, she ates whatever we have at the table including some things that I would probably not eat (pieces of parsnip anyone?) I just thing it's hilarious that she knows where the puffs "live" in our kitchen, she could be all done with her actual food, but would never refuse those puffs! And she shoves them by the handful (hers) into her mouth!
So, yeah, if your kid is addicted to this snack and would like to discuss it, please let me know :)

Stitch markers

Here's my latest project... stitch markers. I have lots of small amounts of cute beads from all my beading project and since they are not enough for anything (maybe just for earrings, but how many pairs does one really need?), I decided to try my hand at some stitch markers. I told my friend K. I will make her a bunch and she promised to blog them. If you know any knitters out there who would like some, please let me know. I have more than I know what to do with and will be happy to give some away...
Let me know what you think.

Yup, that's my child

Tuesdays are "story time hour" at the Attleboro library. C has been going there since she was 2 weeks old. For months and months at the very beginning she used to sleep thru the whole thing. Now she is crawling around with the other kids, licks the books and smiles at everyone. Yesterday morning was no exception. She "talked" to a bunch of kids, ate some cheerios (some of hers and some of another boy), and settled in to listed to the stories and sing songs. Or so I thought! The room was dead quiet, she was in the middle of the circle (yeah, she is not a drama queen at all), and she let out the loudest burp I have ever heard coming out of her! Everyone thought it was the funniest thing, including her! I tell you, she is the sweetest, happy go lucky kid, and then she turns into this "truck driver" ( sorry for the stereotype) in a second.
I wonder what's next....

Balanced!

One of my goals at the beginning of this years was to get in shape. I think I wrote about getting a personal training (and how she kills me each week)! I also started to be mindful of what and more than anything how much I eat. While I am making progress (12 lbs in 4 months, thank you very much!), I am far from being done. Honestly, I don't think I will ever be done. People always talk about eating right as a way of life and not just a 6 months state of life. And I finally get it (I think!) I still don't love to go to the gym, but it's becoming more part of my routine much the same way drinking coffee so I can stay awake did.

I have been a huge fan of the "Biggest looser" over the past few months. Part of it because I have all the respect for people who want to change and do something about it, and part because it motivated and inspired me to keep going. I would rationalize that if the 340 lbs teenage boy could run each day and struggle thru, so could I!
Last night while I was watching this week's episode, one of the trainers said something to the extent that we need to have a balance in life, and not just stress out about the 200 cal glass of wine you had or the desert you ate for your friends visit. And it finally clicked for me. I finally got it! I often go to one extreme or the other. I either stress about it to an obsessive compulsive level, or I just don't care anymore!
So my goal is to find that balance between being healthy, exercising and living life to the fullest with no regrets! But as always that is easier said than done, so any help would be much appreciated!

Money saving pampering trick!

In light of the declining economy, and as many other women, I am always on the hunt for cheaper solutions to the little life indulgences.
After a long day on Saturday (running errands with C. most of the morning, and spending the afternoon in the park pushing her on the swing), my feet were achy and tired and sore. So I decided I would love to soak them for a bit and use some scrub on them, and ... you got it, pamper a bit! Of course I discovered I have no more of those handy jars of body/foot scrub mix, so I decided to make my own. And it's so easy and muuuuch cheaper than the retail version that I don't think I would ever go back to buying it. I just mixed some baby oil with some salt (or you can use sugar if you like) in a little cup! And it worked just as well as the ones you buy in a jar. It was not the fancy kind, no lavender or rose petals in it, but it did what it was supposed to do: pampered my tired feet.