What's up lately... a short rundown

Hey everybody,
Boy, I've been busy lately!  That's why my blog posts have been lacking...  So here's what's been keeping us hopping.

• My niece and nephew were visiting from Texas for the summer, so I made a lot of trips to my parents' place to visit while they were there.  Brennan loves spending time with them!  They're back in Texas now, so we're definitely missing them.
• I'm still busy bow making!  I had quite a few to make to fill my orders.  I just finished up my last ones and Ryan will be dropping them off for me on Tuesday.
• I am trying to find time to work on cross stitching Bryleigh's Christmas stocking... Christmas is sneaking up on me!
• I've been busy chasing my never-slowing-down 2 year old all while holding his little sister.
• Both of the kids currently have colds, which has made for fussiness and LONG nights.  I'm so happy to announce that Ryan and I caught them, too.  Luckily, ours, especially mine, were pretty short lived.
• Lately, I have been having a lot of computer problems- powering up, but then shutting itself off.  I figured out that it was a hardware problem and took what I thought were the necessary steps to fix it, but to my dismay, it is not fixed.  I called a computer place and told them what I did... he said that my actions were perfect and that my motherboard must be shot.  I cannot explain it, but it will boot up almost completely disassembled, in pieces on the floor- screen in one spot, keyboard in another, etc.  But as soon as I screw it all together, it gives me heck again!  Time for a new computer.  Kind of a bummer, but I don't mind getting a brand new toy...
• So, because I need a new computer, that means that I must do HOURS of research to find the perfect one.  My free time during the last couple of days has been consumed with this...  I bought the winner on eBay this morning- an HP Pavilion G6.  Hope I love it!
• I've got a couple of review products that I've been testing out.  I'll need to be writing the reviews soon.
• We've been working quite a bit with Brennan on potty training.  We're not forcing it, but encouraging it as much as possible (with the help of one of those review products I mentioned).  He is doing quite well and really enjoys wearing his underwear.  Hopefully he stays interested and one day soon I'll be down to one child in diapers.  :)
• And speaking of diapers- I am washing, hanging, and folding a load of diapers once every 2 days.  Even without the diapers, the laundry in this house is never quite complete... never ending.
• We're still casually looking at homes for sale in the area.  I wish we could find the perfect one, in our price range, and sell ours before someone else buys it... seems like a long shot, but maybe things will work out sooner than later.
• Ryan's birthday is on Monday... I guess I better find a present for him!  Yikes.

 I am pretty sure that I could come up with more, but I've got a stocking to cross stitch, and a birthday gift to buy!  As always, wish me luck!

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Wordless Wednesday- Bryleigh wearing vintage Mama, plus a bonus picture of Brennan

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10 Reasons I'm Thankful...

So tonight I am watching all of the stories and footage about the horrible tragedy in Colorado.  The first victim who's name was released is Jessica Ghawi.  Listening to her mother talk about her and the last contact she had with Jessica was absolutely amazing and heartbreaking all at the same.  Her story brought tears to my eyes and reinforced the fact, once again, that every day is precious and we should cherish each moment.  I am lucky and blessed, and I truly am thankful for it!  Here are 10 simple reasons why...

1. I have clothes to wear, food to eat, a place to live, and a car to get me where I need to go.
2. I have family and friends who love me and take care of me and whom I enjoy being with.
3. I have been blessed with talents that I am proud of.
4. I live in a country where we are lucky enough to be free and brave soldiers to keep us that way!
5. I have a lighthearted sense of humor... at least I think so.
6. I have opportunities for fun and take advantage of them.
7. My children are healthy, smart, and beautiful, both inside and out.
8. I am able to stay home with my two awesome kids to raise them and watch them grow.
9. The world is such a beautiful creation with so many amazing features for us to explore and appreciate.
10. God loves me!  No matter what happens on this Earth, I've got a home waiting for me in Heaven!

There are so many more reasons I am thankful!  Maybe you could just take a moment to remember how blessed you are and be thankful, too!  Tell your family that you love them, thank someone who made a difference in your life, think about just how special you are, and say a quick prayer to the One who made it all possible.

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Oops! I forgot Wordless Wednesday- Brennan's Texas Cousins... or Best Friends!

So here we go, one day late...  And by the way, make sure you check out my latest giveaway for a dandelion laptop or car decal: dandelion decal giveaway!

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Hot outside fun!

We had fun today. It was stinking hot, but still a nice day to enjoy the sun. Brennan swang, threw his balls, played with water in a bucket, and played in the sandbox. Bryleigh sat on my lap and watched, ate, and took a nap on a sheet on the grass....

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Dandelion Laptop Decal Review and Giveaway by Lewa's Designs!

A short while ago  I was given the opportunity to a review another neat product- a dandelion laptop decal from Lewa's Designs.  Lewa's Designs carries a fantastic variety of vinyl decals that can be applied to virtually any flat surface including, walls, laptops, windows, and mirrors.  Besides their shop on Etsy, which boasts 100% positive feedback with over 6700 sales, Lewa's Designs has their own website, blog, and Facebook Fan Page that you should be sure to check out.

Here are a few of my favorite decals that Lewa's Designs carries:

I was generously given a dandelion laptop decal for review purposes, as well as a couple of little extra decals that were sent along, too- a blue birdie and a red zebra.  They arrived, safe and unbent, in a cardboard mailer.  The instructions were extremely clear and simple to follow.  I've applied vinyl decals to a wall before (remember my review of the Monkey Vinyl Decals?) and though that wasn't complicated, I can definitely say that these instructions were clearer and had so good tips that I didn't know.  I also realized that applying a decal to a computer or a vehicle is easier than applying to a wall.  Walls are mostly flat, but have lots of small bumps and indentations- computers and glass do not.  They apply especially easily to COMPLETELY flat objects.  

From start to finish, including cleaning my laptop, the application only took a few minutes.  The hardest part was definitely deciding where to place my dandelion seeds. The vinyl seems to be high quality and I didn't experience any issues with tearing or anything like that.  I love the finished product!  The silvery 'etched' color vinyl is beautiful!  I love the very slight shimmery look it has.  Maybe it is goofy, but every time I see my laptop with the decal on it, I smile a little.  It really 'fancies' things up and makes them extra cool.

I thought long and hard about what to do with the extra decals that were included.  Finally I decided to apply the zebra to a drink pitcher we have.  It looks very cool!  I didn't know if I would like the red on red look for sure, but both Ryan and I do like it.  Brennan really likes the new zebra, too.  He keeps going into the kitchen and asking to see him.  :)  It was a little tricky where the top got a bit skinnier, but I made it work.  It had nothing to do with the decal and everything to do with the shape of the container.  I haven't placed the little birdie anywhere yet.  I'm still thinking about where it should go.

I'm very impressed with Lewa's Designs and am sure that you will be, too!  Would you like to win a dandelion decal like mine?  Well, lucky for you, Lewa's Designs will be giving one away to one lucky reader (Only open to US entrants)!  All you need to do is use the form below to enter!  Thanks for reading and a special thanks to Lewa's Design!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was given this product for review purposes.  All of my opinions about this product are solely my own.  Your opinions may differ.  I was not compensated to write this post in any way.*    

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Wordless Wednesday

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Whose Line Funny to Wrap up the Night

If you are like me, you really with that 'Whose Line is it Anyway' was still on tv.  I laughed SO hard at every episode.  I thought I'd post one clip for you all to enjoy!  Have a good laugh!  Goodnight everybody!  I'm off to bed...

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Relaxing summer walks

Brennan asked me to take him and Bryleigh for a walk today.  I obliged and we had a nice time walking along the lake, the wind blowing through our hair.  We saw a ton of seagulls perched along the sidewalk on the rocks.  Bryleigh fell asleep and Brennan just kicked up his feet and relaxed.  We had a nice talk on the way home, too.  I think if I was riding like him I would like walks even more- all kicked back and chillin'!

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Blog Ad Swap, Anyone???

I recently ran into another Mommy blogger who likes to do blog ad swaps.  I'd never really thought about this at all before, but after I did, it made a lot of sense to me!  Why not display the ad of another blogger with a great blog while they do the same to try to generate some more traffic?!  So, what I'm wondering is if anyone else would be interested in doing a blog ad swap with me?  Just let me know by commenting on this post.  Here's whose ad I'm displaying so far this month:

I hope you'll stop by and check out her blog!  Let her know I sent you over! :)

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2 Giveaways to Enter!

Hey,

I just wanted to remind/let everyone know about 2 awesome giveaways you can enter!  The first is here on my blog and ends in a day and a half.  It is for the cutest little diaper cupcake set!  It comes in an adorable bakery box and everything!  It is a fantastic baby shower or new baby gift!  Check that one out here: http://fivefeetoffun.blogspot.com/2012/06/diaper-cupcake-gift-set-by-baby-sweet.html

The other is for an awesome Baby K'Tan carrier.  I REALLY want to win this one!  Bryleigh needs a more comfortable carrier that won't make my back so sore while I'm trying to clean and stuff.  That giveaway is on Perfectly Imperfect Mom and you can find it here: http://www.perfectlyimperfectmom.com/2012/07/baby-ktan-review-and-giveaway.html

Enjoy!

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Emmy Found Her New Home

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post detailing all of the current stress I've been dealing with.  Well, I'm happy to say that it has been greatly reduced since then.  We are still working with Brennan and plan to bring him into a child psychologist in September, we still are looking into the possibility of moving, and I'm still excessively busy trying to complete my crafts I've got going, but we've knocked a lot of the worry off of the list.  Our annual 4th of July party is behind us and I'm happy to say that it was a ton of fun.  The house looked great and I am going to try my very best to keep it looking this way!!!  I finished stripping the deck and it looks way better.  We seem to have gotten our Earwig infestation under control, thank God!  But most importantly, we found a new home for Emmy!

I wrote my "stress post" on Friday, June 22nd.  Emmy found and moved in with her new owners on Sunday, June 24th!  It was fast!  Honestly, after finally deciding on rehoming Emmy and seriously putting her out there on Facebook, Craigslist, and Petfinder, it didn't take long.  Ultimately, Emmy's new owner found her ad on Craigslist and came to meet her.  They are a very nice middle aged/older couple.  They have a 12 year old weimaraner who is suffering from severe hip dysplasia and they know that his time is drawing to a close.  They unfortunately will be having to put him down soon and wanted another nice pup to fill the void.  That's where Emmy came in...She is now living in a home in Rochester, MN with a nice fenced in backyard and two people who are spoiling her rotten. 

I figured that she was doing well and was happy, but I hadn't heard anything from the new owners.  I planned to text them soon to find out.  I haven't been missing Emmy too much, but I had been thinking about/hoping that she is doing well and is happy.  I obviously care about her a lot and want what is best for her.  I mean- we've had her since she was 6 weeks old.  She was our BABY for a long time!  We never envisioned giving her up, but as she became testier with the kids, more aggressive towards other dogs, and started jumping our backyard fence, we didn't feel like we had a lot of choice.

Anyway, my Mom has been asking me all the time if I'd heard from the owners or not yet.  Finally, she asked me what their name was, and since I'd mentioned that the lady worked at Mayo (just as my Mom and Ryan do), she looked her up and sent her an email this morning, much to my surprise!  Here's what it said,

Hi,

You don't know me, but I am Emmy's "Grandma".  I am just wondering how she is doing.  I know Colleen is wondering also, but is a little worried to contact you.  I know we all missed her a lot yesterday because we always took her to the fire works with us.  I know we are interested in coming and visiting her with the kids-hopefully in a few weeks.

Thanks,

Sue

Now, if you knew my mom, you would not be surprised in the least that she sent this email... :)  She was happy to receive this response,
  

Hi Susan,

Emmy is doing great.  She was a little bossy with our other dog, Reebok is a 12 year old Wiemeraner, so we had a few moments.  Reebok is on his last leg so we treat him too much and spoil Emmy just as much, especially Greg who is around the dogs a bit more than I am.  They’ve taken to sleeping on the floor in the bedroom, side-by-side and love going for car rides.  We went to my mom’s house yesterday and her dog Shorty gets along with both.  We’ve not been able to take Emmy to the dog park yet as Reebok’s hips don’t let him run that much but hope to get her there one of these days.

They have a nice sized back yard to run in and even in this hot weather, lie in the sun and nap.

Thank you, Colleen and the whole family for giving us Emmy.  Let me know when you might be interested in visiting.

Sincerely,

Vicki

It was such a relief to hear this!  It makes me confident that we sent Emmy to a good home and that she is happy and doing well!  It was hard, but turned out great!

I've come up with a list of a few pros and cons about not having Emmy anymore:

PROS
-Goodbye dog hair!
-No more drool and dirt smears on the walls and floors
-No more risk of a child getting bit!
-No longer liable if she jumps the fence and hurts another person or dog
-She won't jump the fence and get hit by a car!
-Easier to go on trips without having to find someone to watch her
-Save money on dog food, treats, and vaccinations

CONS
-Miss the occasional cuddle she liked to give me
-My side of the bed won't be pre-warmed in the winter anymore :(
-No more watchdog (I'm a bit more nervous when Ryan is gone overnight now...)
-Kids aren't being raised with a dog (except my parents' dog, Libby)
-No more cute pictures of babies and the dog
-I have to sweep underneath the high chair now
-I never did take and post a video on You Tube showcasing the variety of ridiculous noises Emmy could make, thus receiving millions of hits and in turn, fame and fortune

All in all, I think it was the best decision for everyone!  Love you, Em!

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Wordless Wednesday... on Thursday!

With all of the 4th of July craziness yesterday, I didn't get my Wordless Wednesday picture up, but I still wanted to share one this week.  So, here is my Wordless Thursday!

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Bryleigh is 3 Months Old!

Believe it or not, my little miss Bryleigh is 3 months old already!  She is full of smiles and giggles and she brightens any room.  She loves smiling and talking to her own reflection and lights up when her brother comes around.

She continues to be a very good baby, being pretty content most of the time.  She still likes her baby swing, but loves her bumbo and playmat the most.  I think it is  almost time to bring the exersaucer out!

We have started putting her down for bed in her crib at night and move her back to our room (most of the time) when she wakes up.  We think it is  a good way to get her used to her crib.  

I love watching her grow every day.  She is truly a delight!

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