Just have to share!

We had professional pictures taken of the kids just after Thanksgiving and this is the one we chose for the Christmas Cards.

Stocking Stuffer Ideas - a few of my current faves

I've recently found a couple of great products that I thought I'd share with you. (In case you're looking for some last minute stocking stuffers!)

Cover Girl's LashBlast mascara - drugstores approx 6.99

I've been reading in several magazines great reviews about this mascara but it took looking at 3 different stores before I finally found it. It's pretty new so I don't know if the issue was that not all stores have it in stock yet or if they're just selling out that fast. The wand is big and a bit hard to get used to initially but I really like how it works!

Bare Escentuals - bareVitamins Prime Time Foundation Primer - approx 21.00

A friend who also uses Bare Escentuals products recommended this primer and I think it works great.

Sonja Kashuk - Kashuk Tools Bristle Hair Brush - 14.99 at Target

I read reviews about this brush a while back and had to try it. The reviews were comparing it to the very pricey Mason Pearson brush and raved about how great it worked. It's from the Sonja Kashuk line at Target and although it too, took a couple of trips to different Targets to find, I have been using it for a few weeks now and am impressed. In fact, I've received several comments on how soft and shiny my hair looks, it just feels healthier after I brush it.

MAC lipglass - Lustreglass in Lustrewhite - approx 14.00

The color featured in the picture above is not the color I've been using but all of the MAC Lustreglass shades seem great. The one I'm using right now is Lustrewhite and it's the perfect neutral lip gloss. Instant Gold is one that I'd like to try as I have a friend that uses it and it really looks good.

The HomeGoods Store

I just love Marshall's HomeGoods store. I could spend hours just milling around there. Here's a find from my last 2 hour trip to the store. I have a little Santa collection going and I love how he has a vintage look and was only 7.99!

Misc Projects in the works

Busy as usual around our house with Christmas shopping, decorating, celebrating and a couple of projects underway in the midst of it all.

One of the projects we've been working on is an old dresser my Mother gave us that she had in storage which will be in Aidan's room. We decided to paint the dresser in a dark brown color called 'Burnt Tile' by Valspar at Lowe's. I picked this color based on a changing table Lowe's featured in their Creative Ideas magazine.

Taking a 'before' picture was a bit of an afterthought. As you can see, the 'before' picture was taken after work was underway! Sorry, some of these pictures are a bit blurry.

I already painted the dresser in these pictures but as you can see the bottom had a scalloped edge which, although it would have been cute had we painted it white, we decided the dresser needed a cleaner line with the modern brushed nickel hardware and dark brown color.

This picture is a bit blurry but as you can see we pulled the front scalloped piece of the dresser and replaced it with a piece of wood handsome hubby routered to create a beveled edge to match the rounded edge on the top of the dresser.

And ta-da! Here is the finished look! I'm very pleased with how it turned out. The mirror will be hung above the dresser and I have yet to put my decorative touch on the top but I'd like to get a small brushed nickel lamp (I LOVE lamps!) and a few other accessories added soon.

Handsome Hubby also built the dollhouse bookcase which I've talked about in previous posts. I'm finishing up painting it and hope to have it done and pictures to share by the end of this weekend. It's really turning out cute!

Since I have some vacation time to use up before the end of the year I am taking tomorrow off to do some running around. I have some Christmas shopping to do and then a hair appt. I'm trying to work up the nerve to cut some of the length off, maybe to my shoulders but there's a good chance I'll chicken out once I get there. I just need to do something different with it.

Tomorrow night we're going with some friends to see a theatre performance of A Christmas Carol. We plan to grab a bit to eat beforehand down at the Plaza which is just beautiful this time of year. I'm really looking forward to some adult time.

More updates soon!

Monday, Monday

It has been a long evening and so I must first start by complaining. Feel free to skip over this if you have no desire to hear about my child and our bedtime war stories. I completely understand. Ugh. It's now after 10pm and we're still struggling to get Aidan to sleep. He was to go to bed over 1 1/2 hrs ago and he is still fighting it. As a result Handsome Hubby and I are at odds again on how this should be handled. I firmly believe that Aidan needs to learn that if we say there will be one story then there will be one story. Period. End of story. Saying one thing then doing another after he throws a fit isn't doing anyone any good. It's showing him that by fussing he will get his way. Handsome Hubby tends to give in when pushed by Aidan. I'll admit that I've given in on occasion as well but overall I understand that if we consistently follow through with what we say he will eventually get that and stop. Although I know Handsome Hubby understands this as well, he still tends to give in, which ultimately drags the bedtime routine out to 2 plus hrs. For example, tonight I spent 30 minutes in the hallway, taking Aidan back to his room every time he came out. The first time I told him that it was bedtime and that's final. The next 8 times I didn't say a word, I just picked him up while he was throwing his fit and crying and put him back in his bed. I'm spent. Honestly I am. My body is sore, my nerves are worn and I'm beyond frustrated but by golly I am standing my ground. Hubby finally comes upstairs, comes into the room and says that he'll take care of it. I was so upset because I know what that means. It means he will lay down and tell him another story, unraveling everything I just spend the last 30 minutes trying to do. Sure enough I can hear him in there telling another story even as I write.
Honestly, how do people do it? Everything I've read says that although the first week or so may be miserable you just need to be consistent and keep putting them back in their room. What is a person to do if their spouse doesn't follow this same consistency? Somethings gotta give.

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Ratatouille Review: Did you check out Ratatouille on DVD over the weekend? We enjoyed our little movie night last Tuesday and although I liked the movie, I didn't LOVE it. It was cute and I'm glad we have it on hand to watch again but it wasn't my nor was it Aidan's favorite. I would definitely recommend renting or buying it for the kids to watch but it probably won't end up on your top 5 list. Tomorrow is the release of Shrek the 3rd. I've heard mixed reviews. We'll probably end up getting it just to complete the set. Have any of you seen it yet and if so, did you like it?

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Day of Beauty: So last Friday a friend and I took the day off to do some shopping, have a leisurely lunch and get massages. I hadn't taken a day off in awhile and I was needing it desperately. I called it our 'day of beauty' because we were focused on looking for some of the beauty products we'd been hearing such great reviews on but had not yet tried, plus we were getting massages. Anyway, it was a fun day, my friend ended up getting half her Christmas shopping done (which wasn't really part of the 'day of beauty' plan but it was shopping nonetheless). I myself am not ready for full on Christmas shopping. As you know, I like to make lists and I prefer to have pre-planned lists before I head out. Seeing her get so much done already inspired me to finalize my gift-giving lists this week. I've pretty much figured out what I'm getting everyone this year and I've even started on my own wish list. ;) How are you all doing on your Christmas shopping, have you started yet?

Not just another Tuesday...

The day has FINALLY arrived and Aidan couldn't be more excited! (Ok, maybe I'm a bit excited too.) :) In case your calendars weren't marked like mine, today is the day Ratatouille comes out on DVD. Aidan has talked about this movie for a long time and since we missed it in theatre's we've been waiting for its release on DVD. It has received great reviews and should be fun to watch. We told Aidan that if he was good and minded his manners that we would get this movie as a special treat. Not missing a beat, one of the first things he mentioned after waking up this morning was getting the Ratatouille movie.

I think rather then making him wait until the weekend to watch it we'll all watch it tonight and perhaps pick up Papa Murphy's pizza to make it a true movie night. We'll start the movie early so as not to mess with bedtime but it should make a normally uneventful Tuesday night a bit more fun. I'll have to give you our review of the movie tomorrow!

If you're not interested in buying the movie for your collection you should take a look at renting it from RedBox. Most McDonald's have the RedBox now and it's only $1 to rent a movie! That's unbelievable nowadays when Blockbuster is around $4 for a new release. We've rented several movies from RedBox and we've found it to be pretty convenient. The nice thing is that you can return the movie to any RedBox so you don't necessarily have to go back to the same one you picked it up from.

Next Tuesday is the release date for Shrek the 3rd. We're looking forward to seeing that one too. And yes, even though I'm 31 I just love the Shrek movies.

Hope you find a way to make your Tuesday a little special.

Hello? Is anybody out there?

Hello! Is there anyone still out there visiting my blog or have you all given up on me?! I know I've been a horrible blogger taking an unannounced leave for 2 months. Actually I had not planned to be away so long but things got very busy, so much so that although I'm still frequenting your blogs, I have neglected mine. I hope to be a better blogger and start posting on a regular basis. Hopefully I've not lost you all forever! :)

Since my last post in August we've been busy enjoying the season. Perhaps it'd be easiest to share some pictures.

Aidan started preschool

turned 3 years old.....

attended several KU Football games...

Laneybug has grown and grown...

Done some painting and fall decorating...

Preschool field trips to the pumpkin patch...

Family trips to the pumpkin patch...

Harvest party at preschool, dressed last minute as a Train Conductor...

One month in preview: Coming up tomorrow of course is Halloween, this weekend is the KU Homecoming game and a dinner party at a co-workers house. I've got a girls day out the following Friday with a close friend of mine with tentative plans for massages, a long leisurely lunch and shopping. Family will be coming to town (hopefully) the weekend of the 10th, another KU football game the 17th, Thanksgiving the 22nd, and the final KU vs MU game at the Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium on the 24th! Very much looking forward to the next few weeks...hard to believe the holiday season is just around the corner. I found some fun Xmas ideas that I will have to share with you all on a later post.

More updates soon...I promise! :)