Sensory Play... For Free!

As a former teacher who used to encourage her students to get dirty, I personally believe in the value of sensory play. I just never knew little babies could benefit from it until I found Pinterest and started reading up on it. Well, I mentioned back here that I'm on a spending freeze (more on how that's going later...) because Pinterest is making me broke. So, I scoured my closets and drawers this week and found some inspiration from various pins I've seen. No money spent... 20 minutes of my time... and two new toys for Baby C.

Sensory Water Bottle

I emptied out an expired jug of juice, ripped of the label and poured water in it about 3/4 full. I added some food coloring, pom poms, glitter and beads (all of which I had stashed in my crafty closet). Taped up the top with duct tape and VIOLA! Cam can eat it, shake it, stare at it and squeal all he wants.... heck if Maizey eats it, I don't care. It was free!

Egg Carton Touch and Feel 

I took an egg carton and some hot glue along with a few objects I found in my junk drawer and crafty closet. Glued the pom poms, beads, a penny and a furniture scuff protector onto the bottom of each egg compartment. Cam can open and close the lid, touch and feel the various textures and try to eat as much as he wants... it's glued down tight, so I'm not worried. Oh and did I mention this was free!?

While it looks like he's terrified of it, he has actually enjoyed playing with it for a few seconds every now and again. Then he chews on the carton...

And, just to be sure I'm "keeping it real," I should probably warn you that my recent productive few days will most likely result in a phone call like this to my husband this afternoon:

Keeping it Real

I wrote back here about my problem with blogs. They highlight all the glitter and glory of life. Only the pictures of sweet children frolicking in flowers are posted, only stories of roaring laughter and warm fuzzies emerge. It's the same thing with Facebook and Instagram and every other social media site. We put our lives on display, only it's not our true lives or selves. We don't talk about the struggles we are battling, the bad hair days, the fights with our husbands, the longing for stability and certainty in an uncertain world.

Interestingly, a lot of bloggers feel this way. Many that I read have started weekly "confessions" or random "disclaimer days" where they reveal the truth behind the blog curtain. I have tried hard to keep this blog as real as possible (I think every post from Cam's birth to six months involved some sort of reference to his crankiness, puking or horrible sleep habits)! But, just like everyone else, it's too easy to post the cute pictures and funny stories and skip the down and dirty truth.

So let's keep it real, y'all.

• Being a stay at home mom is amazing. Really, it is. I love so much about it, and am sooo happy I get to stay home with my baby every day. But it's really hard. It's lonely. It's difficult when faced with comments like, "how do you keep busy all day?" It's exhausting and sometimes mundane. No, I don't want to go back to work. And, no, I wouldn't trade being at home for a million bucks. But, it's tough stuff.  

• There are a lot of days when nap time for Cam = couch time for Mommy. And I feel guilty about it. I always get my chores and errands done, but there's always more to be done. But some days, I just don't wanna.  And, I don't. 

• I have that kid that bites. He means no harm and really I believe he's doing it as a way of "kissing" me and his dad, but the other day he tried to "kiss" his friend and I was mortified when her parents had to stop him from attacking her. I have marks on my shoulders from him. I don't want my kid to be that kid.

• I've been quite annoyed lately with Baby-ism I've encountered in society. Yes, Baby-ism: the discrimination against those with babies. Men's restroom stalls without baby changing stations? Come on, it's 2012!  Stores without shopping carts to plunk your child and ridiculously large diaper bag in? Ya, I'm not shopping with you anymore. Restaurants with no highchairs, storefronts with no ramp for a stroller (or wheelchair, more importantly!). I'm just annoyed.

• I'm obsessed with Pinterest and it's making me broke. I've put myself on a spending freeze for the next week or two. No crafts or buying cute baby stuff. No purchases other than diapers and formula. Let's see how that goes.

• I have a lot of guilt. Mommy guilt, Jewish guilt, friend guilt, money guilt, wife guilt, and on and on. It's one of the things I am least proud of and am constantly working on telling myself to just let things go. Hard stuff.

• I'm finding that Rick and I have become trapped in the "We're So Busy" spiral. I feel like we have been so busy every weekend with events, traveling, visitors, and parties that we haven't had a chance to just enjoy our time as a family. We don't have a free weekend on our calendar until December. I told him last night that we are putting a moratorium on traveling and major plans for the month of January. We're saying "no" (without guilt!!). So, don't be offended if you invite us to something and we decline. We made a pact. 

There's a lot more I could confess, but I'd hate to put off any readers and scare them away. We'll keep it real again soon and see how courageous I get. :)

And, because I last posted a pictureless post, here's a few pics of Campbell from yesterday. Can't get enough of this kid.

Waiting for Daddy to come home from work...

Pushing and cruising around!

Pictureless Post :(

We packed up our car on Friday and headed up north to visit Nanny and Pop! We drove through the beautiful countryside of Michigan where the trees were starting to change colors and the smell of burning wood filled the air every few miles. I love driving up to Michigan this time of year. Seriously love the breathtaking views and the fact that my hubby prefers to be behind the wheel so I can take in the scenes.

Lori joined us on our trip, and it was fun to have an extra pair of hands to help with Cam and an extra opinion to throw into our road trip conversations.

Sadly, I spent the weekend in bed battling a nasty case of allergies and asthma. I didn't get to snap pictures of Campbell playing with all the new toys Nanny and Pop Pop bought him. I didn't capture his squeals of delight when Maizey and Ellie (my dog-in-law) would run by. I got no pictures of Aunt Boogie and Nanny taking care of Baby C while Rick and Pop Pop did the chores all day Saturday. Shame on me.

But, just because I don't have a picture, doesn't mean we don't have a whole slew of new memories formed in our minds. Another trip to the cabin spent enjoying the company of family, the quietness of seclusion, and the calmness of life up north.

Thank you Nanny and Pop for having us and spoiling us. Thank you for taking care of my baby when I couldn't. Thank you for loving him more than he will ever be able to understand.

We love you and every minute we spend with you!

xoxo

Self Discvoery

Campbell has been spending a lot of time lately in front of our mirrored side table.

We think he's finally figuring out just how cute he is.

Rosh Hashanah 2012

Well, the new Jewish year has officially begun. We are so lucky to live so close to Izzy and her parents and that we got to spend the holiday with them. Though we hope to get to Austin next year to join the Voticky clan, this year's celebrations were perfect and so special.

Cam put on his Monday Best for his first trip to synagogue.

We met the Passmans for services and made it just in time to hear the shofar blowing. Cam was such a good audience member. I think he was a bit taken aback by the loud noise, but mostly he was in awe of all the lights, people and songs being sung. We then headed to Tot Services with Izzy where she shouted out all the answers to the leader's questions and led us all in dances and songs. She knows her stuff!

After a full morning, Cam took a nap and then we headed over to Allie and Hart's for Rosh Hashanah dinner.


Cam woke Izzy up from her nap...

Stole some snuggles from Uncle Hart...

He helped in the kitchen...

And played with Izzy's toys.

We ate (quickly... the joys of having an infant!) our traditional souffle, apples and honey, and pomegranate seeds and enjoyed the company of family.


While Rick and I are continuously deciding how we want to proceed with our children's Jewish Education, we both believe strongly that family tradition, cultural celebration and respect for our ancestors are essential components to any religious upbringing. We are so proud that we get to raise our little man in a family whose traditions and values are strong.

Wishing everyone a sweet new year!

Crafty Crafty!

I've been busy pinning away on Pinterest, but not so good about updating my successes. Thought I'd share some of the stuff that's been accomplished around here! (Again, pardon the horrible iPhone pics. #lazymom)


Cam has mastered the pulling up and eating his crib rail. Luckily, I was able to complete this easy project before he did any damage. It was super easy, cheap and took about twenty minutes for each side. I did alter the tutorial a bit and did a double layer of fleece, and used 12" wide fabric instead of the recommended 10". I also did a different type of tie because of my double layering, and I really like how it turned out. So far it's held up really well to Cam's gnawing.

 

I mentioned back here that I was doing a living room takeover. And I did... to a degree. Still working on some final touches and decisions, but last week when my mom was here, she helped me finish up a project that I wanted to tackle. 

I'm totally into the stripe trend. You can typically find Cam or I wearing stripes. I just think they're clean and classic.  I wanted to add some pattern to our living room, so obviously I went for stripes. Drapes can cost a LOT. Well, I found this shower curtain at West Elm and after taking some measurements, decided I would just cut it in half and use it as drapes! Half the price and easy peasy! It turned out just as I had hoped and I think adds some pizzazz to our space.

While updating our living space, I decided this old side table that I have had for the past 6 years needed an update: 

I took some paint from Cam's room (a light grey) and painted it up. Here's how it turned out:

I'm thinking of doing something fancy to the glass top... fabric, scrapbook paper, or just painting it. Thoughts!??!

And finally, during my organization challenge, I found some old vases and repurposed them. For a few bucks at the craft store, I bought some rocks and faux foliage and ta da!

Shana Tova!

Today is the first day of the Jewish New Year. To those who celebrate, Campbell, Rick and I would like to wish you a year full of health, happiness, and lots of laughs!