Freshly Picked

Will and I have something serious to talk to you guys about (about which to talk to you ladies, really). You're probably going to need to sit down and take off your sunglasses for this.

It's no secret that babies' feet are shaped like blocks, a fact that, as an aunt, often left me frustrated and my nieces and nephews barefoot when in my care, a fact that I was sure was going to torment me as a parent, but then, just when William was starting to pull himself up and cruise all around, necessitating something more than slipper socks on his feet, I discovered Freshly Picked Moccasins. Easy for me to put on (not to brag, but I can do it one handed), hard for him to take off, enough traction without turning his foot into even more of a block, high-quality leather that wipes clean and wears well, and fun colors. Serendipitous, I say!

Now that Will is walking, running, and dancing his way through each day, we have moved on to our second pair. Will also owns Converse, Sperry's, Target, Gap, and Old Navy shoes, but really, our go-to shoe for playing, shopping, picking strawberries, puddle-jumping, strolling through the botanical gardens, or going to church is his Freshly Picked Moccasins.  If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you already know this.
Freshly Picked is such an amazing company that when I contacted them to let them know how much I loved their shoes, they sent me another pair to review. I really can't recommend these shoes enough. Unlike other shoes, these were easy for Will to walk in when he was first starting to strut around. They have never caused so much as a red mark let alone a blister or callous. And, Freshly Picked is offering a pair for me to giveaway to one of you! Yeah, now I've got your attention! See below for details.

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED: Because so many of the people who entered were family and friends, I numbered all your entries and used the random number generator at random.org (as opposed to just swirling my finger in the air and pointing... I don't know) and am so happy to announce that Maggie B. is the winner! Congrats! Even if you didn't win this giveaway, you will feel like a winner every time your easily slip the pair of moccs that you order your little one. I just ordered the next size up in Iced Mint, but I also have my eye on Goldenrod and Glacier... and Neon Green is kind of awesome. How will Maggie B. decide? ***AND NOW ENDS THE LONGEST EVER GIVEAWAY WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

First, a quick disclaimer: Like I said before, Freshly Picked is an awesome company that has lots of giveaways, so the winner of this giveaway can not have won any other giveaway including a pair of Freshly Picked moccasins within the last 60 days. Alrighty?

To enter, please visit Freshly Picked to peruse thier beautiful products (They just added some totes to their line and have some of their moccasins on sale right now!) and leave a comment below. For an extra entry, you can like my page and share this post on Facebook and/or follow me and regram this on Instagram. If you choose to complete either of the extra entries on Facebook or Instagram, please come back and leave another comment here letting me know that you did so that I am sure to count your entry. This giveaway will close on Friday when I will announce the winner. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions I can answer about the moccs and good luck!

Alright, you can put your sunglasses back on now.

Also, a fun little bonus of the high-quality leather is a sweet footprint, from the heel to each little toe, that gets worn into the sole of the moccasins, a sweet keepsake after your babe outgrows his or her moccs.

Loves me? Loves me not?

William turns fourteen months old today, a fact that surprised me when I realized it yesterday. Not because I can't believe fourteen months have passed since his birth. No. Because I had thought he was going to be fifteen months old today, so much so that on Sunday I opened my calendar app on my phone to see when, exactly, his fifteen-month checkup was this week. And to my surprise, I had to scroll all the way to July second to find the appointment. After counting on my fingers to check the math while contemplating the idea that I put the appointment in on the wrong month, an awkward dinner conversation with my husband's old boss at the wedding we attended a few weekends ago replayed in my head about how old Will was and what month he was born in. Now, I understand her puzzled expression. Then, I thought about all those people who we encountered over the last month who told me how masterfully Will was walking/running for a fourteen-month-old who could have be even more politely amazed, but alas...

Will at fourteen months loves tangerines. He has switched allegiances and become quite the mama's boy. (Loves me?) He prefers his whole milk in a bottle as opposed to a sippy cup, which is still fine because I was told by my pediatrician we needed to be rid of the bottles by fifteen months. (We've got another month!). He is using his pacifier less and less, even made it through an entire mass without it on Sunday! He has started to actively throw his food, mostly peppers, off his tray, and when I tell him, "Ah-Ah, keep your food on your tray," he either laughs hysterically at me and throws another piece off or laughs hysterically at me and says, "Ah-Ah!" (Loves me not?) He loves being outside and playing with/around other kids.

Also, he's got quite a way with the ladies (well, at least with me). Not only did he carefully choose and give me this rose (after throwing all the other roses I had cut on the ground), but yesterday, while I was getting him ready for bed, he reached up and grabbed my bangs (Loves me not?), pulled my face in close to his, and planted the juiciest kiss on me. (Loves me!)

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Large Birds According to Our Neighbors (Also, some mostly unrelated ((and kind of old)) pictures of Will.)

On our walk this morning, we came upon our three neighbor children at the end of their driveway holding ice scrapers, the large kind with a brush on one end and the scraper on the other, and what I'm guessing were sawed-off broomsticks. They looked to be sweeping a puddle or poking something in the puddle when we approached and the following conversation happened:

Girl: Hello, neighbor!

Me: Hi!

Girl: Did you see that hawk over there? (I had seen that hawk; it was actually a large vulture/buzzard that had been feasting on a opossum for the last two days.) My brother told me that hawks can come pick you up and carry you away, so we're protecting ourselves with these. (My nieces were actually terrified to step outside our house because of a similar converstation they had with my dad.)

Me: That's smart. I've got my dog to protect us. (We all look at Lola, who wags her tail and licks her lips as if to say, "I've got this human to protect...can I kick you?")

Boy #1: Yeah, and we've got to protect our pond too...from the geese. (All three brandish their weapons.)

Me: (Having graduated from SIUE and having extensive knowledge of this) Yeah, geese are mean.

Boy #2: (brandishing) Yeah!
Boy #1: That hawk over there has been eating a opossum!

Girl: (simultaneously) One time, a goose stole my binky.

Boy #1: No, that was a swan. (Looking right at me.) When our cat died, a swan danced in the ashes.

Ball Pit Fun

For a few days there, we were getting out every day to run around in the newly green grass, but yesterday was drizzly and cold, and today is sunny and colder. So instead of going to the playground, going for a walk, or kicking a ball in the front yard, we'll be heading back up to our attic playroom to work out all of our afternoon energy. 

One of my favorite toys in the playroom is our ball pit. Relatively safe for my physically active and curious boy, colorful, and versatile! What's not to love? Our ball pit is a hodge podge of different items from different places and came together over time. First, I bought some balls second hand (which is how we get most of Will's toys) from someone at work. (The balls came with a purple and pink princessy blow-up contraption that I ended up stabbing with scissors after unsuccessfully trying to inflate multiple times.) Then, my sister gave Will the blue blow-up pool for Christmas after I tried to requisition her baby pool. And just a few weeks ago, I actually invested in 100 more brand-new balls to fill up the "pit" a bit more. Will has loved to climb in and out and move all the balls around ever since he was able to crawl over to the pool, and as he has grown, we have developed some (only slightly) more organized games.

IN and OUT
Get yourself in and out, put the balls in and out, take the car/bear/block in and out. This will probably just happen when you set your child anywhere near the ball pit and with a little encouragement can become a fun game and useful in many situations like cleaning up and following directions.

COLOR GAMES
Matching--Pick up a yellow ball and ask your child to pick up a yellow ball. If they pick up a ball, that's great! If they pick up a yellow ball, that's even more impressive. If it's any other color, choose another yellow ball to match yours or choose the color that they have to match them. Usually, we then hit the balls together and someone usually tries to eat one.
Sorting--Take/throw all of one color ball out of the pool or into a bucket or basket. Try the same with two colors and two buckets/baskets. And so on...

HIDE and SEEK
Take an object that makes noise, place it in the balls, and turn it on. Encourage your child to find it. Start easy with younger children by leaving part of the object visible and make it harder by submerging the object or hiding objects that don't make noise as your child develops object permanence and gets better and better at seeking. Eventually, you might be able to ask them to hide objects for you or other children to find. (BE CAREFUL: Will loves to throw himself into the pit, so we make sure to remove all hard objects after each play session.) 

OBSTACLE COURSE

With some pillows, couch cushions, or fold-up tunnels, make your ball pit part of an obstacle course to chase your child through (which is what Will loves) or have them follow you through.

SWIM
Encourage your child to push the balls around with his or her arms and kick his or her feet through the balls. Will loves to do this in a sitting position, but you could also try on their bellies or backs. If your child is really advanced, teach them the different strokes!

That's it! Do you have any other ideas for ball pit games or activities? I'd love to hear them because I know in a few short months, we'll be escaping from the heat to play in the attic.

A Perfect Way to Start the Week // Zuke's Dog Treats Giveaway

We adopted Lola old from our local rescue organization, Partners for Pets. She was already three months old, but we were still amazed that it only took a day to crate train her with only one real accident in the house. A few months later, we signed up for obedience classes, and she learned sit, down, off, and heal (kind of), but she has never fully grasped the concept of "come." When it's really cold or hot outside or time for her to eat, she happily comes when I call her, but any other time, she ignores me or takes her time. Shortly after bringing Will home last year, I realized that I needed Lola not only to "come" but also "leave" much more often, so we slowly started trying to teach her those commands. Now, she knows that when we say "out," she needs to leave the room, and I've learned that all I need to do to get her to come is shout, "Do you want a treat"?

A few weeks ago, Zuke's sent us their new line of Hip Action treats. The great thing about all of Zuke's products is that they are all natural and healthy for your pup (or kitty), so I don't feel bad giving Lola a treat every single time she comes inside the house. Lola loves all three flavors of the Hip Action treats, and I really appreciate that even though they are moist and chewy, they don't have that funky dog treat smell.

If you want to try out Zuke's, you can order them online or find them in this area at Petsmart and local pet boutiques, OR you can enter to win some treats! Just visit Zuke's and choose a line of treats that you'd like to try out with your pup or kitty and enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, don't you think Lola looks like the pup on the packaging?

Another Day, Another Chambray

Under a cardigan, vest, scarf, or all three. With a sparkly necklace and heels, a sweater and boots, or just some mom shoes (and pants, of course). At parties, at church, definitely at Target. If you have encountered me in person this past fall or winter, you have seen me in a chambray. They are my momiform. Impervious to stains, pockets for the essentials (chapstick and cell phone), and the perfect weight for a wide range of weather, you can bet I'll be wearing them through this ditzy spring. Combine the fact that they are so easy to wear with the fact that they are everywhere and go on huge sale, and it's a wonder I only own four. Old Navy has this floral print one for ten bucks right now. Get it so we can be chambray buddies... kind of like bosom buddies... okay?

Also, I attempted to take pictures of myself wearing my chambrays in every which way that I do so I could share them with you, and it was really funny and bad. So if you need some inspiration for how to wear yours, come visit me in person, or even better, just check Pinterest.

The Best Photo Editing Apps (for iPhone)

Instead of learning how to use my DSLR like I had planned, I have been relying more and more on apps to edit my iPhone pictures. And here's why: 1) My iPhone is almost always with me. 2) I know how to use it. 3) It requires no wires to download, edit, or upload pictures to various places. And 4) The pics are fine. I know they could be better quality, but that would mean a lot of extra work (which I don't actually mind) and time (which I don't actually have).

So if you are also a primarily an iPhone photographer like me, you will want to check out the following apps (which are all very affordable) to help make your iPhone pictures better with just a few easy taps.

For collages, adding words (like you see above), and simple filters: A Beautiful Mess is still my favorite, and you can read my review and see examples of how I use it most often here.

Runner Up for Adding Words/Doodles: Rhonna Designs is similar to ABM and has many more options if you want to get even fancier.

Runner Up for Collages: Moldiv offers more options for making collages and adjusting the size and shape of your picture. And it's FREE!

For Adjusting Light/Filters: Most of the time, I have found that I just need to lighten my pictures. You can do this with almost any photo editing app (VSCOcam, Afterlight, FX Editor) by adjusting the brightness, but my favorite app for lightening is PicTapGo.

For example, I took the picture below...

And then used the "Lights On" filter in PicTapGo twice...

And got the picture you see below.

PicTapGo also offers cropping and many other great filters. So if you were only going to buy one other picture editing app besides ABM, I would recommend PicTapGo.

For EVERYTHING (exposure, saturation, temperature, sharpening, vignette as well as more filter options, borders, and many other features): Afterlight is the most user-friendly out of all the other apps I have tried and would be the third app I would recommend buying after AMB and PicTapGo.

ALSO, if you want any of your iPhone pictures to look good before or after using these apps, you need to do THREE things before you take your pictures. 

1) If at all possible, take the pictures with as much natural light as possible. Your pic will be even better if the light is not behind your subject.

2) Frame your shot. Look around whatever you are focusing on to see if you have everything in the picture you want in and everything you want out of the picture out. The less you have to crop, the better quality your pictures will be.

3) Take a moment to move the angle of your phone to see how the light changes the image AND give your phone a second or two to focus. You would be surprised how much crisper your photos will turn out if you wait even one second. 

Now, go capture your child/pet/food/self so you can get to editing and posting for the rest of us to enjoy!

We Like To Party

Yesterday, we threw a "Fifty Is Fine When You Look Twenty-Nine!" birthday party for my beautiful mom, whose big 5-0 just happens to be tomorrow. After cleaning up all the food and doing the dishes and putting Will to bed, I decided that instead of taking down the decorations from the party, I would address the invitations for our next party, Will's first birthday. When I woke up in the morning and saw the partially deflated balloons in our living room, I knew I had made the right decision. All day, Will, Lola, and I have been enjoying the balloons and all the extra golden light that they and the other decorations have been casting about our abode.

I'm really excited for Will's party. I've been perusing my two favorite party blogs, Oh Happy Day and You Are My Fave, for a little inspiration. Pinterest is always a nice source, but I have found many easy, fun, cheap, and completely doable DIY ideas (like this and this) on both of these sites. They also have great ideas for themes like a Welcome to the World baby shower and random reasons to throw a party like Kite Flying Day. So check them out if you need some party inspiration!

Also, if your baby has a gigantic head like Will, you might be interested in the pullover he is wearing.  The head opening is quite large, which has been really nice when getting him dressed. The weight of the shirt is quite lovely too, lighter than a sweatshirt but heavier than a t-shirt, a nice transition piece for spring. AND! It's on sale! Now, enjoy some before and after hair pics and have yourself a nice sunny day.

Wrap It Up

One of the things that I remember most from my first Christmas at the Tedesco house was Jason's mom's signature wrapping style.  Every single edge of wrapping paper was secured with scotch tape so that the same amount of effort that went in to wrapping the present had to go in to opening it too. With every present I successfully opened, I felt not only gratitude but also a sense of accomplishment.

Now that I am a mom, I've been thinking about developing my own signature wrapping style. I know some families use a different wrapping paper for each family member at Christmas, and I've seen other people get real fancy with lace. I think I've found something much simpler. For Father's Day, I used wrapping paper scattered with Happy Birthday in different fonts, but of course, I took the time to write "Father's" over every "Birth" in a black Sharpie. Then, when Maggie's birthday came around, I pulled the Sharpie out again to personalize her paper with an inside joke about our new favorite board book.  So when my sister and I were perusing the wrapping section at Target looking for Christmas tags last weekend, I was immediately drawn to this craft paper, and I think it's going to be my new signature style. Perfect for personalizing with Sharpies and stamps and paint and whatever else I have around at the time, every bow and ribbon will always match, and I'll never need tags. I bought every roll they had.

Also, although I love shopping for and wrapping presents, I look forward to the day when I'm a great grandma and can assign shopping and wrapping duties to the grandkids. Thanks for the PJs, Grandma Cil!

I Really Like Our Park

I hadn't been to my town park in years, but this summer and fall, William and I went any time the weather was right. There is a long and winding walking trail that takes us past at least three great playgrounds, through two different shady groves of trees, and past a petting zoo full of goats and chickens and an Emu. Yep, that's right. My small-town park has a petting zoo. AND! When we go to feed the ducks, we also get to feed swans.

I must say that William is really good at tearing things and throwing them on the ground. Tissues, napkins, paper towel rolls, mail, catalogs, and of course, bread.  He can really do it all. Those ducks and swans were well-fed after we got through with them.

Also, right next to the lake (and the petting zoo) is our favorite playground with the perfect-size slides and one swing that is always shaded, perfect for a quick ride before getting back in the car. I wonder what we are going to do when we no longer have park weather... maybe go to the library. Any other ideas, veteran mamas?