minnesota zoo

My in-laws are in town this weekend for Kieran's baptism, so we took the Minnesota Zoo for the first time! It was such a gorgeous day & it wasn't too crowded, which made for the perfect zoo experience. Here are a few of my favorite pictures. I am pretty annoyed (and embarrassed) at the quality because my camera's dying (hence the ultra need for a new one!) and half the time I tried to take a picture the camera started shaking - weird, I know - which then resulted in a blurry picture. Ugh! So, Canon S95, I shall be purchasing you soon!

We're monkeys!


My little bat


My boys :)


Sweet baby boy in the Beco


Passed out!


How many redheads can we fit in one shot!? (Josh's mom + the kids & I)


So gorgeous - another redhead!


Maybe I should get my husband some sunglasses?


Sally the camel had...2 humps, Sally the camel had...2 humps. Good song, right?


Maia LOVED that the tiger kept pacing back and forth in front of her!



And this shot's from dinner at Broadway Pizza - look at that proud grandma!

more than just a pretty necklace

When I take little miss M out in public, one of two comments is usually inevitable: 1) something regarding her hair color, or 2) a compliment about her pretty amber necklace.

June 2010

Have you ever seen a kid wearing one of these necklaces? Would you believe me if I told you it's a teething necklace?

December 2008

Yep, it's a teething necklace, but it never goes in baby's mouth. It does its work simply by laying on the skin!

I don't remember where or when I first heard about amber teething necklaces, but all I know is that after we put it on Maia our lives were changed. At 6 months, she had popped out 2 teeth in 2 days, and then 4 more teeth the next week - it was insane! We were dosing her up with Tylenol for pain & fevers and losing tons of sleep because she was miserable, poor baby. We ordered this necklace shortly after her teeth started popping out, and would you believe it - we never gave her Tylenol for teething again! We never had another (teething-related) sleepless night again! Josh and I would wake up and discover that overnight Maia had pushed a new tooth through, all while sleeping. The only teething medicine we ever ended up giving her post-necklace was Hyland's teething tablets, a homeopathic remedy that seemed to quickly relieve any breakthrough pain. Magic, I tell you, pure magic!

October 2009

Here's some background information on amber jewelry from Inspired By Finn, the website we got ours from and the one I refer other moms to:

"Historically, Baltic Amber has been used in Europe as a natural and traditional remedy and curative for many ailments for centuries. Long ago it was considered one of the leading ‘medicines’ of its time. Baltic Amber is the most esteemed amber in the world, and the healing qualities of Baltic Amber make it unlike any other type of amber found in the world.

When baltic amber is worn on the skin, the skin’s warmth releases trace amounts of healing oils from the amber. These oils contain succinic acid and are absorbed into the skin.

Baltic amber contains analgesic properties and helps take the edge off of many types of discomfort associated with dental issues, headaches, joint pain, etc."

Now that Kieran's almost 6 months actual age, I suspect we'll be seeing teeth soon. I think he might even be on his way - this past week he's been drooling a bit and sticking his hands in his mouth much more frequently that usual. With that in mind, it's time to get Kieran his own! Inspired By Finn sells this adorable boyish version called Semi-Polished Cider. Wouldn't that look fantastic with his red hair?! I definitely want to buy it when it's restocked.

If you're interested in using amber teething necklaces and have any questions, go ahead and ask me! Or head on over to Inspired By Finn. You can also "like" them on Facebook - they frequently post discount codes!

taking on another challenge

Lately I've been all about taking on challenges to get out of my comfort zone - case in point, this September blog-a-thon I'm participating in with about 30 other bloggers! So when my friend MJ posted a link to Elsie Marley's "kids clothes week challenge" on Facebook, I was intrigued! With Kieran coming home in May and taking up quite a bit of my formerly free time, then packing up and moving, I haven't sat down at my sewing machine and really cranked out a worthwhile project in awhile - I did embellish a dish towel for my mom's birthday, but that was amidst boxes and chaos before we moved. It's time I set my sewing machine up at the new place & finally complete one of the many projects I have in the pipeline!

So, here goes nothing - I commit to taking one hour a day to make (in my case, sew) kids clothing during the week of September 20th to 26th. If you're a crocheter, knitter or seamstress, join along! I'll post progress pictures of what I do daily.

I'm looking forward to this! What should I work on? I'd love to make a fleece dress for Maia, and something for Kieran (but it's got to be easy...maybe just a shirt or pants?) I'm a semi-advanced beginner - still scared of zippers and haven't worked a pattern yet, ha! I guess I really need this kick in the pants to get moving and work on something for the kids!

indecisive.

I have had the same camera for over 5 years now. It's a good ol' point & shoot, 7 megapixel Sony CyberShot. It served me well for a couple years, but lately it just doesn't give me the shots I desire, nor does it ever flash in time to capture anything cute my kids do! So the money I received for my birthday last month was definitely going towards a new camera. But what to get? I've always loved the beautiful photographs that DSLR cameras take, but at the same time, I love the simplicity of a point & shoot. Maybe there's a middle ground?

My Facebook friends helped me a few weeks ago when I polled them: for a starter DSLR, the Canon Rebel is where it's at, they said. I figured I could get the 8 or 10 megapixel camera to start, take a photography class or read a book (or soak up some knowledge from my DSLR-using friends, if they'd let me.)

Canon Rebel EOS DSLR

But then I got cold feet. Josh reminded me that I have a lot going on (2 kids, school, plus I can barely get time in to craft, or to sew - a hobby I started after getting my sewing machine last Christmas.) Do I want to spend a chunk of change on a camera that I potentially won't have the time to learn how to use, at least initially? Also, it's so large - I like a camera I can just keep in my purse.

So I explored the most high-quality point-and-shoot options and found the Canon Powershot S90.

Canon Powershot S90

Right in my price range and it's supposed to be fabulous - a sort of DSLR/point & shoot hybrid, combining the best of both. The only downside in all the reviews I read is that it doesn't have HD video recording capabilities. I do record short videos frequently and if I'm going to get a new camera, I'd like to get something that will have the newest technology since I'll be using it for quite awhile. I decided to buy it anyways, and was all set to order it, until I found out that Canon just released the Canon Powershot S95 - with 720p HD video capabilities!

Canon Powershot S95

From Canon's website: "The ultra-slim, ultra-intelligent S95 is loaded with all a serious photographer's must-haves, including a bright f/2.0 Wide-Angle Lens and professional-style control ring for intuitive manual control. Canon's HS SYSTEM is on board for spectacular performance and image quality in low light. And, new for a compact, the S95 incorporates Canon's Hybrid IS for blur-free shooting even close-up. You'll shoot stunning 720p HD video with stereo sound, then watch it immediately on your HDTV with the simple HDMI connection. If photography's your passion, now is the perfect time to step up to PowerShot S95."

So now I'm back at square one and I can't make up my mind! If I do the Canon PowerShot S95 then I have a little more saving to do, but I could get a DSLR for about just as much. I need to figure out what the heck I want. If you haven't weighed in already, dear blog reader, let me know what you think! What do you use and why? What do you think I should get and why? Am I just putting way too much thought into this?

procrastinating has its drawbacks...

One being that I barely have time to get in an entry for day number 7 of the blog-a-thon. Wow, it's been a week!? Woohoo! Anyways, I had a bunch of blog entry ideas a-brewin' today, but nothing can come to fruition. Since I'm typically a late-night, after-the-kids-go-to-bed sorta blogger, my style's really being cramped by this little bald dude, who usually goes to bed at 10pm, but is still wide awake at 11pm! I guess I can't blame him, he's apparently got an upset tummy AND now, he just gave me a late-night present in his diaper. Ahh, babies. Just a second ago he smelled so marvelous & perfect, I couldn't get enough of it...now I can barely breathe! Ha!

I do have a couple pictures from our time at the State Fair yesterday - we had a great time with the kids in tow! I think next year we'll go twice, once alone and once with the kids, but all in all we got to hit our favorite spots and even braved some rain! And our photobooth picture ROCKED - we succeeded in getting ALL four of us in there! That's quite an accomplishment, if you've ever been inside a photobooth - we all balanced on Josh's lap somehow! I'll have to scan it in tomorrow.

Josh & his Big Fat Bacon (on a stick) - everything is on a stick at the Fair!

Maia & I eating French's Fresh Fries - SO good with salt & vinegar.


I cannot even describe how HUGE this rooster was. AND loud! Insane.


An "open mouth" picture for my friends ;) Ha! I guess we (I?) do this a lot!

the great Minnesota get together!

Happy meet-a-versary to my husband! Meet-a-what, you say? Well, our anniversary of meeting is today, and since it was such a fun occasion, we like to celebrate every year. We met 6 years ago to the day at the Minnesota State Fair! They call it the Great Minnesota get together, right? Well, in 2004, it was the Great Josh & Brittany get together ;)

I think when I tell people we met at the Fair, they assume we worked there together or something - nope! The way we met was sort of a twist of fate. See, I made a last-minute decision to go to the Fair with a friend of mine, who was meeting up with a guy she met on Myspace (haha, this was 6 years ago, okay? Myspace was up & coming!) That guy was Josh's best friend from high school (in Okinawa, Japan), Jimmy. Jimmy had brought along some friends, and one of them was intended to be my date for the day. However, when we met and started chatting, it was apparent we weren't really feeling each other. The cute guy I'd met in the Food Building, in front of the cheese curd stands? Now he was more my style! Josh actually made a last minute decision to come to the Fair that day, too - he had been in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that day and drove 7 hours to get there that afternoon! We hit it off right away and couldn't stop talking.

I still remember exactly what Josh was wearing, the way his hair looked, and how I couldn't stop staring at his shirt. I remember exactly what I was wearing, too. I recall all of our conversations that night, Josh tripping over me (a preview of his clumsy nature!) and subsequently getting hassled by a drunk man for tripping over me, and then the other drunk man who nearly ruined my beloved haunted house experience. I vividly remember Josh telling me "you're cool, and cute." It was an AWESOME day that I'll never forget. And we get to celebrate and relive that experience every year - how cool is that!?

Here are some pictures from past State Fair trips. We always go on Labor Day (it's a tradition!) since that's the day we met. For some reason I can't find the pre-2007 pictures.

State Fair trip 2007 - newly pregnant with Maia

Yummm, cheese curds!

State Fair trip 2008, with baby Maia in tow



The Midway behind us


State Fair trip 2009

In front of the cheese curds, where it all began!

Maia enjoying her first Pronto Pup


Checking out cardboard Mike Pomeranz in the Kare 11 building


We take photobooth pictures every year (except the year we met) so today should be interesting as we try to fit all four of us in the shot. It will be so fun to look back on them all together, don't you think? Now off to the Fair we go - wish us luck for a well-behaved toddler & a good napping baby boy!

for your viewing pleasure.

Here's a video from yesterday - a very chatty Kieran, plus a loud Maia in the background :)