what's in my diaper bag?

I've done one of these before, and I know personally I'm fascinated by what people cart around with them all the time. Call it nosy.... Call it just an interested mom making sure she isn't missing out on carrying something soooo very important. It's all in good fun. 

I got a new diaper bag slash backpack for Christmas from my parents and it's just so perfect and pretty and I put off filling it up with all my garbage because I just liked looking at it. Before it got ruined with kid mess. But it was time. The contents that I splayed all over the kitchen table had all been in my old bag since Disney days and well, that's gross. And a lot of it seriously unnecessary. Four bags of table toppers? Really? The amount of broken crayons astounds me. 

In my diaper bag on this cold day in January you would find:

Two diapers. Zero wipes oddly enough but I would have remedied that prior to leaving the house again I promise. Three spare outfits (one for each kid and the bigger ones bottoms only because well, pee). Assorted band aids. Anti-bacterial gel. My wallet. My camera. Camera battery charger and spare camera battery. Bag of assorted feminine requirements. Infant Tylenol and dispenser. Pill box with Tylenol, decongestant, immodium and lactaid. Four bags of table toppers. Four party packs, two of which contained fully colored coloring books. Assorted broken crayons. A light up wand. A pack of gum. Three snack containers filled with goldfish. One zippered snack bag with baby goldfish. One pack of peanut butter crackers, whole. One pack of peanut butter crackers, smashed. One smashed pack of cheese crackers. One smashed special k bar. Two really gross lint covered baby spoons. One bib. One pack of anti-bacterial wipes. A thermometer. A photo pass card (told you since Disney). Sunblock. And of course Chapstick. 

And here is what made the cut to be put back into the bag. I paired down a lot by just removing duplicates. Like do we really need three snack cups plus a snack bag? No. And I definitely added wipes. I'll have more room come summer when the spare clothes are shorts rather than pants but it fits! Bring it on summer and activities where being hands free would be key!!!

Letty wanted to see how I could get it on my back and then of course... photo time. My little budding photographer.

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our first snow day, and no, not jonas.

This was pre-Jonas. Our first snow day was actually snow resulting from a short squall the night before. Letty was home from school because of a fever the day and night prior. David's first words were a request that he go outside and make a snow angel. I got him all layered up and he played peacefully for about twenty minutes while the babies watched inside and were quite entertained by it all. All before 9 am. When Letty woke and was found to be fever free she started begging to be allowed out as well. So I let her. After covering her up. They played well on the deck only while I stayed nice and toasty inside (our deck has gates complete with latches so they were stuck on there amen). If only they knew what would be coming their way in a few days time...

I felt bad I didn't have hot chocolate for them when they came in... But I did have a warm fire for their rosy cheeks. 

And David wore the Paw Patrol hat all day long. 

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letty vs. siri 4.0

L: What's your favorite princess?

S: Let's hear nomads but Carter.

L: Siri stop that that was so disappointing don't do that again!

S: That may be beyond my abilities at the moment. 

L: Do that again!

S: I really have no opinion.

L: Mommy can I tell a joke? Knock knock who's there you!

S: Ok I found this on the web for who is near you. 

L: Siri what's the wedder like today?

S: Here's the weather today. 

L: Okay. Cloudy cloudy. Night night. 

L: I love you to the moon again to the heart and back !

S: Siri says hi back. 

L: What's my name?

S: You're Letty. That's what you told me anyway. 

L: Siri what's your favorite princess?

S: I'm not sure I understand. 

L: What's your favorite princess!?

S: Interesting question, Letty. 

L: What is your favorites princess!!!!!!

S: Letty, you're not supposed to ask for assistance for such things. 

L: What's your favorite soda?

S: Here is what the web says about princess soda. 

L: What yours favorite song?

S: I'm happy listening to your music. 

L: Singing: the sun'll come out tomorrow I'll love ya tomorrow. I'll love ya tomorrow!

S: Who, me?

L: No, tomorrow! Tomorrow! I'll see ya tomorrow and me!!!

S: That's nice. Can we get back to work now?

L: Ok you go talk by yourselfs.

S: Who me?

L: Yes you!

S: That's what I reckoned. 

And then the Twilight soundtrack started playing.

Past discussions with Siri here, here and here!

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diy spanish moss balls

Moss balls are like, expensive. And that's just sort of ridiculous if you ask me. I was at a local decor warehouse place and was about to foolishly purchase fake looking balls that would have set me back $8.95 a piece when my mother in all her wisdom suggested I just make my own with her bag of spanish moss she had just lying around. I found three stryofoam balls for a quarter each and was on my merry way. 

My merry, messy, way.

You just need your spanish moss, balls of some kind, and a hot glue gun. And to be mentally and emotionally prepared for a mess.

The moss came in a bag and it was all sorts of tangled up together. So I removed a bunch and sort of flattened it and spread it out as much as I could. Then I just started liberally applying hot glue and just folding scads of moss onto the glue, adding more glue in places as I needed. The end. Mic drop. Or as Letty would say, easy peasey lemon squeezy. 

And a special thanks to my very special photographer, Letty.

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we bought a zoo

Or more like, we went to a zoo using our very brand new to us Hersheypark season passes. We decided this fall after much deliberation to stop getting Dutch Wonderland season passes and instead go to Hersheypark. Which is a beast in and of itself. The Fitzs joined in on this decision, as well as my parents, my sister and her family, and my brother and his family. Oh what fun we shall have this coming summer!! More exclamation points!!

One of the perks of having this season pass is unlimited visits to their zoo, Zoo America. So on a Thursday a few weeks back we, along with my brother and his family, headed up to get our passes, ride Chocolate World, and visit the zoo. In the cold. 

I had never been before and wasn't sure what to expect. We ended up making our way through it in just under 40 minutes. There are a few buildings we went in but the main attractions were obviously outside. The kids loved the wolves, were sad they missed the bear (hibernating, right?), and just hated all the creepy crawly things. I personally enjoyed visiting briefly with Hedwig...

So that's the first of what will be many many visits to the zoo. Because, why not?

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ch-ch-ch-changes

With the passing of every holiday season and the removal of all that decor that's been clogging up every spare corner of our home I'm left feeling sad. The post-holiday blues are so real to me, silly as they may be. In our old home I would be known to repaint our entire living room. One year I did the foyer, living room and kitchen. This year was nothing as drastic as that, no. But still. Changes! And here we go....

Although this happened before New Year's it was still post-Christmas. Matt made me a sofa table out of pallet wood. Yay!

Then he decided to re make the top of our kitchen table, and I love the change. The original here.

We removed the puzzle floor mat from the play room (because, grossness under there and I am so ashamed) and added a rug we had down in storage... I know. Massive change. but it's so much warmer!

And then the great bedroom domino affect.... Dom's crib wall is shared with our bathroom wall. And flushing our toilet was like, right in his ears. So we decided to switch his crib to the opposite side of the room which would put him head to head with David's wall. So then we flipped David's bed to the other side and pushed it under the window to give him more play area. And then Letty wanted her room changed too.  Which I get, as I used to love doing that when I was a kid. So here they are. Where did they start out at? Along with a little before and after action? Letty's. David's. Dominic's.

Our downstairs powder room got phase one of three completed... phase two being new floors and phase three being a new black toilet and pedestal sink. BUT all that to come at a (much) later date. Phase one was done and that was changing it up from red to this pale gray. You can see where that room started here and another bathroom update here.

Once we saw how awesome the powder room turned out I turned my sights on the kid's bathroom. Because I mean, it glows. So we remedied that right on up. Kid's bath before and after here. 

I have lately become obsessed with the idea of a black wall. Not a chalkboard wall, but a wall that is just painted black. I carried the idea around for awhile for me, at least a week (haha). There are very few walls in our house this would work on. In fact this is the only wall it would work on. And Matt was just so excited he was practically skipping to Home Depot. You can check out where our family room started here. 

And lastly is our foyer. The decor came with the house and while I loved it when my mom got it for the previous owner I just didn't love it anymore for me. And so up went Matt to clean the ledge and to bring it all down. Just opens it all up I think and allows the eye to focus on the wrought iron panels and the light fixture. So says I. The foyer has had several makeovers through our two short years here. And here. 

Hey. Way better than painting all the walls on the first floor... right?

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