Instafriday

Carson and I are lucky that we get a couple hours in the morning to snuggle because Oliver is such a good sleeper




They are so precious

O loves food! Apples are his favorite!

These might be a couple of my favorite pictures. Oliver just loves Carson so much its crazy

Look at my little artist

I saved this old dog after she was hit by a car and wandering, I took her home and loaded her up in the van. She was so sweet, I took her to our Vets office and got a pictures so I could post on Craigslist. Yesterday it was looking bleak the county was going to come get her cause no micro chip and no owners claiming her. 

Then around 2 her mom and dad saw my ad and called the vets, she was still there. They went and got her and were so grateful. She is 15 years old, they get her as an 8 week old puppy, when they first got married. 

File this under "grown up discussion"

A few weeks ago Chris and I really started talking about our savings goals and the fact that we want to own a home in the someday (sooner) future. We then discussed our over spending habits. We luckily do not have any credit cards so we don't have consumer debt, and both cars are paid off and we will not be financing a car for a LONG time if we can help it.

So at the beginning  of June, I gave up going to target! It was really hard at first. I love shopping and I love Target, I love the bright red carts and the friendly shoppers. I love knowing where things are. I love the clearance end caps. (Its ONLY 2$ !!!) For something I didn't need in the first place.  Thats the big thing for me, if I don't see it, I don't want it. If I don't want it, I can't buy it. Saving a lot of money. Yeah Carson kept asking "Go Target, get treat?" but I held firm. They boys have more than enough toys. Neither of them NEED anything besides diapers/wipes and pull ups.

As I expected it was harder than originally thought not to just whip out my card. But I tried. We started meal planning, thats actually REALLY nice for me because I hate when Chris texts at like 2 and asks whats for dinner. Um dude I just had lunch, I don't know.

Meal planning and budgeting and paying with CASH was all new to me. I am that person that never carries cash unless I NEED to so it was odd the first few times handing over a couple 20's to pay for groceries.

We did pretty well meeting our savings "goal" this pay period. We didn't nail it like I would have hoped and we definitely both ran out of cash. But it was our first time really sticking to a budget, and we have more money towards savings at the end of the pay period than we normally do.

Meal planning is really helping with the grocery budget, and helps me stay sane. Its cut down on trip to the store as well.

If anyone is wanting to learn to budget, I would seriously suggest going to cash only. Even just a few categories at a time

Pin-spirtation Thursday

We've recently started budgeting and meal planning. This week on the menu I had pizza.

But when I went to the store, premade crusts were $8 a piece! Now, I'm generally not terribly concerned for one dinner a splurge. But I am generally a good cook, and I LOVE to bake. I make LOTS of my own breads, most of the time from pinterest recipes. I checked up and well, yeah super easy pizza dough recipe!

I ended up spending the majority of sunday mixing yeast, water and flour and a few other ingredients to make different doughs. I made pretzel dough, pizza dough and bread dough.

The pretzels were amazing and didn't even make it to picture.

But last night I made the pizza with the dough I'd made, and welp. It was the best freaking pizza I'd ever eaten.

I put left over parm chicken on top and pepperoni, I think next week I'm going to do a bacon/sausage pizza. I left a little section of "just chweez" for my little man to nom on. Even he loved it and its (fairly) healthy. 

Steppin' Out Saturday

Shocking but its cold and rainy here in the PNW. Even though its almost the end of June, we are experiencing a cold snap. 

A friend of mine an I had originally planned on having a garage sale this weekend. But with the recent cold storm and all the RAIN we decided it would be best to wait until the middle of July. 

Gotta love Carson nomming on some bread

My Outfit: Target, everything was target. 

Oliver: Carters, everything is Carters. 

I stepped it out today and went to a friends beauty school for a free manicure. I got this kind of mocha-y color with white flowers. Its kind of a boring color and I should have gone with pink or something. But this works, my nails got bumped putting O in his carseat and are already a bit smudged. I guess I'll take it off within a week. At least it was free!

Abby's Story

I don't post much about Abby. She's a general little snoot of a dog. But she has had quite the life. She found us 3 years ago to the day.

Our vet believes that she was a puppy mill dog, turned out because she was to old to produce quality Papillon puppies anymore. She was running in the deserts up by the Tri-cities in WA, my dads mother found her running with a Pug and a Puppy companion. She called us and asked if we would like one of the dogs. At the time we were just married, pregnant and moving in a week. Truth be told, timing could not have been worse to get a dog. Chris said no. But I persevered and told him lets just see her. My dads mother brought the dogs down and let me pick which one I wanted to keep. Pugs were out, I like them but they just aren't my kind of dog. The puppy was a jack russell and those dogs are just born with an asshole gene. Another no.  Then Abby, she was sweet, calm and had the worst hair cut imaginable. It looked like some on had hacked away at her pretty hair and taken scissors to her.

I texted Chris a picture of her with the tag "She's magic" at the time I was a pregnant stay at home wife, and I was lonely. I didn't have any friends in the city, I had recently been fired from my job as a nanny (for being pregnant, go figure)

Chris was still on the fence, leaning no. But I knew he just HAD to meet her and he'd love her.

So it was settled, I loaded her into the car and drove down to his work. He only spent a minute with her, but was more on the fence, yes.

I took her to petsmart and bought her food, and dishes, and a harness. She slipped her harness the minute we walked out of the store and took off. Now remember, I'm pregnant with Carson. I waddled after her. When I caught her she was shaking. So I picked her up and went back, got a better harness system. (She's still a runner to this day!)

That night when Chris came home from work, she jumped off the couch and ran to him. Love at first sight.  She's definitely been an awesome part of our lives. 3 years later, she's just as magical.



Here are some of my favorite pictures of Abby ( this is way more picture heavy than I anticipated)

No wonder Chris said no, this was the picture I sent him. She looks so shaggy!

Princess costume for Halloween. 

The day she met "her person" 

Chris didn't understand, yeah she gets a 1/2 cup of food but if she doesn't eat it, don't give her more!  She didn't eat the entire time we were in the hospital. 

Our 2009 Christmas card. 

Always sits so pretty

NYE 2009

3 month photos

Pillow Pet ? 

Still unpacking

Groomer day

Sun shine and best friends

This little boy has always been her #1

Haha. 

Dog in the tub!

OMG is ABBY!

Christmas 2011

Oh Abby you put up with a LOT

Insta-FridayB

Front door flower

Playing trucks in the garden

Amazing vintage clocks

Garden helper

Sick boys get mama trains

Sunshine snuggles

Morning giggles

Making daddy fathers day pancakes

My little Chef! 

First bite of apple. 

My big boy!! 

This is me ... everyday

Kids Cartoons....

I feel like there are two kinds of childrens cartoon; the kind that you can sit down and watch WITH your child, and the kind that you sit down and watch with your child AND with a bottle of wine.  Here are my top 5 favorite and least favorite kids shows that Carson is obsessed with.

Favorite Shows

 

1) Dinosaur Train has got to be my #1 favorite show of Carson's. These adorable little dinos are the Toranadon Family, and they finally explain how they got Buddy (the T-rex) because my theory was Mrs. Taranadon was slutting around the Cretatious period. 

2)  Shaun the Sheep. Totally done in Claymation and no annoying voices to hold a toddlers attention, its still one of the most likely to hold Carson's attention. Also its got a ton of hilarious things for adults if you pay attention. Like the sheep are always farting. Hilarious. 

(wait am I the only one that likes a good fart joke?) 

3) The Cars movies. I know this is for TV shows but I mean, this movie is watched fairly often in our home (yeah we watch a lot of TV, mostly background noise though) I like the movie because its got a lot for adults too, it also has a nice message (Movie 1: Saving 10 minutes isn't worth losing an awesome small town. Movie 2: Big oil is evil and destroying society and stuff)  All in all, this movie is easy to watch and the music they use for its pretty good. 

4) Another movie (Sorry!) but its the Little Engine that Could! Check it out on Netflix instant. Its adorable, and by far the least annoying train movie/show I've seen. (Thomas makes and appearance in this post. Just not on THIS list.) I like movies with good messages and non whiney voices 

5) Timmy Time. The spin off show for Shaun the Sheep. Its all about Timmy, and going to pre-school and stuff. At only 10 minutes an episode this is my favorite before bed show. "Brush your teeth and we'll watch ONE Timmy" I can't pay to close attention to this show, because if I do it quickly slips into a least favorite role. Mostly cause Timmy is a brat. But Carson likes it and the theme song is cute. 

Least Favorite

This category was a lot easier to write about 

1)  Caillou. You annoy little bastard. Also, why are you BALD? You're like 4 years old. 

2) Barney. Pretty sure I have my mom to thank for exposing him to Pedophile Dinosaur. This show creeps me out on so many levels. That weird short orange dino? gag. 

3) Dora the Explorer. Her voice = nails on a chalk board. Also has anyone seen her "grown up" show? Its like the kids show, but sluttier. The 3 spanish words my kid would learn from her show is not worth it. (Also the boy version of this show sucks.)

4) Thomas the Train.  Carson is obsessed with trains, and this show has been on FOREVER. You can actually watch people push wooden trains around as one of the earliest shows. But on my god Thomas is so whiney and a total brat about things. I'm just like wth?   All thomas DVD's live in the car. 

5) Okay this one I fully admit is irrational. I really hate Elmo. I hate his toys, his voice, everything about him. I actually really like watching Sesame street, but the portions with just him? Gotta fast forward for serious. 

He gives me a migraine like, woah. 

Helpful tip if your child watches cartoons on Netflix instant (we don't have cable this cuts down on obnoxious shows and always wanting new toys from commercials) if you hate one of your kids cartoons you can give it a 1* on netflix website and it won't show up anymore.