Warning: Mamarazzi at her finest

I just couldn't resist posting these adorable pictures of Carly trying to stay cool in this SCORCHING  heat.

Busted!

In Carly's World, ranch dressing is an entre, not a condiment.

I totally busted her licking the ranch dressing off of her plate!

Carly and Cambree

I can still remember their first dinner together. And other dinners, too.

My how they have grown since then. Just 8 weeks apart in age, it's nice to have a mommy friend with a baby so close in age.

No-Shopping-Spree

I forgot to mention...I have taken a vow of shopping silence. For a month.

I love to shop. I mean, I LOVE to shop. I also love to accomplish goals.

So, I decided no shopping for a month would be a good task, just for giggles.

Here are the rules:

No shoes, clothes, purses, make-up, jewelry, accessories of any kind...For me.

Also no knick-knack home decor like vases, frames, etc.

I am 7 days in and going strong.

How have I managed to suppress my shopping appetite?

Freddy and I bought much-needed new bath towels, I ordered Carly some clothes and bought her some Disney DVDs.* I have also been making a lot of hair bows for friends with new born baby girls and little girls with birthdays coming up.

What has been tough?

I want need new running shoes. Does that count? I mean, they're function, not fashion.

Sunglasses. Mine broke and I am currently using my scratched-up back-ups. If those go, I will have to resort to toddler shades.

Wish me luck, friends.

*I bought the dvds on ebay for $12 each - brand new, unwrapped - Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid and Aladdin. Mommy needs a break from Mickey Mouse Club House Carly needs to get know her princesses!

More Potty Talk

This contraption pictured below is a BRILLIANT idea.

A toilet seat with a mini toilet seat built in to the lid.

There is a magnet that keeps the mini lid from flipping down whenever it feels like it.

Benefits:

No baby toilet seat that sits on the regular toilet seat that has to be taken off and put back on DAILY.

No awkward moment for house guests as they wonder if they should a)attempt to detach the add-on baby toilet seat or b) if they should instead try to work around it.

Obstacles:

While it is the perfect size for most toddler tooshies, toddlers with a size 12 month waist find it difficult to keep their tooshie from falling through.

Toddlers who love routines and familiarity prefer their add-on baby toilet seat. But we're getting there.

July To-Do's.

I don't know if you noticed or not, but I took a short two-month break from the monthly to-do's. To be honest, I did this because I was buying more time. I wanted to complete my April To-Do's. I did complete my shelf project (picture to come) and I did get a library card. But that's it.

I didn't stain the Adirondack chairs (apparently they need to be sanded first?). Nor did I do anything to the flower bed and well, frankly, it's just too hot to even think about finishing that to-do any time soon! I also failed to shampoo the living room carpet or take pictures of all of our possessions for insurance purposes.

I will continue to ignore work on those, but wanted to get back in to the habit of making a monthly to-do list. So, here is July:

1. Make bolognese sauce from scratch

2. See a movie by myself (I have never done this!)

Let's stop there. we all know what happened the last time I got ambitious with my to-do's.

Carly's Water Park

Our backyard is slowly turning in to "Carly's Water Park".

We have pools, a mini-water park, splash table, sprinkler and a few other small water toys.

It's a great excuse to gather with our neighbors and let the kids play.
But poor Sara. Carly never lets her relax. She always has to have her right beside her.

And while the kids play, the big kids adults stuff giant marshmallows in their mouths.