Toms Shoes: Buy One, One Goes to Charity

Great quote:

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle." ~ unknown

So awesome! Toms, which I just learned about from my friend Jess, is a company that donates a pair of shoes to a child in need when you buy a pair. Genius and philanthropic!

Watch the video - also on the website

 
For more shopping that helps, see the sidebar buttons for the breast cancer site and the hunger site, which will lead you to their stores.

Happy Shopping!

Love, Amanda & Cubs

Words Totally Ruined for Me Since Becoming a Parent

There are words that people use in everyday situations that when I hear them, I think totally of the wrong thing. This didn't happen before I became a parent and I can't explain my twitch or smirk because often it is not a parent with whom I am talking. Words totally ruined for me:



6. Crowning
I hear: Crowning achievement, moment, or glory
I think: Baby's head crowning (then cringe at giving birth with no meds again)

5. Labor
I hear: Department of labor, laborer's union, even Labor Day
I think: Oh No! Labor and Delivery! The screams, oh, but the cute babies...(go from cringing to smiling)

4. Pull-Up
I hear: "Did that car pull up?" or "How many pull-ups can you do?"
I think: Oh, thank goodness Elijah is potty trained and I don't need those pull-up diapers - they're so expensive! (The first time, I said aloud the latter part and I got back, "What's expensive?" LOL)

3. Leak
I hear: Pipe leak or air leak
I think: Booby leaky or leaky diaper (then take a quick look at my shirt, just to make sure)

2. Accident
I hear: Car accident or bike accident
I think: Elijah might have an accident if I don't __  - I better take him potty.

And number 1?

1. Blowout!!!
I hear: A blowout party, or haircut, ot hair style
I think: About Elijah's blowout diaper on our car trip or the time at Barnes and Noble when I didn't have any diapers (cringe, then people don't think I really like their hair - oops!) 


Any more words you can think of that are just ruined forever?

Love, Amanda & Cubs

Looking for Something to Get Past Writer's Block

I'm finding it hard to write. It's been days and I've been looking for inspiration but there is none to be found.

My kids are good. Elijah is trying new words everyday and sounding out letters everywhere we go. Monica's hair is getting longer and her face is changing, looking more older and beautiful.

My husband is good. He renewed his car insurance and is now insured again, so I sleep much better when he's coming home late.

I'm good. I drink my tea, I do my yoga, and I teach my kids. I am doing more and more crafts with them everyday and taking them outside to have fun more often.

I guess maybe I don't need inspiration to come. Everything is great and could stay the same and I'd be happy. I'm so thankful for all of our health, safety, and overall wellness...nothing could be better!

Happy blogging!

Love,
Amanda & Cubs

Baby Monster Attacks

We were just playing around with the puzzle when this little baby came and threw all the pieces around!

She came in low...

 

She came in high...

 

 

She chewed on everything in sight!

 

 

We were alright though...the little creature just needed a nap!

Love, Amanda & Cubs

Spring Cleaning! Re-Use Ideas for Kids and Home

Spring Cleaning - Add Color

 
It's spring-ish in Alaska! I'm donning my mud boots and old coats for the dirty leftover snow and dusty dirt that is piling on all the roads and everyone's cars! It's not such a beautiful season until you get deeper in the wild...but c'est la vie!

I'm cleaning out all our old clothes - trashing that which is beyond repair and giving to good will that which is salvageable is my routine, but I'm thinking I may try some new things this year in the spirit of being more green and earth friendly.

There are billion ideas for using old jeans and old tee shirts - If you google jeans crafts there are a myriad of good ideas out there. I'd really like to try a jeans quilt some day. 

A lot of the following ideas are from Rookie Moms and are awesome and genius!

Toddler dress from an old men's shirt - link
Toddler boy pants from an old tee shirt - link
Boy's pants with matching tie - so cute
Alter an old board book
Make boy shirt into girl shirt
Convert a regular bra to a nursing bra
Turn photos into placemats
Use an old cd case for a brag book or cd for an ornament
And where to send anything else from this post

Oh! And an Easter basket from an old sweater for the upcoming weekend!

Scrap Paper

Happy Spring Cleaning!

Love, Amanda & Cubs

Photography Portfolios for the Art Lover

Jeremy is mulling over ideas for a book. So far, his ideas are great but I don't want to spill them here. Sorry!

I started browsing portfolios of famous photographers and just got lost in the art of it all! It makes me terribly miss our college trips to the MET in NY and the Smithsonian in D.C...if we could drive there in under an hour again, I would already be gone!

Anyway, thought I'd share a few I thought were interesting...

Joe McNally - The best, according to us anyway...I could spend all day watching his videos of how he does, no, performs his photography.

Chris Jordan - Emotionally stirring (politically charged?) photos ranging from dead birds due to pollution to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Matt Stuart - Matt Stuart has a funny way of capturing people and the website doesn't slow down my Internet - big plus!

Bobby Neel Adams - Work includes age maps, which are weird and fascinating - they completely pull you in...

Faces of Hope: Babies born on 9/11 - Google books allows you to browse through this sweet reminder that babies were born on on 9/11.

Zach Hyman - Warning: Nudity. This one was in HuffPo for his recent nude shots on the subway. Interesting.

Happy viewing!
Love, Amanda & Cubs

Thanks for the Birthday Gifts!

Mon-Bon and Angel Face had their birthdays and they got way more presents than we anticipated. Jeremy and I got around 2-5 presents per birthday and Christmas and we wanted to keep that tradition for our kids since it seemed that we appreciated those gifts so much more.

Apparently, that's not going to work! We bought gifts for them, 2 for each, as we planned. One useful/learning, and the other for fun. Then, after great-grandparents, grandparents, great-aunts, cousins, 2nd cousins, godparents, and neighbors - they ended up with about 10 times what we got, which is great! We didn't think that we'd love that occurrence so much!

How can you resist these happy faces?

 

 Mon-bon's new hair bows...

 

 

Angel face's new 24-piece puzzle (his newest obsession)

 

And you can't go wrong with play-dough, especially all natural play-dough!

 

Love, Amanda & Cubs

Indoor Herb Garden for Battling Long Cold Winter Weather

I am really going to plant an indoor herb garden. No, I'm for real!

I kill plants. It's a special talent of mine. My mom bought me this really nice (and expensive) bonsai tree when I was in high school because I'd had such bad luck with plants, indoor and out, and it was supposed to be a hardy plant.

I killed it.

Then when my husband and I moved into one of our apartments, my aunt who is a fantastic gardener, gave me this beautiful plant with soft velvety leaves and cute little purple flowers. It, too, was "hardy."

I killed it.

Then there were the Poinsettias. I was in the giving spirit and I bought 3 poinsettias from one of those Thanksgiving charity drives and planned on keeping them until I could give them away as gifts.

I killed all 3! Before Christmas!

But now I have to get over this - I can do this. I've decided on something useful -an herb garden! I figure this is a good post about starting one since it lists the plants that do well indoors, as follows from The Frugal Life.

Herbs which will grow indoors:
Basil
Oregano
Mint
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Angelica
Chamomile
Dill
Fennel
Lavender
Geranium
Chives


Now I'm really excited and just want to get my hands dirty (pun intended! OW!) - but I also wanted to show you cute planters I found while searching for something to use...

Really Cute Planters:
An old typewriter 
Old shopping cart 
Beer drums 
An old washer 

I don't think I have anything cool to put them in, but I may just start with one plant...no reason to go overboard here knowing my history with plants...eep.

 A plant my MIL is keeping alive...so close and yet so far!

Love, Amanda and Cubs