It's a Linky Day

Love:

This diy light fixture, SO cool!

This is a real snuggie.

I wish i could make pallets look good in my house.
I really want to make this dry erase photo frame

Another DIY light i heart.

I wish i had the ceiling height for this.

This one is for Marcus and Bill to fight over. I don't really get the comparison between an old Mac and an Ipad, it's not really a computer. 

Ok, seriously with the pallets, i need to get on this bandwagon.

At the Park

I love toddlerhood. Taking Jackson to the park, swinging, sliding, running, digging in the dirt.

I think as he gets older, every new stage is my favourite. Right now, this is my favourite stage.

Watching the child that you grew and nurtured, learn and develop, and become a good person.
It is the greatest reward.

I'd give up a life without children for one day with a cranky baby, any time. One single smile, giggle, hug or kiss, makes every second of work worth it.

I'll try and remember that, when he throws his first temper tantrum in a store.

A Sturdy Boy

Jackson is built like a mini wrestler. It's not just the chub, it's the width of his shoulders. His upper body is so big, he's at least 6 months ahead in shirt sizes. I can already tell he's going to eat us out of house and home when he's a teenager. I think he's stronger than me already. I had to get his help opening a jar the other day.

An Organized Home

Have you heard the quote:
"A perfectly kept home is the sign of a misspent life"It's actually the title of a book.
I have to say, i very strongly disagree with this.  I'll start off saying, to each his own. I don't care if your house is messy. Quite frankly, i don't even notice it when I'm at other peoples houses. In fact, i think the chaos of it all is very endearing, and works for some people. It doesn't work for me. Not at all.
I need and love a neat and organized home. It may sound like i spend a lot of time cleaning, organizing, doing laundry etc, but not really.
For starters, everything has a place. For me, it's a lot easier to put things away, if they have a specific spot they belong. We have one small "junk" drawer in our house. We always know where things are, because they get put back in their "spot" when we're done with them.
I make my bed when i get up. I love the look of a nicely made bed. I also, "make" Jackson's bed. Seeing as it's just a blanket in his crib, it takes all of .05 seconds to do it. 
We don't own a dishwasher, so we do our dishes by hand. I wash them after every meal, so it's fast. On days i am working, Mr.H does the breakfast dishes (A BIG tip, if you have a hubby that is willing to help, don't criticize his job). Our dishes dry in a drain tray, and i put them away as soon as they're dry, it  takes very little time, because it's only dishes for three people.
As for laundry, i do a load every day. I don't use our dryer much. Sometimes to fluff clothes of they aren't soft. We do live in Canada, so i dry them on indoor clothes lines in the winter. If i hang them before bed, they are dry in the morning. I also hang dry our cloth diapers, and all of my cleaning supplies for my business. Because i do a load every day, it isn't a ton of laundry all at once, and takes maybe 5 minutes to hang up, and 2 minutes to take down. My hydro bill was GREATLY reduced by skipping the clothes dryer. There are times when i need to use it though.
In terms of all the other house cleaning, i do a little bit every day. I would hate to have to devote hours on the weekend to it. I vacuum every other day (we have a huskey, it is necessary to do it this often) I mop twice a week. I clean my whole bathroom once a week, and the toilet and sink usually one other time. I dust once a week, our house could defiantly use it more often, between the dog, and the dust of an old house. I also change our bedsheets once a week. Everything else i do on an as needed basis. I find that, because our house is tidy, it takes no time to actually clean. It helps that we live in a small house, but i know if we had more rooms, they would be getting used less often, therefore they would stay cleaner. We live in our living room and kitchen, so these rooms obvi get the brunt of the mess. I also try to only clean during Jacksons nap, and while daddy is giving him his bath, that way I'm not taking any time away from him, and my evenings are free to relax.
As for keeping organized with a toddler, i just do my best. Most cabinets are locked, so there isn't really a lot he can pull out. Some things that he can reach, are held down with strong velcro (TV speakers). He has a toy area in the living room. I try to keep it within reason (i rotate the toys every few days,the rest are in his room). At the end of the day, i put them all away, if you were here during the day, there would be toys every where.
Again, i say to each his own. Sometimes i wish i could just let things go, but i can't. For me, having an organized home, lets me live my life, I'm never rushing around looking for a lost shoe, or spending my Saturday folding laundry.
What is your cleaning routine? Are you more of a go with the flow person, or do you like everything to be just "so"?

Baby Blue

His eyes really are unbelievably blue. I could take pictures of my cute muffin for days. I usually get three pictures in before he's after the camera. Hence the really close up shot. 

Something about him wearing jeans, really makes him seem like a big boy. 

That, and him swatting my hand away and saying "No!". Boy oh boy, what a joyous handful.

Ham

 

Jackson hamming it up right before bedtime.

He knows he's the funniest person alive. He is my son after all.

He's new thing, "tickling" me. 

His tickling is kind of rough, but i play along, he's so impressed with himself when i laugh.

A Boy and his Dad

Sometimes, a good Daddy cuddle will cure what ails you. Just ask Jaxman.

Photoshop Editing

I usually use Lightroom, if anything, to change the look of my photos. I tried it out in Photoshop. While i am happy with the result, it takes so gd long to do it!

This is a picture of Jackson from olden times. In his wagon, that he rode in across the open range, while we were bison hunting. Or whatever it is they hunted. Ignore the refrigerator in the background.

Sledding

Just some pics of J-man sledding with his bff.

Having snacks at the table like BIG boys (tear) 

Jackson isn't actually a foot shorter. He's just sitting back in his chair (and a bit shorter) He is however, a foot wider. My little chubby man!

My Little Sickie

Jackson has had one mean head cold. Poor guy.

Lots of extra naps this weekend, this is the first time he napped on the couch. (except when he was a newborn)

A baby's lips when they are sleeping = cutest thing ever.
Especially when they move them as if they have a soother in their mouth.

Jackson has never been one to snuggle to sleep, or sleep with me. I secretly enjoyed him wanting to snuggle on the couch and fall asleep with momma. Even if he has a gross booger face.

He has since passed the cold on to me, and i am now also a gross booger face. Ewwww. Guess that's what i get for slobbery baby kisses. (FYI- i'm not calling him a toddler yet)

The War with Sippy Cups

I really am at war with sippy cups. I can't find a dang one that is truly "leak proof". We have tried several brands, some work great at first, then leak after a month of use, and some leak right from the get go. So far we've tried:
Nuby Soft Spout 

These were the first ones we tried. Jackson started using them at the end of last summer, just for water. When we switched to homo milk, this is what he used. They were awesome in the beginning, the soft spout is a great transition from the bottle. After about a month of continuous use (we had 3) they all started to leak. I think the built in valve in the spout wears out. They were fairly inexpensive so i wasn't too worried.

Avent Magic Cup

                                             

I tried this one next, it also has a soft spout. It says no leak, and i assumed by the name MAGIC that maybe it would work. No such luck. It actually leaked through the air hole from the very first use. I called the company, and they don't warranty their products, but they did send me 2 new spouts. The new spouts, leaked too.
Nuby Hard Spout

This is the next one we tried. So far it doesn't spill, or leak at all. However, the spill-proof ness of it releys on a plastic piece that attaches to the underside of the lid. When Jackson is done drinking, he generally throws his cup, and i don't always catch it in time. The plastic valve comes off, floating in the cup, and milk leaks everywhere. Yes i know he shouldn't throw his cup, but he's 13months old.

Avent Toddler Spout

We received these cups as a gift. They are slightly different than the other magic cup. One of them doesn't leak, one does. I don't really know what the problem is there? I'm not going to buy another one, and hope i get a good one.

Kerplunk Kids

This cup was also a gift, and leaks through the air hole. It has the same spout as the magic cup. I do like that it is stainless steel, so we use it for water.

Gerber Graduates Cool Twisties

I don't know if this one leaks, he won't use a straw. Maybe when he figures out the whole straw thing we can try this out.

So fellow moms, do you have a recommendation for a good sippy cup that doesn't leak, spill, drip etc? (at this stage we need a larger cup 8-10 ozs)

I'm really over cleaning little milk drips up from everywhere. Although, Jackson does LOVE to smear his spilled milk all over the floor!