2014 reflection tag

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year? Olivia's progress. Specifically, getting her to the 10% weight curve. Feeding her was/is a huge struggle for us and I am finally able to be slightly more relaxed about her calorie intake.

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened? Definitely financial issues. It took me months to find a job and money was very tight for a while, especially with all of Olivia's medical bills piling up.

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year? It's hard to pick just one thing. Every time Olivia reaches a new milestone, it's exciting for us. Seeing her unexpected reactions to something fun/new is awesome.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle? Taking Olivia to the ER when she hit her head. Being back there was scary but luckily everything turned out fine.

5. Pick three words to describe 2014. Challenging, exciting, overwhelming.

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2014 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you). Stressful, happy, exhausting.

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2014 (again, without asking). Different, an adjustment, exhilarating.

8. What were the best books you read this year? I Heart My Little A-holes, If I Stay.

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships? Olivia, Paul & My parents.

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year? Going from being a stay at home mom to working part time (and missing Olivia like crazy).

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally? Being a mom has made me grow emotionally, I love Olivia more and more every day. I've never been an overly emotional person but that has changed (when it comes to her).

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually? Honestly, I don't think I've changed much spiritually. My beliefs have always stayed the same thus far.

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically? Well, I definitely could stand to lose a few pounds. I've been eating terrible (I plan on changing that). Although, baby number two might be in the works soon so maybe I'll put that off for a while.

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others? I've met a lot of awesome people at my job and gained some new friendships. My relationship with Paul has changed since we are both new parents and we have our own way of doing things (very different). I think we are doing a pretty good job of coming together and compromising when it comes to Olivia's best interest.

15. What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)? Meeting new people (the nice ones).

16. What was the most challenging part of your work (both professionally and at home)? Learning a whole new job. Adjusting to not seeing Olivia at night and missing her bedtime routine four days a week (sigh).

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year? Probably watching TV. I can admit that I get addicted to way too many shows. After I put Olivia to bed, I stay up till almost 3am catching up on shows (totally unnecessary). I think it's the main reason I ended up in this terrible sleep routine.

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year? Bringing Olivia around other kids. Going to play group, the library, the playground, Monkey Joe's. She loves it and I think it's so important for her to socialize, we get a kick out of it too.

19. What was the biggest thing you learned this past year? Not to worry. I still do but so many things I worried about never amounted to anything. This is something I constantly struggle with, I like to have a solution before I even know that there is a problem. I am going to try my hardest to wait for a definite problem and then go from there.

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2014 for you. Go with the flow and if you don't like something, change it.

Paul and Liv enjoyed the snow today while I stayed warm in the house.

See ya later 2014

On Monday I took Olivia to the aquarium, we met up with my sister and nephews. She loved it at first (especially the sharks and seals). After about an hour, she started to get antsy. It's an hour away and I think she was getting tired, she skipped her nap which is always a bad idea. It was still fun though, next time we will take a nap before we go.

 

Yesterday I took her to the doctor, she's had a cough for almost two weeks now and it just wont go away. She hasn't had a fever and she's been eating/acting okay so I wasn't too concerned but I figured I should get her checked out just to be on the safe side. There were so many kids in the waiting room, it was packed. I've never seen that many kids there, I know it's cold season but I was still surprised. The doctor said her chest sounded fine and her ears/throat looked good. Apparently there is a nasty cold/cough going around that is lasting around three weeks. I was told to give her another week to show some improvement and if she's still sick then I have to bring her back. I'm pretty sure she will get over it soon or at least I'm hoping she will. She also gave me her cough which I've had for about a week now. I'm really surprised that I've been catching everything she has, I never got sick before so I thought my immune system was strong but that's obviously not true.

Left: Happy to be wearing Mommy's Uggs.

Right: Not happy while waiting for the doctor.

 

Well, it's the last day of 2014 and like I always say, this year once again flew by. I thought time went by fast before, it's gone by even faster after having Olivia. It was a great year and I hope that 2015 is even better. Maybe Olivia will become a big sister, I guess we'll see! ;) I hope you all have a very Happy New Year! (I'll be working through it.)

Stensland family Christmas

I can't believe that Christmas came and went so fast. We spent Christmas Eve at my aunts house, we ate dinner, played games and opened presents. We didn't get home until after 11pm and I stayed up playing Santa. I couldn't even sleep because I was so excited to see Olivia's reaction in the morning. She was pretty excited but a little overwhelmed, I think Santa I may have gone a bit overboard this year. Every time she opened a present, she just wanted to play with it and she wasn't too interested in opening the next one. Next year I am going to try my best to keep it a bit more simple but it's very hard to control myself. After presents, we ate breakfast and went over my sisters house to spend the day. It was a lot of fun but it all went by so quick. I hope everyone had a great holiday and I'll leave you with some pictures.

 

 

 

Citrus Lane review - December 2014

Liv got her Citrus Lane box today. Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription box for babies/toddlers. You pay a certain price per month depending on how long you want to subscribe (it’s cheaper for the longer subscriptions). Every month you receive four to five items for your child and sometimes something for you as well. The boxes are age and gender appropriate (or you can pick neutral). This box is for a 22 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her December Citrus Lane box.
 

Melissa & Doug alphabet nesting and stacking blocks: I was disappointed to see these at first because Liv already has tons of stacking toys but these are pretty nice. Melissa and Doug is an awesome brand, the quality is great. You can stack or nest them and the colors are so bright, I love them! There are letters and pictures on all the sides so that will be great when it's time for Liv to learn the alphabet. I'm glad we got these and I think Livy will really like them. Retails for: $11.99
 

 

Green Toys stockpot and utensils: We got this at the perfect time! I was up till 2am the other night putting together Olivia's play kitchen. I wont be giving it to her until Christmas but I wanted it to be assembled before I wrapped it, that way she can enjoy it right after she opens it. Anyway, this will go great with her kitchen, I know she will love it! The pots and pans that actually came with her kitchen are kind of cheap looking, these are much more sturdy. She loves playing with stuff like this at the library so it will be a big hit. Retails for: $8.00 (estimate)

 

 

Chronicle - Little Pea book: I love this book, it's adorable! It's about a little pea that only likes to eat vegetables but his parents want him to eat more candy. The illustrations are great and the story is super cute. This is actually the item that I got to pick so I knew we were getting it. I'm going to save it until I think Olivia is ready to handle paperback books, I don't want her to rip it apart. Retails for: $7.99

Juice Beauty green apple age defy moisturizer: More lotion, sigh. This smells great but I really don't need anymore and I still have the Juice Beauty moisturizer we got last time. It's not a total waste though, I gave it to my mom, she likes it.  Retails for: $12.00

 

 

Even though there were only three items for Liv this month, I still like this box because everything is high quality. The total value of this box is about $40. That is a great value (my prices might be slightly off). I got a six moth subscription and with coupons, I paid about $15 per month so it's definitely worth it to me. If you're interested in getting a Citrus Lane subscription for your child, you can use my referral link to get 50% off your first box - Melissa's CL referral. It's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.

Citrus Lane review - November 2014

It took a while this month but Liv finally got her Citrus Lane box today. Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription box for babies/toddlers. You pay a certain price per month depending on how long you want to subscribe (it’s cheaper for the longer subscriptions). Every month you receive four to five items for your child and sometimes something for you as well. The boxes are age and gender appropriate (or you can pick neutral). This box is for a 21 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her November Citrus Lane box.

 

Melissa & Doug chunky puzzle:  This is the item we got to pick this month. All the choices were really cute, I almost picked the ballerina but I liked the mermaid a little better. The flash wasn't working on my camera when I took this picture so you can't tell but the colors are so bright and pretty! I really like Melissa & Doug toys, they are great quality. Even though Olivia has a lot of puzzles, I'm still glad we got this. I'm going to stash it away for her birthday, it's for ages 2+ anyway so it will be a nice little gift for her. Retails for: $9.99

 

 

Plan Toys veggie play set:  I love these, they are adorable and I can't wait to give them to Liv (another toy I'm saving for Christmas). It will be fun to see her pretend to cut veggies and cook them. We got her a play kitchen for Christmas and I wanted to buy some play food to go along with it anyway so it's perfect timing. Retails for: $10.00 (Just an estimate, the whole set comes with five veggies and a cutting board.) 

 

 

Barefoot Books - Bear Takes A Trip:  This is a really nice book but I feel like we have so many right now. Olivia has only been letting me read her certain books lately so I decided that I'm gifting this one. I definitely don't mind getting them though. Retails for: $6.99

 

Annie's snack mix:  These are yummy. Livy likes the cheddar bunnies and I like the pretzels. I don't mind getting snacks in the boxes but I don't think they should count as an item (it's more like a sample). In my eyes, we only got three things this month but they are a little more expensive so I guess it evens out. Retails for: <$1

 

 

Add ons: I got both of my add ons practically for free this month (thanks to credits and coupon codes). The Boon fleet bath boats are a little young for Liv but I got them as a gift for a friends baby, they are really cute and sturdy. We already have the Zoli bot cup in pink but the straw is starting to fall apart so I was very excited to see the purple one. Sippy cups were a challenge for us so we went right to straw cups and this one is awesome because no matter how Olivia tilts the cup, she is still able to drink from it. Even though it leaks from time to time and the straw only lasted for 6 months, I would still recommend it. I'm pretty sure you can buy replacement straws too.

 

 

I loved the box this month and I can't wait to give Olivia the toys! The total value of this box is about $28. Not a great value this month (but maybe my prices are a bit off). I also think the items we got are really cute and good quality, enough to overlook the value (for this month at least). I got a six month subscription and with coupons, I paid about $15 per month so it's still worth it to me. If you're interested in getting a Citrus Lane subscription for your child, you can use my referral link to get 50% off your first box - Melissa's CL referral. It's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.



Citrus Lane review - June 2014

Olivia's Citrus Lane box came in the mail yesterday! Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription box for babies/toddlers. You pay a certain price per month depending on how long you want to subscribe (it’s cheaper for the longer subscriptions). Every month you receive four to five items for your child and sometimes something for you as well. The boxes are age and gender appropriate (or you can pick neutral). This box is for a 16 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her June Citrus Lane box.

(Terrible lighting in all my pictures today, sorry!)

Bumkins wet bag - Minnie Mouse:
I already knew we were getting this because we got to pick the design. There were three different Minnie Mouse patterns to choose from and I liked this one the best. We got this at the perfect time because we are going to be at the beach and pool a lot this summer. This will be great for Liv's wet bathing suit and towels. It has a zipper and a snap with a handle to carry it. It's a pretty good size too. Retails for: $10.95

Hape little vehicle - mini van:
Ehhhh... okay. I don't love this. It's 10m+ but I don't think Liv will be interested in it, it just looks a bit young for her. I would have liked this around 10-12 months but not now. I will probably try to trade this or maybe gift it. Retails for: $9.99  (really?!)

Chronicle Books - Taro Gomi Hide & Seek book:
I will never complain about getting a book. I may save this for Christmas (I know, it's a long way off) but only because each page asks you to find the hidden object and right now she will have no idea. I think it will perfect when she is closer to two. If not, I will still read it to her. It's a cute book. Retails for: $6.29 

Episencial playful wash:
This smells amazing! It smells like fresh oranges. With that being said, I wasn't too excited to get it because we have tons of body wash and shampoo right now. I am still using the kind I got for my baby shower (two huge bottles). I tried this out today anyway and it seemed sort of watery when I poured it into my hand but it lathered up pretty well. Then when I rinsed Olivia's hair out, like I normally do.. she started crying. I don't know if it burned her eyes or some water got into her eyes but she was very upset. Her eyes didn't really look red so I'm not sure, I'll have to try it again. If she starts screaming next time I do it, I wont be using this anymore. Retails for: $6.50  

Plum Organics Stage 2 veggie pouch:

After seeing other spoilers, I really thought we would get the Plum Organics fruit bars. I was pretty confused as to why younger kids got them and we got a purée pouch. Liv will eat this so it's fine, she would have definitely liked the fruit bars better though. Retails for: $1.89

Add ons:
I love Citrus Lanes add to box feature because you can get items for free shipping. I hate paying for shipping and rarely do. I got seven add ons this month because they had some awesome deals and I also had credits. I think I paid around $10 for everything. I got the Skip Hop ladybug towel since Olivia has outgrown all her baby towels (sad) and she really needed this, it's the perfect size for her. I also got some Julius stroller cards which I thought were adorable, perfect for when we go for walks or eat at a restaurant. I picked two little stroller toys, you pull them down and they vibrate and go back up, Liv is a bit old for these so I will probably gift them. The other two items are missing, which are Eric Carle stroller cards and a Hape watering can. I actually got the watering can today and I heard the stroller cards were back ordered so I'm just waiting on those.
 

This months box was just okay. I think this is my least favorite box so far, the food pouch and mini van were a little too young and I'm not crazy about the body wash. The total value of this box is about $35. I got a six month subscription and with coupons, I paid about $15 per month. It's still worth it even though I didn't love everything. If I paid the full price of $29 per month, I would be disappointed this month. However, something I really love about Citrus Lane is that they offer discounts all the time, I have yet to pay full price for a box or shop item. If you're interested in getting a Citrus Lane subscription for your child, you can use my referral link to get 50% off your first box - Melissa's CL referral. It's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.

May favorites

It's almost the end of the month so it's time to share some of my mommy and baby favorites for May, I decided to do them together this month.

Mommy & baby favorites for May!

Honest Co. products – I signed up for free Honest Co. samples a while ago (I only had to pay for shipping), I picked the diapers/wipes bundle and the essentials bundle (lotion, soap, shampoo, body wash, etc). I got them pretty quick but I put them away and forgot until a few weeks ago. I really love these samples! All of their products are eco friendly and all natural. I’m not a crunchy mom but I’m never opposed to all natural products, I think it’s great. The shampoo and lotion smell amazing and the diapers are awesome (no leaks) I almost didn’t want to put them on her because they are so adorable, I picked all the girly patterns. I’m pretty bummed that we used up most of our samples already. I plan on buying more when I can but right now I’m trying to save some money. I wonder if Jessica Alba answers the phone at Honest Co? I swear it sounded exactly like her when I called to cancel, I wanted to ask but whoever it was would probably think I was crazy (unless it really was her!) Anyways, I will be buying more of this sometime in the future, hopefully soon! You can check out the Honest Co. website to see everything that is included in their bundles. They recently announced on their Facebook page that the products will be available at Target soon, I am definitely going to check that out.

I Heart My Little A-Holes book - This book seriously had me cracking up so much that I had to stop reading it in bed. I thought I was going to wake up Paul with my laughing. The first few chapters were just hysterical; there was also some serious stuff. If you’re a mom (or even thinking about becoming a mom) and you need a good laugh (which we all do), I highly recommend this book. I finished it in a few days, I couldn’t put it down.

PINK body mist: Total Flirt – My mom had this and I loved it so she got me one. I don’t really like wearing perfume in the summer because it’s so strong. I feel like body mist is a lot lighter (if that makes sense) and this has a clean and summery smell to it. I’ve already used it a lot; I don’t think it will last the whole summer.

Mommy Loves book - This was an add on from our Citrus Lane box. Olivia changes with the wind. One day she loves something, the next she does not. Right now this is her favorite book. It’s really cute, every page has a different animal and it says “Mommy cat loves her kittens” so it teaches kids what all the baby animals are called. At the end it says “Most of all, my mommy loves me!” Olivia gets a huge smile on her face when I read that part, it’s pretty stinkin adorable.

Citrus Lane review - May 2014

We had a very busy weekend (I will post about that tomorrow) but I finally have a minute to do this review. I got Olivia's Citrus Lane box yesterday. Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription box for babies/toddlers. You pay a certain price per month depending on how long you want to subscribe (it’s cheaper for the longer subscriptions). Every month you receive four to five items for your child and sometimes something for you as well. The boxes are age and gender appropriate (or you can pick neutral). This box is for a 15 month old girl (I think). I’m not sure when their cutoff date is, she turned 15 months on the 16^th so I don't know if this is a 14 or 15 month box.

Everything Olivia got in her May Citrus Lane box.

Crocidile Creek 5" jungle orange playball:
We finally got to pick an item! I kept reading comments about other people getting to pick something in their box and this is the first time we were able to pick, I was overly excited. We had the choice of different patterns for this rubber ball and I liked this one the best. I actually picked it because it's gender neutral. I figured that I should stop buying so many girly things in case the next one is a boy (if we even have another kid). Olivia loves this! She has been carrying it around, rolling it, throwing it and kicking it. It's small but it's perfect for her little hands, she's been playing with it a lot. Retails for: $8.99

Goodbyn snack container:
I know this will get used but I think we are all set on plates/bowls/tupperware. Olivia has gotten one or the other in pretty much every subscription box (not just Citrus Lane). I have yet to buy her one at the store, hopefully we don't get too many more because the cabinets are filling up quick, there's not much room left. Anyways, I like this and it's good for on the go so it will come in handy and dishwasher safe is always a plus. Retails for: $5.50

Green Toys stacking cups:
At first I wasn't too excited about getting this, we already have a few stackers but this one is a bit different. It's thick sturdy plastic, the cups are star shaped and I like the colors. I think this will double as a bath toy and apparently they are volume accurate. When she is older, they can be used to teach her some math skills, which I am terrible at but I'll try. I actually saw these at the store the other day and debated buying them, glad that I decided not to. She has been playing with these a lot, her favorite thing to do is bang them together but she was stacking them too. Retails for: $10.99

Back to Nature - Honey graham sticks:
I have yet to give Olivia anything with honey in it (paranoid irrational mom) because I know it's one of the high allergen foods but I'm sure it will be fine. I saw some spoilers and was hoping we would get the chocolate chip cookies, these look good too though. I like having snacks that I can just grab and throw in the diaper bag on the way out the door. Retails for: $1.60

Jasmine Seven - Fresh feet wipes :
Okay Citrus Lane, what are you trying to say hm? My feet don't smell! Well.. I hope they don't. These are.. interesting. I guess I will try them. Possibly after wearing flip flops at the park or beach, they could come in handy. I'm not loving the scent though, peppermint is not my favorite. Nothing exciting but still useful ..I guess. Retails for: $3 (they only had a 3 pack on the website so that's just an estimate).

 

I really loved the box this month and so did Olivia! The total value of this box is about $30. I got a six month subscription and with coupons, I paid about $15 per month. It's definitely worth it to me. However, if I paid the full price of $29 per month, I would be a bit disappointed with the value this month. With that being said, Citrus Lane always has coupon codes and awesome deals so keep an eye out. If you're interested in getting a Citrus Lane subscription for your child, you can use the code TAKETEN for $10 off your first box or you can use my referral link to get 50% off your first box - Melissa's CL referral. It's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.

 

It's so hard to take pictures when she just wants to play but I tried. (Happy customer!)