Citrus Lane review - May 2015

Olivia got her Citrus Lane box last week, I've been pretty busy so it took me a while to get around to this post. 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 27 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her May Citrus Lane box.

 

Hape sand toys: These are really cute and we don't have many sand toys so I'm glad we got this set. It comes with three ice cream cones, three bowls, a scoop and a bucket to carry it all in. I can't wait to go to the beach now, I'm sure these toys will keep Liv busy. We also have some kinetic sand at home, so this will be perfect for a rainy day too. Retails for: $4.99

 

 

Tea Collection dress: I think this dress is so adorable! I love the colors and the print but I was disappointed to see that they sent a size 3T. Olivia is tiny, she still wears 24 months and 2T (which is a little big on her). She wont be able to wear this dress until next year. I wish they had let me pick the size but this wasn't the item we got to customize, which doesn't make much sense to me. I ended up emailing Citrus Lane about it and they are sending me a new one, I wasn't expecting that so I'm really excited. I am very pleased with the customer service and I decided to add on another two months because of it. Retails for: $29.50 (Wow!)

 

 

Goodbyn portions to go: I was so glad we got this because I've been meaning to buy her some snack containers for daycare. This is the item we got to customize, the choices were purple or green. I love the color and they are really sturdy. The two smaller containers are perfect for Liv's snacks, I've been using them a lot. Retails for: $14.95

 

Plum Organics mighty sticks: These snacks will be great to throw in Olivia's lunch bag. They are organic and made with fruits and vegetables. Olivia has been super picky lately so I'm not sure if she will like them but it's always possible. Retails for: <$2

 

 

I really liked the box this month, the dress was my favorite! The total value of this box is about $51, a really great value. I used coupon codes and only paid about $15, so I'm very impressed this month. 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. Please keep in mind that it's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.

Good news.. kinda

I'm happy to report that Olivia hasn't thrown up since Friday. The bad news is that she still cries all day at daycare and barely eats or drinks anything. I'm wondering how long she is going to be stubborn for because it's been really stressful, on both of us. Luckily today was my day off so I took her to the park and then we went for a walk. She really loves being outside (except when she's at school) and she would stay out at all day if she could. There were a lot of kids at the park today (including some annoying teenagers). When I was pushing Liv on the swing, another little girl was laughing so Olivia started fake laughing. It was really funny, she just wanted to copy the girl. She's silly, she makes me so happy no matter how bad my day is going. I know I've been neglecting this blog a bit but I've been super busy. My job is absolutely exhausting and when I'm home, I like to spend as much time as possible with Liv. I have a lot I want to post though so hopefully I will have some time this weekend.

Daycare update

It was a long week for Liv, she doesn't like daycare one bit. I only left her for a few hours every day but she cried and whined the entire time I was gone. When I would pick her up, she would hug me so tight and cling to me. Yesterday, she woke up with a cold so I kept her home. I don't know if she got sick from stress or if she just caught germs from her class. Either way, she wasn't feeling great today either. I had to do a few things so my mom stayed with her and she just kept crying for me. She is usually fine with my mom so that is a bit concerning to me. I hope it's not because of daycare, she might just be fussy because she's sick otherwise this is going to be an issue. I'm really stressed out about it, so much that I'm having a hard time finding words. I just hope this week goes better, I will be working so she's going to be in class a lot longer and I'm not going to be able to calm her down. She can't cry all day.. right?! (Sigh).

This picture is deceiving.

The teacher took this before Liv knew I left.

Citrus Lane review - April 2015

Olivia got her box pretty early this month, I wonder if they were trying to make up for last months shipping delay. 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 26 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her April Citrus Lane box.

 

Green Toys flower set: I was so excited to get this for Olivia! It comes with a bunch of little flowers, leaves and stems that you can build and arrange to your hearts desire. I think it's a really fun/cute toy and she will love it, I kind of want to play with it myself. I love Green Toys, they make their toys out of recycled milk jugs and they don't contain any BPA, PVC, phthalates or coatings. This is only half the set so the price is just an estimate. Retails for: $14

 

 

Eco Kids finger paint mix: I saw spoilers (per usual) and I was hoping we would get this, it's finger paint mix. All you have to do is add water, we can use just what we need and save the rest, this will last us a while. I'm sure Olivia will love to get messy with it, she has never used finger paints before. We got two colors, blue and yellow. The mix is just white so it will be interesting to see it change into a pretty color. The ingredients are food-based (carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, etc.) so that's pretty cool. It's also supposedly easy to clean up but I'm sure Olivia will test the limits on that.  Retails for: $8

 

 

Barefoot Books - If You're Happy and You Know It: We haven't gotten a book in our box since December so I was happy to see this. The cover is so bright and happy, I love it. The book is basically just the song, the last page has different kids from around the world saying hello in their own language. I'll read this to Liv but I'll have to keep it out of her reach since it's a paperback. She hasn't ripped any books in a while but she still might be a little rough with it. It also comes with a CD, I was teasing Paul and told him that we should bring it with us on our road trip to South Carolina. I said we could just play it on repeat for Liv, he gave me a dirty look so I guess that's a no. Seriously though, I'm going to bring this in my car and play it for her, I think she will like it (even though I might not). Retails for: $8

 

 

My Super Cookies whole grain cookie - Chocolate heroes: I used to hate getting snacks for Liv but now I like it. She eats much better now and the snacks they send us are usually quite tasty. These cookies don't exactly taste like chocolate to me but they are still pretty good. Liv had one and seemed to like it, I packed the rest in her lunch box for tomorrow. They are whole grain and made with some healthy ingredients (quinoa, chia, flax, super fruits, etc.) so that's always a plus! Retails for: <$1

 

 

This box was great, I am really happy with it! I'm glad we got it earlier than we usually do because I am so impatient. The total value of this box is about $31, not a great value if you're paying the full $29 per month. I used coupon codes and only paid about $15, so it's not a big deal to me. My subscription runs out next month and I still don't know if we will continue or not. We don't really need extra toys or books but I still think t's fun. I also love discovering new products but lately they have been sending a lot of items from the same companies. I have had Citrus Lane for over a year so that's probably why but I wish they would start introducing some new brands. Anyway, 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. Please keep in mind that it's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.

Sunny with a side of snow

It was finally nice out yesterday! We played outside for a while and then I took Olivia to the park. It was pretty sunny out so I brought her sunglasses, she always puts them on upside down but I think it's adorable so I never fix them. There is still snow on the ground and of course she just wanted to play in that. After I coaxed her away from the snow, she ran around for a while and then I pushed her on the swings (she loved it). She went down the slide for the first time on her own, she was a little nervous and went down in a strange but hilarious way. She had one leg up and she went down backwards, I was laughing because it reminded me of the scene from Elf when he was trying to go up the escalator. The second time she did it the correct way, I was proud of her. After about an hour, it started to get cold because of the wind and I was ready to leave but Liv wasn't. I had to pick her up and she was yelling so loud but once we got in the car, she was fine. I'm excited for more warm weather! After the park, I had to pick up some groceries so we stopped at the store. Taking Olivia to the grocery store is always an adventure. She wanted to hold everything, first I let her hold the bag of apples but that ended up on the floor. Then I let her hold the bag of cucumbers, she opened the bag and put a cucumber up to her mouth and said "nom nom nom". I couldn't even be mad at her because it was so cute. The warm weather was a tease, today was cold again. We went to playgroup and she was good for the most part. She pushed a little girl away when she tried to take her toy but other than that, she didn't try hitting anyone. She also got a little upset when the teacher stopped blowing bubbles but she got over it pretty quick. This week flew by and now I'm excited for the weekend!

 

Liv's hearing test

Olivia had her hearing test yesterday and it didn't go very well. She doesn't like doctors and I knew it was going to be a tough visit. She was sick last week and I didn't know if that would affect the results, the doctor said she had some congestion in her ear but it shouldn't make too much of a difference. Then she wanted to put something that looked kind of like an earbud (that's the best way I can describe it) in Liv's ear for the first test but Olivia was crying and screaming so that didn't work. After we gave up on that, we went into the sound booth to start a different test. They played sounds and it seemed to be going well, Olivia was looking towards the sounds and the doctors voice whenever she talked on the microphone. We tried the other test again and we were able to get it done. Olivia cried most of the time so the doctor didn't get everything she needed but she said it was enough. During the test, Olivia kept doing the sign for "all done" and she had the saddest look on her face, it broke my heart. Her test results showed that she's in the low normal to mild hearing loss range. I was actually surprised to hear that, I guess I was just hoping that her hearing was fine. I even made the doctor repeat what she said because I was caught off guard a bit. She told me that we need to come back for another test in three months to compare the results. She also said that a hearing aid would be the solution for mild hearing loss. At first, the thought of a hearing aid made me a little upset but it's really not the worst thing in the world. We have been through much tougher times. I obviously don't want Liv to have any hearing loss but at least it would explain why she isn't talking much. I would be happy to know the issue just because that means we could fix it. The doctor said I shouldn't worry just yet, so I'm not going to.

Citrus Lane review - March 2015

There were some major shipping delays this month but we finally got our 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 25 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her March Citrus Lane box.

 

Begin Again elephant family puzzle: My first impression was "ugh, another puzzle" but this one is a little different from what we currently own. Olivia is getting to be a pro at all her chunky puzzles so when I gave her this one, it was a challenge. I sat with her and helped her put it together (about ten times). She seems to like it but it might take her a while to be able to do it on her own. I think this puzzle will be a great stepping stone to jigsaw puzzles (for toddlers of course). It's also good quality, the wooden pieces are really thick and sturdy so she would have a hard time destroying it. Retails for: $13

 

 

North American Bear Co. goody bag - bunny: This is kind of a repeat for us. I got Livy a mystery box a few months ago and it came with the poodle goody bag. When I saw this, I was thinking about how she never plays with the poodle version so I might as well sell this one. Low and behold I walk into the living room and she had the poodle bag around her arm with her play cell phone in it. After seeing that, I decided that I will just add this to her Easter basket. It's actually pretty cute and soft, she loves bunny rabbits so I think she will love it. Retails for: $12

 

 

Baby Bow Tie barrette: This is the item that I got to pick this month. I wanted to pick one that would match her Easter dress but I didn't know what she would be wearing at the time so I decided on the pink. She has a lot of pink in her wardrobe so I figured we would get the most use out of this one. She actually wore it today for her picture with the Easter bunny (I will post about that soon). It's a pretty good sized bow, it looked big on Liv. She usually wears the little mini bows in her hair but she looked adorable with this one on. I love the design and the back of the clip is velvet so it stayed in place really well. She tried taking it out a few times but somehow it lasted until we got home. Retails for: $12.95

 

Back to Nature mini chocolate chunk cookies: Our card actually says we should have gotten the honey graham sticks. We have gotten those before and they were really good but I am so glad we got the cookies instead. I've seen people get these before and I've been eyeing them for a while now. I'm pretty obsessed with cookies (my husband likes to make fun of me for that) so I couldn't wait to try these. I gave them to Olivia and secretly hoped that she wouldn't like them. She loved them but she shared a few with me so I was happy. They are so delicious! I have to find out where I can get more because I need these in my life. They are also made with good ingredients, no artificial preservatives or high fructose corn syrup, always a plus. Retails for: $1.25

 

 

When I was looking through spoilers, I was hoping that Liv would get the box with the animal magnets and snack container but I like this box for the most part. I was frustrated that there was a shipping delay but I'm glad that they e-mailed me to let me know about the issue. The total value of this box is about $39, I feel like that's a higher value than I've seen in a while. I used coupon codes and only paid about $15, so right now I'm satisfied. I really can't see myself paying $29 for these boxes though. My subscription runs out in two months and I'm starting to think about if we will continue with this or not. I've really enjoyed getting these boxes for Liv but our living room is starting to get a bit cluttered. Anyway, 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. Please keep in mind that it's a subscription so make sure you cancel after your receive your boxes or you will be charged again.



Ditching the binky

I was pretty stressed out when I wrote my last post, I have a lot on my plate right now and that bad speech therapy visit just sent me over the edge. I'm feeling a little better now and I have a few job prospects so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm trying to wean Olivia off her binky and it's been tough. The speech therapist said that she should only be using it during naps and at bed time, she mentioned that if Liv tries to talk with it in her mouth, she will think that's the way the word is said. Olivia has been pretty cranky without it but I obviously don't want it to affect her speech, it may take a few weeks for her to get used to not having it but I know it will help her in the long run. Nap time still isn't going well, today it took her almost two hours to fall asleep. I was about to give up and get her but she finally fell asleep. I have no idea what happened to my sweet little girl but she has been a real terror this week, another reason why I've been so stressed. I am praying that it's just a phase or maybe she is rebelling because I took her binky away. I had to put her in time out twice the other day and I think it's harder for me than it is for her. She seems to understand the whole concept because when I warned her today that she would go in time out, she stopped whatever she was doing (I totally forgot what it was). Anyway, I can barely keep my eyes open right now so I'm off to bed.

Citrus Lane review - February 2015

We got our box a little later than usual this month but better late than never. 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 24 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her February Citrus Lane box.

 

Skip Hop Zoo Lunchie - ladybug: This is the item that I got to pick this month. Olivia already has the ladybug backpack so now she has the matching lunchie to go with it. The other animals were really cute too, I love the Skip Hop zoo stuff! This is adorable but we probably wont use it that much right now. I think it will come in handy when Liv is a bit older. It's really great quality and it's also insulated. Retails for: $14

 

Alex Hoops for the Tub: I saw a lot of spoilers this month for Liv's age group and everyone was getting Boon links or Boon pieces. I am so glad we didn't get those because they would have been repeats for us. I was hoping we would get this, I actually almost got it for Liv with our Pampers reward points and now I'm glad I didn't. She wanted me to open it right away, she was throwing the balls around and playing with them. Today I actually put it in the bath for her and she kept putting the balls in the hoop and taking them out, it kept her busy for a while. She has a lot of other bath toys but I think she started to get bored of them because we haven't gotten anything new in a while, we got this at the perfect time. Retails for: $10

YumEarth sour beans: These are little sour jelly beans and they are all natural. There aren't any artificial dyes in them, they are also gluten free, fat free, nut free and soy free. Olivia doesn't have any known allergies so I don't look for this kind of stuff much. I tried a few and they are actually pretty good. They aren't too sour and they are smaller than other jelly beans. I normally don't give Olivia sticky candy but once in a while isn't a big deal, I think she will like these. Retails for: $1.49 per bag

Stephen Joseph Little squirts - ladybug: It's interesting that we got another ladybug product, it matches her lunchie and ladybugs are so cute. This drink pouch is freezable and dishwasher safe. I haven't given this to Liv yet but I tried it out and I have a few issues with it. It took me over a minute to get the top off, maybe I'm just weak but I doubt a child could do it. Also, it doesn't seem to leak when the top is on but once opened and turned upside down, the water just pours out. Olivia is still a toddler so turning something upside down is inevitable. This might be great for when she's older but I don't think it will work well for us right now. It's not a big deal though, I rather get things that are too old for her than too young. She will eventually be able to use it. Retails for: $4.99

This box was pretty good, I really like the lunchie and hoops for the tub. The jelly beans will be a special treat and the drink pouch will be useful eventually. The total value of this box is about $32, not a great value this month if you are paying the full $29. I used coupon codes and only paid about $15 so I am happy with it. My subscription ran out this month and I was going to cancel but they offered me another three months at $15 per month so I decided to continue it (for now at least). Anyway, 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.

The unpredictable toddler

In my last post, I foolishly talked about how excited I was that Olivia didn't need a bottle anymore. Well, that hasn't been going quite the way I thought it would. She did so great drinking milk from her cup that whole day and the next morning but for some reason, she changed her mind about ditching the bottle. Every time I put the cup of milk in front of her, she pushes it away and gets mad. I've tried a few tricks to get her to drink it, most of them didn't work. When I pretended to drink it myself, she got slightly interested and drank some but next time I tried to do that, she wouldn't copy me. Then I put the milk in a regular cup and let her drink it with a straw, she drank all of it so I got excited again. I don't know why I get excited because she is so unpredictable.. like all toddlers, right? I hope I'm not alone in this! Anyway, that trick only works once in a while. It's so frustrating but I refuse to give her the bottle, I have to make this work. When she wouldn't drink any milk, I got her to drink water so I don't have to worry about her not getting enough fluids. I've also been giving her more cheese and yogurt to get enough calcium into her. If anyone has better suggestions, feel free to message me!



Citrus Lane review - January 2015

It's officially been one year since we first started getting Citrus Lane boxes and I still love it! I think it's the anticipation of wondering what we will get, it's just really fun. 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 23 month old girl.

Everything Olivia got in her January Citrus Lane box.
 

Petit Collage Beginner Puzzle Set - Pets: This puzzle is adorable! I really love this brand too, all the stuff they make is so cute. These little puzzles are great because they each have a different amount of pieces (3, 4, 5 & 6) so Olivia can start with the easiest and then move on to the next when she's ready. I'm glad we got the pets version because she's slightly obsessed with cats and bunnies. I'm not quite sure if she will be able to figure these out yet so I am going to save them for Easter. I love getting stuff like this because I rarely have to buy presents now, it makes life a little easier. Retails for: $14

 

 

JJ Rabbit Cuppie: Hmm, not sure if Liv is ready for an open cup yet. Judging from the way she drinks from her straw cup (she hurls it around and turns it upside down), I might hold off on this. My plan is to give this to her in the Spring when she is playing outside, at least if when she spills it everywhere it wont matter. She needs practice and outside seems much easier to me. Anyway, the cup is pretty sturdy and I think it will hold up well. There is also a cute little rabbit inside of it, I'm not sure if this will help her drink faster to see the rabbit or if she will decide to just dump out her drink to see it. Retails for: $8.99

 

 

Eco-Kids Eco-Dough: Olivia is not a fan of play-doh and she doesn't seem to be much of a fan of this stuff either. It's great that it's made from natural ingredients and is safe for her to play with. Although, I still wouldn't want her to eat it (obviously). When I first let her hold it, she put it up to her lips and said "mmm", so I had to let her know that it was not food. After that, she wasn't interested. She did have fun taking off the lid and putting it back on (ten times) though. It has sort of a weird smell to it but it still doesn't smell as bad as play-doh. Retails for: $8 (estimate.)

 

B4 Products To Go Hand Sanitizer Packs: I can't believe this actually counts as an item. This is just a sample pack of hand sanitizer. I guess it's because the other three items cost a bit more. Oh well, I'm sure I'll use these at some point. I will say that It's pretty awesome that this company gives 50% of their profits to children-focused causes. Retails for: < $1

 

 

I didn't really love this box but it's not bad, the puzzle is my favorite and the cup may come in handy soon. The total value is about $32, not a great value this month. Luckily I got a six moth subscription (running out next month) and with coupons, I paid about $15 per month so I'm happy with it for that price. Although I have to say that I really miss all the coupons and deals that Citrus Lane used to have, they haven't been doing that as much and I'm bummed about it. Anyway, 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.

Party planning

This has been a busy/crazy kind of month. I've been trying to plan Liv's party, I still can't believe she will be two in less than a month! Her party is going to be Dora themed since she's obsessed. I found a ton of cool ideas on Pinterest but since Olivia's been sick and I've been busy that got pushed to the back burner. I ended up picking up some Dora stuff from the store so I don't have to do any DIY stuff this year (even though it was all so cute), maybe next year I'll have the time and energy. I really got the ball rolling this week and now I only have a few more things to do (order the food and make a couple more trips to the store for supplies). I'm also planning to do something special for her heart surgery anniversary, maybe I'll make her cupcakes or a cake. I got her a booboo buddy and a heart hero cape so I'll be giving her those on that day. I wish time would slow down a little, it makes me sad that my baby isn't really a baby anymore.. sigh.

RSV update

Olivia is doing better, we got to leave the hospital on Friday evening. We didn't know if we would be staying another night so Paul went home to grab some stuff we needed but while he was gone they said we could go home. I had to pack up everything by myself and she was sleeping so I had to wake her up (always a bad decision). Carrying her plus all of our bags was a struggle, I seriously felt like my arms were going to fall off. Olivia got to pick a toy from the toy closet before we left, the nurse showed her a doll and asked her if she wanted it and of course she shook her head no. She ended up getting a little wooden peek-a-boo toy. The doctor wanted me to bring her in on Saturday morning to see how she was doing but she didn't make much improvement overnight. Her breathing is a little better now but she still has an awful cough. Her mood is much better though and her appetite is almost completely back to normal, it seems like she is on the road to recovery. It was a crazy weekend but we are slowly getting back into our routine, which is how I like it.

 She wouldn't touch the hospital food, she only ate snacks while we were there.

Cranky toddler

Olivia is still sick. Actually, she threw up (a lot) on Sunday and then again yesterday. I brought her back to the doctor because she was just being super lethargic and she had me worried. She didn't have a fever, her lungs sounded fine but she did have some fluid in her right ear. The doctor said it wasn't red so there was no infection but I am going to keep a close eye on her. Today started off great, she was in a good mood and ate a ton for breakfast. I put her down for a nap at her usual nap time and she just did not want to sleep. After over an hour, I got her out and tried to give her something to eat but she just didn't want anything. She drank a ton of water and then she layed on my lap and started to fall asleep. I put her back in her crib and she finally fell asleep. After her nap, she woke up more cranky than ever and she stayed that way for most of the night. I gave her some Tylenol and it helped a little but she just didn't want to be bothered. She refused to eat and didn't drink much either, she didn't want any milk but at least I got her to drink some water. It was a long stressful day and I'm really hoping tomorrow she will feel a little better. We have both been sick for far too long and I'm just over it.

Loving her doughnut.

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.)

Christmas cookie fail

I know I've been lacking with the posts but it's December and things have been crazy busy. Between Christmas shopping, decorating, wrapping presents and doing all the other little errands I have to do, I've been exhausted. I mentioned in my last post how I was up till 2am the other night putting together Olivia's play kitchen, I seriously can't wait until she opens it on Christmas! I also made her a playhouse out of the box that it came in. She loved it but it only last about five days, she ripped apart the roof and all the wrapping paper. I knew it wouldn't take long for that to happen but it's okay because it took up half the living room.

I'm not very crafty but I tried my best.

We've been doing some fun Christmas stuff lately. We took Olivia to a park that had a ton of light displays but she wasn't too interested. I also tried making Christmas cookies but it was a total fail, they taste good but they look horrible. Next year will be more fun because Olivia will understand a lot more and she can even help me decorate cookies, she will probably do a better job than me.
 

At least Olivia liked them.
 

I finally sent out our Christmas cards, I swear I'm so behind on everything this year. I usually have everything done by this point but I still need to get a few more gifts. Anyway, after Monday then I'll be done and I can just sit back and enjoy Christmas. I am so excited to see how Olivia reacts to everything this year!









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.

Longest day ever

I seriously felt like yesterday would never end. Olivia's language development therapist was supposed to come over at 9:15 so I set my alarm for 8:15. When I woke up, I saw a text from her asking if it was icy out (it was raining and freezing all night) and I told her I wasn't sure because I hadn't left the house. I also asked her if she wanted to reschedule (I was hoping she would say yes so I could go back to sleep). She said she was still coming but running a little late so I woke up Olivia (she wasn't happy about that) and fed her breakfast. Ten minutes before she was supposed to be here, I got a text from her saying we should reschedule (ugh). It's not that big of a deal but I could have gotten a little extra sleep, that would have been nice. I had a ton of stuff to do and on top of everything else, I had to unexpectedly bring Peyton to the vet. The last few days he's been throwing up all over the place and one of the times, there was a little bit of blood in it. So gross, I know but seeing that scared me. I was practically in tears thinking about Peyton passing away. He is the only cat that lets Olivia pet him and play with him. We have had him since he was a kitten and I hate to say it but he's my favorite. He's just so sweet and loveable, I would be very sad if he was gone. So I had to bring him, lugging a twenty pound cat around in a crate is not an easy task. Luckily my mom was able to watch Olivia because there was no way I could have brought her too so that was a huge help. The vet gave Peyton an injection to stop the vomiting and also some medicine for us to give him over the next ten days. She said he didn't seem like he was in any pain and the fact that he still has an appetite is a good sign. However, if he gets any worse then we have to bring him back and they will take an x-ray of his stomach. He seems to be doing okay today, fingers crossed. After the vet, I had a ton of laundry to do. Paul and my mom helped with that so I was very thankful because I forgot to mention how much pain I was in. I had to work for over eleven hours on Sunday and my body is still recovering, I've never been so sore in my life. My entire back was hurting, so bad that it was difficult to breathe. I couldn't stand for very long either, I felt dizzy so I kept having to lay down every so often. Of course when you have a toddler, you don't get any breaks. Plus, my long to do list made it even harder. Olivia also woke up not feeling great, she had a runny nose and cough. She seems a little better today but I might bring her to the doctor tomorrow if she's still sick. Yesterday I just really wanted to sleep all day and forget about everything I had to do. I'm glad I got stuff done though because I have such a busy schedule this week/weekend. I can't remember a time when I had absolutely nothing to do. I would love just one day where I could lay in bed and not have a care in the world, obviously that's not going to happen anytime soon but it would be so amazing. Today I felt much better and by some kind of miracle, Olivia slept until 11am! That means that I got almost twelve hours of sleep which I'm sure contributed to my body feeling much less sore today. Thank goodness because I have to work tonight, I'm hoping to feel back to normal by tomorrow!

I'm jealous that Peyton gets to nap all day.

Not a fan of the mall

Okay, so the last time I went to the mall was in April (to get a picture of Livy with the Easter bunny). I try to avoid that place at all costs but I really wanted a picture of her with Santa. We decided to take her last Saturday, it was pouring out but it was the only day that I had time to take her. The line was so long, I had to pull out all stops to keep Liv entertained while we were waiting. She did okay but she was a little hesitant about sitting on his lap and she didn't want to smile this year (like she did last year). I'm just glad she wasn't screaming and she still looks adorable in the picture. Santa must have been having a bad day though because when Olivia started to fuss and tried getting off his lap, he rolled his eyes. I just laughed it off. I also got to do some more Christmas shopping, I'm still not done though and it seems like it's never ending. I love Christmas but it's a lot of work, running around to tons of different stores gets exhausting. Before we left, we stopped at the little play area and Livy had a blast! She got a huge burst of energy, she was running around and screaming in excitement. Someone had a little dog with them, she kept playing with it and calling it a cat of course. She doesn't say "dog" yet but when I ask her what a dog says, she barks (the best she can). All in all, it was a successful mall trip but I will not be going back until April.