Baby gate

I hoped that I would be able to forgo the whole need for a baby gate, but the older and more mobile Devon got the more I realized that I couldn't get a baby gate fast enough. From the main level of the house there is one flight of stairs going up and one flight going down. This means that I needed 3 .... yes 3 baby gates. I had a really hard time finding a gate that would A) fit the extra wide openings between the banister and the wall and B) find a gate that wasn't insanely expensive C) find one that wasn't offensive to look at and D) could be "hidden" away as much as possible.

I had such a hard time finding something that would work that I used to turn the coffee table on it's side to block the stairs .... ghetto fabulous I assure you. I did TONS of research and I think I found the perfect baby gate. It's called Retract-a-gate. It mounts to the wall and railing .... ANY railing. They sell adaptor kits if you don't want to or can't drill into the banister for whatever reason. We have an iron banister so that was not an option for us. It comes in different lengths, it rolls away, can be operated with one hand, is reasonably priced .... and on and on and on. If you need a gate I recommend this one. This is how they looked rolled up.


They unroll from the base, hook around the brackets then you turn a dial from "unlocked" to "lock" and it stays in place. The good part is it keeps Devon in, but the cats can still climb underneath so they aren't trapped. I can also climb over it if I need to. Bonus to this gate is I only had to buy 2 gates. I need a third one, but I can just unsnap it and move it to the railing attachment at the top of the stairs when we are up there playing. Here is the info if you want to ch-ch-ch-check it out.
http://www.retract-a-gate.com/index.html

P.S. No .... I don't own stock in this company ;) I know what a hard time I had finding a good product so I am just passing along the info if you or someone you know needs it.

Flea market

I have been trying to find activities for Devon and I to do in the mornings and after his nap to keep him occupied and happy. Saturdays we usually chill at home, but there was a flea market going on so I thought that sounded fun. I don't know what the difference is between a flea market and "huge yard sale" or "rummage sale", but they called it a flea market and we went.

I put Devon in the Ergo carrier and I was happy to see that he still enjoyed it. One of my absolute FAVORITE things about being a Mom is babywearing. I think it's beacuse I loved being pregnant so much (and had such an easy pregnancy)and wearing them is as close as you can get to that feeling. The time for you to wear them is so short so I made sure to wear him as much as possible. However, I haven't been wearing him much lately since he is so big now and when I go to the store I just put him in the cart so he can play with all the food. I knew I couldn't carry him the whole time we were browsing and I have a HUGE disdain for strollers so the Ergo worked out great.

Here are my finds!
2 antique lighters $5 each. The guy had a whole box of them and it was hard for me to just get 2, but I love this kind of stuff. NO I don't have a collection, but I do have a bunch of antique serving ware that I love so I was adding to the set.

I also got this napkin holder for $2. It's REALLY heavy!

My Mom does this sort of thing at her house and of all her decorations (ie: creepy Anna Lees, etc) this one I would actually copy. So .... thanks for the idea Mom. This is my "toe dipping into the pool of reluctant holiday decorating" holder. I don't decorate for holidays. It just doesn't "go" with my house ;) I did put out Xmas stuff, but all my decorations can literally fit on one box. Anyway, I got this hanger and I thought it wouldn't be so terrible to put up a little something-or-other to mark the monthly holiday. Plus, it was only a quarter. Now I just need to find something to hang on it.

I also got a garage sale Xmas gift, but I'm not posting that one in case you are reading this and it goes to you in the near future!

$12.50 worth of fun, 45 minutes carrying Devon on my back .... worth it!

And so it begins

I tend to think that in general I keep a good watch over Devon. I can't have both eyes on him at ALL times, but I have baby proofed the house with the exception of a few cabinets, I have baby gates, socket covers, I shut doors where I don't want him going and I have moved things to higher ground.

I shut the bedroom door with both of us inside while I got ready this morning. All of a sudden I hear a pouring liquid sound .... NEVER a good thing when I'm not the one doing the pouring. Both my cats were sitting on my vanity and looked at me and said,"Dude .... that's not good."

I went over to my side of the bed and there was little Devon. Sweet, innocent, darling little Devon COVERED in green Nyquil. Also covered in Nyquil was my pillow and the floor. He didn't have any on his face so I was relieved to know he didn't drink any. Once I realized that he was OK (and scolded myself for not keeping Nyquil away from him in a locked cabinet) all I could do was laugh at his cute little face that was beaming with pride at his latest discovery. I honestly can't decide if I'm irritated or impressed that he was able to bypass the "childproof" push-down-and-turn cap. I'm leaning toward impressed.

This was AFTER I cleaned it.

Oh by the way, the empty glass used to be full of red Crystal Light .... he dumped that out before the Nyquil. I need to switch to water!


In the end he got a sink bath and the carpet cleaners are coming later today, but somehow he's still sticky. I needed to clean the carpets anyway, but what a pain! I texted Katy and she said it right,"And now it begins." The beginning of all the messes that little ones make. I think I need to invest in a carpet cleaner and speed up the process of switching from carpet to wood.

I know what Joe is doing later today .... childproofing the rest of the cabinets ;)

30th birthday re-cap

If I were to have a business card made it would read:
Annie Smith: Wife. Mother. Yoga teacher.

If my husband had a business card made it would read:
Joseph Smith: Husband. Father. Wish fulfilment expert.

I'll get to that in a second.

I decided that since my birthday fell on a Tuesday that we would celebrate on the Saturday before so Joe wouldn't have to take off work and Devon and I could essentially stick to our Tuesday routine. Saturday morning we went out for breakfast then Joe watched Devon and sent me on my favorite type of shopping spree .... shopping by myself. To me, it is the best way to go. No one rushing me, I'm not waiting for anyone else, I take my time and when I'm done I'm done. I went to the greatest place to shop in Tucson .... La Encantada. It is outdoors and beautiful and I love it there.

I haven't had new sun glasses in literally 4 years. I remember because I got my last pair 4 birthdays ago. I was due for a new pair. Say hello to Versace.

Then I went to Anthropologie and picked up a couple of tops and a super cute head band. I'm not one for head bands, but I really thought that I could pull this one off so I scooped it up.

I also got some grape seed body oil from L'loccitane.

After shopping I picked up a Greek salad from my favorite Greek restaurant and then on to my hair appointment for a cut and highlights. I love getting my hair done .... it's so relaxing.

I went home after that and we hung out together for a couple of hours before heading off to dinner. But before dinner Joe gave me my BIG 30th Birthday gift. He has been dropping hints all week and making me guess what the gift is .... a game I hate to play because I could either likely guess what it is and ruin everything or guess wildly above what he got and make him feel bad about it. It's a risky game that he insits we play every year.

He put my gift in the study and when I walked in I saw this ....

A cello.

SIDEBAR: When I was in elementary school I asked to play the cello. Since I rode the bus to and from school my parents were worried about me having to haul it on and off the bus so I selected the violin. (I confirmed this story with my Mom a few days ago so I'm not making this up for dramatics ;) It was a big joke in the house about how bad I was at playing the violin and before I hit high school I gave it up.

A few months before I had Devon I toyed with the idea of playing the cello. I think it was my way of panicking about all the changes that were about to happen so I was grasping at something to call my own. I researched renting one and taking lessons. I even got the name and number of a teacher and to this day I've kept her number in my wallet in hopes of someday starting up, but I never felt that it was something to start with Devon being so little and time being so scarce.

Joe understands me .... he really does. He gets it. He understands that I need to be creative and musical and do something that is fulfilling in a way that is different from being a good Mom, cooking a good meal and keeping the house clean. He really listens when I speak (even if I don't always think so ;)and he pays attention. He indulges me when I relay mindless stories about so-and-so's crazy kid, about the grocery bill or about the coolest insulated sippy cups that I found on Amazon. He listens to it all and files it away in his elephant memory. When he decided to get me a gift for a milestone birthday he decided to get me a gift that would impact the rest of my life. Not many people know how to do that, but when it happens it's... magical.

I just remember walking in to the study and saying,"Ohmygosh .... you got me a cello?" And then I started crying and blubbering,"I can't believe you got me a cello. I have wanted to play since I was a kid." It was a moment for me for sure. I start lessons in 2 weeks and Joe enthusiastically chimes in with,"And don't worry .... I'll watch Devon so you can go any time and practice." It is always salient to me that I am so lucky to have true love in my life.

Once the sitter arrived we went to Zin Burger. A fancy burger place that serves truffle french fries and creme brule milk shakes. It's not as expensive as it sounds and it is really good. I always get a turkey burger with avocado, Swiss cheese and bacon. We split the fries and the shake (which we never get) and it was amazing.

I honestly don't really mind turning 30. I have always said that I am exactly where I want to be in life so turning another year older doesn't bother me much. It does remind me that time is flying by and time on this Earth is scarce and THAT makes me sad, but I try not to dwell on it. I did have a dream that night that I some woman tried to sell me eye cream so I promptly went out and bought some to put on my 30 year old face ;)

I ....

I was born on 2.2 at 2:11 in the morning and I am the 2nd to last child. 2 is my lucky number.

I was still in the hospital when this picture was taken. Proof that there is such a thing as an ugly baby I'm sorry to say.

I was about to turn 1 in this picture.

I drink caffeine free herbal teas in all flavors.

I don't have any wrinkles .... yessssss.

I live in a home that was built by my husband.

I am really shy when I meet people for the first time. I unintentionally and awkwardly act like they're not there until they ask me a question.


I weigh myself every morning and sometimes right before I go to sleep.

I had my first and last Big Mac at McDonald's when I was 16.

I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 9 years this August and we've been a couple for 14 years this April.

I have a dead give away that I'm nervous (or really bored) when I slide the backing on my earring to the end until it clicks, then I slide it back up to my ear. Repeat.

(There are SO many things that I love about this picture. The pink onesie, the fanny pack and the fact that I am pretending to ski in the parking lot at a dead stop in front of the van is my personal favorite.)

I finally started parking in the garage. Luxurious.

I am smaller now (as a size 0-2) than I was in high school.

I hate having my picture taken.

I don't like chocolate, but if I do eat any it's only Ferrero Roche. In our house we call them "hugs".

I love it that my husband and I have our own brand of humor that only WE understand and that makes us laugh uncontrollably ... and makes no sense what so ever.

I could eat pomegranates every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of eating them.

I am a Yoga teacher and teach 2 classes back-to-back on Sunday.

I work out at least 3 days a week. Yes ... this was my 2nd marathon that year and yes ... I wore my Chanel's.

I love junk food like apple licorice, popcorn, Gobstoppers, triscuits with cheese, and Hagen Daze peanut butter ice cream on a sugar cone.

I don't drink soda, but I look forward to drinking it again soon. How I miss the sweet, sweet nectar!

I think doing your nails is a sign of good grooming. They don't have to be painted, but clean, even and filed. I used to bite my nails until I envisioned an engagement ring on my finger and promptly stopped. I know my nails are a little long, but I painted them myself, they are real and I rocked them on my wedding day. Take THAT nail biting!

I still think offering to babysit my kid is the ultimate expression of love and thoughtfulness. People who do that show that they care about my son, but also show that they care about me as well and understand that every Mom needs a break.

I read emails right away, but take forever to respond back.

I love to get Devon from his crib first thing in the morning. We miss each other!

I have a main goal in life and that is to avoid being stabbed.

I am obsessed with keeping my grocery bill as low as possible.

I don't use coupons. I buy mostly fresh produce and meat.

(Members Only jackets rule!)

I prefer to text than talk on the phone, but I hate having a "phone conversation" via text. I would rather just talk to you in person.

I have long eyelashes.

I would rather rent a movie than go to one.

I LOVE going out to dinner. What a treat it is to not have to cook or clean up.

I fall somewhere between an Agnostic and an Atheist, but not stronger on either side. OK I'm a little stronger to one side.

I am EXTREMELY bothered when people use "your" instead of "you're" and "to" instead of "too".

I am a list person. If it's on my list it will get done.

I eat 2 eggs and 2 slices of extra lean ham for breakfast every morning. 1 egg white only and 1 whole egg mashed in a baby food grinder and sprinkled over whole wheat buttered toast .... or low fat, gluten free, wheat free waffles with sugar free syrup.

I suck at getting people gifts.

I would never wear sweats out of the house (the gym is the only exception).

I don't own sweats.

Alright, I DO own an ARIZONA sweatshirt (OK 2 sweatshirts, but they are both Arizona), but that doesn't count because I graduated from the U of A so I get a pass.

I love to sew, but wish I was better at it.

I am genuinely afraid of scary movies, but this year I watched 2 of them and was
only really scared by one of them.

I am a mother of 1 and mother-to-be of another. I am 13 weeks pregnant. Our 2nd baby is due 8.9.10

(There is only 1 baby by the way. This was a very early sonogram, but the circle on the left is the baby and the circle on the right is the yolk sack.)

I remember when I was a teenager thinking that 30 was old.

I turn 30 years old today.

I Heart this hair-do

Those of you with little girlies and those of you who like a twist on up-do's please bookmark this blog. It is a blog dedicated to hairstyles that are not your typical braids and pony tails. Most of them are for little girls, but in my opinion, if you use a little less hairspray and make it look a little messier some of them can work for adults, too.

I decided to try the "messy bun pig tails" (I admit the title alone screams "I'm 5 years old!", but whatever). Though hers is not messy at all! I love that the finished product is 2 hearts on each side ... so cute. I made mine overly messy and that's the way I prefer it. I also didn't make my pony tails even so it looks like a wave of hearts across the back. More avaunt guard. It took a lot longer to do than I would have thought (about 10 minutes and a couple of tries), but this is harder than it looks to do on your self. I'm sure if I did this again it would take less time. Worth the time if you have it and fun for Valentine's Day. You don't need long hair to do this style either so try it out.

Moroccan halibut with carrots

I have been trying to cook all new recipes lately. I have also been trying to cook recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. That is just prep time ... cook time I don't care about so much. Cooking with a toddler around requires easily and quickly prepared food. I made this tonight and Joe loved it!

Ingredients:
2 5-ounce 1-inch-thick halibut fillets
*I used Tilapia since the store I went to didn't have halibut. It was just fine.
1/4 teaspoon (generous) ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon (generous) cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, divided
1 cup 1/4 x 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch sticks peeled carrots (cut from 2 large)
*Make sure the carrots are thin so they will be able to cook though in 5 minutes. Mine were too thick so it took extra time.
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then with half of cinnamon and cayenne. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium high heat. Add fish. Sauté until brown and just opaque in center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Remove skillet from heat and wipe out. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, carrots, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and remaining cinnamon and cayenne. Toss to blend. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in mint. Mound carrots on fish and serve.

That's it. I served mine with rice pilaf and by the time the rice was done cooking so was the fish and the carrots. This can be prepared in 30 minutes.