Polka-Dotty Place: January 2015

Friday, January 30, 2015

Learning About Motherhood

I'm sure I was far too judgmental of moms BEFORE I became one.

I remember thinking that I'd never let my kid just eat off the table at a restaurant, certainly wouldn't ever let my child play with my car keys, wouldn't give them candy, would not keep them up past their bedtime and I know I judged mothers of temper tantrum throwing kids in stores.

I spent a lot of time around children prior to having kids so I felt somewhat prepared to have one of my own. Well it turns out elementary aged kids are very different than newborns and I had a lot to learn. This would be no surprise to any parent :)

Here are some things that I've learned about motherhood in the last {almost} two years.
Some are really important, some are silly and some are surprising.

// Not everyone will love your child's name and that's okay as long as you do.

// People are eager to give new parents advice. Take it all with a grain of salt.

// Never, never, never wake a sleeping baby.

// Your clothing/scarves/coats will all be used as tissues by your child.

// At some point you will find yourself licking your thumb and wiping your child's face with it. I swore I'd never do it, then I found myself heading into church and Olive had cinnamon and sugar all over her face. Face licking mom right here.

// You will hand them the keys to play with because the quiet will save your sanity.

// Your child will have an epic meltdown (or two) in public and that doesn't mean you're a bad parent. Stay calm and they will eventually stop and turn back into your sweet child.

// Shots/injuries/doctor visits will bring tears to your eyes.

// You'll be exhausted after a long day, put your baby down for bed
and then you'll miss their sweet little face.

// Your days won't go as planned and that's okay.

// Your child will get sick, you'll have to sit out of fun things and that's okay too. It won't last forever and you can make alternate fun plans at home.

// If you aren't good at being flexible, parenting will give you many opportunities to practice this skill.

// Accidents happen. You can't protect your children from everything even though you'd like to.

// It's definitely possible and quite enjoyable to travel with your children.

// Your life isn't over once you have kids as some might suggest. They can easily tag along and enjoy the things you enjoy as long as you factor in their little routines.

// Never leave home without snacks.

// You will think everything your child does is the cutest/best thing and they will likely be the smartest kid you've ever met. Their firsts will bring you so much joy and you will easily find yourself cheerleading any activity they decide to take on.

// Do what's best for your child and your family not what everyone else is doing.

// If something doesn't seem right, call the doctor. It's always good to get a second opinion.

// You will have conversations with your spouse that will go like this:
"Do you think she knows how much we love her?"
"Do you think Olive knows we think she's adorable?"
"Do you think she had a great day?"

// You'll start praying for her to have great friends and for her spouse when she's little in the hopes that she'll be surrounded by wonderful people as she grows up.

// You will lose your temper, raise your voice or have a bad attitude and your child will be the first to hug you and forgive you 100%. Kids are wonderfully forgiving so parents should be too.

// You're going to have to be tough because your kids will go through hard things. It'll be trying, you'll pray a lot and you will all make it out just fine.

// You'll sing ridiculous songs, do crazy things and make odd noises if they make your child laugh.

// Everything is more fun with kids. Except for flying :)

// Document your life with pictures. Get pictures with your whole family, be sure to capture yourself in the pictures with your child and fork over the money for professional pictures. You will never get this day back with your child so treasure what they are doing right at that moment. Even if it is making a giant mess or coloring on your walls. You'll think it's cute one day.

// Write things down and document the big and little things in life because you will forget them.

// Let your kids be little. Don't rush them to grow up.

I know I have lots more to learn about parenting and motherhood. I'm taking notes and trying hard to be a good one. Hip, Hip, Hooray for parents!!

Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Highlights

Dare I say that everyone is starting to feel better and on the mend at my house?? I think it's true and the warm weather has definitely helped. We've enjoyed several evening strolls around the neighborhood, backyard fun and not having to bundle up. I'm sure it'll get cold again, but this week was a good one. We are all looking forward to watching the Super Bowl and the commercials and eating our last round of game day food until Fall.

The best parts of my week were:

1. Making pink Cinnamon rolls for my family! Everyone LOVED them and they turned out so cute :) You should give them a try because my recipe is really easy!!

2. I've been on the lookout for some gold monogrammed jewelry and finally took the plunge. Marleylilly had some great options and they arrived this week - I did my monogram on the necklace and my daughter's on my bracelet. I'd been wanting a piece of jewelry with her monogram on it and I LOVE it!

3. I'm working on getting our house decorated for Valentine's Day. It has been a lot of fun to pull out all of my decorations and find the perfect spot for them. My mantle is coming along nicely and I'm hoping to get a few more garlands made. I'll do a DIY post next week on the garlands.

4. We got to take a quick trip down to the Mississippi coast last weekend and the weather was lovely, I got to try beignets for the first time and we soaked up the sunshine. It's pretty nice to live just 2.5 hours from the ocean for the first time in our lives :)

5. I have discovered a new favorite mac & cheese. It's Kraft Deluxe - the sharp cheddar, original and four cheese are delicious. I love the traditional noodles, it's an easy lunch and it's just delicious for boxed mac & cheese. Trust me!!

Hope you have a great weekend!!

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Toddler Menu

Being a Toddler Chef is one of my greatest challenges.

Olive is a pretty good eater... when she wants to be.

She'll love something one day and not touch it the next.

Which could be frustrating if I let it.

Thankfully, I chalk it up to toddler craziness and don't let my cooking skills take a hit :)

She enjoys a variety of food and is getting better about trying new food

so here are some ideas of what she's been eating. She has just started eating meat so watch for more and more meat to be on her plates next month. Oh and she will likely try anything that is on my plate. Sometimes we share plates and she usually will eat better than if I give her an identical plate. Silly girl.

Toddler Plates in January:

BREAKFAST:
cinnatoast + banana

eggs + cheese + cheerios + apple + raisins

LUNCH / DINNER:
Olive has gotten to the point where she has tons of teeth and usually eats a mini version of whatever I've fixed for lunch or dinner. She is getting better at trying new things and has enjoyed most of the dinners I've fixed. Here are my favorite meals from the month.

simple salad - carrots, cucumber, lettuce and a drizzle of ranch

Sometimes we share SNACKS:
veggies + hummus are a favorite
fruit & cheese plate

Mama + Me Tropical Smoothies
(bananas, yogurt, raspberries and pineapple + chia seeds for me)

Olive is obsessed with Wheat Thins (and all crunchy/salty crackers)
and this is what happens when you leave a box within her reach...

Cinnamon Rolls of LOVE

Cinnamon rolls are a staple in our house. If my hubby is having a hard day or needs a pick me up, I'll often surprise him with cinnamon rolls. I have a great recipe for a mini batch of rolls that I use all the time. It keeps us from eating tons of them and it doesn't take too long to make.

I've shared the recipe before and it's delicious.

I made this exact same recipe

and just added 6 drops of pink food coloring to the dough as it was mixing.

I made a few extra and shared them with neighbors.

Olive was napping during part of the baking process,

but woke up just in time to help with the icing and taste testing.

I sure do love those tiny fingers and toes.

Hope you enjoy this simple twist on a classic recipe!!

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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Looks of the Week

I challenged myself to do a few new things these last two weeks to spice up my wardrobe a bit: Don't rewear accessories, change up my footwear choices, put together new outfits combinations that I hadn't worn before and curl my hair. I am happy to report that I did really well with my challenges. I felt excited about getting dressed and styling outfits for myself soooo I'm going to keep the same four fashion goals for February.

Here are some of my favorite looks of the week:

1. Date Night

cardigan - Old Navy (NEW)

top - GAP

skinnies - Walmart

necklace - gift

shoes - Marshalls