Made In America

       Lately I've been trying to buy only products that are made in America and buy local when I can.
Example, we were in the market for a new futon for my niece. After a lot of price shopping and comparing models, we found just what we were looking for and it was 5 miles from our house. Encore Furnishings is a great business. They offer new and consignment furniture, and all made in America products. I think they have more than 1 location but I've only visited the McMinnville one. The big selling point for me was that it was made is the USA, and it wasn't anymore expensive than prices we saw online.
       This got me thinking, how many people care or even notice if the product they're buying is from the USA?  Honestly, until recently it never crossed my mind.
       Made in America products do tend to cost a little more at times, but to me it's worth it. Who knows what goes on in foreign country factories. I found myself becoming more weary to this as I bought products for Mason. Where did the plastic come from that made this sippy cup that I microwave and put in the dishwasher? Are there chemicals leaking out of it every time I fill it up with organic milk? Are the growth hormones and chemicals I'm avoiding in regular milk nothing compared to the toxins in this China made cup? Maybe I'm getting a little carried away here, but I'd rather be too cautious. By the way, yes he does have "Made in China" toys etc but I'm trying to convert. It's a process, ok?
      I saw on Shark Tank a lady who designed a sippy cup and wanted it made in America. The investors thought this was insane because it would cost so much more to produce. One investor said he would invest IF she agreed to have them made in another country.
      I appreciated her concern for quality products and safety. Would you buy a $20 sippy cup if it was from a small American business? A popular NOT small business aka Walmart does have "Made in America" sippy cups called USA Kids, (usakidscups.com). They're good quality, safe and cute. I bought a 2 pack for under $7! I was disappointed to see that Gerber and Disney cups were all made in China. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though.
      I guess in the end it's all about what is best for your own family. We do not have extra money to splurge on the best of the best all the time. However, with some price shopping (and possibly some couponing) I think I can stay on budget while making more made in America purchases. And that's worth a lot.
 
                                                   

Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum

The other day Mason and I visited the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville. I had been wanting to take him there for a few months and finally decided to just do it.
I had heard it was expensive to get in, so before we left I called and got some prices. $20 for adults, and kids 5 and under are free. (There are special prices for youth and seniors.) This seemed high, but since it was only us I decided to go.
Upon arrival he was already in "awe" before we ever parked the car. Airplanes and jets rested on the lawn surrounding the museums, looking like they could take off for flight at any minute.
An interesting display of the solar system in the sidewalk gave us something else to look at as we walked from the car to the main entrance.  As I pulled the big heavy door open and pushed the stroller in I heard Mason whisper, "Woooowwww" as he caught his first glimpse of all the airplanes we were about to look at and explore.
Twenty dollars and two bracelets later we were inside with our map, ready to go. Most people were headed to the left, so I decided we would go right. First stop, a bright lime green small plane perfect for a first picture.

We then took our time looking at all the different planes. Going through different eras of time, and seeing how airplanes have changed over the years. Throughout the museum there were old airline seats placed everywhere so you could sit in them if you so desired. Mason in fact, desired to sit in EVERY  SINGLE seat in the museum, even though they were all the same...

There was a lot of history and interesting facts to see and read about, however I decided this was Mason's day. I just let him look at things as long (or short) as he wanted. It did mean I didn't get to read about the different planes, or learn anything about the pieces they had from Pearl Harbor, but that can wait until next time we go. It was strangely relaxing to not be on a time schedule or worry about anyone else not getting to see what they wanted to see. It was just all about seeing and enjoying airplanes from a toddler's point of view.
My favorite part was the Spruce Goose. I had seen it from the road dozens of times, and knew it was the largest plane in the world, yet when I saw it, I literally could not believe how HUGE it was!!! Amazing to see in person! I'm not big into airplanes or cars etc, but the Spruce Goose definitely impressed me and interested me. I wish I would have had an extra $25 to take the tour inside the plane up to the cockpit. We could have also had our pictures taken up there, AND they have Howard Hughes' hat up there as well. I can not explain how enormous this plane is, you really have to see it in person to understand, but to help I took a pic with Mason standing next to the front of the plane. Apparently he also can not believe his eyes.

After looking at all the airplanes, we took a trip to the gift shop to get a little souvenir and a post card to send to great grandma. The gift shop was full of wonderful items! All quite over priced, as expected, but great things non the less. We chose a soft stuffed plane, like a stuffed animal but a plane instead. I thought this was perfect because he wouldn't brake it within the first few seconds of having it. Good choice, he loved it AND we still have it!
After the gift shop we traveled back over the solar system outside and into the space museum. Not quite as exciting for Mason. There was a ton of interesting exhibits and amazing photos from throughout space history. I could have looked around for quite awhile, but this was Mason's day. Toward the back of the museum there were rockets, jets and helicopters. Very interesting for Mason. Also, we ran into another set of airline chairs in front of a movie about helicopters, and there we sat for 3-5 minutes (long time for him). As we headed toward the cafe for some lunch there was a real life airline pilot flying a toy airplane around. This was maybe the best part of Mason's day because he was able to help him fly, and "clear him for take off". Basically he said, "ready, set, go go go go!!!".
Lunch was not good at all. It was really expensive and practically inedible. If I were to go again, I would just bring a lunch. There are places outside to sit and eat, and there is a wonderful playground outside for the kids to play on.
Another great thing for kids was an airplane ride. It was closed but when a guy saw us looking at it he came over and opened it just for Mase! I knew there was no way he would actually ride this thing without me and/or a total meltdown, but I thought, hey why not try? So I buckled him in, acted super excited and slowly back away. He was doing great until he realized what was really going on, and immediately wanted out! No ride for Mason.
That was ok though, we were on our way out to head home for nap time.
All in all it was a wonderful day! I highly recommend visiting if you have the chance. As a little side note, they also have a new water park called Wings and Waves which looks AMAZING! I haven't gone yet but would love to! Evergreen also has an IMAX theatre if you have the chance to catch a show I'm sure it would be worth the time....and money :)

Zumba

I started doing Zumba last year and immediately fell in love with it. My niece and I decided we would go to the local YMCA one night and give it try. We wore crazy bright 80's inspired workout attire, teased our hair into a big hot mess and headed down for the "free trial". It was awesome. I didn't know any of the dances, but just kept shaking my booty and caught on as best I could in the 1 hour class. The best part? I was soaked in sweat and tired but had a blast! 

Months later I still look forward to Zumba twice a week.  If I could go every day I would but my local gym only offers it 2-3 times a week. Now that I've been going awhile and actually know most of the dances, I have been working more on my technique. The instructors are the best dancers I've ever seen! They make it look so easy! Also, the better my technique gets the more I sweat in class! Apparently I'm burning around 600-700 calories per class. Now if that's true, I'm even more in love with Zumba! 

If you haven't tried it I highly recommend it! It always puts me in a great mood and makes me feel better about myself. There's no age discrimination either. In the class I attend, there are girls in their 20s all the way up to senior citizens, all having a great time. Just go at your own pace and enjoy, and when in doubt, shake your bon bon til you catch on. 

Birthday Party!

 June 2nd Mason turned 2! The weeks leading up to his birthday I couldn't decide what to do. Should I take him to my small home town for the annual parade and festival? Should we rent a bouncy house and have a bbq party at home? Should we just go to the zoo and do things that Mason likes to do since it's his birthday?
  About 3 or 4 days before his birthday we finally decided to have to small party at our house. No bouncy house (the cheapest I found was $250!) and no BBQ because there was a good chance of rain. Planning for rain but hoping it wouldn't since our house isn't very big, we decided to get pizza from Figaro's. I could order gluten free for Mason and his aunt, and regular for everyone else. I also went to Ruby Cakes and ordered Mason a gluten free birthday cake, along with a few gluten free cupcakes for anyone else. When asked what I wanted on the cake, I decided to just have the cake frosted to look like grass because my plan was to have a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse party. I would have to buy some Mickey figurines to put on the cake because of licensing rules the bakery couldn't decorate it Mickey style for me. That's ok, in the end he would have a little Mickey memento from it.
 And so started my quest for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse party decorations. A trip to Walmart, Target and Fred Meyer all left me with nothing but a little discouragement. No Mickey. I then visited Michael's craft store where I found Mickey crayons (nontoxic), markers (also nontoxic) and color sheets all for only $1 each. I stocked up and was super proud of my amazing find! Next stop, Party Mart. This place had so much great stuff! It gave me a ton of ideas for future parties and had a great selection! The only problem, no Mickey! They had other Disney themes and a lot to choose from for children's parties. I couldn't believe they didn't have Mickey though! I knew there were 2 other party stores around town so I was about to leave and search those when I over heard some employees talking. Apparently they all worked at all 3 stores because they are somehow connected. I asked the employees if all the stores had the same selection, and told them I was looking for a Mickey theme party supplies. They informed me that non of the stores had Mickey and it was probably because of how expensive the licensing is. Here we go again with licensing. Seriously Mickey licensing?! As if whoever owns the rights to Mickey Mouse doesn't make enough money off Disneyland and World alone to be a little cheaper with the dang party supplies. Not to mention the cartoons, movies, clothing, accessories, and toys!
   O yes, the toys! I still needed to get some Mickey figurines for the cake. But now what am I going to do without party decorations? I decided I would go to the Dollar Tree and take a look around. I found bright blue plastic table covers, a couple cute decorations for the table that looked like it would belong in the clubhouse, and a big glittery green and gold 2012 sign in the graduation section. Since Mason was turning 2 I could take it apart and just hang up the 2s from it. Before heading to the checkout I thought I would check out the balloons and come back on Saturday to buy them, that was until I was informed there was some helium shortage and no one in my town had helium! WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!
   By now my little toddler was tired of shopping and we were dangerously close to nap time. I had just enough time to run back to Walmart and buy some Mickey figurines for the cake, as long as some crazy licensing law didn't get in my way. I finally found the Mickey section, very small, but they had some little boxed figurines that came in sets of 2. For example, Mickey and Donald, or Minnie and Daisy. That will work great, they were only about 4 inches tall and would be perfect for the small cake. Perfect until I saw that they were over $8 for one set! Really?! Maybe I'm totally cheap but I wasn't going to pay that. So I left, with nothing but a very crabby toddler who couldn't understand why we were in the toy section not buying toys!
   The next day I had to be at my brother's house by 1:00 to babysit their little boy. (I'm currently they're child care provider until they find a new one). I got Mason up early so we could go back to the party store and decide what we wanted to do. At this point I had my Dollar Tree purchases, and a cake with grass frosting to work with. Going down the aisles Mason kept getting excited about Thomas the Train. Now I know Thomas is a nice cartoon blah blah blah but I just can't stand him! However, the way Mason says "Thomas" and how excited he got made my heart melt and I decided to can the Mickey party and go with Thomas.
   We stocked up on over priced thin junky paper plates (with Thomas on them), napkins, noise makers, decorations, hats and tattoos. All this stuff matched my blue table covers from Dollar Tree perfect, which was good because just one table cover with Thomas on it was over $7. I also found 3 "Punching Balloons" with Thomas on them and a Thomas piñata. These would be a lot of fun inside or out. Happy with my cart full I headed to check out.
   Next stop before babysitting was back to Walmart. This time I was in search of something Thomas like I could put on his cake. It didn't take long to find a cute Thomas train with a cart pulling a cake. I decided to put that on the cake and use the train track that was in the box as decoration to put on the grass cake as well. We also bought a couple boxes of confetti cake mix and the squirt can frosting for easy and quick decorating, and of course blue and green sprinkles.
   After Mason was in bed Friday I started baking cupcakes and decorating the house. By 11:00 I was exhausted. I decided to frost the cupcakes Saturday and head to bed.
   The next morning Mason, his dad and I all walked down stairs together. As Mason came around the corner at the end of the stairs and looked into the living room and saw all the decorations he stopped and said, "wwooooowww!!!!" It was the cutest thing ever, and I wish we would've had the video camera on! The rest of the day was a blur. We went for a run, picked up the cake, cleaned, cleaned cleaned and got Mason back in bed for a nap by noon. Then I started getting ready for the party while Corey shopped and did yard work. By 3:30 we were exhausted but the house looked amazing and guests were arriving.
  The party turned out wonderful, the kids covered themselves in train tattoos and played all afternoon. We had no rain and everyone seemed to have a really nice time together.

  It's now Monday and the house is still decorated with Thomas the Train, but it will have wait another day because today Mason and I area babysitting again, and after that we're headed to Michael's to return all the Mickey party favors I bought. Guess it wasn't the "amazing find" I originally thought it was...
 

A Special Day

   It's been a busy spring so far. Mason's dad, Corey, and I are planning to get married this August! I'm so excited! We're planning an outdoor country wedding at my grandma's place. It's my favorite place to be, 20 acres of trees, fields and hidden little springs surround her beautiful big yard and perfect little barn that my grandpa built when they first moved to the property 50+ years ago. All in all, to me, it's the perfect place to get married.
   With that comes a lot of work.
   The barn needs painted, an old shed needs cleaned out, taken apart and everything hauled to the dump. The yard needs some serious TLC, along with planting flowers and an endless list of other things to be done. There's so much to do that I decided to make a "task list" and each week assign myself a task to get done.
   This week, paint the barn. Sunday my mom and grandma picked out the paint and got all the supplies together at her house. Then I decided that I would paint on Monday because it was going to be really warm and one of the only days without rain this week. While planning this paint day I was somewhat ignoring the fact I would have to get the barn painted with my little 2 year old helper Mason.
   Monday morning as Mason slept in, I packed the truck full of extra clothes, toys, gluten free food, blankets, a pack n play, sunblock, the dog, and plenty of other things to make this day as easy as possible. Then I got a phone call from my dad. He didn't have to work that day and was headed up to Grandma's to help me paint! Thankful for that, I got Mason out of bed and we headed up the canyon.
   When we got there Mason was really excited to see Great Grandma and my dad, "Papa". He was most excited to see the cows he had been talking about the entire drive there. After I slathered a thick layer of sunblock on Mason we headed out to the garden where I dumped all his toys out to play. This way I could lock him in the garden area with me while I painted the barn. Then I wouldn't have to worry about him getting into something dangerous or wondering off. I thought he would love this, he was outside, he could run, get dirty and basically do whatever he wanted. Turns out, this was the one day he didn't want to play outside. Less than an hour of being there he was totally done and ready to go into the house.
   My grandma didn't mind being inside with him, so off they went. Now my grandma is wonderful but she is 89, and Mason is almost 2 and full of trouble. I was very worried about what he would do. Would he throw a car at her head? Or hit her, or something new that I'm not even thinking about. After about 30 minutes of pondering this while I painted, I told my dad I had to go check on them. He agreed it was a good idea, and with that I headed up to the house. As I opened the side door and snuck in I was shocked to see Mason playing nicely and quietly with blocks. Confused, I headed back outside before I was seen and the good behavior ruined. My grandma followed me out and said he was being really good and was just playing with the blocks. I informed her to come get me if things changed, and then headed back down to the barn for more painting.
   Over the next couple of hours I would sneak into the house to see how he was doing. Each time I was pleasantly surprised to find him playing nicely. After lunch I tried to lay Mason down for a nap but he wash't going to sleep today. We still had a couple hours of work left and I was worried the good behavior was over now that he was tired. My grandma told me he would be fine, so my dad and I headed back out to finish up.
   As we were painting, my dad and I had a lot of time to just talk to each other. He told me about his new job that he loved and how nice the guys all were. He told me about my late grandpa, (who is my mom's dad, but MY dad really looked up to him). He told me about all the things my grandpa could fix and make and do. As my brush painted over the same wood my grandpa had driven nails into so many years ago I couldn't help but feel grateful for this day. My dad and I rarely get to spend the day together talking, and Mason never spends time with just him and his great grandma.
   With that, I decided I better go check on him again. This time as I walked quietly through the kitchen I didn't hear him talking or playing. I peeked around the corner into the living room to find him sitting with my grandma in her chair. She had him cradled like a baby and was rocking him. I couldn't believe it! Ever since he was a newborn he has hated to be cradled and rocked! He never lets me rock him and here he is being as sweet as can be while she rocks away with him!
   I almost got a little mad for a minute, until I realized how dumb I was being. I headed back out without being seen by Mason and told my dad what I had witnessed. He was surprised too, and we were both grateful he was being so good and that we were almost done.
It was late afternoon by this point and we were both tired, hot and sweaty. As we cleaned up I stepped back to look at the freshly painted barn. It turned out perfect. What a wonderful day. So rarely do I slow down and take a look around at the things that matter. A day spent with my dad, working on grandma's place while Mason had the opportunity to just be with his great grandma. A day spent strengthening family relationships and creating memories. How silly was I to think I'd just be painting a barn...

Gluten Free, Organic and Grandma...

  I'm slowly getting the hang of a gluten free menu. The taste not so much, but we're working on that. I can see that if this is going to be his diet I will be doing more cooking than normal. Gone are the rushed morning where he would eat a bagel or dry cereal in the car. This is probably all for the best because I should always make time to sit down and eat a real breakfast with Mason. The frustrating part is that he usually doesn't even want whatever I've taken the time to make him. (Gluten free or not)
  Along this journey I've taken the time to read the ingredients in almost every food I currently have or have picked out in the grocery store. This has been a real eye opener! It has made me realize something I knew but ignored for convince and taste sake. Let's be real, 90% of food in the aisles of grocery stores are so packed with chemicals/acids and other unnatural ingredients it's no wonder so many people are unhealthy. By sticking to the the outsides of the store while shopping you're basically shopping in the produce, meat, dairy and bread sections. I've also been so disgusted with my findings in all this food research that I have been making the change to more organic choices. Especially milk! If you're a milk drinker or your child is I can not stress enough to buy organic! I feel like I've been serving Mason a little bit of poison with each glass before switching to organic. (Ok I may be exaggerating a tad, but not much).  Produce and meat are the next big chemical/steriod holders. It does take more time and it does cost a little more, but in the end you can't put a cost of your family's health.
   I often think of my grandma. She will soon be 89 and is in basically perfect health. Yeah she's a little slow and a little forgetful but she's almost 89! She's never had cancer, allergies etc (knock on wood, i feel like I'm possibly jinxing her).
  Now a days not too many people make it through their life with this good of health. So, what has made her so fortunate? I believe our family can thank genetics for some, but I also think it's something else in particular with her. For most of her life she's had a garden and canned a lot of food. They also use to raise their own beef. She's always been active and a hard worker. Another thing I take into consideration is that there wasn't a McDonalds and Starbucks at every corner offering to serve her a helping of processed foods and chemicals since she was a child. I think she has basically ate natural organic foods without really thinking about it for the majority of her life because that's all there was.
  Yes, you may think I've gone to the extreme on this subject so let me clarify a little. I drink Starbucks more than I should. I still eat things that I know are not the best choice and I used to take Mason to fast food chains. My grandma shops at regular grocery stores and eats things that are not organic or all natural. I just think in comparison we have a lot more unhealthy choices than she did. I also think if everyone could eat homegrown natural food like when Gram's was growing up more people might be as fortunate to have better health like her.
   I can only pray that when I'm 89 I'm doing as well as she is....
   Until then, Mason will continue Gluten Free because his rash has gone away everywhere except one spot on his leg. I will continue to make the transition to organic a little at a time, but I know for now Starbucks will continue to be my guilty pleasure...

Day 3: Gluten Free

    Well day 3 into our gluten free trial seems to be showing some progress. Maybe I'm just hopeful but the rash seems a little less red today. In some spots it looks as though its almost completely faded.

     I'm hoping this trial works, but a little part of me (the selfish part) doesn't want to have to deal with food allergies. He's difficult enough with everyday life, I don't need more added to it. I'm sure once I figure it out it won't seem that hard, my biggest challenge is finding a variety of foods that he will actually eat. Thank goodness he can still eat yogurt and cheese. 

    The hardest part for Mason so far is that he can't have goldfish crackers or "cupcakes". He calls cake pops, cookies, etc "cupcakes". I just try to keep them out of sight, but he's a little smarty. Good thing here in Mac there is a cupcake shop that is all gluten free/nut free and vegan. They also have a great play area for kids and mini cupcakes which are perfect for a busy guy like Mase who although loves them, doesn't have time to sit and eat. They're good for moms too who are trying to watch how many calories we cram in our mouths each day. 

    So gluten free will continue on. Tomorrow is Easter and I got him a little candy for his basket. That wasn't too hard to find gluten/wheat free. He doesn't get a lot of candy anyway. Probably he'll be most excited to be outside and to have plastic eggs and a basket to play with. 

    

Gluten Free, Day 1

  Two weeks ago Mason developed a rash on his face. Then came an ear infection, no cold symptoms, just an ear infection. After "treating" him for a potential yeast infection, eczema, and changing his laundry detergent to "free and clear hypoallergenic", and changing his milk, I am left with a rash that has not gotten any better, and is now on his arms and legs.
  A trip to the pediatrician was a good waste of overpriced diesel and precious time. His regular doctor is out on maternity leave so we got to see the arrogant doctor who never seems to care much about his patients. He told me to pick up an over the counter steroid cream and try that for 3 days, and sent me off with some ear drops for the ear infection.
  No big surprise the steroid cream did nothing. The ears seem slightly better, I'm hoping by day 5 of treatment they will be completely better.
  So, after a whole lot of reading and research I see that there is a high possibilty he has a gluten/wheat allergy. Some symptoms that fit Mason were, eczema and or a rash, ear infections, constipation then diarrhea then constipated again, irritable and whiney, etc. I'm listing these symptoms because I was surprised to find that these could all be pointing to a gluten and/or wheat allergy. It could also be a number of other things, but all I can do is cross one thing off at a time. I do know that he recently developed a ketchup allergy. More likely its the acidic tomato part that he has an allergy to, but I know that ketchup makes the rash worse within minutes.
  Anyway, this afternoon I went to the health food store and stocked up on gluten free/wheat free groceries for Mason. I'm going to give this 2 weeks. In that time I'll be keeping a food diary and be making notes about his behavior and the rash. I'll continue to use the eczema wash and lotion because it won't make anything worse. The lotion is so moisturizing I wouldn't mind using it on myself if it wasn't so expensive. (It's the Aveeno baby eczema moisturizing lotion by the way).
  I'm hoping he won't have to eat gluten free forever. For one, he's already an extremely finicky eater. For two, it's so expensive! A loaf of bread (that he probably won't even like) was $6.99! Just for one loaf! But in the end, whatever is going to make him feel better and get better is worth it, no matter how expensive.
  So, gluten/wheat free......here we come, for the next 2 weeks at least....

Drinks and Eyeshadow

Leaving the gym one morning I decided I would try one of the bottled beverages they sold. Scanning my options, I decided to go with Neuro Energy. It was lightly carbonated and I love carbonated drinks plus it only had 35 calories per bottle. All natural and full of vitamins (lots of B vitamins) I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was. Not only that but it replaced my morning coffee. I never even got a headache and I felt great all day. At $2.50 per bottle this could be a spendy new habit, however it would be cheaper than buying coffee and less calories....I can basically justify anything. Plus maybe I can find coupons for it or buy it at Costco.
My next great find...Loreal Infallible Eyeshadow. I love pretty eyeshadow but hate how it never lasts even 1/2 a day! Even Mac doesn't always last. I decided I'd give Loreal's a try, I had a coupon anyway. It's my new favorite, around $6.00 at Walmart and it actually lasted all day! Not only that but the colors are gorgeous! Seriously worth getting a couple shades and trying it for yourself. I did need a thicker brush and had to be more careful when applying because this stuff is pretty powerful.
So go out, try a new drink and buy some new eyeshadow. You just might love it.

Welcome back to the gym...

There is a gym in town I've had my eye on since moving to Mac in 2010. It's a women only gym, and it offers many different classes, tanning, personal training and of course cardio machines, weights etc. The best part? They also offer child care! The not so best part? It was a lot more than I had ever paid for a gym membership. $60 joining fee, then depending on which you chose, around $50 a month. Childcare is $1.50 per visit.
I'm cheap when it comes to gyms, (and other things), so I just couldn't make myself pay a $60 joining fee. I felt $50 a month was a lot but it did give me access to any/all the classes I wanted.
I decided for $0 a month I could run outside and do sit ups, push ups etc in my living room.
That's what I've been doing until this week...
The gym was having a Valentine's Special!! Nothing says Happy Valentine's Day like a gym membership! Some girls want candy, jewelry, flowers and so on from their man, not me, I want the gym membership! And that's just what I got!! (although he also got me cupcakes, Starbucks cup AND some beautiful flowers). Anyway I was finally headed back to the gym!!
This week I've tried the Core and More class followed by Zumba. Loved it! Then I tried cycling, so hard!! I only got half way through the class though because Mason wouldn't stop crying in the daycare. Turns out he'd rather we were still running outside and doing sit ups and push ups in the living room, where he body slams me and crawls all over me while I'm actually trying to workout.
Anyway, by the 3rd visit Mason was crying in the truck as soon as we pulled into the parking lot! I'd say, " yeah let's go play with some friends!!" he'd reply, " nooo nooo bye!" followed by more crying. I couldn't believe it! He had kids his age to play with, along with tons of toys, balls, movies if he wanted and even crafts and snacks! Heck, maybe I'll just go to the daycare...
Getting worried he would never like daycare and I would never get through an entire workout, I pulled out the big guns. I took a binky, "B" as he calls it, from his bed and put it in my pocket before we left. Mason LOVES his Bs so much, and only gets them in bed, so although I was possibly creating a terrible habit and setting up for bigger problems later, I decided to take it with me.
As usual he cried when he saw where we were, he cried at the front desk, and all the way up the stairs to daycare. He was pretty upset by the time I was signing him in and trying to talk to the teacher, who by the way, looked super NOT excited to see the boy who never stops crying. Then I pulled out "B" gave it to the teacher and told her to just give it to him, show him where the balls are, and if he's still crying in 15 minutes I'd be down in the gym. With that I handed him over, sobbing and all red saying "no no", and headed out the door.
2 minutes later I heard the daycare call the front desk. I couldn't believe they were already paging me to come back and get him!! But I was pleasantly surprised! He had already calmed down and was playing! They just wanted me to know he was doing great and to enjoy my workout!
I felt like I conquered the world! Well maybe not, but I was so happy I was going to be able to keep coming to the gym!
I think I'll take "B" for a few more visits, until he's more comfortable and then hopefully it won't be a problem when "B" stays home in bed.
Here's hoping anyway....

Beating Cabin Fever

As January comes to an end and we head into February I'm quickly growing tired of our Northwest winter and ready to skip spring and just head into Summer.
I enjoy a little rain and the mild winter we've had for the most part but now I'm over it and so is Mason.
There are only a number of things to do indoors with an active/short attention span/too smart for their young age (20 months) little boy.
We have built everything possible out of legos, played more "basketball" than I ever have and played with all the toys from Christmas so much that neither of us care to even get them out anymore.
So I thought I'd change things up, get out of the house...
First stop, "Tiny Tots", an indoor play area for toddlers/preschool kids. This place was great! First visit was free, it was close to home, and there was so much to do! Everything from slides, cars, train sets, play kitchens, houses, tools, mail boxes, babies and cars to ride in! Tons of learning toys, books, balls, etc! Mason (and I) had a blast! I was seriously considering a 6 month membership, (only $45!) until we got home. Mason was suddenly sick! Fever, didn't want to eat, and fell asleep before I even left his room! (from past posts you'll remember he never goes to sleep without a fight). He stayed sick for days!!! Fevers even with medications, wouldn't eat, lost weight and was up all night! The doctor was stumped, we waited it out, then did bloodwork and X-rays to find everything came back normal. Then by day 14 he quit having fevers and started eating a little. Who knows what he caught or if he caught it from there. All I know is he's been healthy until we went there, and we're not going back.
Next, I decided to head to the community pool. Family Swim is a time for parents and kids to swim together so we headed down one evening to try it out. Only $3.75 and we had a blast! Mason loves the water! He "swims" and jumps in and has so much fun. I never let his head go in the water though. He has tubes in his ears and really shouldn't even be swimming but seriously, we're going crazy in the house!
Probably before we visit the pool again I'll get his ears checked and get some plugs because he didn't sleep well last night and today I noticed his ear smelled like an old rotten band aid (so gross I know, I'm sorry).
Hopefully we can continue to swim. And until summer is here, we will continue to take advantage of sunny days outside and play dates with Mason's cousin.

Couponing

So it's been awhile since my last post, what have we been up to? Couponing! Yup, I've crossed into the land of no return...coupon land. I can no longer pay full price for most foods, and baby products. I have a lifetime supply of tampons, pads and razors. I have 5-6 bottles of shampoo and conditioner and tons of bodywash, all of which I pretty much got for free. This is just the beginning....
So, how do you get started? Well, I get as many Sunday papers as possible, actually I just want the coupons. Then you clip clip clip coupons! It's really time consuming and I HIGHLY recommend waiting until all small children are in bed. I then organize them into different categories; Food, Baby products, cosmetics, etc. Then check all your local grocery ads for sales. I've found Albertsons has the best sales, and they also have coupons you can pair with your manufacturers coupons to Double them! Safeway is pretty strict but still worth looking at. Winco takes coupons too, but they don't have sales and you can't double them but their prices are so low on some items it works out. I've found they're the cheapest by far for all Pillsbury items.
Rite Aid and Walgreens are the places to go for shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, over the counter meds, razors etc. Pick one store, sign up for their rewards program, study their ads and get couponing!!
Today I saw Walmart was selling Colgate toothpaste for $0.98, and I have a $1.00 off coupon so I'd be making $0.02 on each tube. Those are things to look for.
You have to clip a lot of coupons and have then easily accessible and be patient. I've found it takes me a few hours to organize my coupons and shopping lists each week. I've been saving about $80 a week and getting more food than I used to. I was always super stingy when it came to buying cereal, chips, fruit snacks, granola bars, etc. Right now we have about 10 boxes of cereal, tons of fiber one bars, granola bars, Nature Valley bars etc., and none of it was more than $0.88 each, some were free.
If you have time and want to do it, cutting all those coupons does pay off. Be careful though, you will cringe when/if you have to pay full price. It's also very addicting. I have to remember my voice of reason (also known as my boyfriend) and ask myself, " do we NEED that?" because you will want everything if you can get it free or almost free.
Oh, you can also sign up for more coupons online and print them off. There's tons of websites, I just use the ones that I can print instantly.
So, if you decide to coupon, good luck and I hope you never feel sadness of missing a sale or finding your coupon has expired....

Nap Time aka Momma vs Mason

Why is it so difficult for Mason to lay down and just go to sleep? It doesn't matter how tired he is or what's going on, getting him to actually go to sleep is such a battle!!
Once or twice a week he'll lay down and just take a nap. Makes me optimistic that this will be his new thing, sleeping when he's supposed to. Then the next day he proves me wrong. He used to take 2 naps a day! Those were the good ol days! Then a few months ago he started taking 1 nap in the afternoon, which is fine, when he actually sleeps!
Around 1:00 I make him some warm milk and we go upstairs, put comfy clothes on, new diaper and he goes to bed. I turn on his night time music and his turtle star light and after a kiss goodnight I tell him, "it's time for sleeping, so go to sleep". He must not listen, because his normal response is to drink his milk, then stand up and throw his cup at the wall as hard as he can. Followed by his pillow, Scout (his musical doggy) and his "Bs" (binky). Then he cries because he doesn't have his "B". I've grown to ignore this, and he's grown to take his pants off and throw those out too! Usually he'll take a big poop about this time, forcing me to come in, change him, gather everything off the floor and try it again.
There's been times he's so tired he can hardly stand up, so he rests his head and most of his weight on the rail, in an effort to keep standing.
My mom used to tell me he just wasn't tired. It annoyed me because it doesn't matter how tired he is or isn't, he just has a very difficult time settling down and going to sleep! Now that she's spent a lot of "quality time" with Mase she understands.
Bed time is basically the same scenario. He's a little better though.
I've been waiting for this guy to take a peaceful nap since the first day he was born and the nurse said, "oh he's going to fall asleep soon and he'll want to sleep for up to 12 hours, so you'll have to wake him to feed him." Hey nurse! He still hasn't done that yet, it's been 18 months, I don't think it's going to happen :(

Cold morning run

The past few mornings have been extremely cold! I'm not complaining, I love cold sunny weather, it's just made my morning workout a little more work.
I always take Mason with me on a run or walk in his stroller. If it rains, I have a rain cover, when it's sunny he has hats and sunglasses, and when it's just plain cold, he has lots of layers!
Yesterday, he wore his plaid Christmas pajamas, with socks and monster slippers, fleece jacket, striped gloves, and striped hat with his hood over that. He was also sitting on a blanket and had another blanket on top of him. Then, in order to keep him from taking his gloves off I had to make sure those busy hands and teeth would be occupied with a baby teether.
By the time I get dressed and get him wrangled, dressed and actually in the stroller, my heart rate is up and I'm ready to go!
Winter wear can get expensive fast. So, over the past few weeks I've been visiting some consignment shops. I've found some amazing items that are basically brand new for super cheap. It's been more than worth it to look around at the different shops. My favorite find so far are the little snow mittens with Velcro straps. Not only are they difficult for mason to get off his hands but they're also water proof! He can chew on them the entire time and his hands stay dry and warm!
Currently I'm on the hunt for a one piece snow suit. Last year I had one for him and it was so much easier than dealing with all the layers. I've found every size except 2T! I'm picky tho, I won't pay more than $12-$15 for it so we'll see if I can find one.

"Just Cut The Feet Off"

About 5-6 weeks ago I bought Mason 5 new zip up fleece sleepers. (Costco $8 and totally adorable)
Anyway, either he has grown very fast or the feet have shrunk because his little toes are getting smashed. I think they shrunk because his shoes still fit fine. This is frustrating because the rest of the sleeper still has room to grow. Not to mention they're practically new still! I've been wondering should I cut a little slit right at the end so his toes can peek out? Maybe I should just fold them up and put them in storage or pass them along to his baby cousin. Then what? Buy more sleepers? What size though? The next size up would be HUGE on him, except for the feet. Maybe I'm thinking way too much about this...Then my mom said, "just cut the feet off". I cringed a little. I can't just cut the cute lil footsies off! Then his feet will get cold (he won't leave socks on) and he'll look silly! Not that it really matters what he looks like in pajamas but I still care. I've heard other people say they cut the feet off their kids pajamas but I kind of thought it was a joke.
In the end I cut the feet off of ONE sleeper. It was hard and I can't say I like it. However, it's better than buying a bunch of new sleepers or having scrunched toes. I'll most likely cut the rest, I'm just not ready yet.

Christmas Shopping

Last Sunday I noticed the big toy ad/books in the newspaper and started flipping through. Now, this may sound bad, but I wasn't planning on buying Mason much for Christmas. Maybe just some clothes because he could always use clothes. He's still too young to really know what presents are and I buy him stuff all year, no need to go crazy this Christmas.
Well, all that logical thinking went out the window the more I "flipped through" the toy books. I soon had a pen and was marking pages and wanting to buy for people I don't usually even buy for! Mason soon needed the Rockin Rider 3 in 1 Durango Pony from Target. If I buy it before 11/23 it's only $69.99! Reg price $109.99! Bargain!!
He also needs the 3 in 1 CAT Dump Truck Ride On, $36.99 at Target with coupon! I think I saw this at Costco tho, so I'll have to check their price. Mason and his cousin Ira also need the Step 2 Wagon for Two, regularly $59.99 but at Target with your coupon and in store price cut it's only $45! What a great gift to keep at grandmas!
I took this to the next level. I actually went to Target to load up on all these items and much more that wasn't in the book. However, to my disappointment Target doesn't have layaway! I thought every store had layaway!? Apparently not. They do offer a credit card so you can pay for your gifts 2 or 3 times over with their wonderfully high interest rate! No worries though, you get an entire 5% off your purchase! Hmmm no thanks. I don't use credit cards anymore and I like it.
So, as of now Mason didn't get all the gifts he suddenly needed. (I did manage to pick up a hotdog costume for $1.40!! All costumes 90% off!!)
Anyway, I'll probably go to walmart or kmart if I want to use layaway or I'll just gov with my original plan and not really buy much this year. I do love giving presents though!
Guess I'll wait and see what this Sunday's paper has to bring me, and re evaluate my plan from there!

6 Months of Sickness

  Over the last year Mason has been to the doctor more times than I can remember. It all started in April when he started a new daycare. I visited twice before he started going there. I was not impressed with the cleanliness of the place, or lack of I should say. Sadly it was the best pick from what I had to choose from. He of course became sick the first week of attending. I wasn't surprised or too discouraged at this. However, looking back that was only the beginning of a sickness that would last the next 6 months.
  I kept him home a few days until his snot was clear, his cough was gone and he no longer had a fever. Then back to work for me and back to daycare for him. I was frustrated when I would pick him up after work and his hands and clothes would be filthy. I would scrub him down with baby wipes and hand sanitizer then change him into his spare clothes before even getting in the car. Crazy? Maybe, but it's just the way I am. After his first week back to daycare he again became sick over the weekend, but by Wednesday seemed better enough to go back. I really needed to get back to work. (I had been missing A LOT of work due to daycare difficulties-hence the new daycare)
  Anyway, it was pointless because by lunch time he had a fever and was very fussy and I had to leave work again to go pick him up. I took him to the doctor. He had a virus but also a double ear infection. He was prescribed Amoxicillin and I left feeling a little better...a little hopeful that I would one day soon get back to work. Also I didn't like paying for daycare that I wasn't able to use.
  The following week I went back to work, Mason went back to daycare and actually made it through the week. By the weekend he had a runny nose again and was not sleeping well. Wasting no time I took him back to the doctor. He had caught another virus (apparently this is "normal") but his ear infection had not gone away with the Amoxi. In fact it was much worse. So she prescribed the next step up on the antibiotic ladder. 10 days later, back for recheck, ear infections still there. I may as well been giving him water because the antibiotics were doing nothing. Well, not nothing, they gave him nasty diarrhea. The doctor then pulled out the big guns and told me this was the strongest antibiotic she was going to give him. I was not at all happy to be giving him all these medications especially so early in life and one after another. What was I going to do though? He couldn't just suffer with these ear infections forever. So, many diarrhea diapers and a horrendous yeast infection later he no longer had an ear infection! The antibiotic actually worked! (So did the oral anti fungal medication I had to give for the yeast infection, because topical cream wasn't enough.)
  Back to work and back to daycare we went! A couple weeks later he was getting sick again. I couldn't believe it! I was more than frustrated. The receptionist at the doctors office knew my voice by now, I didn't even have to say who I was when I called or who his doctor was. (I never wanted to be the annoying parent that calls and calls and calls). I scheduled another recheck, and by this time he was also vomiting spontaneously. For instance he threw up at daycare so they called me and I left work to pick him up. Never threw up again for 3 or 4 days. Then out of nowhere he would throw up.
  This went on for weeks. I was paying for daycare that I couldn't take him to and missing out on work. I'd burned through all my vacation hours and my boss's patience. I was simply treading water, trying to stay afloat while bricks were being thrown at me. Then came my life saver! My wonderful niece Iris! Every summer her and her brother come down for a few weeks. She had babysat Mason the summer of 2010 and I got lucky enough to have her watch him again! I was so relieved! Finally I could go to work and I knew he was well taken care of, would be clean, and take his naps! He still was sick most of the summer with mild colds (not allergies) and would vomit occasionally. But good little Iris took wonderful care of him while I was at work.
  I never understood why people would want a nanny. I love being the person that takes care of my baby. I love that he depends on me and that I'm the comforting person he wants more than anyone else. However; after having Iris' help I was quickly spoiled and SO SAD when she had to leave. Besides her helping with Mason, she was so fun to hang out with! It's nice to have some company besides the baby. But she had to go home to start her senior year!
  With that, Mason returned to daycare :(
   By this time I had found a new place to take him! It was much more expensive but totally worth it! It was an in home daycare. The person I had known for years, and her daughter and I were best friends since 2nd grade. Not only did I love the new daycare but Mason loved it too! Maybe because he was a little older or maybe because it was THAT much better, but he loved going!
   It wasn't all sunny and rainbows though. He did get sick again the first week. A little cold. It passed and I only missed a few days at work. Then came the ear infection!!!!
  Back to the doctor! This time she started with the "big guns". Unfortunately it didn't clear up like it had in the past. He still got the nasty diarrhea and the ragging yeast infection though! So, she tried another antibiotic that also did nothing beneficial. We were then referred to the Ear Nose and Throat doctor. From there we were informed that Mason would need tubes put in. "A simple anesthetic procedure" and this problem should be solved. "Should" being the key word there. 
   The tubes were put in, the surgery went well, and Mason had a new fear for the doctor. Actually it's anyone wearing blue rubber gloves or a light on their head. (Through all of this he always loved the dr, until he had surgery). A few days of puss-like drainage from his ears was to be expected. When it had been almost a week of drainage I took him back in for a culture of the fluid because that was not normal.  The next day we had results and a new antibiotic was prescribed. This one was much more mild (Cephalexion) and didn't really cause any side affects that I noticed.
  November 3rd, I took Mason back to the specialist for another follow up. The doctor informed me for the first time since this all started in April that he was healthy and had no sign of an ear infection. The tubes were open and in place and working properly! NO ANTIBIOTIC NEEDED!!!
  I've never been so happy leaving the doctor! Now that cold/flu season is among us I'm well equipped with hand sanitizer and baby wipes. I will also ask that your germy gross baby keep a safe and sanitary distance from my immune deficient one.
Thank You!

November 1!

   Well Halloween is officially over. I'm kind of sad but there's lots of holiday fun to look forward to. Yesterday Mason, my cousin Siriana and I went to the Deepwood Halloween party! It wasn't everything I was expecting but it was still fun. Mason received a goodie bag when we got there. There was coloring, yummy cookies, popcorn and candy. We then walked down to a big tent filled with face painting, a clown that was making balloon animals, live music, and more treats! Up at the Deepwood house was story telling on the porch with apple cider and cookies. Although we had fun, I think kids ages 3-6 would have more fun. I mean honestly, Mason's favorite part was probably the puddles of water and picking up rocks and leaves. He also really liked climbing the stairs up to the house.
  After we left the party Siriana and I strolled Mason around Bush Park. Hopefully I walked off the sugar cookie I ate, but probably not the candy I had later that night...

Welcome to my blog...

Hi, welcome to my blog. I'm 27 and have an extremely active 18 month old boy, Mason. I've worked off and on full time and part time since Mason was born and am currently not working so I can be home with him.
 This month Mason and I (and my mom) have been doing a tour of local pumpkin patches. First we visited Fordyce Farms in Salem. Small and family owned/operated. There's a store with an assortment of produce, coffee, gifts and the most wonderful pastries ever made. I tried a Raspberry scone-delish! Most definitely the best scone I have ever had. Fresh raspberries perfectly wrapped into a soft dough then baked to perfection create this mouth watering treat. It will make you kick your diet to the curb and go back and decide to buy the blackberry apple pie that was eyeing you as you came in, (or maybe that was just me). The pie was just as delicious by the way, crust was perfection! They also offer a oatmeal scone which is their best seller and was actually sold out when I was there. Besides all the food, there is a hay maze for young kids, and a big hay pyramid. The pyramid has tunnels in it (very dark inside) that lead to different areas, or you can just climb up from the outside-in the light. They also offer a tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch or you can walk. Pumpkins were very reasonably priced and many great ones to pick from. On the weekends they also offer pony rides, and there were other fun small activities going on. Great place to visit!
  Next we all headed to E.Z. Orchards in Salem. Much bigger place! They have a larger store year around that offers a variety of produce, unique fun gifts, pastas, beverages, etc. They also have a big assortment of OSU and UofO themed items, and fresh made in the store doughnuts. Outside the store was the Harvest Fest. It cost $7 per person to get in, 2 and under free. Once inside all the activities were free, but there was also food and drinks you could buy. This would be a fun place to take a family and spend the day. They offered a huge corn maze, pony rides, and many other activities.
 The following Saturday we convinced grandma to go along with us to Bauman Farms! We got there at 10am and the fields were already filling up with cars, (they open at 9am). This place was HUGE and amazing! By far the best place we visited! There was so much to do and see that we didn't even do it all! HUGE farm store filled with food, candy, homemade fudge, fresh produce, fresh baked cookies, doughnuts and other amazing treats. They also had tons of holiday decor, plants and thousands of pumpkins!! When we first arrived my mom and I just looked around in awe not really sure which way to go. There were huge tunnel slides (way too scary for Mason), pedal cars on a track, rock climbing walls, hay mazes, dark mazes, train rides etc!! Good thing we looked at the map online before we headed out. Probably we should've printed it. They also had  atms available which was super convenient for me! We played in the forts, went down a small (but still quite scary fast) slide, spent a long time in the petting zoo, and got real dirty at the playground! This would be a wonderful place to spend the day no matter how old someone is. We were there for 2 hours and didn't come close to doing or seeing everything, but Mason was very tired and it was time to change clothes and head home.
 The weekend after that Mason, his dad and I went to Heiser Farms in Dayton. Actually it's out on Grande Island but it's a Dayton address if you were to look it up. This is a smaller family farm with lots to offer! Petting zoo, pony rides, hay maze, pedal tractors for toddlers, train rides, huge corn maze, small store with food and crafts, and on the weekends they have pumpkin cannons and helicopter rides. There is a charge for a few things, like the helicopter ride is $20, the pony ride is $3. They also have a huge pumpkin patch with a variety of different kinds of pumpkins and gourds. To go with it there are a few fun ways to get down to the pumpkin patch; tractor pulling a trailer, mules pulling a trailer and an old steam engine tractor pulling a trailer. Fun and a little different at this farm compared to the others. I will say their pumpkins were somewhat picked over by the 3rd wkend in October and on the weekends the price is 25 cents/lb while weekdays it's only 15 cents/lb. Still a great place to visit and almost everything was free so paying a little more for the pumpkin is fair.
 Now tomorrow is Halloween so I guess our pumpkin patch tour has come to an end. Next year I'll most likely visit them all, (maybe not E.Z. orchards), and hopefully a few more. To end our fun tour Mason and I will be checking the newspaper tomorrow for a Halloween party to attend during the day, then off to trick or treat at night. He doesn't really get candy and I don't need to eat a bunch of candy but we'll be going non the less! Happy Halloween!