A Giveaway | Gadanke Birthday Journal

April is a popular birthday month in our circle of friends and family.

So when, Katie Clemons, the creator of Gadanke journals, approached me about giving away a birthday journal here on my blog, I couldn't say Yes! fast enough.

This Gadanke journal makes it oh-so-fun and easy to document a child's birthday.

Here's a peek at the contents of the kit:



In addition to the "It's My Birthday" paper kit, this giveaway includes twelve writing prompt pages and 30 minutes of private video courses with tutorials and inspiration.

Here's how to enter the giveaway:
Leave a comment below answering this question, What birthday tradition does your child love right now? (If you are reading this post on Facebook or e-mail, please come to my blog to leave a comment.)

This giveaway is not limited to US residents; anyone worldwide can win. 

Comments will be closed on Tuesday, April 14th @ 6:00 pm PST and the winner's name will be posted the following day. Please be sure to check back or subscribe to see if you have been selected to receive this giveaway.

Good luck!

*All photos courtesy of Gadanke.

**This post contains affiliate links. What does that mean? If you click on any link and make a purchase, I'll receive a small commission--with no extra cost to you--which helps to keep my blog humming along. Thanks, in advance, for your support!  

Noah's 3rd Birthday Party

At the moment, I have 73 blog posts in my drafts folder. Eeek! (In all fairness, a quarter of those posts are completed and just waiting to be published on my new Wordpress site.)

Because of this, occasionally a draft post slips under the radar and doesn't get out in a timely fashion. Like this one about Noah's birthday party, which was held in early January. 

I wrote the letter that follows to Noah the day after his party, but just hadn't gotten around to editing any photos from the event. You can't have a blog post without a photo to accompany it. At least not in my little corner of the web. 

Dear Noah,

Yesterday, we celebrated your birthday among family and good friends.

We played at an indoor playground in Auburn, sliding down slides, jumping on trampolines, climbing through tunnels and throwing foam balls.

Even the big kids (the adults) got into the action!

You were running around in (what else?) your Jake costume and a Jake party hat.

It's not a party unless you're wearing a party hat, right, Noah?

You devoured a slice of pepperoni pizza, a little bit of "Jake" cake, and some vanilla ice cream.

We sang "Happy Birthday" to you, and you sang right along with us with a huge grin on your face.

You tore open your presents like a boss (you had lots of practice the week of Christmas!), and delighted in receiving more new toys.

Your favorite, I think, was the "Jake" spyglass from your grandma and grandpa.  (It's now March and you still love that thing!)

Daddy and I surprised you with a John Deere ride-on tractor (all your Dad's idea) and your very own trumpet. 

Seeing you so happy brought me much happiness.  Love you, sweet boy!

xoxo,
Mama

P.S. This was the first birthday party we've held in a location other than our home. I loved it for many reasons: 1) I didn't have to rush to take down all of our Christmas stuff: the tree, the decorations, the cards, etc. 2) I didn't have to clean our home. 3) I didn't have to think about the menu at all. Just buy the cake, some ice cream, and a few candles. 4) I spent less money on decorations. 5) There was very little clean-up, and once we walked out of the playground, we were completely done. No tables to take down, no folding chairs to put away, no dishes to be washed. 6) But most importantly, Noah had fun, Brian and I had fun, and our friends and family had fun. Outsourcing for the win!

*This post contains affiliate links. What does that mean? If you click on any link and make a purchase, I'll receive a small commission--with no extra cost to you--which helps to keep my blog humming along. Thanks, in advance, for your support!   

Throwback Thursday | Birthday Edition

While I don't usually participate in #tbt (Throwback Thursday), today is my birthday, so I thought I would share a childhood birthday photo.

Granted, it's not the most flattering photo of me--my eyes are closed and all--but it made me smile.

There I am blowing out my younger sister Nichole's candle, probably because I was four and Nik was one and my parents asked me to do it.  (Sometimes, I wish pictures could talk and tell you all the little details surrounding the event.  Oh wait, that's called video! HA!)

Clearly, I had already blown out my candle and I'm sure I was game to blow out another.

I love Nichole's wide eyes and joyful expression.

I love that we're both wearing our pajamas. (I'm not sure if this was in the morning or evening.)

I love that we're celebrating together.  (There were many years where we had joint parties because our birthdays are only eight days apart.)

I love that the cupcakes are homemade. (Man, a cupcake sounds really good right now!)

I love that this photo screams '80s! (It was taken in 1982.) From the couch to the table to my hairdo. The graininess makes me cringe, of course, but it certainly adds to the "antique" (or should I just say "old?") feeling of the photograph.

Both of my younger sisters were born in June. In fact, we're all born within 10 days of each other. (Yes, apparently my parents had a mating season! HA!)

Happiest of birthdays to you, Nichole and Katie!

As for me, I'm grateful for 35 trips around the sun, and looking forward to the year ahead.

What to Buy for a 2-Year-Old Boy

In April 2013, just a few months after Noah turned one, I wrote a gift guide for 1-year-olds. Now that Noah is two, I thought it would be fun to pen a gift guide for 2-year-old boys. (Although I specified "boys," most of the items on this list are appropriate for girls as well.)

Here's what I'd recommend: 

1 | Bike
Noah's big birthday present was a Strider balance bike.  I thought he'd take to it right away (because he loves riding his trikes), but he didn't. However, Noah is now nearly 29 months old (Yes, I had to count the months in my head because I don't keep track anymore!), and he rides his bike every day.  

2| Kitchen
Noah loves "cooking" in his kitchen, especially when Brian is cooking on the stove top nearby. The only downside about this kitchen is that it is more compact than I thought it would be. A larger kitchen would work better for two or more kids.

3 | Workbench
We purchased a workbench for Noah at Costco, but this one on Amazon is very similar. Right now, it's in our family room and Noah uses it often. He even flips it over and pretends it's a car!

4 | Musical Instruments
For months, Noah has shown interest in playing musical instruments--in particular, he's quite fond of the guitar. So for Christmas, we bought him this guitar. We've already had to change the batteries--that's how much he plays with it! Smile.

5 | Backpack 
My sister and brother-in-law bought Noah a personalized Pottery Barn mini backpack for his birthday. It's the cutest thing!  Noah loves wearing it, and it comes in handy when we go to the park for a picnic lunch. I pack it with our sandwiches, fruit, and snacks. In one of the outside pockets, I carry a water bottle.  In the other, I bring along a small tube of sunscreen.

6 | Books
Noah is still a big fan of board books, but he's also interested in reading books with paper pages.
Here are some of his favorite paperback and hardcover books right now:

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born
Someday
A Blessing from Above
A Pocket for Corduroy
What Do People Do All Day? (We've read this one over and over and over again!)

7 | Puzzles
This Melissa & Doug vehicle puzzle is a favorite because the pieces make noise.


8 | Indoor and Outdoors Tools
Like most 2-year-olds, Noah loves to help with both indoor and outdoor chores. Here are a few kids' tools that we are thinking about buying for Noah, so he can use them alongside Brian or me. 

Broom  
Mop

Rake
Set of tools, which includes a garden rake, leaf rake, spade, and hoe.
Leaf blower (Noah refers to it as the lawn blower.)

9 | DVDs
I'm not a big fan of screen time, but Noah watches television or a DVD while I get ready in the morning and occasionally, while I'm making dinner in the evening (that is, when Brian is at work). Having these DVDs on hand is helpful, just in case Noah isn't interested in watching the program currently playing on the Baby channel.

John Deere Tractor DVDs

Bob the Builder DVDs

Elmo DVDs

10 | Clothing
Buying clothes for a toddler is popular, but it can be tricky.  What size does the child wear?  What types of clothing does he or she need?  It's best to check with the child's parents to determine if they need or want clothing. (If you buy clothing, please be sure to include a gift receipt.)

11 | Shoes
Because kids grow so fast, shoes are almost always needed. Check with the child's parents for his shoe size.

12 | Gift Cards 
Some people think gift cards are impersonal, but I love them because it gives the child (and parents) the ability to hand select a gift.  Suggestions include: Target, ToysRUs/BabiesRUs, Lakeshore, or iTunes (for children's music).

13 | An Experience
One of the most meaningful gifts, I think, is to provide the child with an experience. Instead of buying material goods, purchase tickets for the child and his family to visit one of the following places: a nearby children's museum, exploratorium, railroad museum, indoor playground, trampoline center, water park or aquatic center. Perhaps, you could even join in the fun, too!
 
14 | Themed Gift 
Lastly, let the theme of the party be your guide. For instance, we were invited to a train party recently, so naturally, I bought a Thomas the Train toy for the birthday boy. Noah's cousin, Sammy, had a dinosaur party, so I purchased a dinosaur shirt and a few dinosaur books for him.

And one more thing...
Ask the child's parents if they've created an Amazon wish list.  I set up a wish list for Noah when he was born and ever since, I've added items he needs or things I think he'd enjoy. Not only do I add Amazon items to it, but also goods sold on other websites.

Having an up-to-date Amazon wish list is really handy--especially when Christmas or Noah's birthday approaches (he's a January baby), and people ask me what Noah would like. I can simply share his list with them via email.   

What is your favorite thing to buy for a 2-year-old boy? Please share in the comments.

Please note: This post contains affiliate links.  What does that mean?  Simply put, if you click on a link in this post and purchase that item, I earn a small commission, which helps to support this blog.

Noah's 1st Birthday Party

 Earlier this month, we celebrated Noah's first birthday with a party.

Those of you that know me well know that I like to plan parties.  (Note: I didn't say I like attending parties. On the contrary.  But I love the brainstorming, the list-making, the shopping, and the decorating that happens prior to the event.)

Back in November, I started thinking about the party's theme.


Then, in December, after perusing the internet and searching Pinterest and Etsy, I decided to go with this book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  I'm a huge picture book lover, and this is one I'm quite fond of, having read it many times as a first grade teacher.

In the weeks leading up to the party, I gathered decorating and food ideas from different blogs and websites, and pinned them to a *secret* Pinterest board.

Here are pictures from the day of the party, along with information about the decorations, invitation, and food. 


I ordered many of the paper products--including the happy birthday banner (pictured above), the plates (pictured below), the dessert napkins, and the polka dot tablecloth (pictured above and below)--from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.  The rest I bought at Party City.


A few days before Noah's party, we had his pictures taken at Picture People.  He wore a white onesie hand painted by this Etsy seller.  (By the way, I purchased the party invitation from this Etsy seller.) 

Brian made this cute balloon caterpillar for the family room.

 I made this sign for Noah's high chair using card stock and ribbon. 


I also made this collage of photos from Noah's first year of life.  I fashioned the number 1 out of leftover cardboard (which I'd saved from Costco photo orders during the year) and then attached the photos to it.  I love when I can reuse materials!

All of the other decorations have now been taken down, but this one still hangs above the fireplace because, well, it just makes me smile.  

On the food table we featured many of the fruits from The Very Hungry Caterpillar: apples, pears, grapes (instead of plums), strawberries, and oranges.  I bought the mini-food signs from this Etsy seller.   

We also had crackers, a meat and cheese tray (from Bel-Air), pickles, and smokies with BBQ sauce (in the crock-pot).   


I decorated each of the three dining tables with flowers (from Costco), mugs of lollipops, and a copy of the book.

Overall, I was happy with the caterpillar cake, which I made at home.  Brian cut a piece of wood for the base, and I wrapped it with black fabric.  The white foam letters are from my scrapbooking stash!

 After singing "Happy Birthday" to Noah and blowing out his candle, Brian fed Noah a little frosting.


This was his reaction.  And ours.  Totally hilarious!

We're so thankful for Noah, and for the wonderful year we've had with him.

We're also thankful for Noah's birth mother and the choices she made.  

To her, we say: Thank you for choosing life.  Thank you for carrying Noah for nine months.  Thank you for courageously giving birth to Noah.  Thank you for placing Noah in our care, faithfully trusting us to love him and raise him.

December Daily: Days 18-26

Woohoo!

I just finished my 2012 December Daily album.

Before I share the remaining pages of my album, here's a look at the title page: 


This photo, taken at Picture People last week, works perfectly as the first page in my album.  I just pulled the photo into Photoshop Elements, added a few words, and printed it at Costco.  (Yes, we had our holiday photos taken AFTER Christmas!  Initially, I was just going to get Noah's first birthday photos taken, but then thought, Why not do holiday photos, too?)

And now, here are days 18-26:

December 18: I made grasshopper mint chocolate bark for the first time, and it was SO easy and SO delicious!  Here's the recipe, in case you're interested in whipping up a batch. 

December 19: We're lucky to have a persimmon tree in our front yard, which produces fruit every December.  This year, Brian picked 20 persimmons off the tree!

December 20: The three of us drove to Nevada City for the day.  There, we browsed some shops, bought three Christmas books for Noah, and feasted on a slice of pizza and a calzone at Pete's Pizza.  Noah ate a bit of the pizza AND some of the calzone, too!

December 21: Our cousin, Christa, treated us to lunch at her place.  It's always fun spending time with her, and her enchiladas were awesome.  Even Noah thought so!  

December 22: We celebrated Christmas today with my dad's side of the family.  Noah loved playing with all of his cousins!

December 23: I actually took this picture on another day, but wanted to include it in my album.  Although they are rare--especially during the holiday season--low-key days, where we stay in our pajamas, play with toys, read books, and listen to Christmas music, are so much fun.   

December 24:We celebrated with Brian's family on Christmas Eve, exchanging gifts, eating, chatting, and just enjoying being together.    

December 25: After 8:00 am mass, we drove down to my parents' house where we opened presents and ate brunch before my dad left for work.


I just love this picture of McKayla in her Santa hat.  Can't believe she's in the fifth grade!  

Unfortunately, Katie and Preston couldn't be with us this Christmas.  We wanted to let them know we were thinking of them, though, so we snapped the picture above and sent it to them via text message.

Later on that day, we opened gifts with Brian's family and then headed home for dinner and more present opening!  Noah loved ripping open his gifts--once he got the hang of it.  And now, he loves ripping paper of any kind.  

December 26: Although I started brainstorming ideas for Noah's birthday party early on in December, I kicked my planning into high gear the day after Christmas.  I found so many cool ideas for the party on --where else?-- Pinterest.  There, I created a "secret" board, where I pinned my finds.  I'm planning to write a separate blog post on Noah's party soon.

I'm really happy with this super simple album.  I love that it's small.  I love that it contains lots of photos and some journaling.  I love that it documents our December days as well as Noah's first Christmas.

Here's hoping you had a magical December, and that your new year is off to a wonderful start!

 

Happy Birthday, Noah!

January 5, 2012

January 2, 2013

Happy 1st Birthday, Noah!

We love you SO MUCH!

XOXO,

Mom & Dad 

Five Lakes Hike

As you might remember, in my last post, I claimed it wasn't possible to have too many photos.

Well, apparently I was wrong--at least when it comes to my blog. 

Earlier this week, I attempted to upload 10 pictures from Brian's birthday hike.

After about five minutes, an error message popped up.  It seems I had exceeded my 1 GB of free storage capacity.

As I struggled to process this news, my thought stream went something like this:

Huh?  Whaaaaat?  Are you serious?  Noooooo!  Really?  A blog without photos? Holy sh*@!   

I was shocked.  Stunned.  Disappointed.

But not wanting to plunk down money for more storage space, I did what any stubborn (and frugal) woman would do: I tried again.  

This time, I uploaded just one photo.  Then another.  And still another--until I had five photos in my post.

Here they are:

At the Five Lakes trailhead.      

On our way to the lakes.

Enjoying cuddle time and lunch at one of the five lakes. 

A quick family photo on our way back...right before it started to rain.

The rain didn't last long, and neither did Noah.  He was asleep for most of the hike down to the car.

A few notes on our hike:

• Brian discovered this hike using an app called Every Trail.  There is a free version available, but Brian purchased the Pro version (for $3.99), hoping the three of us will go hiking more in the future.  
• Every Trail described the Five Lakes hike as easy.  I'd have to disagree.  With 900 feet of vertical climbing in the first 2 miles, you'll probably have to stop every now and again to catch your breath, but you'll get a good workout.  
• Noah LOVED traveling in this child carrier!  A big thanks to our friends, Tom and Cassie, for the awesome backpack.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate a birthday than with a family hike, followed by vanilla shakes from McDonald's.  Yum!

Happy Birthday, Brian!

Brian & Noah | Father's Day | June 2012

Today is my husband's 34th birthday.

{Happy Birthday, Babe!}

Brian is an amazing man, husband and friend.  Not to mention, a great dad.

Being that it's Brian's special day, I'm going to take this opportunity to gush a little about him.
 
As I was thinking about what I wanted to write in this post, the following question came to mind: If a stranger turned to you and said, "Tell me about your husband," what would you say?

I'd say...

He is selfless, giving generously of his time, his talent, and his treasure.  He's the kind of man who pulls over to help someone who has a flat tire or needs some gas.

He loves sports, both watching and playing.  His favorite teams are: Notre Dame, the New York Mets and the 49ers.

He enjoys a challenge.  Case in point: He completed the Tough Mudder last weekend.

He loves competition.  It seems he's always engaged in Fantasy something-or-other with his friends. 

He is a mean cook.  By that, I mean great.  I'm salivating just thinking about his honey walnut shrimp.  Yum!

He is outgoing.  He has the ability to strike up a conversation with just about anyone.

He loves technology.  His iPhone and iPad are always close by. 

He is a free spirit who dislikes planning, list-making, and schedules.  (This can be challenging married to a Type-A person like myself!)

He is a conservative, through and through.

He loves television, especially FOX News and ESPN.  

He has a green thumb, much like his father and his grandfather.

He can be stubborn.  (Then again, so can I!) 

He has faith in the Lord.  He truly believes God will provide us with what we need.

He says "whatnot" a lot.  When Brian was gone for two weeks in August, he sent me a text message with the word whatnot in it and I smiled, realizing how much I'd missed "hearing" him say that.

He is funny.  His self-deprecating humor makes people laugh.

He is a wonderful dad.  He feeds Noah, changes his diapers, plays with him, and often takes him on errands, so I can have a break.

I hope our son, Noah, grows up to be just like him.

For My Birthday

Fuller Lake

Last Tuesday was my 34th birthday.

Brian was scheduled to work that day, so we celebrated the day before, heading up to Fuller Lake to hike for a few hours.

If you're a big fan of quiet, little mountain lakes, then you'd love Fuller Lake.   

Especially if you like to fish.  As you can see in the photograph above (feel free to click on it to make it larger), out on the lake, several fly fishermen drifted along in float tubes, hoping to catch trout.

But fishing isn't my cup of tea, so we walked around the small lake instead.  The three of us made it almost two-thirds of the way around, before it was time to stop and feed Noah.  After Noah devoured his bottle, we dipped his feet in the lake and then hiked back to the car. 

That evening, Brian made dinner as well as crepes filled with ice cream for dessert.

It was a great birthday. 

But unbeknownst to me, the best was yet to come.

The next morning, on my real birthday, I awoke at 7:30 am, stumbled out of bed, and quickly walked out to the family room.  There, I found my husband sitting on the couch, feeding Noah a bottle.  I was confused--usually my husband leaves for work at 6:30 am--but there he was.

"What are you doing here?"  I muttered.

"I took the day off," Brian replied with a small grin. 

A big grin appeared on my face.

But it gets even better.

Brian explained that my birthday gift was a day off.  No diaper changes, no feedings, no Noah duty for me.  He would do it all.  Husband of the year, I tell ya.  

My response: "Oh my gosh, that's so perfect."  

And then, I headed back to bed and slept for another hour.  What can I say?  I LOVE sleep!

After that, Brian made breakfast for me--french toast, sausage and fruit.  (Isn't he the best?)

Following a long, hot shower, I tackled two DIY projects that I've been eyeing on Pinterest for some time.

Project #1:Creating a faux roman shade for the master bathroom window using this tutorial.

Here's a look at the roman shade from afar.

And two close-up shots.

Wondering how much it cost me to make this roman shade?
Here's the breakdown:
$10 for two tension rods (Target)

$7.50 for fabric (on sale--30% off--at Jo-Ann's)

$3.50 for Liquid Stitch (Jo-Ann's with 40% mailer coupon)

Total cost: $21

Project #2: Using this tutorial, I adhered a black-and-white photograph of Noah to a piece of canvas.

Unfortunately, I'm not entirely pleased with the finished product.  Here's what I'm going to try next time: I'll paint the canvas with black paint before adhering the photo.  Second, I'm going to order a larger-sized photograph.  This time around, I ordered an 8x10 photo, but it wasn't quite big enough to fully cover the 8x10 canvas.  Go figure!

Still, it was a relatively inexpensive DIY project:

$1.49 for 8x10 photo
$2.50 for 8x10 canvas

$7.50 for Liquitex Matte Varnish

Total cost: $11.49

After I finished my two DIY projects, Brian, Noah and I headed to Old Town Auburn where we strolled the streets, dipping in and out of a number of shops.  We bought a Fisher-Price activity play mat for Noah (which he adores!) at a children's consignment shop and feasted on Mexican food for dinner.

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday--two days in a row!

J

P.S. After Brian put Noah to bed on my real birthday, he turned to me, exhaustion written all over his face, and said "Next year, I'm getting you a gift."  My reply, "No-o-o-o-o!"   

Welcome, June!

Before I discuss all that I love about June, I want to first address a housekeeping item. 

Yesterday, a post from way back in 2008 entitled Mr. and Mrs. Jason Muse was published on my blog.  I apologize for any confusion; it was completely and utterly “user error.”  Ironically, we just saw Jason and Stef this weekend and they are doing well. 

Now, back to the subject of this post: June.

June is (and always has been) one of my favorite months.

Why?

It's a time for celebration! 

Every June, I celebrate getting just a little bit older.  And hopefully a little bit wiser. 

I also celebrate my two sisters' birthdays as well as Father's Day. 

In addition, it's the month when we celebrate the accomplishments of high school and college graduates.  Congrats to my cousin, Thomas, and our former neighbor, Ryan, who are both graduating from high school this month.  

And last, but not least, we officially welcome the season of summer.  

What will you be celebrating this month?

J

P.S. The photograph above was taken on a celebratory day in May: Mother's Day.  (Brian was so sweet to cook breakfast for me!)

Abracadabra!

Over the past few months, I've been taking tons of pictures with my DSLR.

Most of the time, Noah is my subject, but I also love shooting parties.

In late March, friends of ours threw a magical birthday party for their boys, Tyler (age 6) and Chase (age 2).

Magician Howdy Do Dat? presented an exciting magic show, complete with audience participation, live animals, and amazing illusions.    

Just recently, I had a bit of free time to play in Lightroom, so I edited some of the photos from that special day.  

Here are my favorite shots:

It was fun for kids and adults alike!

J