For The Love Of Blog Flash Back {May 1, 2008}

Another blast from the past with a sharing of my family blog. Way back when… Before the Dandy blog was even thought of!  Do you like that I’m sharing these?  Should I continue?  It’s all for the love of blog!  The way things used to be.  Life before the Dandy was still dandy. 

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Thursday, May 1, 2008

We Miss Gran & Boompa Already!
Banjo had such a fun time with his grandparents and he loves them so much! See how much?  You can also see some of our cute baby gifts in the background.  We are so loved!  My parents came into town the weekend before Banjo  was born and they were such a great help to us. They were a support to us at the hospital, got us all settled back in at home and even made our neglected backyard beautiful…just to name a few!!  My dad was able to stay for a week and my mom stayed to help for an additional week and a half. She just left yesterday and ever since Banjo has been wondering where she is! We can hardly wait until June to see them again.  Isn’t family the best?  Just spending time with family.  THE best.  Thanks again Mom and Dad! Mom and Dad, thank you for planting a garden and the yard decorations and making our home that much more dandy!  We couldn’t have done it without you!!!

So sad to leave Gran at the airport!

Saranoni Muslin Receiving Blanket {Giveaway} -CLOSED

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A new baby in the house is such a blessing, but always brings some new and interesting challenges.  Adjustments abound around here!  The two olders are getting used to the newest little and so are mom and dad.  🙂  Overall I think we are all transitioning nicely.  Sometimes.  Okay I’m not going to lie to you.  Some days are better than others.  Some days are hard.  Today was especially hard.  Who knew that three children would be so challenging???  I thought we had things all figured out and then wham-o we are back to square one.  It’s one big adjustment and it’s probably going to be this way for some time.  Will it get easier?  Sure it will.  For now I just need to take it a day at a time.  In addition to the big changes in our family number came other things that I hadn’t thought about in a while.  With the new baby came the need for additional baby necessities.  The essentials.  Things that baby absolutely needs to have outside of the womb.  Things like receiving blankets.  You can never have enough of those!  Babies go through blankets on a daily basis.  Practically more often than clothing.  So having the an adequate amount of receiving blankets… Okay an abundance of receiving blankets is a definite NEED.  That’s why when Saranoni offered to send us the below set of muslin blankets I jumped for joy!

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Isn’t he darling?

Saranoni selected to send the stripe and the solid blue that’s in the background.  And let me tell you… These blankets are a necessity!  Super soft.  I mean it’s muslin.  Super durable.  Double layers of muslin.  Super dandy.  Plus, the set is perfect color wise for my little guy.  Good choice, Saranoni!  🙂

In terms of muslin swaddling blankets there are actually a few options to choose from:

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Saranoni also has some other gorgeous blankets that look super luxurious:

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Basically I’ve decided that Saranoni can’t create an ugly blanket.  It’s not possible.  They are all just so, so cute and totally unique!

Who wants to win one???  The winner of this giveaway is going to receive his or her very own…

2-Pack Double Layer Muslin Set in Blue Stripes/Blue Solid.  Just like mine!  

(Enter on the Rafflecopter below.)

*This giveaway is open to US entries only.
*The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of May 12th and will be emailed.  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.
*This posting and giveaway are sponsored by Saranoni, but all opinions are strictly my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FFF! First Friend Friday!

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That’s right.  You  heard it right here.  First Friend Friday!  Now feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I’d venture to say that this term has yet to be coined in the blogosphere.  At least not a term that coincides with those pictures people parade around on social media for things like TBT (Throw Back Thursday), WW (Wacky Wednesday), etc.  How do I know?  Well, well, well, my friends.  Google is a very magical place where you can find answers to just about everything.  (Just FYI.  Be very careful with the medical answers and advice you find on Google.  They aren’t always reliable.)  When searching “Friend Friday” I got all sorts of things:  Furry Friend Friday, Foodie Friend Friday, Feathered Friend Friday, Free Friend Friday Possibly, Facebook Friend Friday, Featured Friend Friday, Favorite Friend Friday.  The list could go on and on.  There was even New Friend Friday and Best Friend Friday.  The only thing remotely close was the term ‘My First Friend Friday’, but that was in reference to the very first posting bloggers were doing for Friend Friday.  You know that weekly blog party where bloggers answer random questions???  Yeah that one.  So I’m seriously thinking that FFF just hasn’t been coined yet.  Who knows?  Maybe it does exist out there on some very remote page that’s showing up somewhere in the more than 147,000 search results, but for now I’m just fine with saying it wasn’t coined before.  🙂   Alrighty then.  Let’s get this FFF thing started.

That very first friend ever.  We’ve all got ’em.  Who was YOUR very first friend?  Are you still friends?  For this blog posting I’m actually using a photo that I broke out yesterday for TBT.  It was broken out for personal use, so you all didn’t get to see it.  😉   It’s a throw waaayyy back and it’s a picture of me and my very first friend:

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Becky and I were adorbs.  Ahem.  I mean… we are still adorbs.  😉

Yes, we are still friends.

Technically this girl and I were friends before birth.  It’s true.  Our parents were good friends before us wee ones were even thought of.  🙂   They spent their weekends camping and boating.  All carefree like.  Way back in the 70’s when life was easier.  😉   Apparently our dads used to love to compare whose ski boat was better.  I’ll bet it involved their fancy sports cars, too.  Okay.  It’s very possible that to this day, whenever they are in the same room, they still do compare such things.  And neither one of them still has a ski boat or sports car!  Ahhh.  The life before kids…

So there you have it, folks.  First Friend Friday.  Stay tuned for future pictures of me and my first friend.  Next Friday.  Same place.  Same first friend.

***GO HERE (the Dandy Facebook page) to share a picture of you and your very first friend***

Nohi Kids {Giveaway} – CLOSED

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When it comes to my kid’s clothing I’m kind of a fabric snob.  It has to be soft.  Scratchy?  Not happening.  It has to be functional and easy to take care of in terms of laundry.  Who really wants to take the kid’s clothes to the dry cleaners?  It has to be cute.  This means cute fabric that aren’t found everywhere.  That’s why I’m soooo very glad that I found Nohi Kids.  For starters… Their clothing is organic.  Translation:  Super soft.  Next… Their clothing is machine washable.  Excellent!  Lastly… The prints on the fabric???  Absolutely.  Adorable.

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See.  Told you.  Absolutely.  Adorable.

I think the above images are my favorite part about the clothing from Nohi.

1.) That fabric is too precious.

And…

2.) There are so many different styles all in that same fabric!

So you will definitely find the perfect outfit at Nohi Kids.

What did Nohi Kids send me recently???  These two outfits for my two littlest littles:

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Darling, right?  Definitely my newest favorites in my children’s wardrobes.

Who wants a deal at Nohi Kids?  Just enter coupon code ‘thankyou25’ at checkout on the Nohi Kids website and receive 25% off!

 Who wants to win something really dandy from Nohi Kids???

(Enter on the Rafflecopter below.)

One very lucky winner is going to receive either a dress or bodysuit from Nohi Kids!

It’s winner’s choice on which style and which print!

*This giveaway is open to US entries only.
*The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of April 28th and will be emailed.  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.
*This posting and giveaway were sponsored by Nohi Kids, but all opinions are strictly my own.
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Joovy Nook Highchair {Review}

How I wish this high chair had existed in 2008, because we would have bought it:

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Fortunately for us my friends over at Joovy sent us our newbie in 2013!

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I love how they take just such good care of me!  🙂

The high chair we purchased when Banjo was a wee babe has definitely not withstood the test of time.  If someone had told me that the plastic would turn yellow I would have listened.  Also, the seat of our first high chair wasn’t quality looking at all, so I should have known that it wouldn’t hold up.  But the Nook from Joovy?

Now it’s high quality and is quite stylish.  It’s sleek design fits perfectly in our little nook in our kitchen!

This beauty is definitely not just a highchair.  The seat is far too comfy for that!

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It’s not just a place to eat either.  It’s also an entertainment chair.

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Can you tell that Ruby love it, too?

My favorites about this sweet chair…

The cup holder and removable tray insert.

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Also, how with just the press of a button the tray swings open making my life so much easier when getting Ruby in and out of the chair!

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Plus, the leatherette seat cover comes off and can be put in the washing machine!

Yep so much to love about the new Joovy Nook Highchair.  It folds flat for travel:

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And like all the Joovy products the Nook comes in a bunch of fun colors:

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We love you, Joovy!

 

Sew Much Ado {Giveaway} – CLOSED

Ok, I’m not really a quilter, but I do try!  I love the look of a finished quilt and I love the fascinating combination of prints and colors that a quilt can embody.  I jumped at the opportunity to try out Sew Much Ado’s quilt pattern for Gathers and Giggles!  I had a beautiful pile of girly fat quarters that I thought would be great, even though I don’t exactly have any daughters yet!  And so this lovely little quilt is for my first unborn daughter, or maybe my first granddaughter :).

Note that my dimensions are a little off because I was limited by the length of my fat quarters.  My quilt turned out about the dimensions of a crib mattress, but following the exact piece requirements in the pattern will create a square quilt 40”x40”.

Sew Much Ado currently has six sweet little patterns available in PDF!

The Giggles and Gathers pattern is terrific.  Good pictures, plenty of guidance, lots of steps broken down to make it easier to follow, and neatly organized.  My quilt was a breeze for me (the non-quilter) to put together with such a detailed pattern.

If you’re looking for a quick and cozy sewing project for the cold weather fast approaching, I recommend this cutey from Sew Much Ado!

Sew Much Ado is offering TWO lucky ducks this same PDF quilt pattern for Gathers & Giggles!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
  *This giveaway is open to US entries only *The winner of this giveaway will be posted no later than the evening of Tuesday, November 27th and emailed within 24 hours.  If the winner does not respond within a week, a new winner will be drawn. *This posting and giveaway were sponsored by Sew Much Ado, but all opinions are strictly my own

41 Meals

Forty-one.  That’s the number of baby food meals I made over the weekend.

 

It will last Ruby roughly 13.7 days.  Give or take.

Then I’ll just start the process all over again.

You know what I’ll be doing in about 10 days…

 

Do you make your own baby food?  If you do then feel free to share away!  I could use some new recipes to mix it up a bit.  🙂

Just us girls

Audi took Banjo to the Cards game tonight,

 so that left Ruby and I home alone.

One day Ruby will be old enough for the typical slumber party festivities (like toenail painting and chick flicks), but for now we got in our PJs and just played, played, played.

It was fun bonding time with my little girl!  Ruby is now in bed and fast asleep, so I can now get to that chick flick.  🙂

Mobile Baby! {Review}

Ruby is practically on the move.  She is still doing this very unique stance thing instead of crawling.  I must honestly admit that I’ve never seen anything quite like it:

Tonight she came very close to doing a somersault!  This could be getting to be just a little bit dangerous…  Ruby will be 9 months on the 27th and we are expecting her to start crawling any day now.  Right now she can scoot backwards and roll to anything that she wants to get her hands on!  So she is considered to be a mobile baby.  🙂

Her mobility has been an interesting adjustment for us all to say the least.  Especially for me.  Like 2 weeks ago when I had my little mishap.  Or misstep really.  I was not, I repeat WAS NOT, going to share this experience on the blog.  It’s one of those embarrassing moments that you never want to relive EVER.  But we are all friends, right?  So here we go…  Don’t judge…  😉

Two weeks ago I took Banjo to a friend’s house to play.  As I headed back out to my car I full on missed the curb, rolled my ankle, and landed flat out in the street.  Picture arms flailing before I hit the pavement.  Yeah it was that pretty.  Ugh.  My elbows and knees spared my face of the road rash, so that was a good thing.  Everything I was carrying flew in all directions.  It was quite the humbling experience dragging myself (across the pavement) to my cell phone so I could call my friend.  Even more humbling when I had to tell her to look out her front window, because I was lying in the street in front of her house.  Fortunately friend is an ER nurse, so she was able to access the situation.  I was a little banged up, but able to limp around the rest of the day on the rolled ankle.  In fact I felt just a tad bit smug that my ankle was doing so well.  That smugness…  It disappeared later that evening when my ankle doubled in size and the pain began.  Apparently I had forgotten just how bad sprains can hurt.  Also, that swelling brings on major hurt!  So for the next few days I had to elevate the offended ankle and stay off of it as much as possible.  Oh and I may have been a tad bit of a baby about it.  Hey now.  That sprain felt awful and I’ve had sprains before.  I played softball in high school for crying out loud, so an ankle sprain was nothing new to me.  Alright, so maybe I’ve become just a little weak and whiny in my old age…  But it was pretty uncomfortable!  And a mobile baby to take care of… I didn’t have to do that in high school!

How does that type of situation work out with a mobile Ruby at my house you might ask???  Well, blessings come in mysterious ways.  🙂   Just days prior to my incident I had received a present in the mail from Joovy.  🙂     This Spoon walker to be exact:

Wow.  Perfect timing.  This walker is amazing!  In no time Ruby was cruising around in it, contained, and entertained!

Banjo even enjoys playing with her while she “walks” around.  He keeps wanting to push her around the house like she’s in a race car.  It’s really cute the way they are bonding!  Plus, Ruby loves it.  Can’t you tell just how much from that smile on her face?

The Spoon is the cadillac of walkers.  Seriously.  It folds down super easily and is compact:

It’s sturdy and has the perfect tray for holding onto the toys:

It also comes in the coolest colors.  Yep I’m a major fan of this walker and so is Ruby.

Thanks again Joovy!  You are truly a life saver!  And friends?  We will never, ever discuss the curb incident again.  😉

 

This posting was sponsored by Joovy, but all opinions are strictly my own.

Baby it’s…

Still slightly humid outside!  I wish that I could say that it’s cold outside, but in the Midwest that is not true.  However, the cold is just right around the corner (fingers crossed) and I’m ready for it to grace my presence!  🙂    Get ready for the cold around your house with these adorable leg warmers.

With this deal they are only $3!!!  Is it even possible to make them for that less of an amount???  However will the shop make money off of the sales???  Well, it’s no matter and nothing for us to be concerned with.  Just take advantage of the deal and be happy!  🙂  I mean… $3….

 

This posting is part of the affiliation program at Simple Addiction, but all opinions are strictly my own.