5 On Friday: My Valentines List

Happy Friday! Now that I'm staying at home, Friday's aren't that exciting anymore, especially now that Tate's off season is officially done. But anywho, I won't be a debbie downer to those of you that love Fridays. Cheers! Here's some laughs for ya. Hopefully if you've had a bad week, those should make it better! :)

On to Friday business.. I'm linking up with the 5 on Friday girls (Darci, Natasha, April and Christina) again. This week, in hopes Tate will read this post, will be my top 5 Valentine's Day gift wants. :)

{One} Hunter Boots! I've wanted a pair for so long! They are cute, comfy and would be oh so nice to have when it rains! The aqua, red and white are sooo pretty but I'd probably just want these.

{Two} A Clarisonic Mia 2 or 3?! Y'all I have terrible skin. I always have.  It's always red and I've struggled with acne for years! I've had a face cleansing brush before but not as good as the clarisonic. I wanted the 3 because it has the 3 speeds but I think the 2 would be easier to manage...thoughts anyone?

{Three} Spring Kimonos! I know, I know, it's only February but with my spring cleaning and the warm temps we've had in south Texas, I've got a bad case of Spring Fever! I recently purchased this kimono from Dillard's and I love it! I want more! I like the length of this one. :)

{Four} New Sunnies! My all time favorite were a pair from Coach I got YEARS ago! My first pair I left at a store in Gruene, TX and of course they weren't there when I went to get them. I ended up finding the same pair and those got lost at Brylee's 1st birthday party. They just went missing. Now I can't find that same pair. These below are similar.

{Five} A gift card. Any of these will do just fine. :)

Join the Link up!

Have a happy weekend!

Day 1 - Kitchen

So, to explain this 20 day task a little more in detail each day you only do what the tasks are and nothing else. She brings up tasks that normally wouldn't be cleaned unless you are 'spring cleaning'.  I have my own cleaning "schedule" so that will be put on hold until this is finished. I'm taking before and after pictures; before will be right when I wake up in the morning (well after coffee of course) and the after will be when I'm completed. Let's get started, shall we?

Day 1
Clean: Kitchen, just not the stove, oven, fridge, freezer, pantry or cabinets! Today's tasks are:

• load dishwasher
• wipe over sink
• clean the counter tops
• wipe down the cabinet doors
• dust on top of the cabinets
• wipe over appliances
• clean window and window sills
• dust lights

Declutter: Kitchen Counter; remove everything that doesn't belong- trash, paper clutter, food, appliances, too many canisters

Organize: Under the kitchen sink

New Habit: Clean counter tops and dishes before relaxing for the evening.

5 Minutes Only: Spend 5 minutes cleaning up a bookshelf.

Clean and Declutter Before: Okay.. my counter tops become a major catch all...mail, toys, food that needs to go back in the pantry.. just random things.

Clean and Declutter After: Much Better! It looks nice and clean.

Organize Before: Hot mess!

Organize After: I took everything out from underneath the sink, re-evaluated what I really needed, moved what I rarely used to the laundry room, and separated it by type (kitchen, bathroom, etc).  I cleaned the cabinet and put it all back. I'd like to get some tubs or baskets to divide them in. Still a hot mess, but a little organized.

5 Before: I think I'll need more than 5 minutes to really clean this bookshelf. When we moved and couldn't decide where to put the desk and bookshelf, they got stored back in this room (we're not sure what is was built for) off of our bedroom.  There aren't outlets for it to be an office and it really isn't big enough to be a storage room (it'll be a cleaning task another day so you'll see it), it's just odd.

5 After: I cleaned it, but it definitely needs to be organized.

Here's to day 1!

-Leah

Spring Cleaning {before spring}

Happy Thursday, y'all! I cannot believe February is right around the corner! 2015 has seriously flown by. Today Brylee had her 2 year checkup (I know, a month late) but better late than never! We had an appointment scheduled when we were back in Odessa with her previous doctor but I totally forgot about it and then tried to reschedule after Christmas but we had that dang ice storm and just decided I'd do it when we got home.  I called several recommended pediatricians but they either weren't taking new patients or the earliest I could get her in was late March.. no thanks. Finally found one and I liked it! For a first time visit it was great; staff and doctor were very kind and Brylee approved.

I'm convinced this girl is never going to gain any weight.

After her appointment we went to Sweet Cece's for some FroYo for completing one more row on her potty chart. A girl after my own heart, strawberry and vanilla with M&M's!

Enough rambling, back to what this post was really about: Spring Cleaning.  I have such a busy spring ahead that I decided to go ahead and start. We moved so quick and I took full advantage of having people help me unpack that I didn't care where anything went. Now, 5 months later, I need to get it organized. I'm going to be doing this 'Clean and Organize in 20 Day' challenge I found on pinterest years ago. I wish I knew the website so I could give credit where credit is due and maybe find some more useful stuff she has. One of my New Year resolutions was to blog more so I figured I'd do this challenge and blog my daily tasks using her mad method. Every day you do the following to something: clean, organize, declutter, new habit, and a 5 minute only task. I'll share her instructions. 

I'm starting today, so you may see another post later.  Wish me luck.

Until then, have a good one!

Leah 

Weekend Recap #1

Hi my lovely blogging friends! This is my very first link up with the Weekending girls, Meghan and Biana, and I'm so excited to join. This weekend was pretty low key, as most weekends are in the Mc'Smith house. We are at the end of Tate's off season; track starts this week and arena football the next so I took full advantage of having him here.

 Meghan / Biana

Friday night we went to the RGV Viper's game (D-league basketball team to the Rockets) and had a blast.  Brylee loved the music and danced with the cheerleaders but wanted absolutely nothing to do with the mascot! "No mom, snakes are bad!" Good girl B! :)

Saturday was mostly lazy.  We slept in, ran a few errands and put together B's new trampoline, another Christmas present.I started it but needed another set of hands to finish it. Now it's done and B loves it! Dustee even enjoyed a bit of trampoline play time.

Brylee and I cuddled up that night to watch Rio2 and Tate went to another Vipers game with some friends.

Sunday was a little more eventful, keyword: little.  We had a lazy morning, got ready to go to lunch and the grocery store (eventful, see?). I suggested just going somewhere quick like Whataburger but Tate was driving and pulled up to Joe's Crab Shack. How could I resist? I enjoyed some fried fish, Tate had a Steampot and B had mac and cheese! So her. She wouldn't even touch the fish or crab.

He ended up having a meeting with the arena team earlier than expected so grocery shopping right after got put on hold. He said we could go Monday but, hello! This will sum that up:

After the meeting we made a quick trip to Dillards, then to the grocery store. Within 10 minutes of our house we have access to about 5 HEB's so we tried a new one.. not impressed. Once we got back home neither of us wanted to cook so pizza it was while watching the Pro Bowl.

Eventful, I told ya!

Have a happy week my friends!

-Leah

Potty Training

If you don't want to read about a 2 year old's 'tee-tee' and 'poo-poo', then maybe this post isn't for you. If you're curious about what worked for me and our joys of potty training, welcome! Y'all this is the real deal here. It'll test your patience, make you lose your mind, cry and then jump up and down cheering because there is poo-poo in the potty all within an hour! Let. me. tell. you. I'll start off by my decision to start.

 Tate's cousin is getting married in May and they asked for B to be their flower girl. Of course I said yes and was super excited, then this lightbulb went off in my head! I thought it would be a perfect time to potty train that way by the time of their wedding the whole process would be complete. Notice I'm giving it a little more than 4 months, none of this potty train in 3 days crap. I've heard it works, people swear by these "techniques", but not for this girl.  Now in three days she understood what to do but in no way, shape or form was she completely potty trained in 3 days. In my mind to be completely trained would mean no accidents, right? Correct me if I'm wrong. No accidents after 3 days? Ha. I'm not saying it CAN'T work, so don't scold me if it did for you. Yay, you, supermom!  I've never washed so many loads of towels and princess panties in my life! There has been accidents in places I'd rather just not discuss and then you turn around to see this: proud moment!

After a week of solid 'lets go potty' every 30-45 min B finally got the hang of what she was doing. Now, 2 weeks later, we have had our good days, definitely more bad days, but have made so much progress. I remember at one point she was crying, I was crying, and Layla was howling (hilarious now, but none of this was funny at the time). The impatient part of me was about to give up saying  'she's too young', 'she's just barely two', 'maybe we'll try later' but the non-quitter in me said NO, stick with this, and that's just what I did! She has only poo-pooed in her panties ONCE! Wiping poo off Cinderella isn't for the faint of heart. I wanted to trash them (I mean we have like 50 pair) but Brylee insisted we clean her and I think it grossed her out so much that she hasn't done it since! We have had days with no success in tee-teeing and then days with very little accidents.  We are now down to about 1 accident a day, sometimes 2. Most of her accidents happen while she's too busy playing to come get me. Immediately after her accident, she will run to the bathroom, strip herself down, throw her clothes in her laundry basket, then call for my help! She's got the right idea, wrong timing. She is wearing pull-ups at nap time and for bed but that is it; to me they have the same concept as diapers. Now, here was our process:

Buy a potty chair and potty seat! Given, right? Yes, but buy them early! I bought her potty chair months ago knowing she wasn't quite ready but I still wanted her to be familiar with it. It's been in her bathroom and we would often talk about it and she knew what it was and what it was for but if you asked her if she wanted to use it her answer was a definite NO! The potty chair I got was very plain. It's girly designed, sure, but it doesn't "flush", sing, or make any other kind of noise; I didn't want it to be mistaken for a toy. Now, I didn't purchase a potty seat because the one I got can convert into one, but I did eventually go buy one. Why? I put it in our bathroom. She wakes up and comes to our room around 5 every morning and then sleeps for a few more hours. She has to potty when she first wakes up so why not have it to where she can use all the bathrooms. Lightbulb!

About a week before I really got started, we 'prepped for it'. We got all excited about the potty, our panties, and becoming a "big girl"! She was excited and finally said yes she wanted to use the potty.  I got her bathroom stocked; big box of goldfish, bag of panties, books or busy toys, flush-able wipes and a ton of towels! I made her a progress chart and I let her help with it so she was even more excited. I downloaded the Huggies Pull-Ups app and set it up and we were ready. The app has a timer on it with this jingle that goes off when it's time to potty and then there are celebration games with Disney characters. Wait, goldfish? I'll get to those!

Day 1. Change out of diaper/pull-up. Go sit on the potty. Like for 5 + minutes sit on the potty... hints why you need books and busy toys. This was also the only time she got to play on the iPad. Nothing happens? That's okay, give her some goldfish (it becomes some kind of incentive to go sit). Why? They're salty! You want a drink after you've just eaten something salty! Get it now? Take the goldfish, drink some water, wait 15-20 min and go sit on the potty again. Give her goldfish, water and repeat! This is where it'll test your patience. Every 20 min I have to take a potty break?! I have stuff to do! Wrong! For the first few days do nothing, if you can! No laundry, no cleaning, no major cooking, nothing! I dedicated those first few days to Brylee and becoming a big girl. It was in these days that the crying happened. I didn't understand how we sat on the potty just to have an accident 5 min later! Patience, Leah, patience. And what do ya know, it became easier. She started recognizing what the feeling was like to need to go and she would tell me, sometimes too late, but she was understanding the concept. Every time she went on the potty she got a sticker. Yes, those are just garage sale dots that I added my own smiley face onto. It was a last minute project and the only part I didn't plan, don't judge! After 10 successful potty breaks she gets a prize and when the entire chart is full we will do something big.. plans haven't been made yet though.

Now, 2 weeks later, we still use the timer, but we don't go sit every 20 minutes. The timer goes off every 45 min just for her to hear that jingle. I'll ask her if she needs to go, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes she needs to go in between the timer. Sometimes she tells me, sometimes she doesn't. I'd say with OUR lack of experience with potty training, we've done exceptionally well!

Good luck to all you other potty training mommas out there. We've got this! :)

-Leah

Life Lately: In Pictures.. well, mostly.

Hello, this little blog of mine! I haven't checked in here since before Thanksgiving! WOW! Life has been nothing short of wonderful.  We spent a lot of time in Odessa (December 8 -  January 5!!) for, well, you'll see.  After that much needed break, I was definitely ready to come home.  We've been potty training (more on that) and settled back into our daily routines... it took a while! We were all used to sleeping in and not being on a schedule that it was a nice wake up call of all of us, including the dogs! I'm a little upset that I didn't take that many pictures of this time period, but I guess I was too busy enjoying life. I borrowed some pictures (FB, Instagram.. ya know) from others but I wish I had taken more myself. Enough of my rambling, here is the latest happenings of the Mc'Smiths  :)

1. Bachelorette Party..I think I blogged about going to this, but here's proof! Ha! We had a blast.

2. I had to pack for a month, and you'll see what I thought of that.. and I broke my favorite pair of flats. Y'all this was a big deal! I have had those flats for so long.. I'm talking so long that I would be ashamed to tell you when I bought them! 

3. Then there was the actual wedding! It was so much fun and such a beautiful wedding.  The kids danced like there was no tomorrow (Brylee apparently needed a break) and the photo booth was a hit!

4. Brylee turned 2. How is that possible? Hold me.

 5. Tate and I went to the Cowboys vs Colts game.

6. Christmas.

7. New Years/ Ice Storm

Okay, so I have no pictures of this, but it was cold! Not just cold, icy! West Texas just isn't mentally or physically prepared for this. It was a nice wintery mix that was freezing on instant. We were cooped up inside for days! The rodeo was our first outing after cabin fever set in. 

8. Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo.. so much fun! This was B's second time to go and she was so much more involved. She clapped and cheered and soooo wanted to ride the 'horsey'. She did the nickel dig again this year and got her some more money to put in her 'pig'. We loved it.

9. Traveled back home. This girl flys like a champ!

10. B finally got to play with her new toys.

11. Potty Training

Now your up-to-date! Like I said, not too many pictures were taken, but the memories made were good ones! Hope the rest of your weekend's a good one!