wordless wednesday

on thursday! :/

oh, baby center?!

i'm sure every mother is signed up for Baby Center and their emails which typically are packed full of useful tips and information.
i got my daily 'helpful' email last night and the subject read '11 toddler behavior problems and how to handle them' - DING DING DING! an email specifically about kullen! HAHA!!!

the first topic - 'agression, hitting and biting' - AKA - kullen.
i begin to read about agressive behavior and how it is normal for kids but you should still try to control it as much as possible. ok, this i already know. then they go into a scenario. picture this - If your child gets into the ball pit at the indoor play center and immediately starts throwing the balls at other kids, take him out. Sit down with him and watch the other kids play, and explain that he can go back in when he feels ready to join the fun without hurting other children. - baby center
REALLY??!! i am supposed to remove my 15month old from the ball pit - this alone is cause for a meltdown in his eyes. then i'm supposed to sit down with him while he watches [and is supposed to LEARN] - are you KIDDING me baby center? i would love to meet the 15month old that actually DOES this. mine would have a meltdown that was off the charts!


next we had 'hair-pulling' - another recent kullen activity.
For young toddlers (12 to 18 months), the most likely explanation is the simplest one: They've discovered how to get a reaction, and they want to get it again.
ok, this makes sense, right? yet their first solution to this is as follows:
Demonstrate futility. One of the keys to suppressing your toddler's inappropriate behavior is demonstrating convincingly that it doesn't work. If you ignore your toddler's hair pulling, it will work.

ok, so you want me to ignore the fact that my son has grabbed a chunk of my hair and practically pulled it from my scalp? um, yeah, no can do buckaroo! how about i go up to whoever wrote this article and yank their hair as hard as i possibly can (and believe me when i say that my boy is strong) and see if they can 'ignore' me. psh!

those two in specifically made me laugh out loud! who writes this stuff? do they actually have kids and more importantly, do their kids actually DO said things?!!
read the entire 11 behavior issue article HERE
don't get me wrong - Baby Center typically has some good advice and the 9 other things listed along with suggestions for ways to keep your cool were great but these two are just unimaginable to me? i could never imagine removing kullen from a situation [let alone mid-tantrum] and him being okay with it. no haps in my world!

another thing i thought funny - the description for your 15month old is - '15 months - more meltdowns'. HAHA! hilarious yet so unbelieveable true. when kullen has good days, he's amazing but boyyyy when he has a bad day - he is AWFUL! i guess 4 teeth poking through are a key factor but geeeze - 16 months can't come fast enough! ;]
althoughhhhh - according to baby center - the description for 16 months is 'letting it all hang out' OH LAWD!!!!

day twenty

day 20 – a song that you listen to when you’re angry


somedays ya just feel this way ...

table of contents

too cool

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0

my first swap

since i joined the blog world and found out about 'swaps', i have wanted to join one. it seemed, though, everytime i found out about one it was already closed :( NOT THIS TIME!!! :)

Jessi Lynn Smith is hosting a swap of her own and since i'm a dedicated follower, i was one of the first to know :) the best part? it's a FALL swap!!!




now, summer has always been my favorite season [and still is] but i am developing quite a love for fall! :) the change from BLAZING heat to welcoming cooler weather just makes me fall in love. i love being able to take my boy outside and not have to worry about sunburn or heat stroke! i also love long sleeve tee's ;) and fall decor! oh, and fall SCENTS! =] obviously, i could go on and on which means i am ELATED about this swap! i can't wait to find out who my blog partner is!

i also want to encourge MY blog buddies to participate in the swap! how fun to shop for fall stuff in your area and send it somewhere across the US where they might not have the same stuff - and vice versa!

HAPPY FALL!!

sunday <3

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0

silhouette

thanks to How Does She - we've been given a HANDFUL of chances to win a Silhouette machine. i have entered COUNTLESS numbers of giveaways for this machine and i'm hoping i might get lucky this time! feel free to go to any of these AMAZING websites and enter for yourself. if you win though, you must make me something! :)
don't forget to enter the one going on over at How Does She!


the crafty cow
living locurto
our best bites
the finer things in life
amanda's kitchen reviews
shopping mama
kevin & amanda
prudent baby
twig and thistle
blue cricket design
somewhat simple
cake spy
the hungry mouse
mcmama


fingers crossed for me and good luck to you all :)

in the photo friday

[pweeeaseee, can i keep him?]

the mickey ride

kullen enjoyed his first mickey mouse ride at toys r us. he definitely threw a FIT when it was over!! :)

ps - this is my first post via my droid!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

fisher price party

as some of you may have read, in THIS post, i was selected by House Party to host a Fisher Price play date party! i chose to host my party this past sunday and it turned out amazing. House Party together with Fisher Price sent me a bunch of goodies and toys [which i blogged about in that previous post] for the kids to play with and try out in hopes that the parents would see how much the kids loved the toys and purchase them for their kids. i really think this idea worked. i heard a few parents say 'looks like i'll be buying this for christmas' ;)
i wanted to share a few pictures from our party and also thank everyone who came out and enjoyed the toys and company! kullen had a blast with his friends and new toys, thats for sure!
i also have some coupon codes left over for free shipping on FisherPrice.com - if anyone wants them - send me an email kaleysalene@gmail.com and i'll be happy to give them to you!

the mr. setting up all the toys for the kids :)


goodie bags :)


kullen and autumn playing with the learn & move music station!


my boy being a daredevil on the stride-to-ride dino!


the spinnin' sounds speedway - which seemed to be the hit of the party!


everything being played with :)


so all in all, our party was a huge success. another BIG thanks to House Party and Fisher Price for selecting me to host this party. I love House Party's idea of parties being hosted to promote new items. in fact, i've already applied for a few more .. here's hoping i get selected :)

day nineteen

day 19 – a song from your favorite album

i have quite a few albums that are high up on my list and it was hard for me to pick just one but i did it. i chose the album Mind, Body, Soul by Joss Stone. the album has a mix of songs and i love each and every one of them for different reasons. the song i chose to use for this post is Security and i chose that one because it's my favorite song [on my favorite album!].
i have never heard such a beautiful voice or song in my entire life. her voice is beautiful and raw and it really doesn't get much better than her. she has such a unique sound and i enjoy listening to her different octives in the different songs.
of course there isn't a video but i wanted everyone to hear the song incase they've never heard it before. :)

">

table of contents

friday fair fun

we took our boy to the local fair over the weekend and he (as well as us) enjoyed it to the fullest!


we rode the carousel


and the caterpillar


and through the funhouse of mirrors and down the swirly slide


and, of course, Dumbo.


then we went to see the animals and found the cutest baby cow :) kullen loved him!


we also ran into our friends! ...and baby makes five and her babies!



we had such a great time at the fair. this was kullen's second year going and obviously, this year was MUCH more fun. he was excited by the rides, lights and of course - food! it made it so much more enjoyable this year to see his excitement. i can hardly wait for next year :)
i found a picture of kullen exactly one year ago - from the fair last year - look how much he has changed. haha!

hamburgers & baseball

there is something about burgers and a baseball game that make me happy :) it's like you can't have one without the other. of course, hot dogs also go well but we're more of a burger & fry kinda family!


after scarfing our burgers down, we took kullen to his first baseball game! we have a local minor team - southern maryland blue crabs - who's stadium is about 5 minutes from our house. tickets are cheap and seats are great! i think kullen loved watching and of course clapping with the crowd, which as you'll notice consisted of us and like 10 other people! ;] poor blue crabs!


i enjoyed taking my boy to his first game. i'm excited for next summer when he'll be a little older and can enjoy it a little more! but we had a great time, regardless :)


we had a very busy weekend - baseball, the county fair and kullen's fisher price play date!! [blogs to follow]. it's weekends like these that make my mommy-life a little more rewarding. i'm so privileged to have such a great son ♥ [a blog will follow on my 15month old baby as well]




& hello to anyone stopping by from -

day eighteen

day 18 – a song that you wish you heard on the radio

man, i could pick SO many for this one .. there are TONS of songs i wish they'd play on the radio instead of what they play now! i chose this song because i've always loved it, from first listen. it's defintiely high up on the list of favorites. it reminds me of mine and adam's relationship when we first started. he was a little thuggish ruggish boy ;)
obviously, this wasn't a 'mainstream' song so there isn't a video - but i did find one that someone made?! haha

">

table of contents

in the photo friday

wordless welcome :)

good morning!


for those of you stopping by from Welcome Wednesday - welcome :) thanks for coming to my blog and checking me out. make sure to leave me a comment so i can follow you back :)

anyone not from welcome wednesday - please head on over to Take It From Me. i am being featured on this weeks hop! :)

[& now for wordless]

#69 - go on a picnic

since the weather was gorgeous - kullen and i went on a picnic with our friends jessi [from caterpillar family] and her son dominic! the boys had a great time playing and swinging as did jessi and i watching and chatting the morning away :)


we brought old bread to feed the ducks but they were a litttttle mean so we didn't mess with them - although the boys wanted too! ;]


we ate some lunch and the boys wandered around, playing with anything they could find. it got a tad hot so the boys went pantless ... me and jessi suffered through the heat ;]



so, on top of having a great day with our friends, i was able to cross something off my 101 in 1001 list :)


it was a good day!

giving up comparison

i have fallen slightly behind on my Inner Mean Girl Cleanse posts BUT this doesn't mean that i am not following them in my every day life. week two challege was 'giving up comparison' and i feel this one hits home for me. i have been QUEEN of comparing. i know it's not right but i often find myself wishing i had what the next person has, not knowing [or caring] what that person had to go through to get it. there have been times in my life where i have gotten so wrapped up in wanting to 'keep up with the jones' that i have totally taken the thinsg i did have for granted.

the challenge for week two was -
For the next 7 days, your mission is to refrain from comparison and pick up the self-loving habits of inspiration, appreciation, and gratitude.

this one wasn't too hard for me, actually. since i've had kullen, i haven't been caught up in wanting what the next person has. aside from one minor detail (which may come in a blog post later on) i am totally, 100% happy and content with my life right now. i have a great husband, great son, great family and friends not to mention that basically everything i want and need, i am able to get. but of course, i am human and comparing my good to other peoples bad or vice versa has and will continue to happen. the comparion aversion that the Inner Mean Girl has provide are these:

1. INSPIRATION: Allow the person you are comparing yourself with to lift you up instead. Use what your Comparison Queen attacks you with as a source of inspiration to shift or take an action in your life. For example, love your co-workers taste in clothes vs. feel bad about your choice today, and tomorrow spice it up. Love the book she's written, event she's produced or idea she's had and take an action that inspires you to be your best.
2. APPRECIATION. Appreciate the other person, and appreciate yourself. Take the thing you are comparing and tell that person, or yourself, that you appreciate them for it. Meet a woman who's accomplished something you've always wanted? Tell her how great you think her accomplishment is. Notice that another mother's child is really good at something, appreciate that mother and child for it, and then find something to appreciate about yourself and your child.
3. GRATITUDE. Be grateful for what you have right now. Notice someone has something you don't - bigger house, better relationship, or some other moniker of success and happiness? Broaden your scope of success and get grateful for the success you do have. What is overflowing in your life? Health. Love. Career. Home. Garden. Friends. Find that one thing you feel really wealthy in and be grateful for it.

the challenge also talks aboout the 2 types of comparison complexes there are. they refer to 'her' as the comparison queen and how she makes you feel!
Inferiority Complex, comparing your worst to everyone's best. Making you feel small, inadequate and like you're a failure.
Superiority Complex, giving you the illusion that you're better than everyone else. Making you feel alone, distant, and cut off from compassion and humanity.


challenge questions -

When does your comparison queen show up the most?
it shows up when i see something or someone bragging about their life when i know they don't work or really deserve it. i see people bragging about what they've got or the trips their going to take and all the while i know they don't have a mortgage payment or they get help raising their kid and me and my family work our tails off everyday and aren't able to do the luxury things in life like some are.

Does she show up more as an inferiority complex or superiority complex?
definetely the inferiority. [see above]

What does your Inner Wisdom know about comparison?
i know that it's wrong. just because someone has more on the outside doesn't mean they are happy. i know that i shouldn't worry about what other people have and instead focus on the things that i DO have and that make me happy.

♥

... i also want to give a shout out to my friend kathy from bwak bwak blog. she is a great friend to me and always talks me out of being guilty of comparing. if ever i complain to her about what someone else has she is there to remind me of what i do have and tell me not to focus on them but instead focus on kullen or adam :) thank you love♥

day seventeen

day 17 – a song that you hear often on the radio

love the way you lie - eminem ft rihanna
although i love(d) this song - it has been SO overplayed. EVERYTIME i'm in my car and have the radio on, it comes on. i hate when radio stations ruin a good song by playing the crap out of it!
this video is prettttty HOT!! it has megan fox [thumbs!] and dominic monaghan [he was in a recent favorite (sudden ending) show - flash forward!] so even though the radio has played out the song - the video somewhat makes up for it ;]



table of contents

in the photo friday

lame, i know. ;]

fish, hush puppies & pound cake

figured i'd share this YUMMY tilapia recipe that i grabbed from my 300 calorie cook book :)

GRAHAM-CRUSTED TILAPIA
1 lb tilapia [or other while fish]
1/2c - graham cracker crumbs (about 8 squares)
1 tsp - grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp - salt
1/8 tsp - pepper
1/4c - skim milk
2 tbsp - olive oil
2 tbsp - chopped toasted pecans*

heat oven to 500degrees.
cut fish crosswise into 2-in-wide pieces.
[i seasoned mine with sea salt and pepper]
in dish, mix cracker crumbs, lemon peel, salt and pepper.

place milk in bowl. dip fish into milk, then coat with cracker mixture. place in/on ungreased pan. drizzle oil over fish and sprinkle with toasted pecans. bake about 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. voila!

*note: to toast pecans, bake in 350degree oven for 6-10min, stirring occasionally OR cook in ungreased skilled over medium heat for 5-7, stirring frequently until brown.

to go along with this YUMMMMMY fish - i also made some hush puppies! NOM!!! these were fairly easy and i actually just halved my recipe since it was just us eating!
KALEY'S HUSH PUPS!
1c - cornmeal
1/4c - flour
2 tsp - sugar
3/4 tsp - baking power
1/4 tsp - baking soda
1/4 tsp - salt
1 egg - beaten
1/2c buttermilk/sour milk*
1/4c - sliced green onions

mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt. make a well in the center and set aside.


in another bowl - mix eggs, milk and green onions.


add to well in flour mix and stir until just moistened, it will be lumpy.


drop by the tablespoon into the deep fryer [oil heated to 375degrees] and fry until brown, about 3 minutes.


*NOTE: to make sour/buttermilk - put 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar into a dish. add enough milk to make 1cup total - stir - let stand about 5 minutes before using.

&& for dessert, i made my dads 5-flavored pound cake. it had been quite a while since i've made it and even though i'm in desperate need of a new cake pan, i decided to make it anyway! and it was gooooooooooooooooooood! i'm not going to give this recipe away entirely UNLESS dad gives me permission OR you can GUESS the 5 flavors on your own. i suppose you could choose ANY five flavors to make this your own, but i've found that dad's way is perrrrfecto so if you can correctly guess the flavors - i'll let you know if you're right! ;]
[hey, don't judge .. it took me a long time to get this recipe - it should be the same for you! ehhehe]

KEITH'S 5 FLAVOR POUND CAKE
2 sticks of butter, soft
1/2c - shortening
3c - sugar
3c - flour
1/2 tsp - baking powder
5 eggs
1c - milk
1tsp - five flavors ;]

cream butter, shortening & sugar until light and fluffy.

add eggs [which have already been beaten] until mix becomes a lemon color.

in seperate bowl combine flour and baking powder. add to cream mix, alternating with milk until creamy. then add your flavoring.[can anyone guess my flavors yet?!]
pour mix into greased and floured tubed pan and bake @ 325 for 1 and 1/2 hrs [more or less depending on oven. it will be done when inserted knife comes out clean]


if you want to eat it the true sumner way ... spread a little peanut butter on top! ;]





YUM!