*sigh* Right about now I’m guessing my girls are waiting in line for a ride on Aladdin’s magic carpet…for the 7th time in a row. We agreed P would have Spring Break this year so he took the little princesses to their mother ship, Disney. Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely grateful that not only […]
mommy blog
pocket change
Have you ever turned to a tv show to help understand what’s happening in ‘real life’? I certainly hope you’re answer is ‘yes’ otherwise this has the distinct possibility of sounding quite ridiculous. In college, for me, it was without a doubt Sex & the City. I was Carrie with a dash of Charlotte & […]
Who you are
On most days there comes a time, usually after school when the house is bustling & everyone is at home together, where my little angels, Samantha & Sophie, try to kill each other. I’m serious you guys. Although not like, ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ one another, but certainly inflicting bodily harm kind of […]
sick day
It’s Monday morning & the girls are home “sick” from school today. The thing is now it’s too late to send them & the reality of breaking up the fights that are sure to happen later, (whenever they spend too long in the house together they end up driving eachother bananas by the end of […]
Unconditional Love
These last six months have been a very teachable time for me. They say to take hope during the trials because those are times in your life where you can truly grow. If that’s true I should be about 18 feet tall by the end of February. There have been so many times where I’ve […]
Home is where the heart is…
…or at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself lately. I think this might be the longest lapse I’ve had in posting. I’m so sorry. The last month has been insane. There were lots of days where I wanted to sit down and write but when I would go to I just didn’t know what […]
Mean Mommy
That’s what I call what I’ve been lately in the morning…”Mean Mommy” I don’t wake up that way. Although your alarm clock being a 6 year old who’s internal clock is permanently set to 7:00AM on the dot who then decides to wake you up not with hugs, snuggles & whispered “wake upppp…” but instead […]
The three legged girl
I’m curious if you can relate… Everyone has ‘funks’ that they go through. Call it the ‘ups & downs’ of life, the ‘baby blues’, a ‘rut’ or just a ‘bad day’ that somehow seems to be lasting quite longer than 24hrs. Whatever you want to call these less than joyous periods of our lives most […]
Updates: I’m learning to walk while juggling blindfolded…and so are you.
Pssst! Thirty days of happy!
You guys know me well enough by now that when things get quiet here on the blog it’s usually because life has gotten crazy at home. The last month has been one of the tougher ones, I can’t really get into details publicly but it’s been an enormous amount of both emotional & physical ups […]
Dear Sister
Dear Sister, Today is my 34th birthday. I know, I’m so old right? I’ve been doing a lot of thinking today, it’s kind of hard not to be reflective on your birthday, especially the older you get. While I was in this moment of introspective reflection my thoughts kept drifting to you, all three of […]
Our first garden: how to plant a cutting garden with your kids
Hello my friend ((big hugs)), how have you been? Things have been crazy here, as usual, Sam came down with another one of her coughs, which was awful for her but also meant mommy being up all night with her, which as you know all too well equals fried brain cells. Luckily for me, & […]
Small Bites
I’ve had an “ah-ha” moment…again. I feel like I’ve had a lot of those lately & I’m curious if me documenting this journey is helpful for you, or even entertaining. It’s very cathartic for me but I so wish I could pop my head through the screen & see who that is on the other […]
There is a Second Chance for Happily Ever After.
My best friend got married this weekend! Normally this would be a fairly exciting thing to share, you would assume that this beautiful bride finally found her ‘soulmate’ & now that she’s found her one true love they can start their lives off together & live happily ever after… Except there’s more to the story…and […]
clean your plate: time to reheat the leftovers
Clean your plate.
A few weeks ago I decided to start seeing my therapist again. She’s known both P & I from couple’s therapy since we first moved to DC 7 years ago. Wow. I cannot believe that much time has passed! Not to mention how much our life has changed in that time…whew, just had one of […]
I’m a Diamond.
I have been wanting to write this post for a little over a week now. In fact I last opened the post on February 24th at 6:26pm according to wordpress. Yet the only progress I’ve made is the title, “I’m a Diamond.” So here it goes, let’s give it the old college try to get […]
Where is the love?
I would say about half of you reading listen to my husband’s radio show & the other half have found me through the crafting/blogging world, I want to talk about something that stems from what happened yesterday on the radio but really pertains to all of us so bear with me even if you aren’t […]
Mayo Day 4: Time to go home (and a surprise answer!)
**I’m so sorry I left you hanging after my last post, I started writing this a few days ago but then we traveled back home & since then have had a really hard time both physically & mentally, when that happens I kind of have to shelve blogging and go into survival mode. Wow, being […]
Mayo Day 3
Have you ever opened your eyes in the morning & already, before you even get out of bed, you already feel beat down & broken? This was one of those mornings. Everything hurt. I spent the night rolling over from one hip to the next because after a few hours something in my body tightens […]
Mayo Day 2
Today I had two appointments that I pretty much blew off as exams that my primary care doctor needed to check off but turns out they might just be the best answers I get out of this trip. I can never remember what I told you verses my other girlfriends or my mom so excuse […]
Off to Mayo we go…
Well it’s here. I made the appointment what seemed like an eternity ago but those darn holidays, they just made the last three months of the year fly by. I haven’t talked about my health in awhile because of two reasons…there really isn’t anything new to share & I’m trying not to think about it […]
2014 Resolution #1: Stay within the border!
Comfort in the motions
Have you ever been in a place in your life where you’re completely content with just going through the motions? You already know this but I’ll go ahead & say it out loud, I haven’t been blogging lately. Maybe once a week if I’m lucky & accomplishing that is like pulling teeth. Honestly, whenever I […]
Hello Barn Dog!
Around 2 or 3 weeks ago we were all hanging out in the livingroom & Peter told me that he “had something he needed to talk with me about.” Yikes, right? Of course my mind started racing…crap, what did I do wrong? Uh-oh, maybe he checked the bank account today…I knew I shouldn’t have bought […]
Doing it Cavegirl Style
What a week, whew! Do you ever feel like you say that at the end of every week? Yeah, me too. Did you also end this past week with a camera up your rump? Really?! ME TOO! What a coincidence. So yeah, I did the colonoscopy/endoscopy again. After I told you about how frustrated I […]
Who is it! Is it you??
Dear Suspected Evil Crafter, In the last 48 hours I’ve finally figured out what’s causing all of these problems with my health! There’s really no other way of explaining the last week other than this & I just want to know, why didn’t I think of it sooner?! There is a crafter out there, I […]
Rhupus
I’ve tried to sit down & right this post three times this week. The first time was when I was wide awake at 4a, something that’s been happening a lot lately, but after writing a few blabbery paragraphs I reminded myself of pretty good rule. There are two things you should never do in the […]
Pink Blood
I really need to start thinking twice about what I let my kids watch. Because of P’s job pop music is a huge part of our everyday life. My girls know Katy, Britney, Nicki & Gaga & for the most part it hasn’t been a problem. (except that one time when Sam started singing Peacock […]
Mommy Metamorphosis
Peek-a-boo! Wondering where the heck I dropped off to this past week? Perhaps it was a secret caribbean vacation that P swept me off to, or maybe I won the lottery & was busy shopping beachfront properties while also building orphanages. Or maybe, just maybe, I was sucked into the sick kid’s blackhole where you […]
My Haul: Makeup
Please tell me I’m not the last person to hear about a ‘haul’ video? Please. My sisters & I were online shopping & they kept talking about checking for ‘haul videos’ to see what the clothes we were thinking of buying looked like. After realizing that we were most certainly NOT speaking about some sort […]
Judge Not Lest Ye Will Find out You’re Actually Judging Yourself
Sound confusing? Well, truth be told, it kind of is. Often these ‘ah-ha’ moments I have are required to travel through a bunch of murk & fog in the puzzle of my mind before they actually make sense. Then however I get to that magical point where I go, “Oh, ok, wow, I totally get […]
growing in grace
We all need grace. We all fall short, despite our best intentions & if we’re lucky, although undeserved, the person we’ve wronged will choose to show us grace. I’ve learned over the years that this is not my natural inclination. Often when I’m wronged, especially if it’s been by a man, I’ve felt an overwhelming […]
the paci revival
There are a few things I’ve learned over my 4 years of blogging… Always keep your surroundings in mind when taking pictures. For instance, any pictures taken in your front yard need to be checked for you or your neighbors’ address on the house. Hellooo, creepers! Pictures of your kid’s butts are cute…for you. They […]
What can I do? What would you do?
Here’s one of the good things about having an appointment at my Rheumatologist’s office, it’s right next to the mall & since I almost always make appointments when the kid’s are in school I can usually treat myself to a quick, guilt-free, kid-free, pop in. I’m a firm believer that you have to take little […]
Awake My Soul
We spent this past weekend in Evansville, Indiana at Peter’s Grandmother’s funeral. I have to say, I was dreading it. Which is terribly selfish of me in hindsight. My focus should have been completely on Peter, on supporting him through this sad process. Nonetheless, on Friday I was completely & utterly overwhelmed by the thought […]
Little Social Monster
Did I mention to you that I was going to my annual blogging conference this past week? It’s called Alt, it’s kind of amazing. This is my second year attending as well as second year rooming with Susan from Crafterhours. (I’m still kind of amazed she took me back for a second time, I’m such […]
the high road of thanksgiving
My Dr appointment did not go as I had hoped last week. Well, kind of… I had hoped the MRI would show some definitive evidence that would support a concrete diagnosis. It didn’t. It didn’t show squat. My rheumatologist & I sat down and reviewed everything that has happened over the last year & she […]
Blinged out party dress for a pity party for one
Actually no, it’s quite the opposite. I blinged out the dress instead of attending a pity party for one. So the title should have been “Blinged out Party Dress Acts as a Cancellation for Pity Party for One” But who the heck would’ve known what that meant, right? I’ll explain more about the pity party […]
Mommy Guilt Manifestation
Mommy Guilt. Ick. How do you even begin to describe it? The pit in your stomach you feel when leave your kid with a sitter & they’re crying. You may even feel it for leaving them at all. I’m on my second kid so I’m familiar with recognizing that guilt & most of the time […]
What really happened to Cinderella…
Last night we played a lovely game of musical beds. You know, the dance where you, your spouse & your children all rotate beds during the night? At around 1a Sam came into our room, I don’t remember what she was crying about but I do recall being so tired that I made the foolish […]
All Growns Up
Sorting through outgrown baby clothes has to be one of the worse tasks on Earth. I honestly let the pile of too tiny clothes grow & grow until it gets to the point of truly intrusive. Then I spend a few hours going through both girls closets, sorting & bagging. This was my task this […]
The Bunny Ranch- Part 2
If you check out my FB, Twitter or Instagram (my name is Samstermommy) then you already know my secret selfish wish came true. Mama bunny did not come back & I had a legitimate reason to buy that teeny tiny kitten bottle I always see at Petsmart. (you can read the original bunny story here) […]
#spoiledgirlproblems
Have you ever found yourself so aggravated that you get into a fight (albeit a very one-sided one) with a doll? This morning I had some nasty words with Belle. I was running around like a madwoman trying to clean up for the cleaning ladies which a.) seems like a ridiculous concept & b.) makes […]
Let’s go to the beach, beach…
Sorry for disappearing on you like that. I never know what to do when we go on vacation because while I’m totally down with telling YOU I so don’t want Joe Creeper over there to know we’re not home. So I wrote a few posts ahead of time & then just prayed no one would […]
How to make your life easier
That was the subject line of an email I got. Um, YES PLEASE. What’s the magic formula?? I’m so glad you figured it out! Yay for you! Share! Share! Turns out it was one of those hokey emails that’s been forwarded 100 different times & you then have to forward it to 100 of your […]
Chasing Pavement
On Friday we were leaving school & Sam & all of her friends went running down the sidewalk. Sophie, fully believing she’s at least 3, took off after them. I knew those fat little toddler thighs couldn’t keep up with the pace of her upper half & before there was anything I could do she […]
White as Snow
I believe I remember a bible verse from my childhood that talks about how when you ask for forgiveness Jesus washes away your sins & makes you white as snow. Actually, come to think of it, I think the snow part was Mary had a Little Lamb. Well, I’m sure the message is still the […]
The Scientist
I wasn’t going to share this little personal nugget. I was going to keep it just for myself but after reading so many of your comments on the ‘transparent people‘ post I thought it might bring you some comfort too. A few weeks ago, right before Parker passed, I was driving home from the vet […]
What’s REALLY in my purse…
I absolutely despise when magazines (and certain bloggers) do a spread about what’s in someone’s bag. It’s some celebrity who has this perfectly chic, put together purse with things like blotting pads from Japan, a poetry journal & their passport because ‘you never know!!’ Please. Here’s what’s in my bag. I might have left out […]
I love my husband reminder necklace.
Before you tell me it’s sad that I need a reminder that I love my husband let me tell you something. Bite me. Seriously, bite my bootie right now. Sometimes we forget how much we truly love those closest to us & I see nothing wrong with wearing a little trinket to bring it back […]
Transparent People
We went to church this past Easter Sunday. It was really lovely, the cherry blossoms were blooming, the girls looked like they just stumbled right out of a Janie & Jack ad, P & I sat in service & held hands. If I had seen our family when I was a teenager I would’ve had […]
Best. Weekend. Ever.
While I was doing this… …she was doing that. And while they were wearing tails… …we were walking trails. We sipped on bubbles… …while they explored life under the bubbles. Thank you Nana & Pop Pop for an amazing weekend for P & I. We needed it & I can’t tell you how wonderful it […]
Down but not out…again
Sophie has pneumonia. Can you believe that ridiculousness?? It was almost exactly one month ago that Sam came down with pneumonia (after 5 consecutive weeks of a horrible cough) & it was around 20 days ago that we found out Parker had cancer followed by him passing away 13 days ago. Last night when I […]
Best. Day. Ever.
sunday love {Pattern Beauty Products}
(I know it’s actually Monday but I had every intention of posting this yesterday so I’m just gonna let it slide. It’s totally ok to make up the rules as you go) Since having kids I’ve been slowly trying to change everything in our home over to all natural products. It was easy with the […]
gazillion bubbles
It’s actually really beautiful here, 65 & sunny. How can you be in a bad mood with that kind of weather? Add in a never ending bubble stream & we’re talking a non-stop ride on the happiness train.Well, that’s not entirely true. Sam wanted off the happiness train about 10 minutes later. And then she […]
Cheater’s Chicken Parmigiana
I can’t believe I didn’t know about these Perdue already baked chicken breasts. My sweet friend Kelly told me about them & how she uses the Italian ones to make a quick & dirty chicken parm. I had to resist the urge to kiss her. I feel like I’m in the newborn baby daze from […]
10%
This last week has been so tough it’s really got me thinking about what life is actually like verses our expectations. There are these beautiful moments we experience that keep us going but sadly, when you break it down they’re actually few & far between. 90% of my day is made up of unexciting experiences. […]
The Funk.
Peek-a-boob
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned since starting this blog is that if I’m having a problem with something chances are you might be too. If I can be honest & just put it out there the reward is hearing from you that you feel the same way too. So here’s what I’m […]
beauty school dropout
Oh my. A few of you have emailed or commented asking how I either find time to blog & keep a house running or have expressed your concern that I’m going to totally burn out by taking on a 2nd blog. (truth be told, I’m scared too, I’ve certainly been overwhelmed before) Truth is I […]
Why Suri Cruise still has a bottle
I’ve been trying to keep momentum with my organization annihilation by tackling a cabinet here or a junk drawer there every day or so. Over the weekend I cleaned out Sam’s closet & found a slew of clothes & toys I had stashed away after her birthday, some of which she had already outgrown. Oops. […]
Big Girl Panties
I’ve always thought of myself as a really strong woman. I’m very strong-willed, determined & not easily taken out. At least that’s what I thought. This Lyme fiasco has me questioning that strength however. Somehow over the last 6 weeks I’ve gradually stopped doing everything. Granted, I had a good reason, but still, inadvertently I […]
Blinded by the white
img via the gloss A girlfriend & I were doing our normal quick cup of coffee after dropping the kid’s off at school & were doing the usual gripe about our husbands. Her husband & mine both have the workaholic gene in common & we were complaining about how it’s always a battle for their […]
My boobs go shrinking two by two- hoorah, hoorah
Back in the day when I’d get out of the shower I’d be completely confident with being naked in front of my husband. There was no rush to throw a robe on, no strategic hiding of any body part with the towel. I’d strut around a little, I believe I used to even blow dry […]
Excuse me, is there a dollar sign on my forehead?
I’m sure you heard me whine once or twice this past week about All My Children being canceled. The finale was on Friday & I had heard via soap spoiler websites that Agnes Nixon, the creator, was going to give fans the gift of wrapping up all the lose end story lines in the finale. […]
Recipe Fail: Ginger Soy Pork Chops
This recipe sounded so good, and up through plating it & all of us sitting at the table to eat I was pretty darn sure it was going to TASTE good too. I mean look at it…Yum, right? But then I cut into it…Mother Scratcher! Pork is such a tricky little beast to cook sometimes. […]
Puking in Peace
This morning we were going about our usual ritual, yogurt smoothies in the living room, Today show on the tv, undranken cold coffee in my mug. Sophie & Sam were going about their routine of taking out every single toy we had put away the night before. Then poor Sam told me she needed to […]
Fancy a chat?
Have you noticed that the type of posts on here have been changing a bit? This blog used to be 70% crafting, 25% recipes & 5% random blabber. (those are very accurate researched figures. not really.) Lately though I’ve really enjoyed doing some more thoughtful writing like the milkshake post last week. I also haven’t […]
my milkshake brings all the janitors to the shoe department
I’m usually perfectly fine with taking both girls to the mall by myself. I have the double stroller, I bribe them with chick-fil-a, I’ve got a plan. But today, today went south quick. I had just gotten to the shoe department at Nordstrom to try and find Sam some back to school shoes (great sale […]
{Sunday Love} Sophie Quinn
Can you believe she’s 1?!I know I’ve said this before but it bears repeating. I am NOT a baker. But I figured how particular could a 1 yr old’s palate be? To make it rainbow I just divided the cake batter (white cake in a box) into 4 bowls & added food coloring to each, […]
Get Yourself a ‘Go Bag’.
On Tuesday we had a 5.9 earthquake. This weekend a category 2 hurricane is expected. Oh yeah, & I live in Washington D.C. These things are not supposed to happen here! Much less in the SAME WEEK!! I took this as a nice little warning to get my butt in gear & finally put together […]
Mermaid Birthday Party
The decorations were somewhere between an ‘ocean oasis’ & ‘underwater crackhouse’ but Sam was in birthday girl, fin-tastic heaven so I’m going to go ahead & stamp this party as a “SUCCESS” The decorations were a mix of dollar bin finds at Michaels, fabric from JoAnn’s, wall decals from Sears & a hundred different little […]
Mommy’s Day Out
When I’ve written some different posts lately about post-partum depression or the overwhelmingness (not a word, I know) of new mommyhood several people have commented that I should get out more, find a hobby that gets me out of the house and can be just for me. This weekend I took your advice and signed […]
Hot Child"less" in the City
Having a baby free brunch at Maison in Manhattan, I even got to drink my coffee hot…the WHOLE CUP! On Thursday we took the train into Connecticut, dropped Samster off with my mother-in-law, hopped back onto the train and spent our first baby-free weekend in the city. I was really worried about my first overnight […]
Spaghetti, Spray Paint & a Fever
That was our weekend. It started off with a big pot of homemade spaghetti & meatballs which was DELISH! I’m going to post the recipe tomorrow. I know, I know, I’m actually posting recipes again! That’s because I’m actually COOKING again. I’ve felt really really good lately, finally I recognize my old self again. It’s […]