No One Told Me There'd Be (This Many) Tantrums

Tantrums? Public displays of undesired behavior? Rolling around screaming on asphalt? Not my child. Actually, yes. Yes. We are in the trenches of tantrum season.

Before I had a toddler, I remember saying to myself that I would not be one of "those" mothers. One who can't control her toddler in public. But then I actually had a toddler. I'm humbled, to say the least.

Every babe has a different personality and mine is rather strong-willed. Which is going to be a great trait to have (most of the time) later in life! But at the present time, it's...well, challenging.

For your reading pleasure, here is a list of the last month's tantrums and circumstances surrounding them.

Exhibit A: We went to get popsicles.

My child doesn't do lines. We had to leave our stroller outside the tiny popsicle place leaving me with no choice but to carry him inside sans a place to strap him down. Mistake number one. 

Obviously, he didn't want me holding him so I let him wander around me with a watchful eye. Mistake number two.

Soon thereafter, R is digging in the public trash can, pulling things out, and probably contracting hand, foot and mouth disease. My OCD self was dying inside knowing I didn't have my Lysol. I (tried to) pick R up to avoid his trashcan digging and he lost his sh*t. I literally could not contain him. It was 105 degrees outside and I sweated about two gallons trying to wrangle a screaming kid and get to the front of the line for our flipping popsicle. We finally got it and guess how much he loved it? He had four licks.

The things we do for our children. I can barely talk about trying to strap him back into his stroller when it was time to leave. Pretty sure I have PTSD now. I had to take another shower when we got home. Thanks, Frozen! Ain't nobody got time for that.

Okay. It was kinda fun minus the screaming and we'll probably be back again. I'm such a glutton for punishment.

Exhibit B: I went to the grocery store without goldfish.

See Exhibit A. Same sh*t, different place.

Thank goodness for the straps that kind of contain your child in the grocery cart. That'll be the last time I leave the house without snacks. Probably not though. I hope I always forget them only when we are headed to the grocery store where there is a plethora of snacks to choose from right then and there. Tell me I'm not the only mom who has had to open a snack right off the shelf in the store.

I didn't think so.

Exhibits C through Z: There's. Just. Too. Many. Tantrums. To. List.

Toddlers are funny. They get upset over the (seemingly) smallest reasons. I have found that food and distraction usually do the trick in keeping them at bay. The same goes for husbands.

Cookies > Tantrums. Chocolate chip cookies for the win every time!

For the record, I do have the sweetest, most fun, most cuddly little baby there is. He's the best and I love him to the moon and back. Even his tantrums.

The Best Roast Ever...Made With A Stick of Butter, Of Course!

Y'ALL. If you have been looking for a good roast recipe, this is it. My sister sent it to me. She found it on Table for Two,which is one of our favorite food blogs.

I adapted it ever so slightly and it came out DELISH. And you make it in a crock pot. SUCH a score. I just love when it's dinner time and dinner is already done. With practically zero effort. That's the best!

I promise this is not "just another crock pot recipe." It tastes WAY better than any roast I have ever made in the crock pot.

Ingredients

• 1 3-pound chuck roast
• 1 1-ounce packet of dry Ranch seasoning mix
• 1 1-ounce packet of dry au jus gravy mix
• 1 stick of butter, obviously! *The original recipe calls for 6 tablespoons. I went ahead with the full stick. That was a no-brainer. Paula would be proud.
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 pepperoncini *I added more than the original recipe called for because I wanted my roast to have some zip to it.

Directions

• Add the 1/4 cup water to your crock pot and place the roast on top.
• Sprinkle the roast with the dry Ranch mix followed by the dry au jus mix.
• Put the stick of butter on top of all that. *No need to melt it first, just throw it on top!
• Place the pepperoncini around the roast.
• Cook on low for 8 hours.
• Shred and serve with the gravy. Cause it makes its own gravy!

I guarantee you will LOVE this roast. Also, one of the best things about a roast is having leftovers! We ate the leftovers on toasted King's Hawaiian Bread buns with some horseradish. I can't EVEN tell you how good that was. We were so busy stuffing our faces with this amazing roast that I didn't get a photo for you. So I'll leave you with a photo of my little man.

Have you ever seen a more angelic face???

Happy Thursday!

Toddler Must Haves: Months Fifteen and Sixteen

Mr. R turned 16-months!!!! old on July 9. I am feeling like he is such a little boy now. And not a baby. He has a rather strong stubborn streak personality and most definitely wants things his way. All the time. Don't we all? But he is so much fun. Fun meaning he refuses to be still EVER and continues to abuse me during diaper changes. I have some nice bruises on my stomach as a souvenir of a rather lengthy change yesterday. I'll spare you the details but will say the washing machine was involved if you know what I mean. It's just no fun to have your diaper changed without kicking the crap out of your mom while getting things messy. Very messy. #lysol

Our goal these days is to stay busy. We spend a lot of time going to the pool (which is entertaining for about 30 minutes before he is totally over it and running like a mad man for the "big pool" section), going to the museum, and going on lots of early morning strolls in the BOB (BEST stroller ever if you do a lot of outdoor activities). We do still love our City Mini for errands. Because my little prince weighs 27 pounds, and doesn't stay still (or have the capability of listening - WHEN is that going to happen?!), a stroller is essential if we go anywhere that we may have to wait in a line or be contained. Just so you know, "containment" and "toddler" don't really go well together. With my toddler anyway. He be cray.

Robby 15/16 month update:

Current favorites: sliced bananas, grapes, watermelon, turkey, ham, cheese, avocado, and carbs, duh. The kid won't eat a vegetable to save his life so we just keep offering it and one day maybe he'll warm up to the idea. I thought he would NEVER be able to get off of pouches but we pretty much just took them away cold-turkey and he magically started to like more table foods. I recently gave all of our leftover pouches to my sister for her sweet babe. Sad day that there's no more baby food in our house. Sniff, sniff. After the trouble we had with Robby accepting table foods, I am going to make a much better effort with our next baby to introduce "real foods" earlier on and not just rely on the pouches.

Other favorites include: playing with blocks, being outside, pulling all the shoes off the shelves in my closet, screaming while running through the house like a maniac, and throwing all the food off his high chair tray then eating it off the floor.

Nice little breakfast. Off the floor.

Backyard fun! One side of this is supposed to have sand but y'all know my OCD can't handle that.

I think someone's been in my closet...

Least favorites: diaper changes, getting dressed, and being in his car seat for more than an hour. Those all involve being still...

He is starting to say lots of words. Some recent ones are: wall, fan, light, water (wa-wa), this, that, wow, woah, hey, hi, bye, dog, woof! I just about die every time he makes an animal sound. 

Fisher Price Shape Sorter - Mr. R loves to carry this bucket around. His favorite part is dumping all the shapes out. Over. And over. And over again. It's funny how loud noises used to bother me and now I can't even hear the ruckus of crashing toys on my concrete floors. If it keeps him occupied we're all happy! By the way, I despise my concrete floors. One day when I find some extra hundred dolla bills y'all laying around I'm putting hardwoods in the entire downstairs. Just throwin' that out there.

Aden and Anais Security Blankets - These are still a major favorite at our house. We introduced these when Robby was about 6-months old and I really believe they are part of the reason he goes down at night so easily. Let's not talk about what time he wakes up in the morning though. He is very attached to these blankets so we'll keep them around. Sometimes when I miss Robby while he is at Mother's Does Laundry, Clean, and Run Errands Day Out, I go into his room and smell these little blankies. Cause they smell like him. And I loooooove it.

Shortalls and Rompers - OK so my darling angel baby has developed a new, very disturbing habit. He sticks his hands down the back of his pants. Into his diaper. Well, we all know what can be lurking in diapers, so this is not good. I actually don't think Robby does this intentionally but that it is just one of his strange little habits. I still put him in shorts (and I just have to be really good at detecting and changing him IMMEDIATELY in case of you know what) but have been putting him in one pieces most of the time. This too shall pass. In case you didn't know, there are adorable options for a 16-month old who needs a one-piece. Robby wears a size 24-month or 2T now and I have been able to find some at Carter's and also locally at my friend's CA-UTE shop, Babies on the Boulevard.

Foam Blocks - These little blocks are great because they are lightweight and can't hurt anything/anyone. Which is key if you have a child who enjoys throwing things. They also have letters and numbers on them so Robby is sure to become even more of a genius as he learns the alphabet and how to count while he plays!

Munchkin Snack Catchers - I wouldn't dare leave the house without food for R. Snacks are pretty much how I can get anything done these days, making these snack cups an absolute must have. Trips to Target are so much easier with goldfish in hand. If there's ever a time that food equals happiness, it's when you're a toddler.

Happy Friday Eve Everyone!

More Summer Must Haves

Are you having a good Thursday? Need an escape from your daily routine? Bored at your desk at work? Children and/or husbands driving you nuts? Well, I can't help you with all of those things but I CAN give you a few more of my summer favorites! Some of these aren't actually just for summer. Most of them I'll use year round. Maybe except for the shorts. Because I don't really wanna wear shorts during our one month of Texas winter. When it may be below 70 degrees. Brrrr!

Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo - So my hair has quite a bit of GF. GF means grease factor. It gets kinda greasy. And sometimes I just really, really don't want to wash it and then have to dry it. And fix it. And spend time doing hair when I can be doing something much more productive. Like catching up on The Real Housewives of New Jersey...Who else is excited the Jersey girls are back?! What I love about this spray is that it isn't powdery like other dry shampoos. It won't leave that white-colored residue that you have to brush out because it is not talc-based. I will caution you though: Use this with a very light hand. Or you will look like a scarecrow. It adds SERIOUS texture so only spray your roots. The first time I used it I sprayed it all over and let's just say that I could have put my hair in Pippy Longstocking ponytails and it would have stayed. For a week. I hope y'all know who Pippy Longstocking is.

Coconut Oil - OBSESSED. My sweet mother-in-law got me onto coconut oil a few years ago. It can be used for SO many things, which I love. #bangforyourbuck #winning #moremoneyforshoes I use it as an all over moisturizer/lotion, a face mask, and even as a hair mask. When you scoop it out of the jar, it will be solid, but if you rub it in your hands for a few seconds, it turns into liquid. Oh, I also made chocolate chip cookies with it and they were delish! This is the recipe if you're interested.

Crystal Light On The Go Drink Mix - I have been trying to drink tons of water to stay hydrated in this heat. It's also so good for your skin! And who doesn't want beautiful skin? Plain old water can get a little boring after a while so I've been using these cute little packets to add some flavor. I love that they come in individual packets so I can throw them in my purse. And they only add 5 calories so you don't have to feel bad about it. I despise drinking my calories because I'd rather eat them. But I'll make an exception for wine or vodka, ok? My current fave flavor is Peach Tea. I made the lemonade flavor for the guys painting my house last week and they seemed to like it too so give it a try!

Patterned Shorts - I used to hate shorts. But I have learned to embrace them. It is just too dang hot to wear any kind of pants in this heat. There are SO many cute and affordable short options out there this summer. My favorite pair is actually from Target but Old Navy and J.Crew also have lots to choose from. This is a great time to buy shorts and stock up for next summer because they are already on sale so stores can make room for FALL, which I cannot wait for! Pumpkin is already calling my name!

Happy Middle of Summer Everyone! And Happy Day Before Friday!

Lysol, Toddlers, and Barf. Oh My!

I learned last week that eventually your toddler will barf. All over the place. In the car. And you will survive.

If you read my blog, you know that I am NOT ok with vomit. Like the thought of cleaning another person's vomit gives me hives. When I get a stomach bug (which has been all too frequent since having a baby) there is lots of crying and needing my own mommy. It's bad, y'all. I'm not sure what the exact name for vomit phobia is but I have it. I have it BAD.

So last Monday Marmi was in town, and after we picked Mr. Robby up from Mother's Day Out (which should really be called Mother Does Laundry, Cleans, and Runs Errands For Everyone Else Day) we noticed he wasn't looking too good. His face seemed a little green. Wouldn't you know that in the car on the way home from getting Chick-fil-a, I hear gagging in the backseat. Followed by the worst sound ever. Mass amounts of vomit. Talk about ruining good Chick-fil-a.

I jump in the back (Marmi is driving) and assess the situation. It is not good. R ended up throwing up about four times in a row in the car. I actually SAW it projectile out of his mouth. I'm not sure if I've ever actually WATCHED vomit come out of someone's mouth.

Anyway, we get home and strip him down in the front yard and Marmi carries him directly to the bath. THANK GOD for Marmi. She always seems to be here when we are in need of help. And man was I needing support with my vomit phobia. I took a trash bag to the car and used about 2 rolls of paper towels cleaning up. And I have a confession to make. I threw away the clothes that Robby was wearing. I just couldn't deal. They went straight into the trash bag.

I learned that the trick to cleaning vomit is to breathe through your mouth. Because if you smell it, you will barf too. We finally got everything and everyone clean. Props to my cans of Lysol. It made me feel loads better to Lysol everything in the house and in the car. When I was little, my Mimi used to carry around a can of Lysol in her purse. Isn't that funny? I think that's where I get my germ-a-phobia from.

R threw up one more time but luckily Marmi was right next to him with a bucket. Here's a trick for the vomit bucket: line it with a trash bag and then all you have to do is tie the bag shut and throw it in the outside trash. Winning! Because you don't have to touch the vomit. 

Robby was so exhausted he fell right to sleep around 7:00 pm. I, on the other hand, only slept from about 3:45-6:00 am because I was listening for vomit. It turned out to be a silent night. Until I walked into R's room at 6:00 and saw that his entire crib and self were crusted in barf. I gasped and walked right back out of the room into the hallway to give myself a pep talk. And then the cleaning process began all over again. I sure had no idea there could be silent vomit attacks in the middle of the night. And I checked on him about 55 times so I have no clue when it happened.

Needless to say, we survived and somehow by the grace of God no one else caught the bug. Marmi got a good professional car cleaning and we sanitized the house from top to bottom. Marmi's car seat is as good as new thanks to a thorough cleaning and a new cover. I have to give MAJOR props to the Britax company. Naturally, I put the cover in the washing machine (even though the directions say to only hand wash) and the seams all came apart. I called Britax and told them I am bad and did not follow directions and put the cover in the washer and they sent us a new cover anyway. For free. What a great company. It took all of about 5 minutes to explain the situation and they didn't even argue with me.

In other news, the week before the barfing, Robby took a serious tumble over the back of a chair into a window ledge and gave himself two black eyes that took about two and a half full weeks to fade. I totally lost composure when it happened and called the doctor crying. Pretty sure they think I'm a lunatic. Grandma KK also had to come over and take a look at the injury. I learned that as long as they can still walk and their pupils look normal they'll probably make it. Although the doc did tell us R's nose still looked rather swollen a few weeks after the fall and that when all the swelling goes down we need to see if it looks crooked, in which case we will have to go see an ENT. Lovely. A toddler nose job? Lord, help us. I'm praying it doesn't come to that. Please send positive vibes for a perfectly straight nose.

Here's my little man and his swollen nose. Poor R.

Things have been uneventful after the black eyes and barfing. Except for me getting strep throat a few days before July 4th followed by all of us getting a cold. I guess it just never ends when you have a kid! Even my Lysol isn't a match for having a toddler in the house.

Happy Hump Day!

Summer Must Haves: Mama (or not) Edition

Hot days, humidity, and mosquitoes. Ahhhh, Texas summer. This is going to sound absolutely cray, but I have always been one of those gals who could just skip over summer. I do LOVE my pool time, but ugh, the heat. Oh, and the fact that I burn in like 2.5 seconds. Not blessed with Brazilian skin, y'all. Obviously, fall and winter are my faves because of the holidays, but if I have to do summer, I want to do it right. Here are my summer must haves!

Caldrea candles - These candles smell amazing. My current favorite is their signature scent, Vanilla Lemon. And you can pick these up at Target which is a major plus. I just love Target. Where else can you get toilet paper and home decor in one place? Oh yeah, HEB. But we don't have one here in the F-Dub. I hope some major executive from HEB is reading this. I WILL single-handedly support your store if you build one near me. OK, maybe not but I can fo sho find friends to shop there too. PLEASE.

Neutrogena Clear Face Sunscreen - I have worn sunscreen on my face every.single.day. since high school. Thanks Marmi Rose for teaching me about good skin care. Typically I wear Olay daily moisturizer with SPF but I feel that I need something heavier in the summer since we are outside so much more. This Neutrogena sunscreen has an SPF of 55. Yes 55. And it doesn't smell bad or make you break out because it is oil free. If you need a reason to wear sunscreen, wear it because it will help protect your face from sunburns and wrinkles. Oh, and cancer. There. I gave you not one but three reasons to wear it. WEAR SUNSCREEN y'all.

All For Color Tote Bag - I am loving all things brightly colored. There has been a major trend of neon colors for awhile now, and these bags are the perfect way to work it into your style if you are afraid of actually wearing neon. These totes are water resistant, come in fun patterns, and look great monogrammed. Perfect for the pool, beach, and great as a carry-on for summer travel. I have the Moroccan tile pattern and it's my new favorite bag. You can order online or if you are in the DFW area, Spoiled Pink carries them.

Clorox 2 Stain Fighter and Color Booster - Summer brings grass stains, BBQ spills, and snow cone dribbles. This stuff is nothing short of amazing. I have been able to remove set-in stains that have been through the dryer. For people who don't know much about laundry, when a stain has been through the dryer, it can be nearly impossible to remove. My mom told me about this Clorox 2 situation and it is the best stain remover I have ever used. Bold statement but oh so true. You can use it to pre-treat stains before laundering by just pouring a little on the stain and letting it sit for a bit and you can also add it to your detergent to keep colors bright and stain-free.

Swim Cover-Up - Everyone needs a great cover-up for pool time, and I have the perfect one for you! Old Navy for the win with their chic, cheap, and fun cover-ups. I recently got the teal-colored one pictured above and it's awesome. I was a little worried that the pom pom fringe wouldn't hold up in the wash but it has done fine. I just love finding something that looks more expensive than it really was and this is one of those!

Hope your summer is off to a fabulous start. Coming up soon, I'll be posting my favorite baby/toddler summer must haves. Happy Thursday! I don't know about y'all but I'm counting down to the happiest hour of all! Is it 5:00 yet?

Baby Must Haves: Months Thirteen and Fourteen

Well that was fast. Fourteen months have come and gone since little R joined the Lombardi party. Um, actually it's been fifteen months. I'm a little behind on blogging. Why am I behind? Not sure. Kidding. Chasing my running/climbing toddler who seems to be on a suicide mission, keeping up with Etsy and invitation orders, and you know, eating bon-bons and getting the occasional pedicure. Time must be made for pedicures. It's summa-time and my toes need all the help they can get, k?

Here are our thirteen and fourteen month baby (I guess toddler now...insert sad face) must haves!

Little Tikes 2-in-1 Swing - I am BESIDE MYSELF that I did not get a swing sooner. Like last year. IT.IS.AMAZING. The best thing is that I can put Robby in here and be totally hands free to do things in the front yard. Like you know, water plants, pull weeds, and all that fun stuff. OR ignoring all that stuff and just drinking wine al fresco. Robby screams with glee as I push him in this swing and it is a total mood lifter on those toddler tantrum days when you are like, "Why did I have a kid again?" Except I'm NEVER like that so we swing purely for fun. We (meaning my yard man - and don't judge - I was not about to risk my life or become a widow letting Andrew climb up a 20-foot tall tree. I simply do not want to be raising a toddler by myself if I can help it) hung this from a huge tree in our yard and it is the perfect spot in the shade for Mr. R. It really is necessary to drink wine while Robby swings because I have an irrational fear that I will swing Robby up to the highest height and then will hear a crash. As in a crash from the swing falling. So the wine helps with a little pre-swing relaxation. Pre-swing because you start sipping wine before you actually get in the swing and then throughout the swing session. I wonder if they make these in adult sizes? With a cup holder?

Munchkin Super Grip Bath Mat - My little (big) man has outgrown our very beloved bath tub ring. I was starting to have a hard time getting him out of the tub ring. Have you seen his thighs? Anyway, that left me in a real pickle because my guy is not one to sit still. I needed something to give him some grip in the tub to keep him from sliding all over the place when he repeatedly stands up. This mat is just the ticket! Easy to use (make sure you get the back wet before trying to suction it to the bottom of your tub), stays in place, and not expensive - which is great so I can save those pennies for my pedicure habit. Score!

Sassy Baby Disposable Diaper Sacks - Y'ALL. THE SMELL. OF TODDLER POO. Ok, let's just say that since starting to eat a wider variety of solid foods, well, R's diapers are gross. They're better in the sense that they're more solid (excuse my oversharing), but way worse in the smell department. WAY.WORSE. These diaper sacks really help disguise that odor. And I started NEVER putting poo dipes in the genie a long time ago. I keep a box of these sacks in the top drawer of the changing table and poo diapers go directly in one of these sacks and straight out into the outside trash can. There's a little tip for ya if you think your house is smelling like diapers. DO NOT put poo diapers in the genie. Like, ever. Have you heard me say POO enough yet? Oh the things I would have been appalled to say out loud pre-baby.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar book - For some reason this book is Robby's latest obsession. He will sit down and flip through this and "read" it to himself which is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life. If you could use 5 or 10 minutes of somewhat quietness, get this book for your little guy or gal! Aside from The Very Hungry Caterpillar, all books in general are a big interest of Robby's these days. Because he's a genius.

This is a great age, but it is most definitely when they start getting independent. And by independent I mean resisting authority. I need to read up on toddlerhood and hone my skills before it gets too crazy around here.

Here's a rundown of what is going on with our little man if you are interested:

Favorite Foods: pancakes, goldfish, carbs in general, raspberries, cheese, avocado, peanut butter
Favorite Activities: eating carbs, bath time, swinging, being a wild man
Favorite Words: Dada, uh-oh, this (pronounced "dis"), that (pronounced "dat"), and baby James (pronounced "A-E Jayz") *Baby James is Robby's cousin whom he ADORES! Now every baby he sees is "Baby James." He also says "Hey!" I can't wait until he really starts talking. As long as it's not "No."