Birthday Invite :-)

The party is next weekend, then we leave! So excited!

This is going to be one of the craziest weeks EVER. We can't decide if this is crazier than last year when I gave birth, DH started teaching, and had to play a festival in Bristol the same week.

Today I must :

1. Call our lawyer to get a rider written for the lease
2. Go to lease signing with new (hopefully) tenants
3. Call freezer repair to come AGAIN because it still isn't working
4. Book a strorage space in TN
5. Bring more things to Goodwill
6. Pay bills
7. Pack
8. Do laundry
9. Work
10. Oh yeah, take care of my now-running child

Well, better get to it.

I think I am falling apart..

Just a little bit. And not in a dangerous mental breakdown kind of way, just in a "wow, I haven't looked in the mirror in months" kind of way.

It kind of clicked the other day when my best friend was telling me how she admires what a great mother I am, and how "selfless" raising a child is. As she sat there in her cute new dress with her recently cut hair, perfectly manicured nails and tales of this and that dance party/fabulous event I realized that I, #1. Haven't been dancing in years (not counting baby music class), and #2. basically look like crap, and this was her subtle way of telling me.
p.s. this is the same bff who stopped me from wearing a frumpy empire waist dress to my wedding because "she would look hotter than me on my wedding day" and coaxed me into a fabulous mermaid silhouette dream gown (which thank God I wore because I will never have that body again).

Then I read this post over at the818.com where the blogger actually passed out from dehydration - nursing, sweating, running around. Crap, this could be me. My spare moments when Smoosh is asleep are spent working or researching toys and birthday party themes. I haven't had my hair cut in a year and the spit ends are reaching 3 and 4 prongs. My nails.. I can't even talk about. I am gaining weight again and love handles are spilling over the tops of my jean shorts. :( And now, with the lovely AF coming back, I have having those little neck break out bumps again.

DH tells me every day that I look gorgeous, but I know the stress of the move is getting to us, and I am looking a little worse-for-wear. But what to do? No extra time, no extra money right now. I think I will initiate a simple plan. Here are my new rules:

1. Stretch every morning first thing. This makes me more aware of my body and what I put in it and decreases stress.
2. Make a natural scrub with some sea salt and olive oil and give myself 5 minutes at the end of my shower to exfoliate.
3. Take the bag of clothes I don't want to the exchange shop and get one new outfit for myself with the money.
4. Have DH give me a little trim, for now.
5. Drink MORE water!!

Namaste ;)

Walking!

Mr. Man is walking full speed ahead all of a sudden - crazyness! You know, it just almost doesn't look possible, walking on those fat little feet. Kind of like a worm walking upright.. Know what I mean?
There is the LOUDEST freaking jackhammering going on outside right now, just in time for Smooshie's nap. I am SO ready to get out of here.
We did have a nice night out with friends last night though. Austrian beer hall then Brazilian bar with watermelon vodka! Won't be getting much of that down in Tennessee.

I have been looking for the perfect birthday gift to have delivered to the Tennessee house. Most of the suggestions on websites seem a little bit off. An exersaucer for a 1 year old? Yeah right, we got rid of that months and months ago. I was thinking the Plan Toys drum set, but now I am thinking bigger. What he REALLY loves to do is go through daddy's desk, open and close things, ound on things, and make a big mess. What about a work bench?



This one is Melissa and Doug and gets great reviews on Amazon.

Party Planning!!

It looks like we are already going to be in Tennessee for Smooshie's birthday, but we are going to have a party here right before we leave. And since I have nothing else to do (haha like pack up the house, get it rented, care for the child, oh and work) I now get to obsessively plan the first birthday party I have been dreaming of!
The in laws have moved into a fancy new building in the neighborhood and they were able to reserve the rec room for the party which is AWESOME. At first I was worried it was going to be ugly and tacky, but it is actually done quite well - modern in muted colors. It has a big kitchen, bar stools, big grey wrap around sofa, low table for the cake, a cool pool table (grey and wood!) 2 big flatscreens (And yes, even though it is kind of obnoxious, I think I am going to have to do the photo slide show of Smooshie's first year on those), an i pod dock with surround sound. It also opens up onto a huge roof deck with a grill and cool furniture. It is also pretty much totally baby-proofed which is awesome.
Still, it needs a lot of work to give it the country - vibe I am going for. Luckily, I still have the gorgeous flags my mom made for my baby shower which will look great. Then, I think I will try the tissue paper puffs in white and blue. There is one ugly painting I will need to cover with some kind of banner.
This might sound a little crazy, but I am SO happy that all the parties that have to be thrown for me are over I can finally execute the control I like! Haha. Seriously though, it has been the wedding, the bridal shower, bachelorette party, baby shower. All paid for by someone else (for the most part) and considered in bad taste for the guest of honor to say too much. NOW, I finally have ALL the control mwah hahahaha!! :-)

SO, I love this bandana idea. I am going to look for bandana paper for hats I think.

Some kind of banner would be good..

And the famous puffs see to give good bang-for-your-buck!


There is also a wonderful organic cake baker in the hood who we can order from. Now these are the things I will miss when we leave NY.