The Pollock Potluck

homemade cinnamon dolce latte

2012-02-17T11:30:00.002-05:00

Happy Cafe au Lait Day!

no, I didn't make this up. According to my email it is an actual holiday!

cafe au lait = coffee with milk

I thought I'd share with you my newest favorite coffee drink. It's sweet and milky and soo yummy! This homemade concoction mirrors my favorite Starbucks espresso drink- the cinnamon dolce latte- but without using espresso. Try it out!

First, brew some strong coffee.

I always buy decaf but add an extra scoop to make it "strong."

Fill your favorite mug about a third full with your brew.

Then measure out a cup of milk into a large measuring cup/bowl.

Make sure you use a large container; if not, your milk will overflow in the microwave.

Next, add some cinnamon.

We love cinnamon 'round here so I added a heaping half-spoonful.

Now you're going to microwave your cinnamon/milk mixture for three minutes.
The milk with get all foamy and frothy and yummy in the microwave, which is why you need a BIG cup/bowl.

Once your milk is hot and steamy, pour it into your mug.

And the final step that really makes this yummy...

Add a spoonful (or two or three!) of cinnamon syrup*, stir and you're done!

Enjoy!

*I can't bring myself to buy $5 cinnamon syrup in the grocery store so I made my own!
Here is my simple recipe for cinnamon syrup:

Get a cinnamon stick (about 5-6 inches) and break it into two or three pieces.

Place your cinnamon pieces in a small saucepan.

Next, add a cup of water, a half-cup of sugar and a half-cup of packed brown sugar.

Bring your mixture to a boil and boil for two minutes.

Remove your saucepan from the heat and let it cool completely.

Strain the syrup into a glass jar and you've got your very own cinnamon syrup!

(Be sure to store your syrup in the fridge.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T22:38:00.000-05:00

We hope you have a wonderful Valentine's day

complete with themed clothing

big (gummy) grins

and love that envelops you all day long!

sunday school wisdom

2012-02-11T05:17:00.004-05:00

We have been going through the Song of Solomon in our Sunday school class this semester. Song of Solomon, the hush-hush book of the Bible that nobody wants to talk about. Why? Because it talks about sex! But Song of Solomon is so much more than that; it's God's step-by-step vision for dating, courtship, intimacy and a lasting marriage.

You can listen to the podcasts on itunes for free. The series we use is by Tommy Nelson of Denton Bible Church. Tommy is a great speaker; he's humorous, easy to listen to and a great storyteller. (NOTE: This iTunes series is a little different than the one what we watch but it's just as powerful.)

If you're married, make the time to do this with your spouse. If you're single, make these podcasts a priority this week. Discover your best marriage with the greatest "help" book in the world, God's word!

walks in the park

2012-02-10T17:22:00.001-05:00

We are so fortunate to live across the water from a beautiful park. Now that hunting season is over and John is home with us all weekend, we love to take family walks when the weather cooperates. There's not much better than a little exercise, some fresh air and the ones I love.

the ideal babysitter

2012-02-08T20:39:00.000-05:00

The Ideal Babysitter

doesn't make a mess

entertains your little one

doesn't eat your food

likes to play outside

loves your child

~~slobbers on your door~~

Okay, so Sadie isn't the ideal babysitter,

but she works for now when this mama's gotta clean.

fun at the park

2012-02-07T10:21:00.004-05:00

Recently my niece and nephew came up to VA to spend a week with my parents. One afternoon Nana (my mom) brought the kids out to Smithfield for some outdoor time. We took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and decided to make paper boats to "launch" at our local park- Windsor Castle. After decorating and making the boats at home, we headed to the park for a fun afternoon.

Wyatt & Claire displaying their boats

to say they were excited is an understatement

I watched Luke and played cameraman while Nana assisted in the launch efforts

and they're off!

Luke supervised to make sure no kayaks or canoes came into the path of our boats.

hey mom, where's my boat?!

After launching our boats into the water, we decided to head down the trail a ways to the next dock. There we anxiously watched our paper creations drift down the river.

There were a few causalities.

Okay so they all capsized, but the process was still fun.

After staring at our stationary boats for a few minutes, we decided to do what every kid loves to do:

we played in the dirt!

There weren't any pebbles around for hopscotch so we used giant rocks.
(Don't worry- no children were harmed in our afternoon at the park.)

We left the park with tired legs and dirt in our shoes.
such a fun afternoon!

Sunday Snapshot

2012-02-05T13:18:00.001-05:00

One of my blog goals for this year is to take a weekly picture of our family, not just our beautiful baby boy. I thought Sunday would be a good day of the week to do this because it's the one day that we are all home together, I'm not wearing sweatpants and we actually take time to relax as a family. I'm going to call this the "Sunday Snapshot" and I'd love it if you would join me!

Whether your family includes two parents, one parent, lots of kids, no kids or only furry kids (we all know that pets are family members too!), everyone could use more photos of their family. These pics don't have to be photo canvas worthy; instead, what makes them perfect is the complete family. Here we are, with poor lighting, a squirmy baby, running late for church but determined to get...

Sunday Snapshot #1

and, just for fun, here are a few more
the prom pose

the quick it's going to take now SMILE!

and the
is it working?
I don't know. I think it's about to...
CLICK!
ugh that one's going to be awkward

I'm going to try and post a linky thingy in case anyone else wants to join in!

blog goals for 2012

2012-02-03T23:17:00.002-05:00

Similar to my home goals, I thought I'd make a list of goals for my blog in 2012.

Lists are good in threes, so let's do that.

1. Go back and label all of my old posts. I've just started categorizing posts with labels but need to go back through my old posts and label them to make the Potluck more user friendly.

2. Post more pictures & updates of Luke. I know I just complained about not chronicalling my little mans first six months as well as I had hoped. Instead of wallowing in my failure, I've decided to start where I can and post monthly updates from here on out. Heck, I may even try to go back and make up for the five missed months as much as I can!

3. Start a "Sunday Snapshot." So many of the blogs I love post weekly pictures of their children or their outfits, but very few have frequent posts of the whole family. I hope to take a "Sunday Snapshot" of our family every week to add to the memory books.

What about you?

Do you have any hopes or goals for your blog this year?

let me clear something up...

2012-02-02T22:52:00.005-05:00

Since my last midweek confessions post, I've had five people tell that me they were sorry for pinning something I had on Pinterest or that they would no longer pin any of my pins.

This is not what I was hoping for in my confession!!!

Let me clear something up...

I understand that Pinterest is a community that shares ideas.

I'm glad people share. Sharing is good. If others didn't share their good ideas, I wouldn't have Luke's first birthday party almost completely planned!

I do enjoy sharing.

Contrary to what my words may have implied, I really do enjoy sharing. Whether it's recipes, baby things, maternity clothes or anything else for that matter, I do take pleasure in sharing with others. (as long as it's not my Diet Coke. I don't even share my Diet Coke with the hubs!)

Want to know why I really "confessed" about not wanting to share on Pinterest?

because there's someone in the Pinterest community that has pinned nearly every single pin I have pinned.

She has even named her boards the same witty titles I created for mine

and that kinda creeps me out and makes me think someone's pretending to be me,

so much so that I changed my name on Pinterest to "Luke's Mama"

not that crazy pinner person will stop, because she was following me before my identity changed.

does that crazy runon sentence clear things up?
I hope so.

And I hope you find me on Pinterest and pin away, because this mama loves to share a good idea.

car seat questions

2012-02-02T08:17:00.001-05:00

I need some mommy advice!

We have been using the Chicco KeyFit 30 carseat for Luke and we love it! This seat is so easy to take in and out of the base, and the base is a breeze to install in the car. This car seat is part of the Chicco travel system, and just like when used in the car, the car seat glides in and out of the stroller effortlessly. Did I mention I love this car seat?!

this is our seat, in the "cubes" print

The users manual states that I can use the KeyFit 30 for my child until he reaches 30 pounds or 30 inches, whichever comes first. My tall baby is an inch away from the 30 inch cutoff, so it's time for a new convertible car seat- and STAT!

After countless hours of researching, talking with friends, posing questions on facebook, & reading baby forums online...I'm still not sure which convertible car seat to choose! I narrowed down my choices to two brands: Britax and Diono. (Diono was previously called Sunshine Kids, if you start to look around for one as well.)

Here's where you come in!

If you have a little one in a convertible car seat,
or have recently had experiences with a convertible car seat,
please share your insight with me! Thanks!

midweek confessions

2012-02-01T19:29:00.004-05:00

I'm linking up with E today for

~ I love Pinterest. However, I don't like when other people pin ideas from my boards. I know this is how Pinterest is supposed to work. Yes, I recognize that the only reason I found something on Pinterest is because someone else shared their pin. I know I don't own the ideas- heck, they aren't even MY ideas- but I still get my britches in a bunch when other people "pin" the ideas I have marked. Hello my name is Ashley and I have trouble sharing.

~ I made this amazing cinnamon roll cake on Sunday afternoon. Sadly, it is already gone. Not even a morsel of the sweet sugary butter was left stuck to the side because I took a rubber scraper and cleaned out the pan. I am never allowing myself to make this thigh-thickening dessert ever again. (and yes, I found this recipe on Pinterest!)

~ Someone needs to do an iPhone giveaway. If you come across one, holler 'atcha girl.
(or do I spell it "holla?" I will never be the cool mom.)

~ I really wanted to do a post each month to chronicle Luke's growth and development. However, just like my intentions to document the progression of my belly when I was pregnant, I have failed to follow through. What is it with me and scheduled posts? I have the time to do these. I don't have to think of anything witty to write about. I don't even have to be in the pictures! I guess I'm just too busy having fun with the little mister. It makes me sad to think that I'm already starting to forget some of his tiny baby-isms and I don't have it written down to remember.

~ All the cool blogs have "buttons." I think I can make my own button on picnik before it shuts down (tear), but I don't know how to make it link to my blog when copied. Until I can learn to read HTML code, I'm going to have to wait for such cool blog accessories.

~ I am currently beating myself up for both the massive amounts of cake I've eaten and the poor job of record keeping I've done for Luke. Anyone else aboard the mommy guilt train?!

home goals: #3

2012-02-01T04:54:00.000-05:00

Home Goal #3. Create a gallery wall in the dining room

I used to think I wanted to do this in our stairwell. I even put it on my "30 before 30" list! (#22) But after having John hold up a few frames I quickly realized that the dim lighting of our stairwell would not do the photos justice. If I create a gallery wall, I want it to be seen, loved on, oohed and ahhed over- not just hiding in the shadows.

We decided that our large dining room wall where the old windows currently rest would be the perfect place. This room is a combination of browns and blacks so my collection of black frames will be perfect for this space.

winner! winner! chicken dinner!

2012-01-31T22:18:00.000-05:00

Remember my post about my very first blog giveaway?

I'm excited to announce that

we have a winner!

Is it you?!

Watch the video to find out! :)

If you're the lucky winner, please email me (teacherpollock@gmail.com) with your mailing address so that I can get your wreath to you.

If I don't hear from you by the end of the week I'll have to choose a new winner!

be right back

2012-01-30T16:32:00.000-05:00

I am currently house & dog sitting for my parents while they make a quick trip to Delaware to visit my grandparents. I know I said last week that I'd announce the giveaway winner today, but I'm going to have to make you wait another day. Sorry! I've got a video to announce the winner but I can't upload it to my iPad here at the rents house. Come back tomorrow! :) thanks!

home goals: #2

2012-01-27T23:17:00.000-05:00

Home Goal #2. Paint an accent wall in the den

What do you hang above/around a tv? I still don't know what to do with this space. I thought I did, as evidenced by the shadow boxes, but then my idea for the space to the left fell through and ever since we've had this lopsided focal point. But do you have a focal point on the wall where your tv rests? I still don't know. John and I decided painting this wall a green color would not only provide some contrast between the rooms downstairs (every single room is the same beige color) but it would also make us finally take down those goofy offset shadow boxes.

home goals: #1

2012-01-27T08:08:00.000-05:00

Now that I'm home all day with my little man, I keep finding things I want to change, fix and create in our house. After reading one of my favorite blogs, I decided to jump on board the home goals bandwagon for 2012. My plan is to tackle one goal a month. I hope we can do it!

[I'll share all of my goals over the next two weeks so I don't bore anyone

with all this gibberish in one long post!]

Home Goal #1. Fix the paint in the laundry room

The hubs worked tirelessly-- measuring, taping, remeasuring, taping, measuring again, you get the idea-- when he painted our laundry room the summer we bought our house. Don't get me wrong: I still love the bright yellow stripes John painted! However, we didn't realize that the white we were painting over was just a drywall sealer and not actual paint. When we removed the paint tape that made the yellow stripes we also proceeded to remove hunks of white drywall sealer.

In the rush to move in and get our stinky clothes clean, we said we'd come back and touch it up later. Two and half years later is beyond late enough! I hope to touch up the white paint in the laundry room this year and give the room the crisp, clean look it deserves.

a giveaway!

2012-01-26T14:17:00.005-05:00

I am so stoked that I finally reached

50 followers!

well, 52 to be exact, but who's counting?!

oh yeah, ME!

but really y'all, I was *super* excited to see that little follower box grow
and see more pretty little faces on the face of my blog

Let's commemorate this exciting milestone with a giveaway!

You may be asking yourself,

What in the world can a stay-at-home mom on a limited budget with a silly little blog giveaway?

Well...

I decided to give away a homemade yarn wreath, like the ones I gave at Christmas.

You pick the colors- ANY colors you want- & I make the wreath and ship it to you!

(And if you're really lucky, I may include something for your sweet tooth as well!)

If you want to win you need to:

- be a follower of my blog

- leave a comment telling me what colors you would like on your wreath.

That's it!

The lucky winner will be announced next Monday.

please oh please let me get more than one comment so I don't look like a giant goob!

laughing baby

2012-01-24T07:44:00.000-05:00

Apparently making a baby belly laugh doesn't get rid of the hiccups.
enjoy :)

a quick follow up

2012-01-23T09:23:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to follow up after last week's post with a few comments.

~ I want you to know that I did wash the white curtain that blew into the toilet bowl. You should also know that I left it hanging for two days before I washed it.

~ The cinnamon bun popcorn that I put a hurtin' on all day long can be found here. If you're trying to lose weight or eliminate sugar/butter from your diet, muster up every ounce of self control and do not go to the website linked above. This stuff is AMAZING y'all.

~ I'm stoked that my blog almost has 50 followers. Once we get to 50 I'm going to do a fun "giveaway" with something homemade. because that's what all the cool bloggers with lotsa followers do. Follow me and make my small world really exciting, please??

warm tp

2012-01-21T08:37:00.006-05:00

Every year when winter arrives I rekindle my hard feelings for our old, noisy radiators with cracked (probably lead) paint. They give us deliciously warm heat, but man are they ugly.
and bulky.
and everything but modern or contemporary.

HOWEVER!

Just this week I discovered a reason to love my bulky, ugly radiators.

warm toilet paper

ohh yeahhh

(Sorry about the toilet talk this week. No more potty mouth next week.)

curtain in the toilet bowl

2012-01-19T09:20:00.002-05:00

I love to read blogs.

especially blogs by fellow mamas of little ones.

I get good ideas from these mamas, I connect, I can relate.

However there's one thing I don't like about so many mama blogs.

They portray a fairytale life where the house is always clean, the kids are always perfect, the mamas are always patient and life is always good.

Let's get real.

Yes, being a mother is one of the most rewarding, incredible, enriching experiences of a woman's life. However, it's not always wonderful.

It's not all unicorns and butterflies and rainbows.

Take this scenario for example:

We had a windy, 60 degree day this week that was just perfect for opening up the windows and airing out the house. Hibernating in winter can be cozy and comfy but it can also lead to a stale smell when you live in a really old house. I decided to capitalize on this great weather by opening up the windows and taking Luke for a nice long walk.

right now our day is going great- almost unicorns & rainbows great

I decide to take two loops around our neighborhood in hopes of working off some of the cinnamon bun popcorn I'd been inhaling all afternoon. Just as I begin my second loop the rain starts. It starts as a sprinkle and before I can turn around, the clouds have opened up into a nice, soaking rain. Picture me running back to the house (without proper running undergarments), in the rain, slipping on the spots where the rain has mixed with car sludge, all with a crying baby. Did I mention we had to run past an entire tree cutting crew? It was a sight.

goodbye rainbows and unicorns and butterflies

As soon as I lug the baby, the stroller and myself into the house, I decide to admit defeat and lay on the floor of the den. Then I remember it: all the windows are open! I frantically run around the house closing the windows, slipping on the wet wood floors (crap! our beautiful wood floors are wet!), listening to a screaming baby who's also wet and cranky...you get the picture. Just as I come barreling up the stairs to close the bedroom windows I see that the wind has blown the bathroom curtain into the toilet bowl.

hello reality.

I couldn't help but stop and laugh. After removing the curtain from the toilet, I finished closing the windows, changed us both into warm, clean clothes and vegged out on the couch with my sleeping baby. and more cinnamon bun popcorn. And guess what? The rain stopped and not another drop fell the rest of the day.

Yes, motherhood is a life-changing experience, even when your curtain's in the toilet.

my answers

2012-01-14T09:20:00.003-05:00

I posed a bunch of questions to my mommy readers last week

and thought I'd share my own responses with you today.

Thanks to everyone who shared!

Does your child receive them, do you skip them altogether or do you follow a modified vaccine schedule? Luke gets vaccines according to the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommendations. The AAP is the only approved vaccine schedule so it's what we're working with now.

Do you have plans to omit any regularly scheduled vaccine? Nope. If we alter anything it may be a minor delay to spread out vaccines so that our child doesn't get a huge vaccine cocktail on a single visit.

What did you feed your baby when it was time to start "real food?" We just started Earth's Best Organic Rice Cereal now that Luke is five months. I really wanted to wait until he was six months old but this mama's milk just wasn't keeping our big boy full. (I am still nursing every two-three hours!) I mix the cereal with breastmilk so that it's really soupy. I should also mention that we only try rice cereal one time a day, at supper time; now we all can eat at the table. :)

How long did you do rice cereal before you started fruits or veggies? Luke ate rice cereal really well on day one. Ever since then he refuses to open his mouth. When we trick him into opening his mouth long enough to slide the spoon in, he gives us the sour face and keeps his lips sealed from that moment on. I tried apples today to see if it would encourage him to open his mouth but no such luck.

Did you make your own baby food or do store bought? I'm planning to make our own baby food. Again, that's my lofty plan. We'll see how it goes.

Did/does your baby like tummy time? No! Luke never has and still doesn't. He literally HATES tummy time and will bang his head on the floor as long as he is on his tummy. This leads to screaming and crying... from both of us.

What sorts of activities do you do with your little one during tummy time? We've tried books, toys, listening to Praise Baby, staring into a mirror-- nothing works. I've tried tummy time on the play mat, on our bed, on my tummy; it doesn't matter where he is, Luke hates being on his tummy.

How much tummy time does your baby have in a day? not enough. (see above) As a kindergarten teacher who taught students with special needs, I know the importance of tummy time and it's impact on a child's motor development. Even with my firsthand knowledge, I can't let my child beat himself up and consequently rarely give him the amount of tummy time he needs.

If you stay at home, what do you do to get "me" time? does cleaning up dinner count as "me" time?! In all honesty, I think late-night blogging is my only "me time." Is that sad??

Did you find the transition from working mom to SAHM to be difficult? I did find it hard at first. I was so used to the go go go mentality that it was hard for me to just be home and do the same things over and over all day- nurse, change a diaper, repeat. Now, five months in, there are days that I don't even step a foot outside and it's glorious. Though I'm not "nesting" in the sense that you are when you're pregnant, now as a mom I'm very content to stay home in my nest.

What do you do outside the home on weekdays? I do errands and hang out with my parents when I need to get out of the house. Oh! And we do supper club once a month with friends!

This one goes out to...

2012-01-13T09:10:00.003-05:00

...all the new mamas

...all the experienced mamas

...all the women who ~~want to~~ will be mamas one day

If you fit into one of these categories, please share your thoughts on any or all of the topics below. Thanks!

vaccinations

Does your child receive them, do you skip them altogether or do you follow a modified vaccine schedule? Do you have plans to omit any regularly scheduled vaccine?

first foods

What did you feed your baby when it was time to start "real food?" How long did you do rice cereal before you started fruits or veggies? Did you make your own baby food or do store bought?

tummy time

Did/does your baby like tummy time? What sorts of activities do you do with your little one during tummy time? How much tummy time does your baby have in a day?

stay at home moms

If you stay at home, what do you do to get "me" time? Did you find the transition from working mom to SAHM to be difficult? What do you do outside the home on weekdays?

Feel free to share your input on anything related to these topics! Please, someone, share something!

Luke meets Pop Pop

2012-01-12T22:53:00.001-05:00

We spent New Years weekend in Delaware with my grandparents. It was Luke's first visit to Delaware and his first meeting with his great grandparents. Luke loved my Pop Pop and gave him a gummy grin every time they locked eyes. My Grannie was always hard at work in the kitchen when we had the camera out, so we'll have to snap some photos with her next time. Luke loved Grannie's sweet smiles!

It warms my heart so much to see my grandparents with my son.

My family is my life and my life is so good.

cranberry casserole

2012-01-12T10:07:00.000-05:00

My mom got this recipe from a friend at her church a few years back. Ever since it has been a staple at our Thanksgiving and Christmas suppers. I even shared it with my mother-in-law who posted the recipe to her personal cheffing website! We like to think it's a side dish, but this casserole is so stinkin' sweet it should really be served on the dessert table. You could also serve this alongside other dishes for breakfast. Regardless of how you serve it, you need to eat it. and lots of it.

Cranberry Casserole

Ingredients

3 cups Granny Smith apples
2 cups raw cranberries (NOT dried cranberries)
1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2/3 cup butter

Directions

1. Wash, peel and chop apples.

2. Rinse and discard imperfect cranberries.

What's an "imperfect" cranberry? I'm not entirely sure.

I toss any that are squishy or discolored-- too light or too dark.

3. Mix apples, cranberries and sugar in a large bowl.

4. Pour apple/cranberry mixture into a greased square (9x9) baking pan.
(You'll notice that my pan isn't square. Read the tips at the bottom to find out how to make this in a 13x9 dish to feed a crowd.)

5. Combine oats, brown sugar, flour and pecans in a medium bowl.

6. Melt butter and pour it over the oatmeal mixture. Mix well. Resist the urge to eat it by the spoonful right now!

7. Top the apple/cranberry mixture with the oatmeal mixture. DO NOT STIR!

8. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
9. Let the casserole sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
10. Grab a glass of milk and enjoy!

A few tips...

* Make the extra trip to the grocery store for the Granny Smith apples. I've tried making this with other varieties of apples that we had on hand (Gala, Macintosh) and the casserole comes out really soupy. The moisture content of the Granny Smith apples is the ticket to a perfect cranberry casserole..

* We never buy "quick-cooking" oats. I just use the "old fashioned" variety and it turns out great.

* If you're planning to make this to feed a crowd, you can do so really easily. Simply double each ingredient, follow the same directions, use a 13x9 baking dish and cook for about 60-70 minutes. You'll know it's done when the top starts to brown and the cranberry mixture is bubbling around the sides.
* Serve this warm over vanilla ice cream for an ahhhmazing wintertime dessert!

midweek confessions

2012-01-11T11:26:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up with E today for

~ Luke now cozies up in a sleep sack instead of sleeping under his favorite green blanket. I may occasionally sleep with his precious blanket. for him. you know, to keep my smell on it. and to keep it soft. and safe. It's all about the kid.

~ When I go to Starbucks I order a drink with so much syrup that it tastes nothing like coffee. I then proceed to the condiment counter and add sweet-n-low to amp up the sweet flavor even further. Yes, I am addicted to sweets and yes, I eat sweet-n-low. Lab rats may die of the dreadful pink packets but man are they good!

~ I clip my son's fingernails way too short. I can't stand to see him scratch his precious little face and have no idea how to file my own fingernails smooth, let alone a wiggly baby with nails the size of pop rocks.

What do you confess today?

supper club

2012-01-09T07:11:00.000-05:00

Last week we had our first "supper club" of 2012. Supper club is a fun way for me and four of my closest girlfriends (and their families) to get together once a month and catch up. With the craziness of life we were never able to get together and would go months on end before finally having a coffee date. We decided in December to start a "supper club" in hopes of staying in touch a little better and reconnecting more often. Here's how it works.

We meet for supper the first Thursday of every month at 6:30.

Each family takes turns hosting two months of the year. (And we set the schedule ahead of time so we all know when it's our month to host.)

The remaining two months (that aren't assigned to a family) we go out to a fun spot!

When you host, you provide the meal. Visiting friends bring the drinks and dessert.

That's it!

I got the idea from a fellow teacher friend who does supper club with two of her close friends and their families. It was so fun to hang out with everyone last Thursday and just catch up. John and I host in February and I already have the meal planned. I can't wait!

baby's first food

2012-01-07T21:27:00.002-05:00

We met another milestone this week.

Luke ate his first "real people" food!

(well, it was just rice cereal, nothing too yummy)

Our little man has such good manners, he's even learned how to wipe his mouth!

After about ten bites he decided he had the hang of this food thing and wanted to feed himself.

Everyone was excited- maybe us more so than Luke.

All in all a successful first experience with food that everyone enjoyed,

especially Luke.

Here's a video of our little guy eating his first food.

Okay really it's just seven minutes of a baby spitting cereal all over his face but we're new parents and think it's precious! If nothing else, watch the first 30 seconds to see his initial reaction to the food. That face is priceless! Be sure to turn the volume up to hear us coaxing him into eating the mush.

(And excuse my appearance & my uncanny ability to talk about baby bowels.)

I'm a baby mama. This is the new me.)

pumpkin pound cake

2012-01-06T22:28:00.001-05:00

This recipe is aaaamazing. I can't take credit for it. I found the recipe on Pinterest originally and then adapted it to my (excessive) sweet tooth. Look out Paula Dean - there's a new sweet tooth in town.

Ingredients
for the cake...
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
5 eggs
1 15oz can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
for the ooey gooey glaze...
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons maple syrup
4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
a heaping 3/4 cup to 1 cup confectioners sugar (see more in my "tips" section)

Directions
for the cake...
1. Preheat your oven to 325.
2. Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt pan.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice in a bowl.

4. Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

5. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

6. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla.

7. SLOWLY beat in dry ingredients. If you do it too fast you'll be covered in flour/baking soda/baking powder/salt/spices. Don't ask me how I know.

8. Beat your dough until smooth, about 30 seconds on medium for my mixer.
9. Spoon the dough into your bundt pan. Bake at 325 for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

10. Once your cake is done, remove it from the oven to a wire rack. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert to another wire rack to cool completely.

11. While the cake is cooling, make your glaze.
for the ooey gooey glaze...
12. Combine the butter, syrup and cream in a small saucepan.

13. Bring this mixture to a boil and boil for one full minute.

14. Remove from heat and whisk the confectioners sugar into your hot, bubbly butter. Whisk until smooth.

15. Cool the glaze for about 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. Then drizzle back and forth over your delicious cake until the cake is covered in sweet, buttery goodness.

16. Take the cake immediately to a supper club, church meeting or your parents house. If you keep this in your kitchen you will eat the entire thing.

A few tips
* If may sound tedious, but it's best to crack the eggs (one at a time) into a separate bowl before adding them into your mixer with the other ingredients. The first time I made this recipe I did not do that because I was rushed and ended up serving a cake with eggshells. A little extra fiber I suppose, but NOT what you want in a pumpkin pound cake.
* Here's another egg tip for all you egg crackin' bloggers: You will get a more even crack with fewer pieces if you crack your egg on a flat surface instead of an edge (such as the edge of a bowl).
* I LOVE a good glaze and lots of it. On my ingredients list I wrote down 3/4 cup to 1 cup of confectioners sugar. I used a heaping 3/4 cup to whisk in with my butter mixture and then, after the 20 minutes of cooling as the recipe states, I added about 1/4 cup more to thicken it further.

self soother

2012-01-05T23:50:00.000-05:00

My baby boy refuses a paci.

His thumb never seems to satisfy.

But when he gets those two middle fingers in his mouth,

Luke can self soothe himself like a big boy.

(I was burping a very full mister, hence the flying hand in the background.)

And see that precious dimple in his forehead he gets when he's focused?

It's these cute little moments I never want to forget.

cinnamon chip scones

2012-01-05T07:02:00.003-05:00

Remember when I told you I was going to share some of my favorite recipes? Well it's a little late, but I've finally got another recipe for you! This is my go to recipe for scones. They are buttery, flaky and oozing with cinnamon goodness. Did you know that cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant? Even more reason to make these bad boys.

Ingredients
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 bag (10 oz.) cinnamon chips
melted butter (about 3 tablespoons)
cinnamon sugar to sprinkle

I'm going to go all Pioneer Woman on you and take pictures along the way.

Sorry for the dark photos. I made these early yesterday morning to satisfy a craving!

Directions
1. Combine all of your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in a large bowl.

2. Slice butter into squares.

3. Cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

4. Stir in buttermilk until just moistened.

5. Fold in cinnamon chips.

6. Transfer your dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead about ten times or until no longer sticky to the touch.

7. Divide the dough in half. Pat each half into a circle (roughly 8 inches each).

8. Cut each circle into wedges. If you want smaller scones, cut each circle into eight wedges. If you want hearty scones, cut the circles into six wedges. We're all about quantities around here so I do six wedges.

9. Using a basting brush, brush melted butter onto each scone. Sprinkle your cinnamon sugar on top.

10. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes. (Smaller scones take about 10-13 minutes; larger ones take 13-15 minutes.) After cooling on the pan for about a minute, remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

12. Try to eat just one!

A few tips
* I use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. If you don't have one of these, a fork works just fine too.
* I never buy buttermilk from the dairy section because I always end up tossing more than I use. Instead I buy powdered buttermilk and keep it in the fridge until I need it again. This stuff is great!

All you have to do is measure your powder, add the directed amount of water and whisk.

Voila! Buttermilk!

* When cutting the dough into wedges, I like to dip my knife into flour first. This ensures that the knife doesn't stick to the dough. You could also do this with a pizza cutter.

* If you don't have cinnamon sugar already mixed, don't worry. Just do three parts sugar for every one part of cinnamon. I put one spoonful of cinnamon & three spoonfuls of sugar into a bowl, stirred and sprinkled over my scones.

midweek confessions

2012-01-04T10:36:00.004-05:00

I'm linking up with E today for

~ I really want an iphone. I don't need it; my phone works just fine, I'm not an Apple guru and I don't surf the web or send emails from my phone. Let's be honest: I just an iphone so that I can download instagram and have fun weekly "photo dump" posts. Is it bad to want a phone just for the camera? nah.

~ Today I used a Living Social deal to get the Sunday paper delivered every week. I don't read the paper; I just signed up for the subscription to get the Sunday coupons.

~ I have no idea what these black and white boxes are. Yet I see them everywhere. I've heard you're supposed to scan them with your phone, but for what? Maybe if I had that iphone I'd be in the know.

source

~ My creative juices have been flowing and I've been toying with the idea of opening an Etsy shop. Not only would it be rewarding, doing so would allow me to cross an item off of my "30 before 30" list and give our family a little extra cash. However I'm a big weenie and scared of failure so the shop will remain in my dream world for the time being.

~ I own four strollers-- an umbrella stroller ($5 at a garage sale), an everyday stroller (that goes with our carseat travel system), a piece of junk jogger (bought off of Craigslist) and my new jogging stroller (thanks Santa!) I need to join strollers anonymous.

~ After finding book suggestions online, I place holds on said books at my local library. However, I have never picked up a book I've placed on hold since the little man was born. In fact, it's been four months since I even stepped foot into the library. I want to read more, but I guess I'll just read blogs instead.

What's your midweek confession?

jumpin baby

2012-01-03T07:43:00.001-05:00

I decided to pull out our "Johnny jump up" last week.

Luke LOVES it.

new years resolutions

2012-01-01T09:45:00.038-05:00

This year, I'm doing it.

I'm making New Years resolutions and I'm going to try my hardest to stick with them.

(I'm not sure if you are supposed to capitalize the N and Y in New Year but I'm going to in efforts of further driving home the resolute meaning of my goals.)

Resolution Number 1: Take more pictures. I think I've said this every year. However, after having a baby I realize just how important it is to document our life in photographs. I treasure the times I can sit with my parents and look at old photos together. It saddens me to think that in this digital age of Facebook and blogs (gasp!) we aren't printing our memories to share with generations to come. I'm going to try and take more pictures of Luke as well as the other family experiences we share. Along with taking more pictures, I'm going to make an effort to print them. We have a box full of empty photo albums just longing for good memories.

Resolution Number 2: Eat less salt. Now that's a New Year's resolution you probably won't hear again! In the past I've resolved to eat more vegetables, eat less junk food and drink less soda. But then after a week of celery, carrot sticks and empty water bottles, I'm cranky, hungry and over my resolutions. Instead of trying to omit something from my diet or add a completely foreign food group (ahem, vegetables) I'm going to try to limit my salt intake. It's amazing how much salt is added to processed foods, especially canned soups and prepackaged snacks. With a keen eye on my salt intake I will (hopefully) eat a more healthy, balanced diet.

Resolution Number 3: Let go and let's play. I'm sure you've heard the phrase Let go and let God. In a play on words, my third resolution is in aim to enjoy time with my son. Don't get me wrong: I love that little boy to no end and cherish every moment I have with him. However, I often get too caught up in keeping a clean house or making commitments and I don't take as much time to just sit and play with my little mister. This year I want to make more memories; if a messy house happens to be the byproduct of our playtime along the way, so be it.

Lists are good in threes so I think I'm going to stop there.

Do you have any New Years Resolutions?

Christmas wrap up

2011-12-31T07:22:00.002-05:00

Christmas 2011 was the best yet! We loved celebrating this year with our precious baby boy, staying home for Christmas morning, enjoying a Christmas Eve & Christmas Day church service and spending a few nonstop days with my brother and his family. Take a peek at our celebration!

Sunday, December 25th

There is a Santa!

And he got me the jogging stroller I had wanted for so long!

My gifts from John. Isn't it funny how we get excited over junk food and Genie bras?!

John's gifts from me

(And again, junk food and underwear! who are we?!)

Christmas morning our little bruiser slept until it was time to leave for church, stayed with us in the "family friendly" Christmas day service & then took a nap after we got home from church. When he woke up we were at my Mom & Dad's for Christmas dinner. Our sleepy guy never opened a single gift on Christmas Day! And did I mention we didn't snap a single photo of him on his actual first Christmas? worst. parents. ever.

Monday December 26th

My brother and his family got to Mom & Dad's house late Sunday night, so we celebrated with them on the 26th. Again, our champion sleeper slept through most of the presents. At least we snapped a few photos of him decked out in his Christmas outfit before the baby dreams kicked in.

Sidenote: I really need to learn how to use this camera. I took so many cute pictures, but because I didn't use the flash (I hate the way flash photography looks) a lot of my pictures
(like these two below) are so blurry! Help me out photo bloggers!

Opening presents took- no lie- somewhere between two and three hours for our family. Between nursing & napping babies, stopping to get more trashbags, kids that wanted to play with their toys immediately, trying to find the scissors and snack breaks, we made a full afternoon of it!

Wyatt is the king of the Lego.

Paige loved her baby doll!

*That's not a necklace I'm wearing but rather a nursing cover turned cape for present time.*

Look at those cute teeth!

All of the grandkids got hooded bath towels from Nana & Papa.
Luke was pretty excited about his frog!

Dad with his homemade photo canvas.

I think he liked his camo Tervis Tumbler. What do you think?!

The kids are all about flashlights right now. We got Wyatt finger flashlights and Claire flashlight rings. I think they were a hit!

Mom got Luke the cutest moose overalls and booties from Gymboree!

Once again, my mom outdid herself for Christmas. She quilted table runners for both Ali & myself.

Ali's is reversible with hand stitched words on each side. I love the colors and all of the piecing.

Mine is muted silvers, golds and grays, perfect for our dining room.

After our marathon present time, we my mom had to kick it into high gear to get Christmas supper ready. Our spread included ham, turkey, bacon wrapped duck, stuffing (we call it dressing), rolls, mashed potatoes, baby lima beans, greens, cranberry relish, cranberry casserole, sliced cranberry sauce, baked pineapple and sweet potato casserole-- every bit of it homemade! We ate so much yummy food!

After supper we just hung out as a family, with full bellies and content hearts.

What a wonderful Christmas! I hope yours was just as lovely!

homemade Christmas gifts

2011-12-30T06:49:00.000-05:00

This Christmas we were on a much tighter budget than ever before. With so many family members to buy gifts for-- 23 to be exact-- I decided to get crafty. This year each family member received two presents: one homemade gift and one that was store bought. (Our nieces and nephews were the exception to this rule; what kid wants a homemade gift?!) I thought I'd share my homemade gifts with you to encourage you to do the same one day. Crafting made the gift giving more special to me this year than ever before. And the late nights spent crafting after Luke had gone to bed, though very tiring, were a labor of love.

all of the Grandma's got one of these

I bought a 3-pack of 5x7 canvases at Michaels and some acrylic paint to create the little feet Christmas trees. The little stands were purchased at Michael's with 40% off coupons.

All of the women also received a homemade yarn wreath.

I bought the yarn, decorative picks and felt to make the flowers at Michael's when they were on sale. I used the Michael's weekly 40% off coupon to purchase the six styrofoam wreath forms.

My mom and mother-in-law got the red & green Christmas wreaths.

My sister-in-law Kelly received the teal & green wreath.

And for my sisters-in-law Sarah and Ali I made purple and white wreaths.

All of the men in the family got yummy popcorn in these cool paint tins.

Like every other craft supply I used, these were purchased at Michael's with 40% off coupons-- one every week until I had all six that I needed.

I also put the recipe for each variety of popcorn on these fun recipe cards (Michael's $1 bin).

I made photo canvases to showcase recent family photos.

I bought the canvases from Michael's with my weekly 40% off coupon and printed the 8x10 photos from Sam's Club. Add a little Mod Podge and you have a great, affordable gift!

I should mention that making Christmas gifts is much more tedious and time consuming than just spending a day shopping at the mall. I started shopping for my materials the first week of October so that I could get every single item on sale or with a weekly coupon. Since we don't have a Michael's in our town it meant coordinating my Michael's errands with my grocery shopping days. It took a little extra planning, but the savings I received were well worth my time and effort!

Would I do homemade gifts again in the future? Absolutely. I loved the experience and even more than the gratification of the finished products was the joy that came from seeing family members open a gift that they really enjoyed. I'm already planning next year's gifts!

What about you? Did you do any homemade gifts this year?

Or were you the recipient of something homemade?

If so, do share!

midweek confessions

2011-12-29T10:56:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up with E today for

~ I weaned myself off of Diet Coke very quickly when I first found out I was pregnant with Luke. Then, after the little man was born, I discovered that Caffeine-Free Diet Coke is just as addicting, especially when you add a splash of Cherry Coke Zero to your cup. (Every nursing mom needs a little caffeine!) I've got it bad, y'all.

~ I got my hair cut last Wednesday. Like, really cut-- a mom cut-- chin-length and all. And although the stylist did a fabulous job, with this new do I now have to actually style my hair everyday. I miss my ponytail.

~I have already started to take down our Christmas decorations. I normally do it after the new year, kicking and screaming because I hate admitting that the Christmas season is over. Instead, this year I'm ready to put everything away and get my house back in order. Who am I?!

~ I am envious of all the super fit baby mamas who go on long runs with their babies. Certain breastfeeding moms like myself with...how can I say it.... lotsa milk physically cannot run. While I'm on this topic, can I also mention that I don't care how many miles you ran with your baby or how fast today's run was with the dog, your bum foot and the double stroller. You people who post this stuff on Facebook know you do so just to praise yourself and make the rest of us feel bad. (The jealous bone is a bitter one, now isn't it?!)

~ I love to find things on Amazon and add them to my cart knowing full well I can't purchase them. I call it window shopping for the stay-at-home mom on a tight budget. Please tell me someone else does this.

~ I just realized that I started every confession in this post with "I." The teacher in me disapproves but I'm too lazy to go back and edit, so let's roll with it, mmkay?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:47:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only son from the Father, full of grace and truth. -John 1:9-14

gingerbread boys

2011-12-23T21:45:00.003-05:00

With all the baking we do this time of year, I thought I would take some time this week to share some of my favorite recipes with you. I'll begin with the quintessential Christmas cookie.

gingerbread boys!

I made the famous "Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies" yesterday just in time for Christmas supper. These are some of my favorite wintertime treats. Did I mention they make your house smell divine as they bake? An added bonus! My mom scored this recipe in our local paper one year and I'm so glad she did. The gingerbread they make in Colonial Williamsburg is the best and now we all can make it at home!

Ingredients
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/2 Tablespoons nutmeg
2 Tablespoons ginger
1 Tablespoon lemon flavoring
3/4 cup milk
5 cups flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup molasses
extra flour
frosting/sprinkles/other candy decorations

Directions
1. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer.

2. Add spices, lemon flavoring and milk, blending well.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

4. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with molasses to make a smooth, thick dough.

5. Chill the dough for two hours in refrigerator. Be sure to "sample" some dough to make sure it's just right.

6. Using a rolling pin, roll dough 1/4" thick onto a well floured surface.

7. Cut with desired cookie cutters and place cookies on a greased and lightly floured cookie sheet.

8. Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE!
9. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

10. Frost and decorate cooled cookies!

A few tips...
* Yes, those measurements are correct- you do use TABLESPOONS of spices. This recipe makes a great many gingerbread boys so you can share with family and friends!
* Don't skip the sifting in step 3. You really do need to use a sifter to incorporate the baking powder and salt into the flour and make that fine sifted blend.
* Chill the dough! If you try to skip this step you will have a huge sticky mess on your hands!
* When it comes time to roll the dough, make sure your hands and the rolling pin are coated in flour to preventing the dough from sticking.

midweek confessions

2011-12-21T23:07:00.002-05:00

I'm linking up with E again for

~ Just this week we have started putting Luke to bed in his crib. Prior to this he has been sleeping in the bassinet next to our bed. As much as I am going to miss seeing my sweet mister sleeping at night, I am totally stoked to get our room back! Now I can actually put on pjs or read in bed without having to ~~tiptoe~~ stumb my toes in the dark.

~ I haven't made dinner in five nights. Between visits with family and me being ~~busy~~ lazy, we have eaten out of the fridge and freezer instead. Yes, I'm a stay-at-home mom who has the time to cook but this week I just didn't want to. Besides, Stauffer's makes lasagna way better than I do.

~ I wish I was one of those cool bloggers who had a lot of followers. Sometimes I wonder if anyone other than the grandmas (no offense- love y'all!) reads this stuff.

~ I doubt my abilities as a mom. a lot. When I'm vacuuming, I feel like I should be playing with Luke. When we're playing together, I feel like he's bored. I love my child to no end; there's no doubt about that. I just want to provide him with the most enriching, positive, loving foundation that I can. And I constantly think that everyone else is doing that way better than I ever could. Why don't the baby books tell you that self doubt sets in big time after having a baby?

~ Over the weekend I made peppermint rice crispy treats, peanut butter cup fudge and press cookies to share with our neighbors. All three containers are almost empty yet not a single goodie has made it out the door...yeah, I'm just working on my winter weight.

~ Currently our desk is home to an empty cereal bowl, a Tervis Tumbler cup halfway full of water, a baby monitor with dead batteries, a random box of envelopes, thank you cards waiting to be written, and a mousepad with a million "to do" items listed. That's on top of all the regular "desk stuff." I have got to get this place under control.

tub time

2011-12-21T08:38:00.000-05:00

What is it about a naked baby that drives parents to take pictures? Is it the cute rolls of chunky skin that we just can't resist? Or that big, bulging belly that makes us go all googly-eyed? Whatever it is, I'm a sucker for naked baby pictures. With a subject this cute, how can you resist?!

I should mention these were taken on the day of his four month checkup,

hence the big boy bandaids from his shots.

Christmas card exchange

2011-12-20T09:50:00.003-05:00

A few years ago my blog friend Mallory posted about a blogger Christmas card exchange. I joined in and loved exchanging Christmas cards with her. It made the online friendship a little more real and I love seeing her personal style reflected in her cards. In fact, we've continued it each year since!

This year our list of friends & family to send Christmas cards was much longer than the 50 free cards I got from tinyprints. I ordered more from Sam's Club (we run a tight budget around here and couldn't afford the tinyprints design!) and now I have extras. I can't bear to throw them away, so I'm tossing out the idea of a blogger Christmas card exchange! If you're interested in exchanging with me, drop me a line with your name and address.

teacherpollock@gmail.com

Someone please appease me and join in! :)

favorite product

2011-12-14T21:15:00.001-05:00

I just have to share one of my favorite products with you. The "Our Family" line of products by Artistic Labels is just too cute! I first discovered these when we bought Happy Hill and needed new return address labels. Our first address labels had a man, a woman and two doggies. Now we've added a little cartoon baby to the mix.

I buy their sheeted return address labels and love putting them on my snail mail. Those sweet little smiling faces can brighten your day as much as the card inside the envelope does! When our little Luke enters kindergarten I want to order one of the notepads for notes to send to school.

No, I'm not doing this post in return for free products from Artistic Labels.
I just wanted to share one of my favorite things with my bloggers.

Is anyone else enjoying this?

Or is it just the teacher in me that gets excited about personalized paper products?!

midweek confessions

2011-12-14T12:06:00.005-05:00

I'm linking up with E today for

~ Over the weekend I made the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls (oh. my. stars. they are ahhhmazing!). I made a half recipe of cinnamon rolls but ~~accidentally~~ made a full recipe of the maple glaze. I've been putting the sinfully sweet stuff on everything short of a carrot ever since. Wait! Isn't there a recipe for glazed carrots? Be right back...

~ Luke and I have "pj day" once a week. You may think it's just a lazy day but I consider it a bonding experience for the two of us. On pj day I skip the closet, the contacts, the shower & the makeup bag. (Sorry John!) We go to the mailbox in our jammies, eat all of our meals in our pajamas and make every effort not to leave the house. It's wonderful.

~ Other than my dream jogging stroller, I cannot think of anything I want for Christmas this year. I don't need any kitchen gadgets, I can't fit any more clothes or shoes into my closet and I don't use half of the hobby-related things I own. What do I really want? cold. hard. cash. There-- I said it. I know it's harsh and may sound rude, but it's confession time so I'm being honest. There's nothing better for a stay-at-home mama than a little moolah in her ~~wallet~~ diaper bag for a day when she can go shopping just because. (and I'll probably come home with more kitchen gadgets, clothes or shoes that I don't have room for!)

~ Luke has started waking up once during the night to eat. I think he's growing or my milk supply is having a hard time keeping up. Either way, he wakes up to nurse and I proceed to eat gingerbread men. with maple glaze. Everyone sleeps better with a full belly.

~ I am overdue for both a dental cleaning and an eye appointment. I think of them quite often, usually during daytime working hours when I could call and make said appointments, but I choose to procrastinate even further. So why am I procrastinating? I have the time to go to such necessary appointments, we have the insurance to cover the needed care but, truth be told, I'm a big baby. I've had multiple kidney stones, I delivered my baby all naturally yet I hate the possibility of finding a cavity at the dentist and I'm terrified of the jigger that sends a puff of air into your eye at the optometrist.

~ I'm longwinded. I like to talk a lot. No wonder I don't have many devoted readers!

Christmas countdown

2011-12-13T08:02:00.005-05:00

Instead of opening a little paper door to reveal a piece of stale chocolate, we countdown the days to Christmas with activities throughout the month of December. I made the little activity cards last year and love it so much more than something you might buy at a store. This year I decided to hang the little cards along some berry garland in our dining room.

Although we still haven't managed to complete each activity on it's assigned day, I still love taking time out to enjoy the Christmas season as a family. I changed up a few of the activities for this year to keep things exciting. Here's what I have planned for each day of the month, just in case you want to join in on the fun!

12/1: watch the movie Elf

12/2: drink hot cocoa

12/3: order in Chinese & trade the dining room table for another fun spot in the house

12/4: wear Christmas socks

12/5: eat a candy cane

12/6: bake Christmas cookies

12/7: watch A Charlie Brown Christmas

12/8: make paper snowflakes & hang them around the house

12/9: go to Starbucks & order a holiday-themed drink

12/10: give the postman (or woman!) a goodie

12/11: listen to Christmas carols all day

12/12: make red & green Rice Krispie treats

12/13: watch Love Actually

12/14: make a gingerbread house

12/15: share a meal with friends

12/16: take pictures of Christmas decorations

12/17: drive around to see Christmas lights

12/18: eat a red & green dinner

12/19: bake goodies to share

12/20: eat dinner in your pajamas

12/21: take pictures in front of the Christmas tree

12/22: make homemade candy

12/23: have a family sleepover under the Christmas tree

12/24: open the first gift of Christmas

12/25: Merry Christmas!

lessons in motherhood

2011-12-12T10:26:00.004-05:00

I used to think I had all the tools to provide my child with an educational and developmentally appropriate upbringing. I did major in Child Development and I did get my Masters in Elementary Education, so I am totally equipped for all things early childhood, right?

But now I realize that parenting is so much more than just how much you know. Sure a little extra knowledge of developmental theories and sight words will help out along the way, but parenting is WAY more than book smarts. It's about personalities, patience, sacrifice, learning to let go and a whole lot of grace.

I used to think being a stay-at-home mom would allow me to keep a spotless house, always have made-from-scratch meals and afford me endless extra time to craft and sew.

But now I realize that being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest job I'll ever have. My house is never completely clean, we eat frozen pizza every week and my creative juices only get tapped when John is around to watch Luke. (and I put off yet another load of laundry)

I used to think being a mom would complete me. All my life I had dreamed of having babies and wanted nothing more than to call myself "mommy."

But now I realize that motherhood is even more incredible than I imagined it to be. It does complete me and I can't wait for the day my baby boy utters the word "mama." That, my friends, will be my crowing achievement in this lifetime.

got some free time?

2011-12-11T23:43:00.000-05:00

Then check out the "good reads" link on the bar above.

I've updated it with the blogs I ~~read~~ stalk daily.

Go grab some Christmas candy, procrastinate the house cleaning and read for a while. :)

a Christmas weekend

2011-12-11T18:26:00.002-05:00

I am flying high after a wonderful, Christmas-filled weekend.
Luke enjoyed it too. Can't you tell from those wide eyes?!

Friday night we had one of my favorites for supper - frozen pizza! Friday night is "pizza night" in our house. We made the tradition a little more exciting by eating supper in our jammies. so fun.

Saturday morning my parents came over for breakfast. I made the Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls (to die for!) and a Taste of Home quiche. Can you say calories?! Both were sooo good! Afterwards John, Luke and I went to the Smithfield Christmas Parade. It was a cold, blustery day so we bundled our little mister up in multiple pairs of pants, onesies and a big, toasty jacket.

This was my face after looking at the man standing beside us - in shorts!

The mommy in me couldn't help but scoff.

Here are some of my favorite sights from the parade.

Luke fell asleep as soon as the police cars passed. :)

After the parade we went home, ate more cinnamon rolls and just hung out as a family. Saturday night we went to a local friend's house for supper, fellowship and gingerbread house decorating! It was the perfect end to a Christmasy, food-filled day.

Sunday morning we attended HOPE, a new church we've been checking out here in Smithfield. After the service we went to lunch with a sweet young family from church. We had a delicious meal and great conversation. It's really exciting for John and myself to get to know more young families in our little town.

It was such a fun weekend, and despite the fact that tomorrow is Monday and John has to leave us to go to work, we are both flying high after a great few days together as a family. I'll leave you with a few pictures of our trip to get a Christmas tree!

going bald and a new do

2011-12-08T06:38:00.001-05:00

I've hit my biannual hair slump. That time every year when I'm over my long locks and ready for a new, short haircut. After having Luke I didn't immediately jump on the I just had a baby and now it's time for a new mom do bandwagon. Let's be honest: for a new mom in survival mode, the ponytail reigns supreme. But now that Luke is four months old and showers are a daily occurrence again, I'm itching for a new haircut. Not to mention my little man loves to grab my hair every time I change him, burp him or happen to not have my locks tied back in a pony. I'm thinking one of these:

source

There is one problem standing in the way of me and my new do. I am going bald. Literally, I'm losing a ton of hair and have bald spots to prove it. I don't blowdry, flat iron, curl, color or treat my hair in any unnatural way that would cause damage. Yet it looks like a squirrel tried to jump down the drain each time I shower. I would just go for it and get a new haircut if I wasn't losing so much hair! They say this is common after giving birth but I wonder when is it going to stop?! Even though I'm still taking prenatal vitamins everyday, my hair continues to fall out in clumps.

[I just had to stop and remove said hair from the iPad. This is out of control.]

Okay readers, give me your advice: Do I get the new cut?

Or, with my current shedding problem, should I just get a weave?

Are there any tips or tricks for keeping my hair?

midweek confessions

2011-12-07T11:51:00.002-05:00

I'm joining E, Myself and I today for

click on the icon above to visit her site!

I have eaten at least one gingerbread cookie with each of my last three consecutive meals. The sweets from my girlfriend cookie exchange Saturday are GONE. My nearly 1 pound bag of jelly bellies (that I got on Sunday afternoon) currently lays in front of the keyboard with only a few tutti frutti beans left. I need a sugar detox.
Luke only naps in his swing. Why? Because it helps him to sleep longer than he would if he were laying on his back in the cradle. Yes, I encourage my son to sleep longer during the day so I can have more time to get things done/catch up on laundry/eat Cheetos in front of the tv. I confess.
Last night John "processed" the deer that he got over Thanksgiving. I purposely planned a cookie baking day at my mom's house so that I would be away from our game-y smelling house while the deer processing occurred. I love my husband, and I love spending time with him, but this city girl simply can't take the smell of deer guts inside my house. (You should know that when Luke and I returned home around 8:00pm I immediately lit a candle in almost every room in the house.)
Right now there is a full hamper in the laundry room, boxes of Christmas ornaments laying in the den and dishes galore decorating my kitchen yet I'm using naptime to sit in front of the computer. and eat more jelly bellies.

What do you confess to today?

thanksgiving, part two

2011-11-30T09:34:00.002-05:00

After reconnecting with cousins and another family dinner at Aunt Deb & Uncle Dave's on Friday, we packed everything and headed to John's dads place in Salem. We were able to spend the rest of our weekend with his dad, stepmom and little sister, Laurel.

hanging out in jammies with Grandpa

Grandpa, Aunt Laurel and Grandma Lynne

three generations of Pollock men

staying warm inside with Grandma Lynne

Check out that patch of hair!
It's his "party in the back."

There's a bear skin rug in the guest bedroom at David & Lynne's house.
What better place to do tummy time?!

Before we left we had to do another family photo shoot.

(Our beloved Hokies had won the night before, beating UVA 38-0, hence all the maroon & orange.)

WARNING! If you're an animal rights activist or PETA enthusiast,
you should probably skip the rest of this post.

Throughout our Thanksgiving visits, John did his fair share of hunting. On his third day he got a great nine point buck. Of course we had to document his prize and let Luke get his first taste of the many hunting experiences he will share with his outdoor-loving daddy.

John and his dad participate in QDMA and have to weigh their deer as part of what they report.

John's buck was a big boy!

While the boys weighed the deer, Luke hung out with his Uncle Kevin

and I stole some snuggles from my little Hokie.

Though his face speaks otherwise, Luke likes to snuggle.

I promise, he does.

Luke wasn't sure what to think of this giant critter.

(check out those eyes!)

Our facial expressions in this final picture sum it up so well.

John: I'm so excited I got a 9-pointer! and I'm so excited to show it off to Luke!

Ash: eeeks this thing is nasty!

Luke: Seriously, pictures with a dead deer? Come on mom & dad!

thanksgiving, part one

2011-11-29T22:12:00.003-05:00

smocked outfit: made by Nana

white onesie: Old Navy

white shoes: these were mine when I was a baby!

green blanket: made by Aunt Kelly

This year we spent Thanksgiving with John's family in the Roanoke area of Virginia. We had such a great time reconnecting with family that lives so far away. After Thanksgiving supper at John's moms, we all went outside to take pictures on the farm. We took a lot of pictures, so I'll just share my favorites.

Luke smiles all the time, but of course when it's time to snap a picture, it's impossible to get that sweet grin of his.

Don't you just love his sweet Christmas outfit?

My mom smocked it for our handsome fella.

somebody (ahem, John!) was over the photo shoot

John's sister Kelly, her husband Kevin and their pup Remi

the whole family!

grandparents & the grandkids

John's stepbrother Chris, his wife Sarah and their three girls, Lily, Gracie and Jenna

Barbie and her babies, all grown up :)

Whew! That's enough for day. Tomorrow I'll share the rest of our Thanksgiving festivities.

decorating with branches

2011-11-27T21:32:00.000-05:00

While at the family farm this weekend, my sister-in-law Kelly trimmed some corkscrew willow for me to bring home. I just knew I wanted to decorate with it in the house, but I don't have a plan quite yet. I'm thinking something along these lines:

in a vase

source

in a vase or pot with neutral colored ornaments hanging from the ends

source

or on the mantle for use year-round

source

and how neat is this huge branch used to hold ornaments over a dining table?!

source

Do you have any other suggestions for how I could use this

fun stuff to decorate for the holiday season and beyond?

How do you use natural elements to decorate in your home?

black friday

2011-11-25T08:35:00.000-05:00

I love Black Friday! I never really got into it until the past few years. If you know me, you know that I love a good bargain and don't mind fighting huge crowds and long lines to get the best deals. Now that I have two families to buy for (my side and John's side), Christmas shopping is much more extensive than it ever was before I got married. But, since I love all things Christmas, I love the added shopping, wrapping and sharing!

This year I won't be shopping on Black Friday. (insert sad face) With us on just one income now, most of our Christmas presents will be homemade this year. However! I still love to look at all of the Black Friday ads in the paper and online. And who doesn't love the Christmas superfan?!

sidenote: Every time I see this commercial I think of my friend Meredith.
No, she's not into wearing jumpsuits, but she does rock the side pony, wear pearls and loves Target. :)

Do you brave the crowds and shop on Black Friday?

If so, where do you go to get the best deals?

thankful

2011-11-24T06:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that today finds you with a full belly, a content spirit

and surrounded by the love of friends and family.

This year I'm thankful for so many things...

my precious son

John's job that provides just enough for our family

the provisions that allow me to be a stay-at-home mommy

a wonderful place to call home

more than enough food in the pantry

a family who loves without reservation

a new church that is already helping to strengthen us in our faith

I could go on, and on, and on, and on....

but most of all I'm thankful for a God who loves me beyond all measure,

a God who sent his son to die so that I may live abundantly & eternally.

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning

and clothed me with joy,

that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

O Lord, my God I will give you thanks forever!

-Pslam 30:11-12

cloth diapers FAQ

2011-11-19T20:16:00.000-05:00

I decided to do another post with some of the questions that I got about cloth diapers.

Thanks for all of your comments and emails!

Q: How much of an investment is it to use cloth diapers? Is it really cheaper than disposable?

A: It is a bit of an investment up front, but using cloth will save you so much money in the long run! We spent right at $100 on everything we use for Luke (see below) but we also have some extras (doublers & fleece liners) that many people don't need. Total investment would be right about $200 if you bought the quantities & products that I did.

Q: Where did you get your cloth diaper stash?

A: Everything-- my Flips, prefolds, doublers, & fleece liners-- came from Little Neetchers. Joy (the owner) is so nice and incredibly helpful. I still call her when I have a question! I actually created an online baby registry with her company and received half of what I registered for at my baby showers. We were so blessed! We spent about $100 more to purchase the remainder of what I had registered for. The detergents I use are purchased on Amazon.

Q: I've read that I can't use diaper creams with cloth diapers. Do you?

A: I've read the same stuff too. Thankfully Luke has never had any diaper rash since using cloth so we haven't had to use any creams or ointments. Like I mentioned in my previous post, the folds of his skin do tend to get a little red if his skin stays too moist. The fleece liners and doublers have fixed that problem, but we often add a little Aquaphor in the creases to make sure he doesn't get uncomfortable. If he does need diaper cream one day I'm just going to use what we've got on hand (A+D or Desitin); I don't think buildup should be an issue for occasional use. Now if you have to use a diaper cream every diaper change, I would probably invest in Booty Balm or something similar that's made for cloth diapers.

Q: Why made you decide to use cloth diapers?

A: Truthfully? We needed to save money. Living on one income is tight. Using cloth diapers is another way we can pinch the pennies to pay the bills. Yes, we do pay a little more on our water bill but it's still not comparable to what we would be spending on disposable diapers. The benefit to the environment is an added bonus, but it's not the primary reason we chose to use cloth.

Q: What kind of wipes do you use? cloth or disposable?

A: Disposable. I prefer the Huggies brand the best. We are a member of a local wholesale club that sends out awesome coupons and allows you to stack their store coupons with manufacturer coupons. I was able to stock up on wipes before Luke was born and, when we do run out of our current stash, I have coupons that will make buying more super cheap.

Q: Do you ever use disposable diapers?
A: We do use disposables when we are going to be away from home for more than a day. I tried doing the cloth thing when we traveled but it was just too much. Carrying the detergent, the hooks to hang the diapers and dealing with wet bags that didn't dry in time was just too much. We decided that on the few occasions we travel out of town for trips we'll just buy a pack of Pampers. (I should note that Flip does make a disposable insert for those times you don't want to deal with carrying inserts and wet bags, such as traveling, church or errands. We haven't ordered any but I bet they would be great!)

Q: Do you find that cloth diapers leak more?
A: Actually it's just the opposite! Luke can have some major blowouts, but even with a huge poopy pants, when using the cloth diapers he has never leaked onto his clothes. When we were using disposables nearly every poopy diaper meant not only a diaper change, but an outfit change as well. We haven't had that problem one single time with the cloth diapers and it makes me so happy!

If you have any more cloth diapering questions, feel free to shoot me an email!

tiny prints contest

2011-11-19T08:20:00.003-05:00

If you've read my blog recently, you know about my professed love for tinyprints.

Seriously y'all, I spend way too much time browsing their site.

Just this month I've picked out our Christmas cards, some cute return address labels, Luke's first set of thank you notes and I've even started thinking ahead to our little man's first birthday party!

i love this site.

Tiny Prints is having their third annual Tiny Prints Talent Search Contest.

wanna enter?

They are looking for the cutest photo in each of the following categories:

~ cutest baby (0-24 months)

~ cutest kid (25 months-10 years old)

~ cutest family

~ cutest couple

~ cutest pet and owner

I know that many of you bloggers are awesome photographers. And even if you're not, if you have a loved one then I'm positive you have a picture that you could enter. It's so easy and everyone can do it, regardless of your family status. You've got to hurry though - the entry deadline is November 21st! The grand prize winner gets $1,000 cash AND a $500 tiny prints gift certificate. What do you have to lose?

Luke's birth story

2011-11-18T08:05:00.005-05:00

Like so many posts, I started this months ago, saved it and forgot about it!

After reading a friend's birth story I decided it was time to finish mine.

Sit back & grab a snack - this post is long...but so worth it!

I want to document Luke's birth story so that I don't forget a single detail. Let's be honest: you probably don't forget much about your first child's birth, but I want to make sure I have it documented so when "mommy brain" kicks in I won't forget all of these precious memories. Plus, if you're anything like me, you love to read about different experiences with labor & delivery. So, here we go!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

I woke up around 6:30am with what I thought were contractions. You can read about contractions in labor books and learn about them in your childbirth classes, but you never really know what they are like until you experience them for yourself. My early contractions felt like strong cramps and were coming every 20-30 minutes. I could easily walk and talk through them, so I knew that this wasn't full-on labor; however, I did know that my body was preparing to deliver a baby soon. My gut told me that I would meet my son before the weekend was over. All along I was estimating his arrival for July 30th. Trust a mother's intuition? Absolutely.

I went about my day as normal. Even though I was in labor, I was in the early stages and still able to function normally without too much pain. John went to my parents house to help them with their kitchen remodel while I busily finished cleaning the house (again) for Luke's arrival. I was the ultimate nester, cleaning even the tiniest things over and over again. The contractions got a little stronger as the afternoon progressed but they were still spaced every 20-25 minutes. I suggested we go out to dinner to get my mind off of the fact that my labor wasn't speeding along as I had hoped. I also wanted to eat out one last time as a family of two and enjoy my last guilt-free, "I'm eating for the baby" supper. We went to Applebee's (my craving at the time) where I ordered a spicy chicken wrap. There are old wives tales of how spicy foods can help to speed labor along, so I figured why not?! After dinner we went to Target so I could "walk"... meaning I wanted to shop, but used the excuse that "walking" would help speed things along. :) We came home after Target and took a long walk around the neighborhood, stopping intermittently for me to breathe through the tougher contractions that were growing in intensity.

After a long shower I decided to call it a night and try to get some rest. The contractions were strong, but I felt that if I could fall asleep, I would be able to sleep through them. I was getting fed up with the fact that my contractions, though hurting more, were still about 20 minutes apart. How could I really go all day without progressing? Was I going to have days like this until our little man arrived? In an effort to speed things along as naturally as I could, I did what any desperate pregnant mom in the early stages of labor does: I GOOGLED! One of the results of my searching led me to "pressure point massage." I read how there are specific pressure points on the body that, when massaged intensely, can help labor to progress. What the heck, I thought, let's give it a whirl. My wonderful husband obliged and massaged my pressure points (between the thumb and forefinger, below the ankle bone and behind the ear) until I was relaxed enough to fall asleep.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

I'd say I fell asleep around 11:00 Saturday night, only to wake up at 2:30am to much stronger contractions. Instead of feeling the cramping pain in my abdomen as I had the day prior, Sunday's contractions were in my lower back. We googled (again) to discover that this is termed "back labor," and very common among women. *Sidenote: I read books- lots and lots of books- about natural labor and delivery. However, as life would have it, everything I was experiencing was nothing I remembered reading about!* As the cold, rainy morning progressed, so did my back labor. In fact, by mid-morning I could barely stand up the pain was so intense. I didn't even feel the contractions in my abdomen from that point on; instead, I just felt terrible pain in my lower back. After a few phone calls to my midwife, informing her that I was in active labor, John and I began monitoring the contractions on the iPad. There is a wonderful app called the "contraction timer." My midwife instructed me not to head to the hospital until my contractions were a solid 3-4 minutes apart and I was physically unable to walk or talk through them.

I tried my best all day to eat, drink and rest up for the task that lie ahead of me. Instead, all I could do was huff and puff around the den, pacing back and forth throughout the downstairs all morning long. John was such a wonderful partner through it all, getting me everything I asked for and being the rock I needed. Around 11:00am I was crying through the contractions, now coming regularly every 5-6 minutes, and decided I couldn't take it any longer. I wanted to go to the hospital and get some pain relief.

*You should know that I was determined to have a natural labor all along. I did NOT want an epidural unless it was absolutely necessary for the safe delivery of our baby boy. I wanted to embrace labor and have Luke come out unmedicated, as long as he & I were healthy enough to do so. Please understand that I don't think any differently of moms who use epidurals in labor, I just knew that it wasn't what I wanted for us.*

John and I had talked about what he should say if this moment came along, if I was so distraught that I was considering the epidural. He did exactly the right thing: he didn't discredit my pain, he didn't try to argue that I was changing my plan, but instead he kindly suggested we try a warm shower. I had read how sitting in a warm shower and letting the steamy water hit your back can help to ease the pains of back labor. Within minutes, John had me sitting in the shower (on a 5 gallon Ferguson bucket, because for some reason sitting on the floor of the tub was uncomfortable to me!) using the shower nozzle to spray my back. Almost immediately the pain subsided to the point that I was able to breathe through my contractions again and regain my composure. After about 30 minutes in the shower, I decided to get out and try to walk through the contractions again. I was trying so hard to get to the point where they were timing 3-4 minutes apart, as my midwife had directed; I didn't want to labor in the hospital any longer than I had to.

Around 1:30pm the contractions were timing a consistent four minutes apart. I had finally made it! My back pain was excruciating and both John and I were glad that it was time to head to the hospital. We called my midwife who informed us that the hospital where we were going to deliver was full. Yes, you read that right, it was full. In fact, her exact words were, "I just did my rounds and all the beds are full. If you come to Norfolk General, you're going to have to labor in the waiting area." Before my panic could set it, she directed us to another nearby hospital that they use when there's no more room at NG, one only about five minutes from our original destination. I had no idea how to get there, so John printed some mapquest directions, packed the car and we were on our way. It was amazing how once we were in the car and on the way to the hospital, I could handle my contractions so much better. Labor is so much like any other physical challenge; the mind plays a HUGE role in your perception of the pain. As John drove us, I read him the directions between contractions, clutching the handle of the Tahoe door with each intense pain.

Once arriving at the hospital we parked and carried our suitcases in amidst the unseasonably cool, rainy weather. We walked into the hospital and stood at the empty welcome desk, scanning the area for anyone who looked like a hospital employee. Since this was not our intended location to deliver, we had never toured this hospital and didn't have a clue where the labor & delivery area was. A kind lady walked in from the bench where she had been sitting outside and asked if I could use a wheelchair. I told her kindly "no thank you," as sitting intensified the back labor. She brought me a wheelchair anyways and encouraged me to sit down. Not in the mood to argue or delay our arrival at labor & delivery any further, I plopped down in the chair and frantically began to ask people, "do you work here?!" We finally found a hospital employee who said he could lead us in the right direction. John and I followed him (leaving the wheelchair behind) until he told us he was taking us to the ER. REALLY?! I must have had a panicked look on my face (remember, my contractions are coming faster & stronger at this point) because a doctor walking in our direction saw us and knew immediately where we needed to go. She stated simply "need labor and delivery?" to which we both gave an excited "yes!" and breathed a sigh of relief as she lead us to the elevator and in the direction of our destination. Once we walked through the double doors of labor and delivery a nurse met us immediately and said, "Mrs. Pollock? You're doctor called and said you were on your way. We've been waiting for you." Hello sweet relief.

That welcoming nurse ended up being my coach and helped to deliver Luke a few short hours later. Mary Nel was her name and I will never forget her sweet disposition, calm manner and southern twang. We checked in to our *huge* room where I changed into my hospital gown, we filled out lots of legal stuff and my belly was hooked up to two monitors: one to monitor Luke's heartbeat and the second to monitor my contractions. They also gave me a little monitor to wear on my finger to monitor my heart rate.The nurse checked me and told us that I was already four and a half centimeters dilated. Hooray!

We checked into the hospital sometime between 2:30 and 3:00pm. After filling out paperwork and being monitored for about an hour, we were given the okay to remove the monitors and start walking. Like I mentioned previously, I was determined to have a natural labor and knew that walking was one of the best ways to speed things along. By the time we were allowed to start walking my parents had arrived to the hospital to join us. If you know my family at all, you know that my dad is the funniest person on earth and he's also never met a stranger. Those two facets of his character helped me labor in the halls for the next hour. Dad kept us all laughing and quickly learned the life story of the nurses on call that afternoon. His bubbly personality and goofy jokes helped me so much. I was the only patient at the time (can you believe?!) so all four of us- me, John, Mom & Dad- walked the halls back and forth, stopping only for me to lean against the wall and breathe through the quickening contractions. After an hour of walking Mary Nel told us she needed to check me again. When she went to check and see how much I had progressed, Mary Nel accidentally broke my water. I was so relieved! I knew that we would certainly meet our little man that night! After just an hour of walking I had dilated to 7 centimeters and the pain was getting really tough. However I really wanted to embrace Luke's birth and I tried my best to smile through it all.

I spent the next thirty minutes sitting in the bed hooked up to the monitors. Since my waters had broken, I was no longer able to walk the halls anymore. Instead, my parents and John came to sit by my side, offer words of encouragement and tried to help me find ways to ease the pain. My back labor was so intense I could barely move. Mary Nel offered me a birthing ball to help with the pain but I literally could not move from the sitting position on my bed. I was hurting so much and beginning to wonder if I really could deliver without the aid of pain medication.

The next time Mary Nel checked me I was complete! It's amazing how I went from 4.5 centimeters to 10 centimeters in only three short hours! She called my midwife and told me that it was time to start pushing. I couldn't believe it. I was pushing! I was going to meet my son! The next 30 minutes were a blur. I remember pushing a lot, squeezing the life out of John's hand, screaming "somebody help me!" and pushing some more. Finally, at 6:23pm, we met our precious baby boy.

After an hour of skin-on-skin time, they took Luke for his bath. We requested that Luke never be without one of us, and since I had an hour of mandatory recovery time in my delivery room, John was able to snap pictures of Luke's bath, his first footprints and all of the other firsts our little boy experienced in those precious first hours.

I had some trouble clotting so I had to get a few IV bags of pitocin to get things stopped after delivery. Thankfully I had the IV line started (without any fluids or medication) prior to Luke's birth in case I needed it for emergency purposes. While the pitocin did it's job, I was able to sit back and relax in the recovery room with my family and my new son.

Luke got to meet his Nana...

...and his Papa.

Three of my closest girlfriends from high school also came to meet Luke.

We took our first family photo

and Luke got to spend his first evening alongside his grandparents, Nana & Papa.

We quickly learned that Luke is a lot like his Mom & Dad: he loves to eat!
I am so blessed that nursing came naturally to use both because Luke was hungry!
Even the nurses commented on how often he was eating when they would come to check our charts.

The next day John's mom and stepdad came in to town to meet their new grandson.

Right before visiting hours were over my brother and his family showed up!
They drove all the way from Pinehurst, NC, almost five hours away!
after Matt got off work!
with three kids under five years old!
now that's love! :)

It was so sweet to see my nieces and nephew with Luke
& my heart melted when my brother held him for the first time.
I treasure our family so much.

Tuesday morning found a few more visits from the grandparents and then we were discharged and allowed to head home!

Whew! That's it! If you read this whole post, bravo to you!
Writing it all down helps me remember those little details I never want to forget.
It also makes me sad to think that my teeny tiny baby is growing up so fast!

I never imagined life could be so good.
What a blessing you are baby Luke. :)

need a smile?

2011-11-17T18:02:00.000-05:00

I think I purchased the wrong baby carrier.

Why didn't I find this gem before I bought my Beco?!

source

As the website states,

"Tired of only looking pregnant for nine months? With this new external womb made out of Snuggie fabric, you can hide your svelte figure beneath rolls of baby and baby fat for at least another year."

Too funny!

I hope this made you smile!

leggings: great trend or fashion faux pas?

2011-11-16T18:57:00.002-05:00

I love the look of leggings.

source

I've been know to wear them quite a bit too, especially when I was teaching kindergarten.

They are so comfy and help me bridge the gap between our unpredictable seasons.

[Let it be know that I wear my leggings as an alternative to tights and never, ever as a replacement for pants. I can't stand to see women wearing a regular waist-length top with leggings.

LEGGINGS SHOULD NEVER BE WORN IN PLACE OF PANTS!]

However, now that I have a baby I notice how many kids catalogs have leggings.

source

I'm beginning to wonder...

Are adult leggings a fun trend? or should they be reserved for the wee ones?
Have I committed a major fashion faux pas?

What do you think?

cloth diapers

2011-11-14T11:35:00.002-05:00

We cloth diaper 'round here.

Because, really, what's cuter than a cloth diapered booty?!

Here's how we do it in the Pollock household...

the stash

8 Flip covers

Inside the cloth diaper is a laminated fabric called PUL.

You simply wipe the inside clean between uses and use the same outer diaper all day/night.

With so many snaps, the Flip can fit babies of all sizes.

In my opinion, these are the easiest to use. There's no pocket to slide an insert into, no velcro to snag; instead you just lay the prefold on the Flip cover, snap to fit your baby and you're good to go!

24 Bummis organic unbleached cotton prefolds

The prefolded lines make folding into thirds a snap!

These are thick, absorbent and oh so soft. Luke has sensitive skin and breaks out easily, so organic cotton without any additives was a priority. I love how perfectly these prefolds fit into the diapers as well. Sold in packages of six, we got four sets so that we're never without a prefold.

10 Bummis fleece liners

If you look closely at the picture below you can see the two sides.

The top stack shows the fleece side and the bottom stacks shows the cotton underside.

I didn't have these in my stash to begin with, but after just two days of using cloth we realized that Luke's skin was turning red where his chunky rolls come together. The fix? Something to wick away the moisture more than a prefold alone. These are just the ticket! They keep his bottom dry without the added bulk of a doubler. love em!

6 stay dry doublers by Bum Genius

The top picture shows the microfiber side, or the underside of the doubler.
The picture below shows the fleece side that goes on top and touches the baby's bottom.

These are great for nighttime use, traveling or anytime you need to extend the time between diaper changes. Similar to the fleece liner, they wick away the moisture and keep baby's bottom dry.

2 wet bags

The homemade one- the larger one- is used at home. (Thanks to my mom for helping me!)
The smaller one I use in the diaper bag for errands, church, etc. (It's made by Bummis.)

the detergent

Some people say you don't need to use special soap for cloth diapers,
but with our guy's tender skin, we do. We have only used the Charlie's Soap so far,
and it's working beautifully to clean the diapers thoroughly.

the process

If you're like me, you like to see something done rather than just read about it.
Hello, video!

to clean

I don't do it "by the book" like many of the websites will tell you. I've got a variation on their recommendations and it's working great for us so far. At each diaper change I toss anything that's wet or dirty into a wet bag. Every other night I toss everything - diapers, prefolds, fleece liners, doublers & wet bags - into the wash. First I run a cold/cold cycle without detergent. Next I run a hot/cold cycle with one full scoop of detergent (Charlie's Soap). Once the wash cycle is done it's time to dry. The diapers & wet bags are made of a laminated fabric and don't go into the dryer. I hang them to dry on our handy dandy Ikea carousel. Before I toss the prefolds, doublers & fleece liners into the dryer, I check for stains that may not have been removed and give everything a good whiff. (oh the things you do when you're a mom!) So far this routine has worked great; I haven't had any dirty or stinky diapers after the two washes. The prefolds are thick and tend to take a longer dryer cycle, but after a good hot dry on the "jeans" setting, we're good to go! Cleaning cloth diapers is surprisingly easy and I hope this process will continue to work for us.

Now I need your feedback!

Do you have any questions for me that I didn't answer about using cloth diapers?

If you cloth diaper, what brands of diapers & detergent do you use?

What's your wash routine?

Do you have any other tips or tricks for a mama new to the cloth routine?

miss matchy

2011-11-13T20:24:00.001-05:00

I love Boden. Have you ever checked them out online? I can't afford their clothes, but I love to drool over their stuff. One thing I really like about the Boden style is that it's not matchy-matchy, unlike myself who always coordinates colors. If my top has black, my socks and shoes are black as well. I never combine different patterns in one outfit and use neutrals way too much. Although I love the way Boden combines different, complimenting colors and prints, I'm not confident enough to try it myself. I don't trust my own fashion sense to think that I could combine the right color families to pull it off. Here are some of the looks I love that are anything but matchy matchy.

I really like how they combine black and brown.
(I always thought this was a no-no)

source

I also love their fall looks that layer tights with socks.

source

What's your favorite style trend for fall?

Do you have any fashion advice for a stay-at-home mama

with a closet full of solid colors and a limited budget?

big belly

2011-11-11T03:39:00.000-05:00

Our little guy has a belly better than any Santa Claus.

I rest my case.

[9] a healthy, chunky baby boy

my grown up Christmas list

2011-11-10T08:36:00.000-05:00

I wish there was a Santa for grown ups.

If there was, this would be my wish list for him this year:

~ a photo session with a professional. We need good family photos. Just look at our previous attempts for a Christmas card photo. I rest my case.

~ this Ikea kitchen cart.

source

We toyed around with having an island made when we remodeled our kitchen a year ago. At the advice of our contractor, we scratched the idea of something permanent and decided we could find something else that was movable at a later date. Hello something else.

~ a jogging stroller. We bought a used one on Craigslist and I was so stoked about it...until the third time we went walking and the stroller shook Luke violently! After trying to tighten everything and troubleshooting ourselves, we took the stroller to a bike shop for an expert opinion. Turns out the loose frame of the stroller is what causes the shaking and can't be fixed. ugh. Our first Craigslist dud. Until money grows on trees or we win the lottery, I'll just keep wishing for a good jogging stroller.

this is my favorite one, made by Phil and Teds

I love that you can use it for one child now,

then buy the add-on attachment for a second child later - ingenious!

love this jogger, made by Valco

What are you wishing for this Christmas?

What's on your ultimate wish list for that grown-up Santa Claus?

christmas cards

2011-11-08T10:54:00.000-05:00

*please note that any green text is a link! click on the green words to see just what I'm gushing over!*

I love me some Christmas.

I love all things Christmas, regardless of what time of year it is.

Yes, I'm one of those people that starts listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween.

I pull out my twinkle lights and hang my stockings the week of Thanksgiving.

I love everything about the Christmas season.

One way I like to get started on Christmas is to choose our family Christmas card. I had mentioned in a previous post that I decided to check out tinyprints.com this year. Their selection of christmas cards is so extensive! Did I mention that there are 433 different designs?! I was amazed at the plethora of choices they offer: so many different sizes, various color options for each card, multiple pictures arrangements-- you name it, they've got it! From vintage to contemporary, whimsy to preppy, whatever your taste, they have a card to match your style. You can do the standard photo greeting card, a tri-fold card, even cards printed front and back!

Click here to check out their great Christmas collection for 2011.

(Be sure to use the handy dandy selection bar on the lefthand side of the page.
It helps narrow down your choices to make the seemingly endless process much faster & easier!)

After lots of searching, I think I've found my favorite Christmas card from the tinyprints 2011 collection:

front

back

This card has everything I look for in a Christmas card.

I love that it captures the true meaning of Christmas with the verse in green. I also love that it allows so much surface area for a picture. Because really, isn't that why we take the time to send a photo greeting card?! And the most unique feature of this card is the print on the back to further speak the truth of the Christmas season. I've never seen anything like this one. I've just got to have it!

(And how cute are their affordable holiday address labels ? As if I needed another reason to love sending Christmas cards!)

As much as I love to give Christmas cards, I also love to receive them! I love searching the web for fun ways to display all of the beautiful cards we receive. This year I love the idea of displaying cards on a wreath, similar to one of these:

source

If Christmas cards aren't your thing, be sure to check out the personalized party invitations tiny prints offers. These would be great for a Christmas party, New Years Eve bash or even for your little one's birthday parties. (Yes, I'm already thinking ahead to Luke's first birthday!) Too cute!

Blogging Buddies: Want to receive 50 free holiday cards from Tiny Prints?

Enter their blog campaign today!

*All of the opinions in this post are entirely my own!

I love tinyprints and wish I had found them earlier!*

the little things

2011-11-04T19:39:00.002-04:00

Luke is growing so fast. I can't believe he is already three months old! People always told me that time passes faster once you have a child, but I never really believed them...until now. I was changing Luke the other day and decided to snap a few photos of the little details that I never want to forget.

I love how your cheeks turn a rosy pink color after you nurse.

I love how you stare deeply when I talk to you,

desperately trying to understand with those soul searching eyes.

Speaking of eyes, I love the blue gray color they have morphed into the past three months.

I have a feeling you're going to get your mama's brown eyes,
but for now I treasure this beautiful gray.

You love to hold hands and it melts my heart every time your tiny fingers clutch mine.

Your cheeks continue to expand and hide that tiny neck of yours.

little leg rolls, need I say more?!

Your little booty is cute in anything,

but I especially love you in nothing but a cloth diaper.

Sidenote: Tomorrow's post is all about how we do cloth diapers. Don't forget to check in again!

You are so precious to us, Luke.

Everyday I'm amazed at the things you do,

how much you've grown and just how special you are.

Take time today to notice the details in life.

Because really, it's the little things that matter the most.

[5] rosy baby cheeks

[6] sweet gray/blue/brown baby eyes

[7] teeny hands clutching mine

[8] baby fat rolls

[9] a cloth diapered booty

VT homecoming 2011

2011-11-03T10:31:00.000-04:00

A few weekends back we took Luke on his second trip to Blacksburg. This time we made it a long weekend and had a blast celebrating Homecoming with family and old friends.

When Luke wasn't wearing his hat, Daddy was sure to protect his little head from the sun.

My favorite part of gameday: the food!

(Let it be noted that this is just what I brought and doesn't include all the yummies from Kelly & Kevin! We do it right on gameday!)

Luke got lots of lovin' from his Grandma B.

I love tailgating with family.

Our regular tailgating crew:

John, me, Kelly & Kevin, with an added bonus this time: Grandma B!

We also got to catch up with some of John's GC buds.

Blakely and Mike were there and came to visit Luke!

Blakely, a baby looks good on you!

As you can tell from the pics below, our friend Andrew is hilarious.

Without a swing or crib to sleep in, this mama did lots of bouncing during Luke's naptime.

Once game time rolled around everyone went into the stadium.
Meanwhile Luke and I hung out at the Manor, chilling in the Bumbo...

... and sleeping in the trunk of the Tahoe

We drove back home on Sunday morning to some of the most beautiful scenes.

What a great weekend!

tiny prints

2011-11-03T08:14:00.000-04:00

Have you ever checked out tinyprints? They have the best design-your-own photo cards for all occasions. I love their designs and the unique details that go into their products. With Christmas on the brain, I decided to check out their Christmas line. Enter my favorites:

(click on the picture to go to the link!)

Yes, the baby in this one instantly grabbed my attention,

but what I really love is that this card is printed front & back.

so unique.

simply stated.

I love the rounded corners too.

love this throwback, vintage style.

this would be so good with a black & white or sepia toned family photo.

have you ever seen a tri-fold Christmas card?!

I love how this one allows big spaces for photos

and even a little box on the third photo for a little family update.

how clever!

I can't wait to create our Christmas card this year with our sweet little guy.

Now if only I could decide what card format to choose!

Check em out!

love Christmas music?

2011-11-01T11:57:00.001-04:00

I love all things Christmas and I can't wait to start celebrating each season. Even though it's only November 1st, I'm starting to enjoy my holiday tunes playlist. Do you love Christmas music as much as I do? Then jam out by pressing the play button on the player below!

(I'm going to put this link as a button at the top of my blog

so you can come and carol it out as often as you'd like!)

ham-o-ween

2011-10-31T21:43:00.005-04:00

Halloween is my new favorite thing about our town. Smithfield, Virgina, made popular by Paula Deen and Smithfield ham, is the cutest little town. It's rich in history and has a picturesque downtown with quaint shops, good food and lots of heritage. Halloween in Smithfield is known as "Hamoween." John and I decided to trek downtown after he got home from work and see what all the fuss was about. We were so glad we went! It was so much fun to see the hundreds of little ghosts and goblins going from merchant to merchant to fill their bags with candy. Of course we had the cutest kid of them all. :)

After cruising up and down Main Street it was time to head one street back to Grace Street. The homeowners on Grace go all out. Halloween is the big holiday for these folks. I'm not big on Halloween, mostly because I hate all things spooky and scary, but even I enjoyed walking through to see all the over-the-top decorations. Music, smoke, lights-- they had it all! With the ominous rain clouds looming overhead and the sun sunken into the sky, it was the perfect setting for Halloween.

[4] a great little town, rich in community, a place to call home

why blog?

2011-10-30T10:54:00.001-04:00

Welcome new (& any regular) readers!

I'm participating in the *big*

I started blogging in January 2006 with my first blog, nothing without joy. Since marring the love of my life, I began the pollock potluck to continue my journey of documenting life as it happens. It's funny to me how I started blogging about college experiences and now I'm posting pictures of my precious baby boy. Life is crazy and I'm so thankful to have my blog as a digital scrapbook of sorts to remember each moment.

So why do I blog?

I don't have an agenda with this blog. It's not about just one thing, but rather just life as it happens. If you're looking for a super crafty, Martha Stewart type with lots of DIY projects, I'm not your girl. If you're looking for fabulous photography, keep blog hopping. This blog is just about us, nothing fancy or make believe. We keep it real and I like it like it like that. Recently the blog has been all about Luke, but that's okay, because he is our life right now!

I blog to share our life with family across the miles. I blog to remember all the little things in this crazy, fast-paced life. I blog to share my experiences, my interests, my feelings and my journey as a Christian, a wife, a daughter, a sister, & now, a mommy.Thanks for stopping by. I hope you come back often!

(As much as I love to blog, I love to read other blogs!

If you're new leave a comment so I can check out your blog and find some fun new reads!)

singing and reading

2011-10-29T23:34:00.001-04:00

Here's a video of what we like to do around here in the evenings.

I hope you enjoy staring at our cutie pie as much as we do.

[3] the sweet sounds of my baby boy

the hard truth

2011-10-29T08:01:00.003-04:00

Being a mom is hard.

I never thought it was an easy job, but until having Luke, I never realized just how hard it is.

Yet I think a lot of the challenges with motherhood come from the

expectations we put on ourselves.

I love to read blogs about new mommies and new families. They are relatable, fun and very often encouraging as well. However, I find that when reading these blogs I compare myself, I compare my son and I compare my family to others. I find myself asking comparative questions...like this...

Why hasn't Luke rolled over if her son has at 10 weeks old? Luke is two weeks older!

How are they sleeping through the night already?

Her son is the same age as Luke and already sleeps in his crib. Am I doing it all wrong?

How does she look so great all the time? There's no way she had a baby after me!

I'm constantly comparing myself as a mom and my son to others and I hate it. Don't get me wrong: I still love to read your blogs! But I have to remind myself that I am doing a good job as a mom even if my kid isn't meeting all the milestones other babies are at his age. My son is developing normally, regardless of whether he sleeps through the night or not. I remind myself that this is all that matters:

Luke was masterfully designed by God in His own image.

Therefore, Luke is perfect.

And though I'm not a perfect mom, God entrusted me to be Luke's mom and that makes me a-ok.

[2] being reminded of God's grace for my shortcomings

embrace the camera

2011-10-28T02:58:00.029-04:00

I love to take pictures.

And unlike so many other bloggers, my hubs and I are not good at photography.

My pictures have poor lighting and messy hair because they are spur-of-the-moment.

My photos show real life.
Yes, I'm folding laundry in a messy den while holding my baby.

But getting a photo with my boy? Yes, these are the *best* pictures.

[1] pictures with Luke

I'm linking up with Emily today.

Won't you "embrace the camera" with me?

nursery reveal

2011-10-27T13:47:00.011-04:00

Three months later, I'm finally getting around to doing the nursery reveal. My disclaimer: our entire upstairs was under construction until days before Luke arrived! Here it is: Luke's nursery!

The changing table area.
(scored for $15 on Craigslist and painted white!)

Sorry about the poor lighting and shadows.

I had to jump on the opportunity to take these photos during morning naptime!

wall decal from LolaDecor on Etsy

The front of his room, with the window that looks over the front yard & across the water

Since we live in an old home, there's not much storage throughout the house.

Thus John has to use the closet in Luke's room, leaving the little guy without any closet space.

We added these lovely wire crates [please note my sarcasm] to add some extra storage for now.

The back wall holds Luke's dresser (also a stellar Craigslist find we bought & painted white) and my favorite Craiglist find: a Pottery Barn Kids rocker! LOVE IT!

I wish the sellers had the matching ottoman. Instead we got one for $20 from Target.

doggy tail hooks from Ikea

The crib is in the back corner, the darkest place in the room.

One day Luke will sleep here. :)

I love our crib so much. Thanks Grandma B & Granddaddy!

homemade bedding by my mom, Luke's Nana

See that table in the right corner of the crib pictures? Yea, it's my sewing table. The little guy has to share his space with me for now. However, he keeps me so busy there's no sewing happening in this space!

Nursery Breakdown:

changing table: $15 on Craiglist

bins & baskets on changing table: gifts/already had

blue trash bin: $10 at Ikea

laundry basket: $7 at Ross

stackable wire crates with fabric bins: found it collecting dust in the office

large cream rug: $150 at Ikea

small red rug: already had (from L.L.Bean)

blue & white rug under the rocker: $3 at Ross

solid wood dresser: $50 on Craiglist

puppy tail hooks: $3/piece at Ikea

octopus light: leftover from college

Pottery Barn rocker: $200 (sounds a lot for Craigslist, but it retails for $800!)

ottoman: $20 at Target

crib: gift from John's parents

bumpers, curtains and quilt: handmade gift from my mom

Overall investment: right around $500!

Well, that's it! My baby boy's nursery. I can't believe it's finally done. I love it & I'm already hoping our next baby is a boy so he can enjoy it just as much!

driving Mr. Luke

2011-10-16T11:00:00.001-04:00

We took our first road trip with Luke a few weeks ago. Friday evening we packed up the Tahoe and headed west to visit John's family and see our beloved Hokies play. Not 40 minutes into the (6 hour) trip, we had to stop and give our crying boy a little snuggle.

After settling down, Luke decided he would take the wheel

Cruisin, homie-style

*Disclaimer: We were parked in an empty parking lot for all of these pictures.

I don't drive with my son in my lap.*

couch potatoes

2011-10-14T10:57:00.006-04:00

Let's be honest.

This is what it looks like around the Pollock household around 9:00-9:30pm.

Luke has fallen asleep on my chest

while I have simultaneously crashed on the couch,
with my mouth wide open and double chin drooping.

YES, these are horrible pictures of me.
However, this is what I consider pure *joy.*

be still my heart

2011-10-12T18:57:00.002-04:00

I don't believe it gets any better than this.

I'm back!

2011-10-10T11:31:00.003-04:00

I'm back!

(This picture is from our awesome vacation in the Tetons last summer.)

Sorry for the blog absence! I finally feel like we have a routine in our life again and it's glorious! I've also figured out how to get Luke to nap during the day without having to constantly hold him:

Yep, our little man is a tummy sleeper. Please don't preach to me about the risk of SIDS. I know, I know. (I only let him sleep on his belly during the day when I can continually check on him. At night he sleeps on his back in his little Fisher Price hammock. )

I'm going to run and get some laundry and house cleaning done while Luke snores. :) Stay tuned for more regular blogging! Thanks for reading!

lesson learned

2011-09-14T15:34:00.007-04:00

This past weekend we hosted John's dad, stepmom and little sister, Laurel. We had a very nice visit with them and we were delighted that Luke could meet more of his loving family.

When everyone arrived on Friday night, I immediately noticed that John's ten-year-old little sister looked like she wasn't feeling well. Her eyes were bright red, she was constantly sneezing and her little nose looked raw & runny. I quickly pulled John aside and told him my concerns about Laurel being near Luke. He confirmed my worries after seeing her continually blow her nose and told Laurel to be diligent about washing her hands around the baby. I agreed that she needed to make every extra effort to stay clean, but I still didn't feel comfortable having a sick child living with my new baby. But what else could I do? Ask them to leave after they made the five hour trip? Of course not. (But, truth be told, that's EXACTLY what I wanted to do. Nothing against Laurel, just the mama bear in me coming out.)

Notice my terrible smile? It's my way of saying, "Get this picture over with so I can take my baby back."

Enter one of my (many) major mistakes as a mommy: putting the happiness of others before the health & happiness of my son. Instead of saying what I wanted to say, "Laurel you can't touch Luke at all this weekend, even if you're washing your hands a lot. Luke is only six weeks old and needs to stay germ free." Instead of doing what I knew was right, I let the wishes of others take priority. I let a sick child hold my precious healthy bundle of joy because she had traveled a long way and rarely gets to see him. (Look at me still trying to justify what I did!)

Now my sweet six-week-old baby has his first cold. :( I could kick myself over and over again for not standing up for my child and just saying "no." Not a day goes by that I don't cry as I'm suctioning out his little nose, wishing I had done the right thing and been the mama bear my little boy needed. Even with family, there are still times you have to say "no" and possibly disappoint others because it's in the best interest of your child. That, dear readers, is a hard lesson to learn. Being a mom is tougher than I ever imagined. Thankfully I have a wonderful little boy who forgives my many shortcomings and still flashes those smiles that remind me of his precious love.

wire love

2011-09-12T07:59:00.001-04:00

I love wire baskets.

source

especially the vintage variety.

source

Maybe it's the teacher in me, but there's nothing better than a good basket to organize a space.

source

I just wish I had a need to justify buying more baskets!