Truth Be Told Tuesday #16 - Oh, Poop!

Hello friends, welcome to another Truth be Told Tuesday where we share the truths in our lives in an effort to support one another in our imperfections. First of all, let me say I know I've been a little absent from the blog, but I've been taking advantage of the fact that my husband is home for the summer and I've been working. I know, exciting, huh? But hopefully I'll be back on track soon since school will be starting and my husband will be back to work.

And now for the real reason you stopped by...

Truth Be Told, I have the worst luck with my daughter pooping when I am completely unprepared and without a diaper. I told you about the time I had to let her go commando on our way home from the mall because she pooped and I did not have a spare diaper. Well it's happened to me 2 times since that incident! (Seriously, that was in May!)

{Cute clutch tutorial over at Diary of a Quilter}

We we were at a friend's house for a playdate and as we were getting ready to say our goodbyes, my daughter informs me, "Mommy, I have a poopie." No problem, I'll just get the spare diaper out of my purse and....oh shoot! No diaper. Oh yeah, I have a spare one in the car, let me just run out and get it...seriously? No diaper there, either? Fortunately, my friend had a size 2 diaper laying around that she let me have (my daughter wears a size 4!). But thankfully, it was enough to get us home. So you'd think I'd learn my lesson, right?

Nope!

The other day, my husband and I decided to take the kids for a walk to a park in our neighborhood. I pushed my daugher in the stroller and my son rode his bike. We made it to the park, the kids are playing, all is right with the world. Then my son comes over and says, "I have to go potty." There's no porta-potties around, but that's ok, he's a boy, so my husband takes him to a tree and he does his business. Once again, all is right with the world. About 5 minutes later, my son comes over and says, "uh oh, I have to go poop." Oh great! Now what do we do? He can't exactly poop behind the tree in the middle of the park. We decide to quickly load back up and walk home. As I'm getting ready to put my daughter in her stroller, she announces, "I have a poopie." OH GREAT! We're in the middle of the park, my son has to poop, my daughter has already pooped, and I don't have a diaper or wipes! So I did what any resourceful mom would do. I laid my daughter on the picnic table, wet some kleenex (thank goodness I had those!) with water from her sippy cup, wiped her bottom, threw away the poopie diaper, put her shorts back on and we high-tailed it home!

So now I'm going to start stashing diapers and wipes everywhere! The car, my purse, the stroller...I vow to never be caught in this predicament again!...Until it happens the next time ;)

Now it's your turn! Tell us your truth :) C'mon, you know you want to. Confession is good for the soul, right? ;)

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Simplifying My Life With MORE Facebook

Yes, you read that correctly. I am going to simplify my life by spending more time on Facebook. Before you think I’ve lost my mind, let me explain.

When I was in Arizona visiting my family, I took a break from blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking, emailing, etc… for about 2 1/2 weeks. As I’m sure many of you are aware, the computer can be a major time suck!

So when I returned, I decided that I wasn’t going to let the computer rule my life anymore. One way I’ve been practicing this is by not worrying so much about posting to my blog daily {gasp!}. I know, I know, if you have a blog, “everyone” tells you that you should post daily in order to keep your readers. Well, I just don’t have that kind of time…or rather, I’d rather not spend that kind of time on the computer. I’d rather spend it with my kids, cleaning the house (necessary evil), focusing on my Etsy shop, sewing, etc…

But, one easy way I’ve found to stay connected with all of you without having to write a big, long, blog post is through Facebook. I love that I can just jump on once or twice a day and say hi, share a recipe, tell you I found a worm in the washing machine, whatever! You may not see me everyday on the blog, but I am on Facebook everyday.

So if you are on Facebook, please come by and “Like” me so we can keep up throughout the day! And then we can go back to actually living our lives ;)

P.S. If you do come by and "Like" me, make sure you say hello so I know you've joined the party!

While Mom is Away

Lately my kids have been playing together more and more. And when I mean playing, I mean actually playing, making up games, having fun together. It's a beautiful thing. When they are in their sibling-playing-not-fighting-over-the-same-toy zone, I try to leave them alone. Because the second I go to check on them someone inevitably gets upset about the tragic injustice perpetrated by the other (ie, "I had that book first!"). So I usually let them be.

But sometimes it's to my own detriment. At 3 1/2 and 2 years old, it's amazing how quickly they can demolish an entire room when left to their own devices. It's like a tornado coming through quickly and destroying everything in its path in a matter of minutes.

Exhibit A:
"I just wanted to see what was in my closet." (A lot apparently! Unintended result: cleaning out the closet.)

Exhibit B:
The construction of a "pillow bed" using all the pillows from around the house that they could gather.

And they have already formed a sibling alliance that is as tight as Fort Knox. After leaving the bathroom the other morning, my children stayed behind to play. (Yes, we were all in the bathroom together because I am a mother and have NO PRIVACY...but I digress). All they had with them were a pencil and pad of paper and when I left they were drawing "fishies". Harmless enough, right? About a minute or two later, I hear my 2 year old say to her brother "no tell Mommy."

I waited to hear what came next but another minute or two later, they both emerged as innocent as two little angels who can do no wrong. So I asked my son, "what did you guys do in the bathroom?" He gave me a guilty grin and replied (as any good brother who's protecting his sister would say) "nothing". I told him I heard his sister tell him not to tell mommy something and again asked him what they did. He again denied involvement in any activity that would be contrary to what they know would be wrong. So I let it go and headed to the bathroom to survey the destruction. But I saw nothing. Until about an hour later when I went to use the bathroom, sat down (sorry, TMI) and saw that they had used the pencil to draw all over the bathtub.

As a parent I want my children to be friends, confidants, mentors, protectors of one another. It makes it pretty hard to get upset with them when they are being destructive together, because they are, afterall, bonding. And even when it's frustrating, it still makes me smile on the inside knowing that they are building a bond that will last them a lifetime. For now their partnership has been pretty harmless...but talk to me when they're teenagers. I'm sure I won't be smiling on the inside or the outside when they are plotting against us or covering for one another! But for now, I'll let them continue to build their alliance.


What's the worst thing your children have done while you were in the other room, in the shower, out of earshot?

Truth Be Told Tuesdays #1

Most of us follow multiple blogs, ranging in topics from parenting, to DIY, to decorating, to cooking. And if you read lots of blogs (guilty) you are probably used to seeing how everyone else's homes are immaculate; how other mothers seem to have infinite amounts of time and you can't find the time to take a shower (guilty). As we witness these glimpses into other people's lives, it's easy to get the impression that everyone else has it all together and you are the only poor soul who hasn't figured out how to balance a marriage, children, friendships, housekeeping, working, and the occasional craft/sewing/DIY project (guilty). Oh yeah, and don't forget to throw in some "me" time every now and then!

If you haven't already watched Becca's video over at Blue Cricket Design, she talks about this very issue. She is not perfect, her home is not spotless, there are cheerios on the floor and halfway through the video her little one strips off all of her clothes. That is real life. And I think it's important for all of us to realize that while we give "glimpses" into our lives, it's the life we want to publicly portray...maybe because it's the life we want.

I wish we could all just admit we're not perfect (mothers, wives, housekeepers, gardeners, decorators, etc...) because there is comfort in knowing you are not alone. So I decided that Tuesdays here at This Present Life will from here on out be known as "Truth Be Told Tuesdays." It will be our time to confess our "flaws" to one another. And in doing so, I hope that we can support each other in those "flaws" and in doing so be realistic about those flaws. Because let's face it, unless we have a magic wand that we can wave and poof! our house is clean, or the laundry is folded, or the kids have been bathed...none of us is perfect! So let's embrace our "flaws" and realize that we are perfect in our imperfections!

I'll go first.

I don't always make my son wash his hands after he goes to the bathroom. "Ewwww, gross!" you might be saying, but sometimes it's just easier to let it go. Besides, isn't exposure to some germs good for kids???

So here's how to play along. As most of you know, Linky Tools now costs $$ and since I don't make any $$ from my blog, I'm not willing to shell it out right now. But, if Truth Be Told Tuesdays becomes hugely popular, I just might be willing to pay the $$ for the Linky. Until then, you can either tell us your "Truth" in the comments, or if you post about it on your blog (we love pictures!), leave us your link. It can be about anything, parenting, housekeeping, bathroom etiquette ;)

I'd love it if you could spread the word about this new series by blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting about it. The more participants we have, the more fun it will be. So let's start telling the truth! Let's all have fun, embrace our "flaws", and support each other in our imperfections.

Plastic Surgery for my Daughter?

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As I watched the Oscars last night, a thought occurred to me. How would I feel if my daughter came to me and said she wanted to have plastic surgery? I have never had plastic surgery but I generally don't care if other people do (unless you end up looking like Joan Rivers!). But what if your daughter wants to do it? You look at things a lot differently when you look through the parent-of-a-daughter lens.

{source}

The body image battle faced by young girls in our society is an epidemic. And with the "perfection" that our daughters see in magazines, on TV and in movies, even their dolls, it seems like such a hard battle to combat.

So how do we teach our daughters to love their bodies, to accept who they are and what they look like, to embrace their beauty and their flaws? I don't have the answers but I'm hoping that if my daughter sees me accepting my body, embracing my beauty and being proud of who I am, that she will too.

For all of you moms of daughters out there, especially those of you with grown daughters, how did you fight this battle? I have a few years before it becomes an issue so I'm going to stock up on my positive-body-image-ammunition now!

SAHM Sanity Saver

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Being a stay at home mom (SAHM) can be tough sometimes. But even on the worst days, I always have one saving grace to look forward to...nap time. No matter how our morning starts out, it usually turns around after nap time. And when I say "it usually turns around," I mean that Mommy gets a little break and is able to face the afternoon with renewed energy, positivity and peace.

I am fortunate because my son is almost 4 and he still takes a 2 hour nap every day. I know plenty of other kids his age who have given up their daily nap. I can sympathize with their moms because I just can't imagine what it must be like to face those difficult Mommy days without the promise of a break.

This week has been a rough one. My 2 year old has only slept about 30 minutes for her afternoon nap. It's torture! She's fighting a cold so after about 30 minutes of sleep her nose starts running and she begins to cough and wakes up. But unfortunately she will not go back to sleep.

I am hoping (praying) that this is only a temporary setback in our nap schedule and that after she feels better she will resume her regular 2 hour nap again. But in the meantime, Mommy needs a Mommy break!

For all of you SAHM's, what do you do to maintain your sanity? It'd be nice to have a backup plan for weeks like these!

Meet my Bloggy Friend, Ali!

I am so excited to have Ali from My Third True Love guest posting today! Ali and I "met" because we are both sponsors over at Primitive and Proper (hi Cassie!) and we instantly clicked. I mean, what's not to love...she's a thrifter, collector of swans and lover of chalkboard paint. My kinda gal! Not only is she a talented DIY'er balancing her creative life with being a wife and mother of 2 small children, but she also has an Etsy shop, Ooh La la Co. where she sells the cutest charm necklaces. Seriously, how cute is this Owl necklace?

So go check out her blog and her Etsy shop and I promise you will see why I think she's so awesome! Take it away, Ali....


Hello everyone!! I'm Ali from "My Third True Love" and I am so happy to be guest posting over here at Rebecca's awesome blog! I thought I would share a bit about how I juggle my DIY life with my family life. First and foremost, I'm a mom and a wife. BUT, I do have creative interests and feel like I deserve to dedicate some of my time to this little hobby we all know and love, DIY. It is a bit of a juggling act though, because sometimes the line between my time, and family time gets pretty blurry. Ok, let's face it, the line is more of a dashed line most of the time. That is why I have been making an effort to integrate my life as a mom & wife, with my third true love - DIY. Crafting with kids can be fun. Even the really simple things can be easy and rewarding. For instance, whenever we go to a friend's b-day party, we always wrap the package in brown kraft paper. This way, my son and daughter can color on the package with crayons and markers & make it all kid-fancy. Not only is the package adorable, but it's really personal too.

My son is almost 5 now and he is really into anything that has cause and effect. If I'm printing something on the computer, he's always right there to push the print button and eagerly waits for the printed paper to come out. Recently, he helped me use my Cricut machine (an Xmas gift from my hubby - oh yeah) to make this happy banner that we now have hanging in our kitchen. Baby sister was napping so Noah and I had some good solid one-on-one time together which was an added bonus. Not only did we get crafty together, but I got to remind him about some important safety rules (stay clear of the sharp blade, never touch the electrical outlet etc). Double mommy points there!

When I'm working on bigger projects, my first instinct is to wait until nap time so I can stay tidy and efficient. The less fingers in the paint, the better, right!? Well, I have recently tried to be better about allowing my little ones to explore with me and help. Even though at times it gets frustrating and it would go A LOT faster if I were working alone, the experiences that we are having are valuable ones. I know it. Luckily, kids typically have a short attention span and are on to something else in a relatively short amount of time. I definitely have my moments where I beg my husband to take them to the park so I can have at least one hour of PEACE. But I have to say, my family crafting time is becoming some of my most precious time.

Noah helped me paint the buffet we have in our kitchen and every time someone new comes over, the first thing he tells them is how he helped mommy "make" this. He's so proud & it's very sweet to see his enthusiasm and pride in our nice home.

HOWEVER, there is one thing I would steer clear of if you have the chance. I prefer to go thrifting without my kiddos. I need quiet. I need time. I need to roll up my sleeves and dive into the shelves and dig. The flea market can be hot and crowded and the last thing I want is to have to drag them down the aisles and pacify them with unhealthy snacks in order to keep my sanity (not speaking from experience here, of course).

Thrift shops are usually (always) dirty and crowded and there are lots of breakables very precariously perched on the overfilled shelves (and yes, that is my almost 2 year old daughter in our local goodwill eating a radioactive blue air-head taffy candy). Serenity now people, serenity now!So, If that last picture doesn't force you to call social services on me, take my advice: Craft with your kids when you can, and NEVER take them thrifting unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary.

Thanks again Rebecca, I had a blast!

The Accidental DIY'er

When my husband and I bought our first house about 10 years ago, I'm pretty sure he didn't know the difference between a phillip's head and a flat head screwdriver. Don't get me wrong, my husband is a wonderful man, but a DIY'er he was not.


My husband and I had very different experiences with DIY projects growing up. My dad was the consummate DIY'er. If something broke, he fixed it. If the oil needed changed in the car, he changed it. When he wanted fresh vegetables, he planted a garden. When he and my mom couldn't find the perfect house, they built one. Growing up, I believed there was nothing a homeowner couldn't do themselves. It might take a trip to the library or hardware store, but nothing was off limits. These were not the experiences my husband grew up with.

Fast forward to a leaking toilet in our first home. I have never been afraid to tackle a DIY project so I told my husband we could fix it (it's not like we could afford to hire a plumber!). And we did it! It was such an accomplishment and we truly felt like homeowners after our victory over the toilet. We are now on our third home and I am proud to say my husband has become quite the DIY'er.


What I gained from my exposure to every DIY project you can imagine is the confidence to be able to face any project head on. I'm not saying I know everything about plumbing or drywall, or even that every project I attempt turns out the way I had intended. But I'm not afraid to try. And I am so happy that my children will have that same exposure to DIY projects and hopefully will have the same confidence to tackle their own projects someday.

My "Shop"

As many of you know, I'm selling at my first ever craft fair this weekend. I figured this would be a good time to share my craft business journey with you all.

I started making baby items about a year ago and was excited to share my products with the world, so I promptly opened up an Etsy shop and waited for the orders to start pouring in. Much to my disappointment, they didn't. And for a variety of other reasons, I became disheartened and disillusioned with the world of Etsy. So I stopped listing new items and let all of my existing listings expire. And unfortunately I stopped sewing. But then a funny thing happened, I started making gifts for friends and family instead of making gifts to sell.

That led to my New Year's Resolution to make every gift I gave this year. I decided to start this blog to document all of the gifts I was making. I figured I would use the blog to promote my shop eventually...but (almost a year later) that piece of the puzzle never really fit in. Maybe because I never really knew what I wanted my "shop" to be. But as I have spent the year making gifts and seeing all of the amazing projects out there in blogland, I have rediscovered my love for crafting.

So I'm back to focusing on my "shop", Happy Baby Designs. I am selling at several craft fairs this holiday season. I don't know what direction my business will take me, but I am once again excited about it.

Here are some pictures of some of my "stuff". And if you're in the DFW area, come by and see me this weekend at Unity Church of Fort Worth. My mom will be working my booth for me on Saturday but I will be there on Sunday.

Burp Cloths

More Burp Cloths

Binky Bag (tie it to the outside of baby's crib to hold spare pacifiers so you don't have to search high and low for one in the middle of the night) with matching Burp Cloths.

Blankies

Toddler Aprons

More Toddler Aprons

Just a few more Toddler Aprons

Car Playmats (complete with 3 car garage)

More Car Playmats (they roll up for easy transportability)

If you see anything you like, email me at happybabydesigns@yahoo.com!

What I Learned In Jury Duty

I AM AN OPTIMIST

I had jury duty today. It was my first time ever and I was kind of dreading it (as I'm sure most people do). I brought a book with me since I figured I'd have some time to read as I waited to learn of my fate. I was one of the lucky ones that had to wait around until 3p in the jury pool just in case there was a court that unexpectedly needed a jury at the last minute. In other words, I had A LOT of time to read. I was blessed by my husband who brought the kids and picked me up for lunch. That certainly helped break up the day and it was nice to get to spend lunch with my family rather than by myself watching business men and women come and go during their lunch break. Anyway, we had to return to the jury room by 1:30...and just wait. Or in my case, read.

If you're like me, pleasure reading gets pushed to the back burner after having children. I feel like I haven't read a book in 3 years! And if I do read, it's a few pages once a month, making it nearly impossible to actually finish a book. So mostly I stick to magazines and blogs since I can get through that (usually) uninterrupted or during nap time.

As I breezed through my book in the jury room, I began to really appreciate being there. After all, if I were home, I certainly would not have devoted an hour and a half to reading a book for fun. As 3p approached and I was nearing the end of my book, I found myself wishing I had more time because I knew as soon as they dismissed us I'd put away my book and who knows how long it would be before I picked it up again and finished it. Meanwhile, I heard men and women around me huffing and puffing about having to be there and criticizing the bailiff for waiting until exactly 3 o'clock to dismiss us.

It struck me that it must be stressful to live life like that. Here I was taking full advantage of a situation that I had no control over anyway. I had to be there just like they did but I was making the most of it and actually enjoying the time. When we finally were dismissed at 3:15 (how dare she make us wait an extra 15 minutes!) I was calm, relaxed and happy to be going home to my family. I figure those pessimists probably got in their cars, peeled out of the parking lot, cursed at a few drivers who were going too slow, got home and griped to their families about how they wasted a whole day at jury duty. What a sad way to live...

Oh, and you'll be happy to know that I did finish my book :)




And if you're an optimist too (or even if you aren't), be sure to enter my giveaway...somebody has to win, why not you?

Yoga as Food for My Soul

We all need things in our lives that feed our soul. For me, one of those things is yoga. I wish I could practice it every day, but time (or lack thereof), money (again, lack thereof) and children don't always fit in to the yoga equation. I don't know if I qualify as a "yogi" or not, but I practice yoga twice a week and am even Level 2 certified to teach it. But sometimes the responsibilities of being a wife, mother, small-business-owner-hopeful, woman, sister, daughter, social worker, and crafter leave little room for those "extras" in life.

My yoga instructor at home often says that those days when you don't feel like coming to class are the days that you probably need it the most. I would argue that we as women often do this to ourselves in life in general. That which we brush aside as being unnecessary are probably those things that we really need to feel good about ourselves. It may be a small thing like getting our nails done or buying a new pair of jeans or going to a yoga class, but it's important to us and it makes us feel happy. We tell ourselves that we can do without. But I say we shouldn't do without. Because when we are happy with ourselves we are better mothers, better wives, better women. I am not suggesting that you blow the family budget on a new pair of Lucky jeans, but maybe a nice pair of Levi's.

While out of town visiting my family, I have decided to make this my own little yoga retreat. My parents are here to watch the kids and my mom has graciously given me several passes to attend classes at a nearby yoga studio. In just over a week I've been to 3 different classes and am hoping to attend several more this week. I decided that I needed to feed my own soul in order to be better able to feed the souls of those around me.

Find what it is that feeds your soul and make room for it in your life! Your family will thank you for it ;)