How much gray is too much??

Sorry, this is going to be long. Thank you to those of you that read this and comment!!

I'm not adventurous when it comes to decorating (or fashion, for that matter). We're moving next week to a new house, and I'm considering having most of the house painted different shades of gray. I like that it's a neutral, but it's not cream/tan. Really the only other colors of paint I like besides gray are blue, tan, or cream. Red is definitely out (doesn't go with anything we have), and I don't know that I've seen shades of green I'd like for a whole room. I like yellow as an accent in a room, but not as a wall color. Gray just lends itself to using any color accents in a room, which I like.

For reference, there are white baseboards everywhere and crown molding in most rooms (don't remember if it's in the bedrooms). Here are the colors in the house for now and what is potentially/definitely changing:

- basement - cream
- basement bath - currently dark brown, changing to blue
- kitchen - currently green with white cabinets, changing to a shade of gray and keeping white cabinets
- family room - cream, thinking of light gray
- living room - cream, not sure if it should change
- dining room - cream, thinking dark gray
- 1/2 bath on main floor - salmon-ish, changing to gray
- hallway on main floor and stairs up to 2nd floor - cream
- hallway on 2nd floor - cream
- 3 bedrooms are different shades of green and yellow - changing to different shades of gray
- bath upstairs - cream
- master bath - blue
- master bedroom - cream, probably staying cream for now

So, how much gray do you think is too much? If we do have the main floor painted gray, should that include the front hallway? And how far up the stairs should the gray go? Maybe just continue it and paint the upstairs hall gray, too?

Ah! Decisions!

Palmolive Fresh Sponge Dishwashing Kit - review

So, I've had a chance to test out this product.

First off, I LOVE the smell. I can't pinpoint exactly what it smells like, but it's quite nice.














The innovative thing about this dishwashing liquid is that it's supposed to help keep your sponge fresh by washing away the odor causing residue. You know how sponges get funky smelling quickly? This liquid helps. Now, I'm not quite sure what helps keep the odor away. The product doesn't seem to have any type of antibacterial products, but I guess that would be more for actually washing away the germs. Whatever they did, perhaps it's the pleasant smell, it definitely helps keep your sponge smelling nice.

This will retails for $3.29 for 25 oz. I haven't bought any dishwashing liquid in a while (I stocked up a while back with coupons), so I can't remember how this compares to products like Dawn. I will say that a little goes a long way with this soap. It suds up a lot. So, even if it might be a little more expensive (again, I'm not sure), you won't need as much as another type of dishwashing liquid.

If you hate a stinky sponge, this is the dishwashing liquid for you!


If you want to watch my first YouTube video - here you go! Video

Sorry for the poory quality. We'd never used the camera before. Guess we need to play around with it to figure out how to get the picture clearer.

Palmolive Fresh Sponge Dishwashing Kit

Yay! I've been selected to test new Palmolive Fresh Sponge Dishwashing liquid. It is supposed to help clean your sponge while you wash dishes.

I have heard that sponges carry a TON of germs, which is really gross! Especially when I think about cleaning my little man's (he's almost 9 months) bowls and spoons! I'm really looking forward to testing out this new soap.

Palmolive sent me a really big bottle of this, plus a new sponge to use. Awesome! I always love trying out new products and having them just show up in my mail is even more great! I'll be trying this out for the new few weeks to see how it does. I will be seeing how it does with cleaning my dishes, but also seeing how it does keeping my sponge smelling fresh!



* I was given this product complimentary for testing purposes from Colgate-Palmolive via Influenster.

Moles

This doesn't have anything to do with my little one, but just with me.

I went to the dermatologist the other day. Because of a family history of skin cancer, I have to get my skin checked every couple years or so. My dad has a ton of freckles, and my mom has some moles. I have a few freckles around and quite a few moles.

Well, two of them needed to be removed. The dermatologist is pretty sure they're just fine, so it's just a precautionary measure. I should know the by the end of this week.

The busy life of a SAHM

Some people seem to think a SAHM sits around a lot, eats bon-bons, etc. Ha! Between bottles and purees/puffs/other food, Max eats about 5+ times during the way while my husband is at work. Then factor in quite a few diaper changes. Depending on the day, it can take a fair amount of time to get Max to sleep for his naps. Play time, reading....so much to do!

Besides just the usual busyness of taking care of an 8 month old, Max and I are quite busy! We don't go somewhere every day, but most days of the week, we go out.

Last week, we went to Stroller Aerobics once, went to my husband's office for his birthday and brought cupcakes, went to my weekly Weight Watchers meeting, and went on a playdate.

This week, we're going to two appointments for Max, my weekly WW meeting, having a friend and her son over for a playdate, and hopefully going to the park with a playgroup. Plus, I have an appointment on Monday, so my mom is coming over to watch Max. I usually go grocery shopping while she's here. If Max is awake, he and my mom will most likely come with me because he loves going out. The people are his favorite, but he also enjoys seeing all the different things at stores.

My parents kept Max overnight a few days ago. They went to the grocery store, and apparently Max was flirty with one of the ladies there. He is a total flirt and definitely loves the ladies. I told him he needs to work on his demographic, though. He tends to be interested in women my age or older. Way too old for him. Ha!

Ideas?

Anyone want to chime in with ideas for blog posts? Pretty please?!

Question for other mommy bloggers

So, I'm not sure how many people still read this blog. I didn't post much for a long time. I'm hoping, though, maybe I'm still in people's GR feed.

I'm considering starting a new blog just relating to family things. My question for you other mommy bloggers is - do you worry about putting pictures of your child/children out on the internet? That is one of the main reasons I haven't blogged much. I post pictures of Max on Facebook, but only my friends can see them. Strangers from anywhere can view pictures I would post on my blog unless I make it private, and I'm not sure I want to do that.

Thoughts?

Truvía® natural sweetener Product Review

Another of my favorite products from my Love VoxBox was several packets of Truvia. Here are a few facts about Truvia from the website:

• Truvia^® natural sweetener is refreshingly uncomplicated. Sprinkle it on your grapefruit. Spoon it in your coffee. It won't end up on your conscience or your thighs.

• One packet of Truvia^® natural sweetener provides the same sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar.

• Truvia^® natural sweetener is a great alternative for people with diabetes. It is also kosher certified.

I have used my Truvia in the two ways mentioned above - on my grapefruit and in my coffee. I've been on a grapefruit kick lately, so I've been eating several a week. While I love grapefruit, I need it to be a little sweeter. Truvia was great for this! My grapefruit was a bit sweetener, and I didn't have to worry about all the extra calories of sugar. It also tastes great in coffee. Again, I love coffee, but I need it sweeter than it naturally is. Truvia is perfect for coffee.

I like that the Truvia packets are pretty full. Have you ever used other sweetener packets and maybe 1/3 of the packet is actually the sweetener? Truvia is not like that. I felt like it would be a bit more worth my money than other packets.

You can find Truvia at grocery stores. While I haven't purchased any yet (hey, I'm a mom - we've got to be budget conscious and use up what we have first!), I will definitely purchase Truvia when I need sweetener. It probably won't be too long. If you like to add sweetness to your foods and beverages, give Truvia a try!

Oh - there is also a baking blend. So, if you like to bake, but you're watching your calories, give the Truvia Baking Blend a chance!

* I received this product complimentary to test through Influenster's VoxBox program.

Venus & Olay razor review

One of the awesome things I got in my Love VoxBox from Influenster was this Venus & Olay razor from Venus.

This razor was made especially for women, to adjust to curves and provide a smooth shave, even on those tricky areas like ankles and knees. (Ugh - it hurts when you nick yourself there!) Venus even made sure there is an ergonomic handle to provide great control so that you don't cut yourself, even when you're all soapy and wet! The Olay Moisture Bars are great for your skin. Petrolatum helps lock in moisture and Glycerin helps offer a glow. All you have to do is wet the bars to release the effects/lather.

I know this seems silly, but the first thing I loved about this was the packaging. Have you ever bought a razor (or something else in that awful hard plastic packaging) and it's SO hard to open? Even with a big pair of scissors, it's pretty hard to open some of those packages. And, it's dangerous! I'm pretty sure I've gotten cut by at least one sharp edge trying to open a razor package before. Anyway, this razor was so easy to open! The package is perforated (maybe not quite the right word) so that it breaks apart easily.

The cartridge was in a little container, and it was very easy to attach to the handle. The razor also comes with a shower hook so that you can just hang your razor on the wall of your shower. There are five blades, and the handle is comfortable to hold.

A few days after I got my Love VoxBox, I decided it was time to try the razor. It's been getting warm around here (well, the past couple days have been cooler), so I figured I'd better shave my legs! (Come on...who really shaves their legs frequently during the winter?!) I loved that I didn't have to lather up my legs to use the razor. There is an Olay Moisture Bar on the top and the bottom of the razor cartridge so that you don't have to use shaving cream or soap. (I hate when I try to lather up with body wash and half, or more, of it rinses off before I can shave that area!) After I showered and dried off, my legs were so smooth and soft. It was great! I would definitely say they were softer after using this razor than after using my regular razor.

This razor has just recently come to stores. It should retail for around $9-12, with refills costing approximately $15-$19.49. I certainly plan to get some next week on my weekly shopping trip. With spring and warmer weather coming up, this would be a great product to try!

* This product was sent to me compliments of Influenster for testing purposes.

Max's nursery

Yes, I am way behind on this. Max is 8 months old. Oh well. Better late than never, right?!

Here are a few professional pictures (by Lele Photography in St. Louis) of Max's nursery.

I took inspiration from some other blogs, but I don't have the info anymore. Sorry!

The Ferris wheel and carousel in the picture below were mine as a baby. The Ferris wheel also plays music.


A close-up of the curtains my mom made for me. We had a hard time finding the fabric. I am really picky about fabrics. My mom purchased some lining from Jo Ann's fabrics (black out) to line the curtains to help darken the room.


The lamp is from Target. My mom bought the picture frame; I think it's from Kohl's. The chifferobe (the white thing the lamp is on) was my nana's when she was little. My nana turned 81 this year, so the chifferobe is quite old! My dad and husband sanded it down and repainted it. We bought some new knobs for two reasons. 1) The old knobs were clear plastic (meant to look like glass) with a screw inside. The screw was quite darkened/rusted. It didn't look great. 2) The new knobs match well with the dresser. The small cups and silverware are also family items, and I believe they're made of silver. I think they are from when my mom was little. The photo cube was from Wal-mart, I think. I sanded it a bit and painted it. Max's footprints (from the hospital) are on the top, and there are 4 pictures of him as a newborn around the sides. Inside the box are his hospital bracelets and my hospital bracelet. We will probably add a lock of hair from his first haircut, as well as maybe his first lost tooth, when he gets older.





I love, love, LOVE this rocker/glider/recliner. It is so amazingly soft and comfortable. We take Max's picture in it every month and will do so until he is 1 year. It's amazing to see how much he has grown! Anyway, the chair is from Best Furniture in St. Louis. I love the store. They have a ton of different rockers, recliners, gliders, etc. with a lot of different fabric options. Originally we were thinking of going with gray since white would get dirty. However, it is very hard to find a gray rocker. We had something sprayed on the chair to protect it. I think it will be fine.

My mom made the crib skirt. It was very hard to find any simple gray bedding for a decent price. So, we bought a yellow fitted sheet (as well as the changing table cover) from Babies R' Us for a reasonable price. We found some gray fabric, and my mom made the crib sheet. One thing I liked about doing it this way is that we didn't waste money on bumpers that would have been used only for a couple pictures.



My sister made this print for me. I saw something similar on a random blog.



My sister also made me these prints. I saw something similar on another random blog. One print reads "J'aime ma maman," which means "I love my mom" in French. One of my bachelors degrees is in French. The other print is written in Mandarin, and it says "I love my dad." My husband is Taiwanese, so Mandarin was his first language until he moved to California when he was 3. We found the colored/printed paper at Art Mart in St. Louis.


The cute little gray shoes are from Target. My sister also made me the birth stats print. I had seen several around, but didn't want to pay a fair price for someone from Etsy to make me one. However, I do need to have my sister fix this. It has the wrong time! Oops! Max was born at 7:54 am, not 7:34 am.




I had a lot of fun planning this nursery. I was in the hospital from about 34-36 weeks, and Max was born at 37 weeks. So, the last minute things like putting the crib sheet on, etc. were completed by my mom and dad.

The shelves were added after Max was born. I'm not good at making decisions. I had thought and thought about hanging some shelves somewhere, but couldn't decide if it would look too busy. Then, I had trouble finding the right shelves. I think these are from Home Depot. The shelves couldn't be too modern, since the rest of the nursery wasn't really modern. I think the little curve on the brackets goes nicely with the curve of the chifferobe. Anyway, I think it looks great with the shelves, and that wall would have been too bare without them.