Five on Friday

Sneaking in my Five on Friday late this week, thanks to school! 

Today was such a gorgeous Friday, so let's keep the last hour of the day rolling with some Five on Friday goodness!

1. NoseFrida

I remember when I first saw this thing at Target I thought, "Oh my God, that is so disgusting". I (ignorantly) thought using it meant inevitably getting a bit of what you were trying to suck OUT into your mouth. (Eww! Eww! Eww!) As always, though, my Facebook December Mom group came to my rescue. A few of the moms had tried this product and explained to me that there is a filter inside the tube that ensures the person using it will get no "surprises". 

My husband picked one up recently as our little one was suffering a cold and had a completely snotty nose. The NoseFrida has serious sucking power and totally cleared his little nose out. I will never use one of those stupid bulb syringes again!

2. Military "Music"

I don't remember exactly what made me look up military chants in the iTunes Store, but I'm glad I did. When I'm running (I hate cardio) and doing my gut-busting, heart-elevating, oh-my-god-someone-call-the-paramedics gym moves (compliments of my personal trainer), these military running cadences help me out. They are seriously motivational. 

3. Festivities Galore

Although I have a lot of work to do during this long weekend, there are punctuations of fun ahead as well. 

This weekend we are celebrating my sister-in-law Angie's birthday. She is one of the most kind hearted and giving people I know and the love for her family is so inspiring. Tomorrow night we plan on going to Ukai for dinner, followed by a painting (and wine!) session at Painting With a Twist. Sunday we plan on having a family birthday dinner at GG's. 

In addition to celebrating Angie's birthday, we will be celebrating Easter and our little man's FIRST Easter! 

Jackson made this adorable craft at school. See the footprint? :)

We plan on having an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids in the family at GG's. 

4. Midterm COMPLETE

I just completed the midterm exam for the class I'm trudging through right now. While I am very appreciative for the opportunity to advance my education, I am over it at this point. I just want my weekends back and to remove the constant "what's due next" question hanging over my head like a large raincloud.

Three more weeks and I'll be starting my second-to-last semester. Yeehaw.

5. Jackson Is 4 Months Old

Jackson is officially four months old today. Happy 4 monthiversary, little buddy! 

I love this picture because it makes me laugh. No clue why he was bugging his eyes out, but I know he got those big ol' eyes from his mama. 

Cheers,

Samara

Seven on Saturday

To punish myself (because it's a teensy more work) and reward you for being so patient as I failed to deliver my Five on Friday, I am making up my missed deadline with a special edition of Five on Friday. I bring you....

Seven on Saturday

So, Seven on Saturday is my own spinoff of Five on Friday for when I do not get my Five on Friday up in time for you all. I don't plan on this regularly happening, but in the event that it does, this will be the alternative. It's all about creative solutions, right? ;-) 

OK, enough chit chat, here we go!!!

1. Closet Dividers

What else would a little world traveler have in his closet but world traveler closet  dividers?

Due to a lack of time, I did enlist an Etsy artist for these guys. However, this is something you could easily make on your own and there are tons of tutorials online.

2. Spice Racks to Bookrack

 Jackson's nursery is small, so dragging another piece of furniture (bookcase) into the mix was not an enticing idea. I was thinking instead of finding little cubby holes to hang from the wall. However, when I saw these IKEA spice racks being used as book holders on one of my favorite blogger's site (and then happily found this idea all over the internet, thus giving me several ideas on paint,etc.) I knew this was perfect for a small nursery!

Now to find the time to sand, paint and hang them. Purchasing them is half the battle, right? Right?!? :)

3. House Calculator

So, as we save for a home, with the possibility of building a home, my husband found this amazing website that walks you through several elements of home building--materials, number of bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. After you've answered all of the website's questions, you get a calculation as to what the cost of building your home would be, based on the information you've provided. It's a bit addictive and totally fun.

Here's the link:

http://www.costtobuild.net/calculator.html

4. Fighting the Good Fight For Positivity

One of the things I decided to work on this Lent was being positive. Let me tell you, giving up the bread was way easier. (And I looooove bread!) 

I am very blessed and am reminded of that each and every day. Those trigger things and people always exist, though, and they serve as a test. You can be so happy in your own life and when you're forced to deal with people who are determined to be negative about everything, or who are selectively negative to you for whatever reason (maybe just because you're happy), it can wear on you. Their negative demeanor can be cancerous and serves no good purpose. 

What is not productive, I will work (even after Lent) on not giving my attention or energy. We all say this, but you really have to think about this to act on it. 

Don't let negative people rule your day. Good always outweighs bad, 

we just have to let it.

5. Easter Basket

So, if you know me "in real life" (and even if you don't, and are only judging me from my blog), you know I enjoy the fact that I'm a little different, a little artsy, and a little bit of a perfectionist. This of course carried over into the selection of my little guy's Easter basket. 

I didn't want anything commercial or super common. I wanted something classic and/or rustic. I scoured the net for a bit and was overjoyed when I found these beautiful rustic baskets on Etsy. 

Jackson's basket arrived today in the mail, all the way from Fairbanks, Alaska.

I know this basket will be totally impractical for him in a couple of years (at least for Easter egg hunts), but I'll enjoy this beautifully impractical basket for now. When he outgrows it, it won't go to waste, either, as this is a perfect basket to place in his semi-vintage world traveler room.

6.  Thomas' Birthday Week

We've had plenty reason to eat naughty this week;it's Thomas' birthday week!

Tomorrow we are having a family birthday brunch and giving him presents. I can't wait!

7. Mad Men

Whip up an Old Fashioned, break out your 60's gear and get ready for some witty repartee.  The final season of "Madmen" commences tomorrow, April 13th, and will be spread out over two years. 

I, for one, cannot adequately express my joy in the return of this show. Finally, the void that was left by the end of the latest season of "Downton Abbey" is filled. Thank you, Hollywood.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, darlings!

Cheers,

Samara

Five on Friday

Welcome to another Friday, friends! The sun is shining brightly in Michigan today and we are slowly inching our way into warmer weather. This gives me hope and has me all amped up for today's Five on Friday. 

Here we gooooo!!!

1. Paying It Forward

This little cutie is Gabriel, the nearly-three-month-old son of a friend of mine. She's a single mom and is unfortunately caught in the double-edged sword of not making enough to make ends meet, but making "too much" to qualify for daycare assistance. She has set up a GoFundMe account in a pride-swallowing effort to raise enough to pay for six months of daycare for her baby boy until she can figure something else out. 

If it's in your heart to donate a few dollars, it'd be a great way to pay it forward. You can donate here. Maybe some kind soul out there will return the favor to you someday when you are in need.

2. New Hair

My hair color of choice has been "natural" for nearly ten years, and in an effort to shake it up a bit more than my normal "bangs, no bangs, bangs, no bangs" routine, I thought I'd get some caramel highlights put in.

The highlights are subtle (but after ten years of not touching your hair in the color department, the color feels "wild" to me and I'm still adjusting), but I'm glad I've shaken things up a bit. I also had a few inches cut off and feel like a million bucks. I feel like a kid after summer break getting ready to head back to school (work). 

3. "Southern Charm" on Bravo

I know. You're shocked. I've been roped into another Bravo series. I'm sorry, but Andy Cohen just has my heart and knows the exact kind of fabulous mindlessness I need to let my brain zone out sometimes. That and some of my favorite bloggers are from down south, so I've been kind of into the southern culture lately. 

This is a fun show. Nothing more, nothing less. You may feel like watching a game of polo and having a splash of whiskey afterwards. Maybe. Just sayin'. 

4. Art for Baby Book

Thanks to this amazing Facebook group I joined back last summer that is comprised of a small group of women--all were due in December of 2013--I've had the opportunity to discover neat things for my son I may have never found otherwise. This is one of them.

This book--"Art for Baby"--is made up of black and white, high-contrast drawings by contemporary artists that helps your baby discover new things. My son absolutely loves it and smiles and laughs at his favorite paintings. Highly, highly recommend it! 

5. Personal Trainer

After posting a Facebook status message a little while back and receiving many recommendations (thank you all!), I've secured the services of a personal trainer who works out of the gym I already attend. She has so many exciting and creative ways to help her clientele maintain healthy lifestyles and I'm looking forward to working with her. We are scheduled to start on March 20th and I couldn't be more excited. (And scared! Haha)

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone!!

Cheers,

Samara

Ash Wednesday

While I've attended a non-denominational church here in my hometown for the last 15(ish) years (Jeez, time flies!), I was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic church. I also graduated from an all-girl Catholic boarding school where I was the church choir leader. 

A picture of Marian Heights Academy

I don't think you can get much more Catholic than that. So while I may not attend a Catholic church, I do participate in Lent. I can't lie, I haven't always participated in Lent and sometimes when I have, it's been a last-minute, hurried decision as to what I'd abstain from during this time. This year was different.

I actually gave some thought to what I'd give up. I wanted something physical to give up to really feel the sacrifice of the season, but also wanted to give up something that would improve my soul.

This year for Lent, I am giving up the following:

1. Bread

That ooey, gooey deliciousness that comes with or without cheese and fruit. Served cold or hot, sliced perfectly or in messy chunks, spread with margarine or eaten plain with a cup of tea or some other hot, delicious drink. My comfort in the middle of what is one of our worst winters ever. Goodbye for a time, friend. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

2. Negativity

This is something I'm sure we could all stand to work on year round. Too many beautiful and simple, yet thought-provoking quotes exist about abstaining from negativity, but here are a couple I really liked.

 

Taking a period of time and abstaining from something is an act we can all benefit from whatever your denomination, or even if you follow no religion. Working on bettering yourself as a person and sacrificing to relate to those who go without (and to be appreciative of the things you have) never hurts anyone.  In fact, it heals.

Cheers,

Samara