tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19117762875271516012024-03-13T20:38:19.434-07:00Four Flights of FancyFour Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.comBlogger610125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-87708206015409418312012-11-20T08:20:00.000-08:002012-11-20T08:20:03.821-08:00It's Not Too LateHi Friends
I thought I'd check in here just to see if there had been any activity in recent weeks and it appears that many of you are still visiting the site via Pinterest and other referrals, and some of you are new to subscribing over here. Welcome and thank you for your interest in the site. In case you hadn't clicked on the home page, you may have missed the announcement that I am no longer maintaining this site, and all new posts are being published over at <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/">For the Love Of</a>.<br />
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Beginning this week, I am also pulling my most popular DIY tutorials and recipes from this site and republishing them over on my other site. So if you click on a DIY and see that the full tutorial is missing, simply click on the referral link and it will take you straight over to the full tutorial on my other site.<br />
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I'd love for you to join me over at For The Love Of. You can subscribe via <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/3511243/for-the-love-of">Bloglovin</a> or <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/fortheloveof/LRaN">RSS Feeds </a>and also join my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/fortheloveofstyleblog">Facebook </a>page to stay in touch. <br />
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Thanks so much and I hope to see you around!Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-32309052252077939312012-10-15T11:21:00.000-07:002012-10-15T11:21:01.742-07:00Announcement - Raising the White Flag & Anthro GiveawayGood morning friends. This announcement is one that I've felt I've needed to make for a few weeks now, and the time has finally come. After over three years of writing here at Four Flights of Fancy, I have decided to stop writing and adding new posts here. Since I started my new site <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/">For the Love Of</a>, I felt that it was very necessary and important to keep this blog, focusing on life and family, and that blog, focusing on style, completely separate. But the longer I kept the two spaces separate, the more I realized that I can't separate the two. <br />
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My family is the most important thing to me, next to my faith, and it started to feel wrong that I never talked about the kids over on the other site. It also felt wrong to only talk about the kids here since I never intended to have just a family blog. The two started to feel like they needed to intersect more and in the past few weeks I've finally figured out how to do that. And in reality, there was just no time to keep all these balls in the air juggling, in a way I could feel good about. There just aren't enough hours in the day. <br />
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So I have decided to focus on melding the two over on For the Love Of for a couple of reasons. First, it's a Wordpress site that has a lot more capabilities and functionality than this Blogger site. Second, I felt it was time to just continue with the fresh start I had made over there back in March, and just add the layers of family and our home life over on that site. <br />
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So for those of you that aren't interested in a Style site? Well, the other site will be focused on Style, Beauty and DIY for about 3 posts a week, and the rest will be mixes of family life, some recipes or posts about our house remodel, and just other thoughts, posted closer to the weekend. Monday-Wednesday will focus on Style and Beauty and DIY's. You'll definitely see my voice over there, just mixed with a bit more Style ;) For starters I wrote about my <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/haydens-birth-story/">birth story with Hayden</a> last week and was so happy to see the response. I'm working on adding in some of my post popular recipe and DIY posts over on the other site, and eventually you will no longer be able to get the full posts here.<br />
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So now is the part where I try to entice some of you to move over with a giveaway! I'm giving away <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/refreshed-with-an-anthropologie-giveaway/">2 Anthropologie gift cards</a> (valued at $50 and $25) to 2 readers. I hope I'll see some of you over there :)<br />
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Thank you so very much for those of you that have read for the past three years, for your prayers, comments, advice, and for just listening. I do not say it lightly, but you guys helped me through some rough patches and I can't thank you enough for that.<br />
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It's been an honor and a pleasure to write for you all, and have this community. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I sincerely hope this isn't goodbye. You all know where you can find me :)<br />
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Please visit my other site to<a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/refreshed-with-an-anthropologie-giveaway/"> enter to win 1 of 2 Anthro gift cards.</a>Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-38832567585330926592012-09-25T10:48:00.003-07:002012-09-25T10:48:48.551-07:00Four Weeks - Life Updated<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hayden turned 4 weeks old yesterday and it seems strange that time is moving so fast. The last two times I had a newborn I can recall with stunning accuracy how slow I felt time moved. I ticked off the hours, willing, praying myself to get through the days. That sounds terribly depressing doesn't it? It's not meant to be, just the truth. Life is so busy now between taking care of baby, house and the big kid and their activities and homework. <br />
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The first time I was a mom I didn't have a clue what I was doing, so I relied on books to tell me what to do and in turn drove myself crazy. The other day a memory was recalled of me actually setting my alarm in the middle of the night to go off every 3 hours so I could feed Taylor. Can you believe that? I was certain that if I didn't feed her every three hours on the nose, she would surely wither away. The sad thing was that I remember having to actually wake her each time at 2am or 5 am to feed her. Who knows how many countless hours of sleep I deprived myself of.<br />
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With Syd it was the actual daytime that I struggled with because the poor baby was so miserable due to his reflux and torticollis, and his ensuing physical therapy we had to perform daily because of it. On top of that I had a sweet and curious little 2 year old to keep happy and busy. I'm glad we had the two so close together, but gosh it was hard. Now, I'm so glad we waited and have the gap that we do. 7 years later and I have learned so, so much.<br />
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Gosh times are sure different now and if I ever had any fears or doubts about "starting all over", now that both of the big kids were going to school full time, those doubts have quickly vanished. Yes, it's hard work and yes, I'm exhausted. But I continue to be in love and delighted by this sweet little guy every single day. He has been such a blessing to our family and I can now say we are complete.<br />
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Four weeks sounds like a long time, and in many ways I feel like I need to start waking up from my little baby moon coma and get back down to business. But it's gonna be hard to do that. I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but for someone who never experienced that feeling of just wanting to sit on the couch all day holding my baby, it's a truly glorious feeling that I don't want to leave, but I know eventually it will be time to get back to normal. I've already let a few things fall through the cracks because I've been in a daze. I've come to the realization that I'm going to need at least 2 days a week to write for my blogs and Disney, and so starting next week, when I'm due to return to writing at Disney, I'll start having my mom and MIL help a bit more. I guess it will be good to get back to somewhat of a routine.<br />
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I'm also trying to walk with Hayden a couple of mornings a week because after a visit to the doctor's to get a TB test, I was weighed and I have over 20 pounds to still lose. I know it's not a lot, but it's the most I've had to lose yet and more than anything it makes me frustrated that I can't button a single pair of shorts or jeans from pre-pregnancy yet. I really don't want to have to buy all new bottoms for Fall when the weather turns cold. A small price to pay for Hayden, but I guess I'm trying to be practical ;) I will say though that I look in the mirror and I feel like I look fine, which makes me want to slap myself for ever having any issues with my body before. I try on a pair of jeans and I think "how was I so thin, because I don't feel particularly much bigger than before?" Body image is a trip. In the mean time I've been posting weekly <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/tag/postpartum-style/">Postpartum Style</a> updates on my other blog, and talking about how I'm dressing for the body I have now, using what I have in my closet. Hint, dressing relies heavily on elastic waistbands ;)<br />
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Healing wise I finally feel like I'm heading back to normal. I stopped bleeding just couple of days ago, thank goodness! Apologies if this is too much information, but the bleeding this time around was really heavy and long lasting. My stitches healed up a couple of weeks ago and for the most part I think I'm almost back to normal, although I don't dare hold a mirror down there. Does anyone really do that? I never have and I don't think I ever will ;)<br />
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Breast feeding is going well and I'm still trying to work through some pain on my right breast. My let down on my right side is much slower so he tugs and pulls a lot to get more milk out, leaving me quite sore and feeling mistreated ;) I take an extra strength Motrin once a day and it seems to help get through the worst of it. Gosh I love breast feeding, but it is such a tedious thing isn't it, on top of pumping? I forgot just how much time it does in fact take up. <br />
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I'm pumping once a day to get a bottle so Art can give him his midnight feeding. I then take his 3/4 am feeding so we both get about 5-6 hours of straight sleep in a row, so it's not terrible. My pediatrician suggested we start the bottle this time around, after Hayden was just week 1 old, and it's the best advice I've been given yet. It's been a true life saver to have the help of my husband so early on. <br />
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Other than that, life is busy but good. The older kids have adjusted quite well (minus a couple of rough weeks for Syd in the beginning). Taylor continues with swim, horse riding lessons and jazz. Syd is in swim and baseball, and Art is the coach, which has been really good for both of them to spend so much time together. Syd will always need a bit more encouragement and hand holding than Taylor I think, a little more self-esteem pumping, so it's been really good for him to see Art dedicating so much time to him and the team.<br />
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And guys, I'm happy. I continue to feel good and so far haven't seen anymore PPD symptoms, which I am beyond thankful for. I don't consider myself out of the woods just yet, but to have made it 4 weeks feeling good is a blessing I'm truly grateful for. Thank you for your encouragement and kind words, thoughts and prayers. I hope to not be such a strange in the next few weeks but will do the best I can.<br />
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Take care everyone, and God Bless :)Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-67390087495096427682012-09-10T21:06:00.002-07:002012-09-10T21:10:13.888-07:00Let's Talk About Those Placenta Pills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I initially wrote my <a href="http://fourflightsoffancy.blogspot.com/2012/05/down-came-rain.html">first post </a>about my PPD, I tried my best to accurately describe what I was feeling 5 and 7 years ago after giving birth to my first two. But living in the thick of the newborn stage the last two weeks, and having my experience this time around be so startlingly different than the previous 2 times, I've been able to pinpoint just exactly what PPD felt like for me several years ago.<br />
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Simply put, I felt like an entirely different person, a stranger living in my body, looking in on my life. I know that seems and sounds so out there and ridiculous, and perhaps unless you've experienced depression on some level, you can't fathom what that means. But I literally felt like I was living another person's life, which is why it was so hard for me to bond with my newborns at first. They were in a nutshell, little strangers. I knew I loved my babies because they were born from me, but I felt no real connection for the first couple of months, other than what I knew I was supposed to feel. There was no instant falling in love, no baby moon that I witnessed others experience and talk about. They were my babies and I would love and protect them and care for them because I was supposed to, but it took me months to actually <i>feel</i> that (and have no doubt, I did eventually feel that way, it just took a little while), more than just believe it as a rote response to nature calling.<br />
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And the only reason I can differentiate the two feelings, is because this time around, I feel that love with every bone of my body, down to my core. And it's beautiful and refreshing and awe-inspiring, and it also sucks because I feel on some level, a form of guilt for my other two, because I wasn't able to experience those feelings and that connection immediately with them. My greatest fear is that one day my 2 older kids would read this and believe that I didn't love them at first, and that couldn't be further from the truth. Rather, I did not bond with them at first, and that's an entirely different thing. Perhaps I will eventually pull this post to prevent those questions from even coming up, but for now I think it's vital to note the differences between the different postpartum periods. <br />
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The good news is that I feel blessed to finally feel that intense love that I've always heard about, and I know that I am capable of feeling that love, which will serve as a reminder to me if the PPD does sneak up on me in the next few weeks. But for now I'm hoping that this feeling doesn't leave me. It's not so much a feeling of elation or even happiness, but just contentment, which might be even better than happiness. I feel at ease, relaxed, and in love. I guess maybe it is happiness.<br />
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So let's talk about those placenta pills, and how much of this contentment has to actually do with them. First off, I want to set the record straight and, think it's worth mentioning, that I am not "eating" my placenta, I am "ingesting" it. There is a difference. Eating implies chewing, which I am doing none of. Rather, the placenta was taken by a certified and trained doula and dehydrated, then ground into a fine powder and encapsulated into a pill format. I take 2 pills a day, just as you would a vitamin, and the pills are odorless and don't really taste like anything. I haven't felt any "side effects". The doula delivered 250+ pills to me, so they should last me for a few months, but she suggested I save about 40-50 for when my period returns and/or I stop nursing.<br />
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I've had a few people, including friends, mention how gross they think it is that I'm doing this. And while I can certainly understand people getting a little freaked out by the thought of it, let me also put something out there. With both previous bouts of PPD, I took Zoloft, a pill baked up in a lab consisting of who knows what type of chemicals, additives, and overall unknown ingredients. Now this is not a statement against anti-depressants, and both times these pills helped me. But when you really think about it, what's more bizarre and gross, taking a pill that you have no idea what it is really made out of, and where the ingredients came from, or taking a pill that is a completely natural byproduct of YOU? <br />
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The other thing I would say to those that think it's "gross", is that they must not have dealt with Postpartum Depression, because if they had, they would be willing to try anything if they thought it would help, and/or prevent it from happening again.<br />
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So are the placenta pills really helping me this time around? Well, I don't really know, and quite honestly I don't care. I don't want the pills to work so that I can prove a point. I want them to work because I want to feel good, and continue to bond with my baby, and experience happiness and peace during this time.<br />
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Beyond the placenta pills, I've been more devoted to taking care of myself and being mindful of what I need to stay content and rested. I truly believe that chemically, PPD is out of a woman's control, but I do believe that we can do things to ourselves and put ourselves in situations that will add more stress to our lives and make our lives more taxing, which can prove to intensify the feelings of PPD. It's pretty common knowledge that everything seems more insurmountable and bleak when exhausted, so I've been taking extra care to give myself rest. Saying no to visitors if I'm tired, asking for help from family, taking a nap when I feel tired, not waiting for my next chance but taking it when I can get it. We also introduced a bottle much sooner than we ever have with our other babies, and Hayden has been doing great with 1 feeding a day off the bottle and continues to breastfeed just fine. Art has now taken the midnight feeding so I can get a good 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep.<br />
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So overall, I guess I feel pretty fantastic all things considered (lack of sleep, recovering body, sore nursing boobs and all). I pray that I continue to feel this way, but if the other shoe drops and I start to feel the symptoms again, I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that I will get through it and so will the kids and my husband. It just feels so good to be like this today though, and that's what I try to focus on. One day at a time. I'm sure it also helps that so far, Hayden is a pretty spectacularly easy baby. I've never had one of those, so again, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and don't want to get too excited since he is only 2 weeks. But I've heard that easy babies do exist, and so maybe I got my baby unicorn this time ;) <br />
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Thank you all for your love and support and kind words. If you have it in your heart, please continue to lift me up in prayer if you think about it, and pray that I continue to feel this good. Because at this point, I don't ever want this feeling to go away. It's pretty crazy, but finally, after all these years, I understand why people love newborn babies. It does feel pretty fantastic to hold a sleeping baby on your chest and smell their heads while doing so. Nothing really can compare, can it?<br />
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Thanks guys...I'll continue to keep you updated. Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-35861604337484817822012-09-07T11:46:00.002-07:002012-09-07T14:09:56.489-07:00I've Got A Speaking Gig Y'All! In just couple of short weeks, I'll be speaking at the <a href="http://penelopelaneboutique.blogspot.com/2012/09/fall-boutique.html">Penelope Lane Boutique and Blog Conference</a> on September 29th. I think I should be nervous and scared, but I think I'm too sleep deprived to feel those things, I'm kind of just numb at this point ;) But in all honesty, I think that because the topic I'm speaking on is something I am passionate about, blogging, and something I've thought about for endless number of hours, I sort of already feel like I have my talk all laid out in my head.<br />
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So if you're local, I'd love for you to come out and support a great boutique, conference and lady (<a href="http://penelopelaneboutique.blogspot.com/">Sarah</a>!). There's about 10 spots left to attend the blog conference and there are <a href="http://penelopelaneboutique.blogspot.com/2012/08/mini-blog-conference-registration.html">3 other amazing ladies </a>speaking alongside me that day. I personally will be speaking on finding your blog direction, and staying the course, even when you get frustrated and down. It's taken me a looong time to finally feel successful at this blogging thing, yet I've stuck with it because I love it so much. I'll be discussing how to find a direction you feel good about and feel passionate about, so that you continue to stick with it even when you feel like no one is listening. It will be a feel good, keep your head up, tips and tricks, feel good type of talk and I'd love to see you there!<br />
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Sarah is <a href="http://littlepenelopelane.blogspot.com/2012/09/big-birthday-boutique-give-way.html">giving away a pass</a> to attend all the sessions of the conference on her blog through the weekend, so go check it out and enter to win. If you don't win though, <a href="http://littlepenelopelaneconference.eventbrite.com/?ref=ecount">here's where</a> you can grab your tickets!<br />
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Oh, and if you are interested in seeing how I've been dressing my postpartum body, and my philosophy on "losing the baby weight", please visit <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/9-months-on-9-months-off/">For The Love Of. </a>Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-80675125748332289152012-09-04T12:17:00.002-07:002012-09-04T13:45:00.755-07:00Getting Out Of the Lunch RutIt's hard to believe, but we have already been back in school for 1 month, while the rest of you have probably just started back last week or possibly even today. Sadly, only one month in and we have already hit a bit of a lunch rut, made even more sad by the fact that my girl is a foodie and will try almost everything. Yet, we keep making her the same old boring turkey sandwich or nutella sandwich. <br />
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I decided to challenge us a bit today as we head back to school after the holiday, and made her a lunch using leftovers from the weekend, and many ingredients so that she will have fun putting her meal together at the lunch table and won't die of boredom ;)<br />
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old) and contained nicely, I decided to create her a "taco kit",
resembling her favorite meal from <a href="http://chipotle.com/en-US/Default.aspx?type=default">Chipotle</a>. I love the <a href="http://www.glad.com/products/food-storage/containers/mini-round/">smallest 4 oz. size</a> of
the Glad containers because I can fit up to 5 of the smallest containers into her lunchbox, along with her juice box. Best part too is that they're BPA free, a big relief in fact. <br />
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I started by shredding some chicken from a leftover roasted chicken my mother in law brought over the day we came home from the hospital. I combined some diced tomatoes and leftover corn on the cob, cut off the cob, to make a pico de gallo type of mix, by adding some lime juice and salt and pepper. I then included some shredded cheese and shredded lettuce, and warmed up a couple of corn tortillas and wrapped them in tin foil to help keep them warm. And there you have it, taco kit on the go.<br />
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Taylor was beyond excited to get something a bit different than the usual in her lunch today, and I'm excited to use up some leftovers, and hopefully make a lunch that will actually get eaten today. Syd on the other hand eats nothing but peanut butter and jelly, and I've learned to just not fight it anymore. He gets some protein and eats a bit of veggies and/or fruit everyday, but other than that he's definitely a creature of habit. At least Taylor is adventurous so I can experiment with her.<br />
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So do you guys have any other interesting food options for school lunches that I could try with Taylor, my foodie? Or do you guys stick with the same lunch day in and day out like I do with Syd?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,Times New Roman,serif;"><i>I have partnered with The Glad Products Company through <a href="http://moms.dailybuzz.com/" target="blank">DailyBuzz Moms</a> to help promote their <a href="http://r1.fmpub.net/?r=http%3A%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B260137798%3B84361736%3Bu&k4=4675&k5=%7Bbanner_id%7D" target="blank">Food Storage </a>products.
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We survived our first night at home last night. After a beautiful and blissfully happy 2 days spent cuddling and holding baby more than I ever had held one of my other newborns, I hit a bit of a dark cloud last night. What I can best describe as a panic attack, I suddenly got a very sad and overwhelmed feeling of the enormity of it all. I talked it through with Art and came out feeling good, then spent a restless night with baby Hayden. He nursed fine until his 3 am feeding and hasn't nursed since. When my milk comes in I get incredibly engorged and I think he's just a bit frustrated. We will press on and I'm sure it will work out. I've faced different nursing challenges with each baby and we've always worked it out, so I pray this is no different.<br />
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Today we are just spending the day getting to know each other, as I deal with my new found DD's, and trying to accomplish my first bowel movement, always a scary thing right? Life is beautiful and I see that, and truly know that, just praying no more dark clouds hit me tonight. The doula is set to deliver my placenta capsules tomorrow afternoon, and while I have no real reason to believe this, I feel deep down that they will work on some level, even if it's just purely psychological. I'm sorry to mix such a beautiful post with some sadness, but I feel on this matter it is beyond important to be honest. Tuesday night I cried with such emotion of how happy I felt, how truly in love with this little boy I was. And then to have such a rush of sadness the next night is nothing short of maddening and frustrating. It's not right, and it certainly doesn't make much sense, but it's the truth and I want those of you that have been through the same thing to know you're not alone.<br />
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I'll be back over the next week or so to update you, and share the birth story with you. I have to say, I kicked this labor's ass. It was hard and painful and long, but I am certain of one thing, I am proud of how it all transpired and will forever have those memories in my heart.<br />
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Thanks for everything you guys. For the well wishes, prayers and support. They have meant the world to me, more than you could ever know.Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-4622767799764219922012-08-24T14:08:00.004-07:002012-08-24T14:08:56.818-07:00Ain't Nature A Trip?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wednesday morning while the kids were at school I wrote. I wrote the entire morning and it felt good to get all my posts out of the way for Disney so that I could relax the rest of the month. The writing came easy to me and it flowed, which is always a nice thing. I got 5 posts written, one of them being about how I was putting my feet down (or up rather), and <a href="http://www.disneybaby.com/blog/saying-no-to-nesting/">Saying No To Nesting </a>and instead resting. I felt that way on Wednesday and turned a blind eye to my list of "nesting projects" I had put together weeks prior.<br />
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That night, I felt funny all night. I just felt weird. I woke up Thursday morning and realized I had lost my mucus plug. A sign for me, that labor was soon upon me within a matter of days. Anyone else know when they lost their mucus plug by the way? I'm the only one in my circle of friends that has been able to tell with both pregnancies when this happened. Mucus plug, sounds so gross too right?<br />
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Anyhow, after we got the kids off to school I had a freak out moment of epic proportions and told Art we were in no way ready for this baby. The house was a mess, the pack n play or crib weren't set up, there were no groceries in the house and my freaking bag wasn't even packed! I was about as hysterical as I get. I decided the only reasonable thing to do was call my mom. She talked me down from the ledge and agreed to come over for a couple of hours in the morning before she went to my sister's house to celebrate her birthday with her.<br />
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And so against my previous convictions and statements, I nested the hell out of this house. I cleaned out all of my makeup supplies and toiletries, and tossed what I didn't need or want, including all those samples you collect over the years. I washed my makeup brushes too. I cleaned out my night stand and threw tons of old magazines away, I cleaned out my desk drawer and the freezer, fridge and pantry (with my mom's help), and she helped me tackle the grocery list. I cleaned out my purse and wallet, throwing away or filing old receipts and such. I went through the mail and all the kid's school paperwork and filed accordingly. <br />
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I even vacuumed out the tracks for the sliding doors and washed them down with soapy water. They were disgusting. Because you know, clean sliding door tracks are an essential part of bringing a newborn baby home.<br />
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So against any desire I had on my own, nature truly took over and made me clean like a freak yesterday. I'm exhausted today, but did manage to gas up the car just in case, and get it washed. Because clean baby must come home in a clean car, right? Nature sure is a trip, ain't it?<br />
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Wish me luck guys! I hope this baby comes this weekend, because me and this house are ready to meet our newest member. I'll be sure to fill you guys in on any action that may occur first via Instagram (I'm @fourflights).<br />
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Have a great weekend everyone!<br />
<br />Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-91631375632561480742012-08-21T09:47:00.002-07:002012-08-21T09:52:55.175-07:00The Craft Cabinet - Summer 2012Sometimes the best things are those that are done at the last minute, thrown together spontaneously. That certainly proved to be the case with the first installment of <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/introducing-the-craft-cabinet/">The Craft Cabinet</a>. <a href="http://pancakesandfrenchfries.com/"> Jules </a>and I are typical textbook over-thinkers, but when you have less than 4 weeks to throw together an event, lest one of the co-hosts goes into labor, you don't have time to over-think, you just do, and that's exactly what we did. To say it came together exactly as I had imagined it would be a bit of an understatement, it came out exactly as I had imagined it, maybe even better. Witnessing women laughing, getting to know each other, creating, eating and drinking is one of the most enjoyable things I can imagine.<br />
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The venue was <a href="http://salvagelife.blogspot.com/">Salvage Life</a>, a vintage boutique/studio own by Beth Giles. When I reached out to Beth about hosting the event there, she responded within a matter of minutes, saying yes, but could we just time it around the birth of her daughter, which set to occur at any day. "Sure, no problem, but could we just schedule it right before the birth of my child too?" It sounds a bit crazy when I replay the conversation back in my head, but when you love what you do (Beth), and you're passionate about making something happen (me), you don't let something like child birth get in your way ha! Beth, thank you from the bottom of our hearts, because we seriously couldn't have done this without you.<br />
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Beth's shop is chock full of pretty, and is bright and charming, so we knew it didn't take much in terms of decor to really set the space off. We were also excited knowing that the ladies coming to the event would appreciate such a venue, and it made us happy to see some ladies stay after the event to make purchases. Because of our limited budget, we went with simple, vintage inspired decor that tied in with our color scheme. The morning of the event I called up Jules and said "I'm getting balloons, lots of balloons." Call me old-fashioned, but nothing spells party to me like balloons.
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All the other details just sort of came together, from the food to even the color coordinated bottles of Izze and sparking water, which was an inadvertent mistake, but a happy one nonetheless. The catering manager at the local <a href="http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com/Catering.aspx">Corner Bakery in Long Beach </a>partnered with me on our order, literally the day before the event. They were amazingly nice and accommodating.<br />
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Jacqui of <a href="http://www.babyboybakery.com/">Baby Boy Bakery</a> provided the mini cupcakes, and hand delivered them to my door the morning of the event. For that I can't thank her enough! She did not disappoint, as usual, and all 60 cupcakes were gone by the end of the night.<br />
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Since the purpose of the night was to craft, we made sure to carve out plenty of time to do that, and although some projects weren't finished, no one seemed to mind.
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The people and companies that pulled through to contribute to the swag bags were incredible, and deserve a post all their own which will come later this week, but how cute did they end up? I stuffed and stamped (with our own stamp!) and Jules decorated. We divided and conquered really well together.<br />
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Thanks Jules for being a terrific partner, thank you <a href="http://www.besottedblog.com/">Tristan</a> for designing a gorgeous logo and invitation, thank you to my sister Tina and my husband Art for helping to set up and clean up, thank you <a href="http://www.ohhellofriendblog.com/">Danni</a> and <a href="http://www.bakeallthethings.com/">Gena</a> for arriving early and helping to decorate, and thank you to my good friend Mary of <a href="http://yungbean.com/">Yung Bean Photography</a>, who agreed to photograph the event with just a few days notice. She did a wonderful job didn't she? And thanks to all the truly wonderful ladies who took a chance on us and came out to the event! If you'd like to visit their blogs, here you go! Jules and I are already busy planning the next Craft Cabinet, for sometime in November, just in time for the holidays. We hope you can join us again!<br />
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<a href="http://www.ohhellofriendblog.com/" target="_blank">Danni | Oh, Hello Friend</a>
<a href="http://hecallsmewifey.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Andrea | He Calls Me Wifey</a>
<a href="http://www.hollywoodhousewife.com/" target="_blank">Laura | Hollywood Housewife</a>
<a href="http://crimsontowool.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rachel | Crimson to Wool</a>
<a href="http://www.theblahblahblahger.com/" target="_blank">JJ | The Blah Blah Blahger</a>
<a href="http://secret-agent-josephine.com/blog/" target="_blank">Brenda | Secret Agent Josephine</a>
<a href="http://trappedinnorthjersey.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lisa | Trapped in North Jersey</a>
<a href="http://www.thereadingnest.com/" target="_blank">Kelly | The Reading Nest</a>
<a href="http://littlegraypixel.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Vanessa | Little Grey Pixel</a>
<a href="http://http//littlepenelopelane.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sarah | Little Penelope Lane (and Penelope Lane Boutiques)</a>
<a href="http://thegingerbreadblog.com/" target="_blank">April | The Gingerbread Blog</a>
<a href="http://www.teachinginheels.com/" target="_blank">MJ | Teaching in Heels</a>
<a href="http://melissadell.com/" target="_blank">Melissa | Melissa Dell</a>
<a href="http://lillybuglane.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Monick | Lilly Bug Lane</a>
<a href="http://www.bakeallthethings.com/" target="_blank">Gena | Bake All The Things</a>
<a href="http://www.thelilcupcake.net/" target="_blank">Crystal | The Lil’ Cupcake</a>
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/kara.murano" target="_blank">Kara Murano</a>Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-86196742191766253762012-08-19T23:45:00.001-07:002012-08-19T23:45:12.733-07:00SOS Plead!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Big Belly saying a prayer at church that if this is the week, Lord let everything go safely and smoothly)</i></span></div>
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Guys, the countdown is ON! 10 days to go till the official D Day of 8/30, and only 4 to go before my guess delivery date of 8/24. So since this may be my last week of freedom, if you will, I plan to do a whole lotta nothing while the kids are at school. Screw the organization projects I had in mind, I'm sitting on the couch.<br />
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So I need help. I've read three books in the last month, but for the past week don't have a single book to read. I need suggestions for an easy, quick, mindless girly read (and please don't say 50 Shades of Gray because I'm not gonna do it). I could also use a suggestion or two for a fun chick flick to watch.<br />
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The Craft Cabinet was a huge success and we'll be sharing pictures of the event tomorrow, as well as have a linky party in place so you can link up your blog posts if you attended the event. But until then I thought I'd put out my SOS plead and see if you all could help a gal out :)<br />
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Much love and I hope your weekend was great!Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-74427254158327579132012-08-17T10:17:00.001-07:002012-08-17T10:17:26.792-07:00Oh Baby - What Will It Bee?I didn't mean to leave you all this week. It's been a doozy, getting ready for <a href="http://fourflightsoffancy.blogspot.com/2012/07/introducing-craft-cabinet.html">Craft Cabinet</a> and all. I can't believe it's finally here. Holy heck I'm amazed at what Jules and I have managed to pull off in a manner of days (less than four weeks to be exact). This is by no means bragging, just a little realization of a dream and some hard work. In the past 3 weeks we've secured a vendor, catering, rentals, amazing swag from some BIG and independent vendors who are all amazingly generous, and most importantly, sold out an event with awesome, amazing ladies. Ladies who are inspired to create and inspire others to create. I can't wait to see, and in some cases, meet those of you coming. <br />
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I want to update you on <a href="http://fourflightsoffancy.blogspot.com/2012/08/an-emotional-start-to-kinder.html">Syd's progress </a>at school since this is his first full week in Kinder, but I thought I'd wait to get the whole week completely under our belt, lest I jinx anything. <br />
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I do want to share with you all the pictures from my "What Will It Bee?" baby shower though! I posted them over at <a href="http://www.disneybaby.com/blog/gender-neutral-baby-shower-what-will-it-bee/">Disney Baby</a>, but here's a little peek at a few of them. I would be very appreciative and honored if you'd click through and see the rest of them :)<br />
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Wish me luck guys. I'm tired but excited. I can't wait to see it all come together tonight!</div>
Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-9381993855877541042012-08-13T06:56:00.002-07:002012-08-13T06:56:34.593-07:00Nursery Sneak Peek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well it was a busy weekend around here guys. We started setting up the nursery! Here's a little sneak peek for you. I decided to set a bed up in there so I could have a place to rest in the middle of the night and if my comes to stay and help at all. Remember our <a href="http://fourflightsoffancy.blogspot.com/2012/06/b3-gets-its-own-room.html">original plan</a> for nursery? Well I ended up ditching that color scheme and going for an all white theme with pops of bright, neon like colors and touches of beige linen. So far I love it, what's set of it so far anyhow. And because of my snoring escapades, Art was able to take advantage of the set up bed last night, so it's already getting some good use!<br />
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I've still been keeping up with the <a href="http://fourflightsoffancy.blogspot.com/2012/07/im-baack.html">big belly project</a>, so if you're on Instagram, follow along @fourflights! Saturday night big belly was brewing beer, totally appropriate right? We celebrated a friend's 40th birthday and had a great time at a local brew house, making pretzels and drinking small batch brew (small brew soda for me, the root beer was fantastic!). <br />
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Friday night big belly took it easy though and hung out at our local concert in the park. I just chilled while the men chased the kids around. Perfection. I'm going to miss being able to use the pregnancy card in situations like these ;) <br />
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In other areas on the web, I'm baring my soul, or my cover up anyhow, and <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/?p=1461">showing off big belly in a bikini</a>! Say what?!? Yes, I was shy at first, but there's really no reason pregnant gals can't rock the bikini too. After all, when else are you not going to worry about whether your abs are rock hard or not? It's liberating I tell ya. <br />
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I got a little crafty this past week too, and shared this <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/?p=1469">DIY for a no sew leather pouch. </a></div>
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And I also shared the most exciting news I've heard since, since, I don't know when...it's that exciting though! Neiman Marcus and Target holiday gift collaboration yo! Read more about<a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/?p=1489"> here.</a><br />
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And I'm doing lots of baby and pregnancy journaling over on Disney Baby. Last week <a href="http://www.disneybaby.com/blog/5-interesting-ways-we-managed-to-eat-dinner-with-a-newborn/">I shared</a> how we managed to gobble down dinner with a newborn during the dreaded "witching hour".<br />
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I'm splurging a bit on the non-essentials this time around. Read <a href="http://www.disneybaby.com/blog/the-non-essentials-im-buying-anyway/">here</a> to see what those splurges are. </div>
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The best thing I ever did as a new mom was join a mom's group. Read why <a href="http://www.disneybaby.com/blog/the-best-thing-i-did-as-a-new-mom/">here</a>. </div>
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And lastly, the top <a href="http://www.disneybaby.com/blog/the-top-10-things-i-look-forward-to-after-pregnancy/">10 things I look forward to after pregnancy</a>. Number 7? Walking like a lady instead of a duck again. <br />
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I don't want to say much about the last 2 days of school after I wrote <a href="http://fourflightsoffancy.blogspot.com/2012/08/an-emotional-start-to-kinder.html">this post,</a> because I don't want to jinx anything, but I promise to share later in the week how things are going and our progress. Thank you so, so much for all your kind and encouraging words. They meant so much to me, especially hearing about all the sensitive boys!Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-67905031215729348892012-08-10T11:14:00.002-07:002012-08-10T11:25:30.417-07:00An Emotional Start To KinderI know it's been a bit quiet around her. The kids started school on Wednesday and I tried to stay offline as much as possible. And you'd think since starting school things would have calmed down a bit, but it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride of emotions the past couple of days. <br />
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The night before the big day, we went bowling together as a family treat, then followed up with dinner at the kid's favorite restaurant, CPK. Things were going smoothly and everyone was up to their usual antics. <br />
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Taylor learned to bowl sans ramp. The good old between the leg toss got her a decent score. <br />
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Syd, determined to win, stuck with the ramp and aimed most of his shots perfectly.<br />
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Art worked on perfecting his launch, in dramatic fashion. He took 3 years of bowling in college. He takes his bowling very seriously.<br />
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And I, well I just sat there most of the time, but I did at one point go head to head with a bowling ball. The belly won without a fight. <br />
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The next morning came, and although Syd said he was a bit nervous, he trudged on and we trekked across the street to class. <br />
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Luckily he was assigned Taylor's old kinder teacher Miss Peel, so we thought we had a slam dunk on our hands. His big sister was at the same school, familiar playground, familiar teacher. He had it made right?<br />
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He continued to be all smiles until it came time to leave. And then the waterworks ensued. Big ol' crocodile tears that break a momma's heart.<br />
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He had a super short day that first day and when I picked him up he seemed fine. But when we got home he said he just stood there at recess because he didn't know what to do. Within an hour he was telling me he didn't want to go back. He continued moping around and whimpering all day. Even Jules' boys, who were visiting so that we could get a little Craft Cabinet planning done, couldn't break him out of his funk. By the late afternoon, he was complaining of an upset stomach.<br />
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By that night, whimpers had turned into sobs and he was distraught beyond comfort, saying over and over again that he didn't want to go back and begging me, yes begging, to be home schooled. He was scared to eat lunch by himself, scared he'd have to play by himself at recess. <br />
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The next morning he woke up at 6:30 (early for him) and crawled into my bed. I could tell he had been crying, and he started again begging me not to send him to school. He sobbed the entire morning as we got ready for school, and sobbed loud pathetic sobs at drop off. Outside of the classroom I almost punched another mom in the face when she looked at me, not realizing Syd was my boy, and said "There's always a crier."<br />
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The thing is I know he will end up being okay. Taylor cried for 6 whole weeks at kinder drop off and one day she just stopped and now she genuinely loves school. Syd's teacher told me at pick up yesterday that he cried for all of 1 minute and then was fine the rest of the day. Today's drop off was a little whimpery, but no real tears or sobbing fits, so there's improvement already. <br />
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But in the mean time, there's a part of me that can't help but wonder what I'm doing wrong here. Why are my kids so afraid of change, and so stuck with the idea of being at home? I wonder if I've done something to make them feel insecure, or haven't given them enough confidence. I know it's probably unrealistic for me to think that way, but as a mother sometimes you can't help but feel your child's behaviors are always a reflection of how you're raising them.<br />
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Art reminded me that I was the exact same way, from the stories I told him, when I was a kid. After all, I called my mom to pick me up from Junior High camp because I was so terribly homesick. I always assumed it was because of my chaotic and dysfunctional upbringing, that I wasn't secure enough to feel safe to leave home. But maybe it is just inbred in me, and now inbred in my kids? Homebodies that feel most comforted at home and resist change at all costs, but will adapt if completely necessary?<br />
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Either way I've been doing a lot of praying that he makes this adjustment a bit easier than Taylor did, for his sake and ours. At this age, I think all any of us want for our kids is for them to just be happy. And it breaks my heart to see his personality and moods affected this way.<br />
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If any of you have similar sob stories, especially as it relates to boys, I'd love to hear them. I had breakfast with Sarah yesterday and she told me her son's teacher said that a boy cries the most in Kinder and 1st grade than in any other time in their life. I sadly want that to be true so that I know his emotional tug of war is somewhat in the realm of "normal". As a woman, I can understand more of where my girl is coming from when she cries, but I honestly feel so helpless when I see my son cry over sadness like this. <br />
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Thanks so much for listening guys. And again, any feedback, advice or commiseration that you'd like to share, I'm all ears :)Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-20241189678190775582012-08-08T15:16:00.001-07:002012-08-08T15:16:30.480-07:00Learning To Love the iPad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not a big fan of using the phone and iPad to entertain the kids. I'm not being judgmental or negative, it's just that to be honest, I haven't really spent a lot of time to find games and apps that I feel good about the kids using. We're still fairly new to the world of the iPad and so far we've only managed to download lots of mindless games for the kids when we search "free games", and truth be told it can drive me a bit bonkers seeing them move a guy through a pipe till he comes out the other end. I have a hard time seeing any real educational value in that. <br />
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That's why I was happy and encouraged to hear that Disney had just created 2 new apps that are not only free, but perfectly age appropriate for both of the kids, 5 and 7, and are engaging and educational, especially for Syd as he just entered Kindergarten today in fact!<br />
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The first app we downloaded was the Jake's Neverland Pirate School, which they were both excited about because they love the show. They both loved that they got to customize their games by adding their own photo and really found each level interesting. </div>
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You can download the free app here, which is available for iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch:</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.itunes.com/app/jakesneverlandpirateschool" target="_blank">http://www.itunes.com/app/jakesneverlandpirateschool</a></span></div>
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The second app we downloaded for free was The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally is for iPads only and can be downloaded here:</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.itunes.com/app/mickeymouseclubhouseroadrallyappisode" target="_blank">http://www.itunes.com/app/mickeymouseclubhouseroadrallyappisode</a></span></div>
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I thought Taylor might think it was a little too young for her, but she loved it and had fun going through an entire episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and I loved that it was interactive and voice activated so it got the kids to actually answer the questions out loud. Love that they're engaged instead of just sitting there.<br />
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As a mom that's still navigating her way through the world of the iPad, I feel good about these apps and feel good about telling you guys to go download them! :) <br />
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If you download the apps and are a Disney fan, join Disney on August 8th at 9 PM
EST for a <span class="il">Disney</span> Junior Twitter party! You could win
an iPad. RSVP at <a href="http://bit.ly/QsXDE2" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/QsXDE2</a>
and use the hashtags #spon and #mackidtips. Who couldn't use an iPad, or an extra one? <br />
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And I just discovered that Disney Junior Watch makes full length episodes of its most popular shows available online, for free, at <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.watchdisneyjunior.com/" target="_blank">www.watchdisneyjunior.com</a>
and via the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/watch-disney-junior/id530001625?mt=8" target="_blank"><span class="il">Disney</span> Junior <span class="il">WATCH</span>
app on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch</a>. </span><br />
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<i>A
big thanks to Disney Junior for sponsoring this campaign. <a href="http://blogs.babble.com/babys-first-year-blog/tag/disney-junior-apps/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see more of the discussion.</i></div>Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-32818716936469095732012-08-07T08:45:00.000-07:002012-08-07T08:45:00.207-07:00Our Last Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was my fortune the other day. How spot on is this? There's so much to share and talk about with you all. Gosh so much is happening and I have a B3 update to write and big belly project pictures to share. But today is the last day of summer for us, and I'm going to focus on spending the day with the kids. <br />
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Tomorrow I'll have a kindergartener and a 2nd grader, and my heart will break a little that another school year has passed and I'm afraid I don't know where it went. I'm not quite as weepy as the first time I put a child in Kinder, but I'm still nervous and anxious now for the day to just come and go. <br />
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I'll be back to posting tomorrow so until then, have a wonderfully hot and relaxing summer day. <br />
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P.S. don't forget to enter the Scout by Bungalow <a href="http://fourflightsoffancy.blogspot.com/2012/08/scout-by-bungalow-giveaway.html">giveaway</a>!Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-30386409850109262432012-08-05T21:23:00.000-07:002012-08-05T21:31:22.229-07:00Scout by Bungalow GiveawayA few weeks ago the nice people at Scout by Bungalow contacted me to ask if I'd like to host a giveaway on this here blog. Truth be told, I hadn't heard about Scout until that nice lady reached out to me, but once I looked them up and viewed their site, I was instantly smitten. Functional and cute design rolled into one? Yes, please! <br />
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They let me choose an item to try out and I chose the <a href="http://www.bungalowco.com/t-2-bags-original-deano.aspx">Original Deano</a> because of it's robust size, knowing that it could hold just about anything I could throw its way. Added bonus was that it's made of a water resistant polywoven fabric that I just rinse out when I get home from the beach. We had a salsa mishap in it the other day and a quick hose down and my Deano was as good as new. In its short time in my possession, my Deano has already seen a couple of trips to the beach, park and a bonfire. It gets around ;)<br />
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And the good news is that the generous folks at Scoout are letting you <a href="http://www.bungalowco.com/p-284-original-deano.aspx?vid=3748&">choose your own Deano</a> too! Just pick a color/design and you'll be on your way to carrying your goods in casual, functional style. Entering is easy, just see below and click on the little buttons to getcha started. I just started using Rafflecopter and it seems a wee bit intimidating at first, but it is super easy! Way better than leaving 5 comments for each back flip you do :) Open to US residents only please. Good luck! <br />
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<a id="rc-8d86bb1" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8d86bb1/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-34811133648533885262012-08-02T10:15:00.000-07:002012-08-02T10:15:20.185-07:003 Science Experiments We're Trying TodayWe've been going nonstop for the past few weeks, partly because I want to spend as much "fun time" with the kids as possible before the baby comes, but also because our summer break is so short we need to pack it all in a condensed time frame. But today I'm exhausted and we're going to a bonfire tonight where we'll be out late, so I thought today we would stay home and relax a bit. But to keep them somewhat occupied we're going to do a couple of science experiments; these 3 in fact. <br />
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First up, a Sparkly Explosion found <a href="http://preschoolpowolpackets.blogspot.com/2012/04/science-experiment-sparkly-explosion.html">here</a></div>
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Then, we'll make some Elephant Toothpaste, found <a href="http://preschoolpowolpackets.blogspot.com/2012/01/science-experiment-elephant-toothpaste.html">here</a></div>
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And then lastly, we'll finish the day off with some Slippery Slime, found <a href="http://www.activitytv.com/113-slippery-slime">here</a>.</div>
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I'll let you know how it comes out tomorrow. Wish me luck! And if you'd like to see all the other science and craft experiments I pin on a weekly basis, follow me on <a href="http://pinterest.com/fourflights/">Pinterest</a>!</div>Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-73034606214409746192012-08-01T11:33:00.001-07:002012-08-01T11:33:46.202-07:00June Lake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We took our last little family vacation before baby comes last week. As I mentioned before, we traveled about 6 hours by car up to <a href="http://junelakeloop.com/">June Lake</a>, a little mountain town located in the Sierra Mountains off HWY 395. At 35 weeks pregnant, it wasn't the most physically relaxing of trips we could have taken, but if I were to choose between being at a beautiful hotel and trying to keep two high energy kids occupied, or staying in a cabin and letting the kids run around outside, well you obviously know which one I chose. Plus we got to teach the kids how to fish! I betcha you didn't take me as a fisherman? <br />
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I've lived in California my whole life and after a while you know which places tend to get the most road trip action by your fellow friends and family. Mammoth, Arrowhead, Tahoe, Bass Lake are the usual retreats when people want to go to the mountains. But I'm telling you June Lake is where it's at.<br />
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It's mountain surroundings more resemble Yosemite, making it more beautiful than it's neighboring Mammoth, in my humble opinion. There are several lakes in the June Lake Loop to choose from, so you have your choice between small and little lakes, forested or desert surroundings, peaceful and tranquil or fun and frequented. Although the real reason I started going to June Lake when I was a kid is because my parents are cheap. And June Lake has lots of options for el cheapos!<br />
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Being 35 weeks pregnant I did want to have some comforts and told my parents we weren't staying in the $90/night 300 foot cabin we used to stay in when I was a kid. We hardly ever vacation so when we do I want to feel comfortable. Not spoiled, just comfortable. So we splurged a bit and stayed at the <a href="http://doubleeagle.com/">Double Eagle Resort,</a> because it's 1 of 2 places in all of June Lake that has a pool and because the cabins were in good shape and clean. There was also a restaurant on site that we could eat at if I didn't feel like cooking, although we never ended up eating at it. <br />
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The grounds of the resort (and we use the term resort loosely here), had beautiful hiking trails right outside our door, and a little stream the kids could play at while we were preparing meals. I love sending kids outside to play and them having enough to interest them and keep them happy that they don't complain. Isn't that the best?<br />
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There was also a small little pond on site, and an amazing indoor pool and spa with huge windows to enjoy the scenery. We swam almost every day for a brief bit of time.<br />
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This was our cabin. Isn't it cute? There was a nice patio set and BBQ right outside. It slept all 6 of us comfortably with 2 bedrooms and a bath.<br />
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Every lake in the loop allows fishing, and most also allow boats. We always hit up June Lake, Grant Lake and we found <a href="http://www.rockpow.com/lundy.htm">Lundy Lak</a>e for the first time. We've tried Silver Lake in the past but usually have had the best luck at Grant Lake (pictured above and below). The scenery isn't the prettiest, more resembling desert than forest, but it's a huge lake and we usually do well there. <br />
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Another guest at the resort recommended Lundy Lake (pictured below) this time though so we tried it out for the first time and we actually were pleasantly surprised. It's a beautiful little lake nestled in a canyon about 15 minutes away from the June Lake Loop, and both kids caught their fish here. <br />
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We didn't fish on June Lake this time, but we did go swimming there on our last day. It's the most gorgeous of all the lakes in the loop and has the perfect little beach on the South side that is really easy to access. Taylor jumped off this rock in the middle of the lake. <br />
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Syd was not into the cold water so played on the sand instead.<br />
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Truth be told, I think all the hiking around last week took a toll on my that I still feel like I haven't recovered from. I've been tired ever since, but it was worth it. I think the kids will really remember this trip and their first catch. <br />
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Let me know if you have any questions about our trip and the area surrounding June Lake. It's a big circle and it's all pretty self explanatory while you're there, but if you need any suggestions on accommodations I can help! As far as things to do, it's a fishing town, but there's still plenty to do if you don't fish. Hiking, mountain biking, visiting Mono Lake and nearby ghost towns, Devils' Postpile in Mammoth (it's only 20 minutes away), and just relaxing too. Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-88807460807531183662012-07-30T00:45:00.001-07:002012-07-30T00:45:53.735-07:00Just These Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I became pregnant with Syd, Taylor was just 18 months old. By the time he was born she was 25 months old and was the most delightful little toddler a mom could ask for. I've said before that I felt an ache of sadness for her when Syd was born, that she was no longer our main focus of attention. Within a few short weeks she and we adjusted as well as can be expected and really, she doesn't even remember a life without Syd. <br />
<br />
It's different this time though. They've been our everything for the past 5 years, and sure they are ridiculously excited for their new baby brother or sister, but I can't help feeling a bit sad again. For surely they have no idea how crazy and upside down a house can be turned by a newborn. At least I remember it being crazy. Maybe this time since I'm a little older and wiser, I'll adjust better, we'll adjust better. But this past weekend I couldn't help feel a bit weepy for them. That pretty soon it won't be just these 2 anymore. <br />
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Don't get me wrong, I'm excited and I know we'll all love this little baby like it's always been a part of our family, but there's just something about the last few weeks of pregnancy that make you want to hold your guys a bit tighter. Make sure they know how much you love them. <br />
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So I did a lot of that on Saturday. We spent about 4 hours in the pool and stayed up late watching the Olympics. And on Sunday I rested my poor elephant feet while Art took the kids to the OC Fair all day. I missed them but it was good for him to spend some one on one time with them. Dad is their favorite for sure, made especially true by the fact they convinced him to win a goldfish. That would have never happened with me. I would have thrown the game on purpose. <br />
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The countdown is on guys, and I'm nervous and excited. I've told you about my <a href="http://fourflightsoffancy.blogspot.com/2012/05/down-came-rain.html">biggest fear of all</a>, and I'm just praying that it doesn't end up being as bad as before. Either way I know we'll make it out on the other side just fine and this new life is going to complete this little family of ours. As much as I'm scared, I also can't wait. <br />
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<br />Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-86754017192252271382012-07-29T12:28:00.002-07:002012-07-30T11:53:18.019-07:00Calling August Sponsors!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'd do a high kick if you joined me in August as a Sponsor for Four Flights of Fancy! I'm looking for shops and blogs to promote and partner with. Some deets on stats:<br />
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40,000 average page views/month</div>
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850+ twitter subscribers</div>
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900+ Pinterest followers</div>
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375+ Facebook fans<br />
530+ Subscribers via GFC<br />
790+ Subscribers via RSS Feeds<br />
95+ Subscribers via Bloglovin </div>
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Regular contributor at <a href="http://makingitlovely.com/2012/07/27/honor-roll-88/">Making It Lovely</a></div>
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Writer at <a href="http://www.disneybaby.com/contributors/andrea-howe/">Disney Baby</a></div>
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Email me for special ad rates for the month of August - the month I'm due! I limit ad space to no more than 10 per month and do a sponsor highlight round up each month and/or giveaway. Let's work together and make fun things happen!</div>Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-26732656871991579322012-07-27T08:07:00.003-07:002012-07-27T13:31:56.784-07:00Introducing The Craft Cabinet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When you're passionate about something, especially if it involves
anything somewhat businessy related, I've found it helps to have a
partner in crime. With each of the companies I've worked at before, I
always had a person or two that I could go to and bounce ideas off of,
share frustrations, share things I was happy and proud of. Someone that
just "got it" because they were in the same boat I was. In blogging my
partner in crime I've found is <a data-mce-href="http://pancakesandfrenchfries.com/" href="http://pancakesandfrenchfries.com/">Jules.</a><br />
<br />
We
joke that I stalked her for a while before she agreed to meet with me.
She's a self-proclaimed hermit, and I'm the gal from Sales that wants
to make friends with everyone I find interesting. In fact just
last week I invited two bloggers out to lunch that I'd never met before
just because I think they would be fun to hang out with. I asked Jules
several times to meet me for lunch before she finally agreed. I think I
told her "This is the last time I'm going to ask you to lunch before I
start to take it personally."<br />
<br />
Anyhow, I promise there is a point
to all this. Over a year later, Jules and I have met countless times
now for lunch, dinner, even my baby shower. And we've shared a 400
square foot room at Camp Mighty. We've gotten pretty close considering
she originally didn't want to have anything to do with me ha! A few
weeks back I was at her house and while the kids were playing we were
brainstorming about things we'd love to do with our blogs. She had the
idea to create this Pinterest type party where ladies would bring all
the makings for a project they've pinned and we'd set aside time for
them to create said project. A type of creative, networking/mingling
type of event where local bloggers could meet and be productive. A few
nights later at home I struck up a conversation on Twitter asking if
anyone would be interested in joining us for such party. There was some
interest, so I emailed Jules and said "I'm bored. Kids are in bed and
Art's working, so I'm going to get this Pinterest party idea of yours
going."<br />
<br />
Two weeks later and here's the scoop: We're doing it!<br />
<br />
<i><b>We have a date and time: </b></i>Friday August 17th at 6:30 (that's 13 days before my due date in case anyone is keeping track)
<i><b> </b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b>We have a venue:</b></i> <a href="http://salvagelife.blogspot.com/2012/07/merchandising-at-our-vintage-clothing.html">Salvage Life</a> in Long Beach, California - a darling vintage boutique centrally located between Los Angeles and Orange County.<br />
<br />
<i><b>We have a purpose:</b> </i>Create
a project you've pinned. Bring along all the supplies you'll need to
create a project (nothing too huge or food related please), and we'll
set aside time to sit, chat and craft! If you want to come and don't
really have a project in mind that you want to create, or don't have
time to get the supplies, no problem! We'll have some supplies on hand
to make some cute and easy DIY's. Think Neon Gliter Notecards and maybe
some type of bracelet?<br />
<br />
<i><b>What else have we got?:</b></i>
There will be food, drinks and merriment! Duh. Jules and I would
never plan something without food and drinks! We'll also have swag bags
for those that come, and a big company having to do with one Tori
Spelling, will be providing some door prizes. You won't go home empty
handed!<br />
<br />
<i><b>Cost:</b></i> Well while we'd love to do this all for free, we are charging Twenty dollars to help cover the costs of food and fun.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Get yourself signed up!:</b></i> You can do that right<a data-mce-href="http://www.thecraftcabinet.com/" href="http://www.thecraftcabinet.com/"> here</a>. Space is extremely limited so don't delay in getting yourself a spot!<br />
<br />
<i><b>Andrea, who created that lovely invitation?:</b></i> Tristan from <a href="http://shop.besottedbrand.com/">Besotted Brand </a>created the whole thing from start to finish, including our logo. Isn't it gorgeous? She is one talented lady with more taste in her pinky finger than I have in my whole body. <br />
<br />
I
hope to see you there. I am somewhat of an extrovert so if I meet you
for the first time, don't be surprised if I give you a big fat hug. I
sort of have trouble with knowing my personal space boundaries, so warn
me ahead of time if you don't want a hug. So please join us and spread
the word, and bring a friend!Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-75545465356956720012012-07-26T09:48:00.000-07:002012-07-26T09:48:35.174-07:00I'm BAACK!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're back from an amazing, yet tiring, 5 day road trip up to <a href="http://junelakeloop.com/">June Lake</a>. It had been almost 15 years since I had visited the area and I forgot just how beautiful it was and how much there is to do there. I'm sorting through the hundreds of pictures we took while there, and will do a proper post most likely next Monday, similar to the one we did after our <a href="http://fourflightsoffancy.blogspot.com/2012/01/southwest-recap.html">Grand Canyon trip</a>. Here in Southern California I feel like June Lake is one of those hidden gems that not a lot of people know about, or know enough about to visit, so I thought I'd share what and why we love this area so much. I'm glad we got rekindled with it after so many years. We all had a great time and can't wait to go back.<br />
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Tomorrow I'll be posting a big, HUGE announcement I'm really excited about, involving Pinterest, crafts and mingling with other bloggers, so stay tuned for that. And over at <a href="http://www.ohsweetjoy.com/2012/07/sponsor-highlight-giveaway-four-flights.html">Oh Sweet Joy's blog</a>, you can enter to win a Neon gift bundle, but only by becoming a Facebook page fan. Go visit to get more details. And lastly, if you'd like to see what the <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/?p=1383">Big Belly Project</a> is all about, follow me on Instagram @fourflights. We'll be busy for the next 5 weeks!Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-48695674738299650302012-07-20T13:09:00.000-07:002012-07-20T13:12:48.469-07:00B3 Update - 34 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How did I get to 34 weeks? Holy crap guys, I'm officially starting to freak! So much left to do, and so little time. And I've officially hit a bit of wall and am tired, oh so tired. I'm getting disappointed in myself for things like not responding to comments in the blog posts. Jules is so good at it and I continue to struggle! I don't know why! I'm so sorry guys, but know that I read and appreciate them all. Some day I hope to become better at it, but for now, please accept my apologies :-/<br />
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The kids only have a couple of weeks left of summer break so I have been taking them all over this week and showing them the time of their lives, which has not done much for allowing me to get a lot of rest. We have gone to the<a href="http://instagram.com/p/NRmzcfM_dv/"> Children's Museum</a>, a <a href="http://instagram.com/p/NPBl0Zs_Zk/">bounce house</a> place which was torture, <a href="http://instagram.com/p/NPjEYRs_fs/">ceramics class</a> and swimming every day. What I would do to relive my childhood as these kids. They've got the friggin' life man. You can follow along with all the rest of our summer adventures on Instagram @fourflights. <br />
<br />
On top of everything, I got really excited one night about an idea that <a href="http://pancakesandfrenchfries.com/">Jules</a> had to plan a Pinterest party for local Southern California bloggers, so I started sort of just planning it alongside her and what do you know? We have a date and a venue picked out, oh just 13 days before my due date ha! Stay tuned as an actual event invite with full details will be posted on our blogs next week, but for now save the date for Friday August 17th from 6:30-9 pm at an adorable vintage shop in Long Beach called <a href="http://www.salvagelife.blogspot.com/">Salvage Life</a>. I am ridiculously excited. Basically you'll bring all the makings for a project that you've pinned and we'll give you the time and space to create it along side other craft creative women here in So Cal. There will be food and treats and swag bags as well, so you will not want to miss it if you're local! Mark your calendars ladies (and gents) :)<br />
<br />
I'll be back in a few days as I really need to take some time off to rest and also try to catch up. The house is still torn to pieces, I haven't bought a thing for the nursery, and I want to enjoy the kids as much as possible during these last days before Syd starts Kindergarten! The baby is kicking me like crazy though every single day, especially at night, and I have definitely dropped and experiencing lots of small contractions. Jules is freaked out I will deliver before our event on the 17th. I told her no fear, I've got my Moby wrap and I'm not afraid to use it ;)<br />
<br />
P.S. The winner of the <a href="http://fourflightsoffancy.blogspot.com/2012/07/b3-countdown-32-weeks.html">maternity countdown tee </a>which I'm wearing in these pictures is <a href="http://www.jenniferlenzenphotography.com/">Jennifer Lenzen</a>. Congrats Jennifer!<br />
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<br />Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-24941254787999428532012-07-16T05:52:00.002-07:002012-07-16T05:52:30.718-07:00What's Keeping Me Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(chamomile at 4 am to help me go back to sleep - so far not working)</span></i></div>
<br />
Thoughts of inadequacies and failings often hit me late at night or in the middle of the night. The time of night where I'm supposed to be in a solid slumber, resting up for the day ahead. Something wakes me up, right now it's usually pregnancy hormones, and then I start thinking. Sure I think about what I have to do and get accomplished, but I often turn to what I'm not doing and could be doing better. Often in the middle of the night these thoughts of fear and failings seem much more scary and far reaching than they do in the light of the day.<br />
<br />
So to give some light to these fears and make them seem less big, I thought I'd write them out here and share what currently has me up at 3 am, sipping a cup of chamomile until I can fall back asleep.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Bibles</b></i> - the kids own Bibles that is. For some reason it dawned on me right now that I should have already bought the kids their own Bible to take to church with them. They each have their own story Bible, but neither of them have an actual Bible. Any suggestions or thoughts? Am I worrying too much about this too soon?<br />
<br />
<i><b>Prayer </b></i>- Speaking of religion and kids, we don't pray nightly with the kids. We say prayers together all the time and we pray for them, but we don't make it nightly ritual for some reason. This really bothers me and we need to change that. And I'm embarrassed by it. I think it would help to get us on track if we had a specific prayer to say every night. Is there a children's prayer you say with your child each night?<br />
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<i><b>Thumb & Finger Sucking</b></i> - Taylor has reverted back to sucking her fingers and Syd hasn't stopped sucking his thumb. I told them both that we would get back to (and start with Syd) the yucky nail polish wearing in the summer, but summer for us is now officially half way over. The kids start back in 3 weeks and do I really want to start now and potentially ruin the rest of our already short summer? Advice?<br />
<br />
<i><b>Sight Words</b></i> - I also told myself that I'd start sight words with Syd in preparation for Kindergarten. I am not of the belief that kids have to be or should be reading when they start Kinder, but thought a little preparatory practice wouldn't hurt, on top of what we've already been doing with writing and math. And again, 3 weeks away and no sight word practice. Do I just let it go now or give it a casual go for the next couple of weeks?<br />
<br />
<i><b>Outdoor cushions</b></i> - they really need to be cleaned but it seems to big of a job right now and so I refuse to add it to my to-do list, but it really should be, especially since they're nice and we invested in them and I hate not taking care of our nice things. Makes me feel wasteful. Is there someone I can pay to clean my outdoor cushions? <br />
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So this is what I'm mulling over when I should be sleeping and giving it up to God. See, now that I write it out I look at this list and think "My goodness Andrea, you silly, silly woman! There are much bigger problems and things you can be worrying about than these. Count your blessings! You all have your health and can feed your family and you have nice outdoor cushions to worry about cleaning!" It's really a lesson in perspective too I guess. What about you? Maybe if you say what's on your mind and what's troubling you it won't seem so big and bad?Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1911776287527151601.post-26463026604136150092012-07-15T08:29:00.001-07:002012-07-15T08:29:24.245-07:00What's Going On Over There & ThereJust a peek into my writing elsewhere. Looking at all this put together, I wrote a lot this week, which is probably why I'm so flipping tired! I swear I'm going to take it easy this week. I swear...
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On <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/?p=1285">Monday</a> I kicked off my heels (literally) and sported some tennies with this Grecian maxi dress for a little post baby shower clean up ;)<br />
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On <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/?p=1294">Tuesday </a>I shared this easy and chic DIY for star hair clips</div>
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On <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/?p=1333">Wednesday</a> I continued with my barrette obsession and shared this easy DIY at Making It Lovely for colorful barrettes.<br />
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On <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/?p=1312">Wednesday</a> I previewed the first set of pictures from my maternity photo shoot. This is obviously how I dress on a daily basis while pregnant caring for two young children ;)<br />
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On <a href="http://www.fortheloveof.net/?p=1341">Friday </a>I showed the more casual shots from the shoot. I love how they all came out and am so grateful to Miranda for capturing this moment in our lives so perfectly.<br />
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On <a href="http://www.disneybaby.com/blog/the-real-reason-i-didnt-find-out-the-gender-of-our-baby/">Friday</a> I also shared at Disney Baby the real reason I didn't find out the gender of the baby.<br />
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And<a href="http://www.disneybaby.com/blog/handmade-mobiles-for-the-nursery/"> yesterday</a> I wrapped up the week with some fun nursery mobile DIY ideas for baby #3's room, also at Disney Baby.Four Flightshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10000752220758742399noreply@blogger.com1