Toddler Fashion: Christmas in July

I thought this was cute. Alivia likes choosing her own clothes. Actually, she's two...so that means she likes choosing EVERYTHING. And we feel it's important to let her decide certain things when it's appropriate. We'll give her options for food at times; "Do you want avocado or carrots for a snack?" "Which jammies do you want to wear tonight?" "Do you want to go to the library or the park this afternoon?" It lets her feel more in control, helps her with decision making and honestly helps stop tantrums. Besides, who wants to be told what to do all day every day without being asked for their input? No one.

Usually we choose her clothes together though it's not uncommon for her to want to pick it all on her own. And really why not? As long as it's weather appropriate and the clothes are clean and fit her I don't see any reason that I should stop her from picking her own clothes. Can it be embarrassing? Probably, but should that be the reason I impede her own style? I don't think so. :-) And I really don't care what other people think. I'd rather help instill a healthy sense of self in my daughter than a fear of what someone else might think of her.

So that being said (and hopping off my soap box) I thought it would be fun to record some of these outfits she's picked. Because frankly I find it adorable!

Time to be creative?

When do you find time to "do"? If you have children bonus points for answering this because I'm literally staying home from work and I still can't find time to do little things that pop up in my mind. Granted I quit my job so I can stay home and raise my two sweet girls.
(see here for that post New Adventures)

But I feel like I should be able to find a little time each day to do some of these things that I think about. But when is the time? Do I let laundry go? The dishes? Leave the toys all over the floor? Skip eating lunch? Not playing with the toddler or infant? Give up some sleep (really I can't afford that). When can I meal plan? When do I grocery shop? Take a shower? Pee?... I mean really I'm talking 30 mins a day that I could be doing something I want but then I feel guilty for not doing one of the above mentioned chores, or quality time or self care haha. Plus I still sit down to feed a baby every 2 hours. :-)

Keeping up a house and taking care of small children is a lot of work and so time consuming. It's also fun of course and I love spending time with my little girls and watching them learn and grow, I just need to find some time for me. What do I want to do?

I'd love to read a book. Like a really good book. I was a very avid reader before I had Alivia. I would take long soaks in the bath, lay on the couch, stay up late in my bed, where ever and when ever I wanted I would be reading. Down time at work? Yep, reading a book. Obviously I knew that having a child would change that but I didn't realize that I'd be able to count on one hand how many books I've read in the 2.5 years since she was born...

I'd love to blog more. I really like writing and every day there is something I find I want to blog about. Every day. How often do I blog? It's pitiful. You can see for yourself.

I want to start vlogging more. I really think it's something I could get into and something I can do to capture what our lives are like now. How great would it be to have this archive of videos that you created and edited and that you get to look back on? And how great for family that lives out of state to be able to see? Honestly how great for family that even live IN state. With two kids and 4 naps and early bed times it's HARD to find time to visit with even local family. I've done a few videos and I'd really like to find the time to do more. I had a goal of 3/week. I did ok for like a month lol...and now I need to do more. I have a lot of videos I recorded but they haven't been uploaded to my computer and therefore also unedited.

I'd like to write a book. Who wouldn't right? Well...actually probably a lot of people wouldn't but I know plenty that have said "I'd like to write a book" and then nothing comes of it. Because TIME people...TIME! My mom has written a great book and now she's just struggling with the publishing part. So even once the book is done (is it ever really done?) you have the battle of getting someone to pick it up and publish it for you. So...more time. I have some great ideas and one really good one I just thought of the other day but still haven't written out yet. That would be a good starting point...I always wonder "how do I get started?"

These are things that take some concentration, and I have little of that lately. I'm "making it talk" (when Alivia wants us to play with her she hands us a toy and says "Talk to it" which means "make it talk" lol), trying to sleep, trying to get someone else to sleep, making food, cleaning up food, washing laundry, folding laundry, getting never ending stains OUT of laundry (a nudist colony is starting to sound really great right now) I even did a video on laundry hahaha Laundry Day hmmm... basically I don't have a lot of time to concentrate on being creative. Creative for myself.

So I'll ask you:
Any tips on how to find time to do these things? I love planning things out and scheduling it so if that helps with the advice I'd love it!
Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts!

Alivia finds time to be creative!

Sleep Update

Yikes I can't believe I last posted over a month ago! I swear every day I think "I need to blog _____" and I never get to it. Part of it is that I'm busy with two little ones the other part is that Juliana pretty much never sleeps at night so I'm always going right to bed. It sucks. But anyway, this is about Alivia and her awesome sleep update!

I posted last month (or was it the month before?) that I was working on getting her to nap on her own, without me in the bedroom. SUCCESS!!! Yes people, we have made it! But wait....there's more....

SHE IS SLEEPING ON HER OWN AT BED TIME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously this is so awesome in my home, really really really amazing. Dustin had taken over doing the bedtime process with Alivia after I had Juliana. It took a couple months before she'd let him do it but eventually she understood that he was going to have to do it because I was trying to get Juliana to sleep and nursing her. Well a few weeks ago she started getting really sad when it was bedtime and really wanting me to do bedtime again. She has asked pretty much everyday since her sister was born for me to do it but usually we just say "Daddy is doing bedtime sweetie" and she'd just deal with it. But like I said, the last few weeks she was just really wanting mommy. I don't know what was going on, maybe a developmental thing, and possibly the stress that's been surrounding bedtime lately. I'm always annoyed that Dustin isn't home at a certain time to make sure she's asleep by 7:30, I get frustrated that when he does get home they usually get each other going and all wound up and I'm just nagging both of them to get her into bed. And then of course she's getting to sleep too late. But I couldn't seem to make it change.

So last Friday Dustin went on a solo camping trip for 2 nights which meant that I was doing bedtime on my own. I just kept with the "Mommy is going to sit outside your door" like I do for naps and guess what?... she slept. All night. She didn't wake up once. Then the next night, same thing! So when Dustin came home on Sunday I just kept doing the bedtimes, and she's still sleeping all night long. Last night she did wake up once but there was some noise from Dustin in the living room that woke her up. She has asked a couple times for bed and nap "mommy I want you to sit in here" which still kinda tugs at my heart because I know she likes us to sit in there and I want to make her happy but we have to move on from this at some point. We can't sit in her room all night long every night. But when she asks me to come back in I do. If she needs another hug I'm right there for her, which I think has helped her relax and go to sleep without me in the room...she knows that I'll be there if she asks for me. Dustin had been sitting in her room anywhere from 30-90 mins so this is truly amazing.

And the best part? She LOVES it! Every day she asks "Mommy are you going to do my nap time?" (she means bedtime but for some reason always mixes them up) and when I say yes she is beyond happy. She gives me hugs and kisses and snuggles with me and says "Mommy I love when you do my whole nap time" I love that it makes her so happy, I love that she's comfortably sleeping through the night and I love that we aren't having to sit in her room for hours waiting for her to fall asleep. And now she's getting to sleep about 8:15 which is still 45 mins later than I want but I'm trying to work on that.

HAPPY DANCE HAPPY DANCE HAPPY DANCE!