Gabe's Favorite Things

My last post of Gabe in the bathtub got me thinking...
It's time to capture some of my little man's favorite things right now.
Bathtime is definitely high on his list!

Another of Gabe's favorites is books.
Like "first thing he does every morning" favorite.

Every night his crazy mother nicely arranges all the books on his shelf...

And every morning, in about 2.2 seconds, he has them all scattered around the living room.

He carefully goes through them, turning the pages, examining, then moving on to the next.

He can do this for hours! (Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it is a really long time in toddler world!)

 

 

Definitely a favorite :)

16 months

Gabe's 16 month birthday was kind of a rough one.

He spent the morning at the Dr. for his 15 month check-up.

I am aware that those numbers don't match. We have been a little behind for a while. But consistantly off. So we're ok with it. Ha.

Anyhoo. 15 month shots are no fun. And took this happy little boy DOWN. Wobbly legs. Fever. All day naps. Fussiness. You name it.

I didn't take pictures of that.

Instead here are some snapshots of my happy little 16 month old...

 

 

We are trying to start using a spoon. Gabe doesn't see the point. And with the big shovels he has as hands, I guess I understand his perspective...

 

We also finally broke down and trimmed the mullet. It was getting just a little out of control :)

The boy still loves his bath! And his new favorite bath toy is his Thomas train!

Thanks G.Grandpa and G.Grandma!

Love you so much my (not so) little baby boy!



Around the house.

As my last post showed, we recently added a new palet board coffee table to our living room. I absolutely love it! But it did spur a few other minor changes in the room. Which got me thinking about how much our living room has changed in the short year and a half we have lived here. I took a trip down memory lane (aka looked though old blog posts) and came across these photos from the weeks after we moved in...

 

Well folks, time changes everything! Literally. Not a single item in our living room is the same as when we moved in. I'm not exactly sure how or when this happened. But it has! Which means we are due for a new walk-thru! So...Welcome to our improved living room!

 

Obviously, I am not a professional photographer. They would have shut off the tv, checked the lighting, cleaned up the toys, and shooed out the cat. Oh well...Gabers is napping so I'm working with limited time :)

 

 

Our living room is definitely not perfect. I still have a lot of ideas. But it feels much more like us. A little eclectic. A little messy. Practical. And very comfy :)

Many of the items I made, like our toy bench and the "S" sign. Others were bought thrifting and cleaned up for the space.

 

The other space in our living room that has done a complete 180 is our nook. I have always had fun ideas of a beautiful built-in here, but decided to try out our desk in the space. And it fits pretty nicely. So for the time being it is our make-shift office. Although the thought of built-ins still runs through my mind...

This chair is probably my favorite part of our "office". I bought this at a flea market last summer and think it is absolutely adorables. And fits our "eclectic" room perfectly.

 

5 for Friday

5 little things that I am loving big right now.

1. My new "lifeproof" phone case the Hubs bought me. It's not fancy looking, but as the name implies, it is meant to hold up to about everything life can throw at it. And when you have a 16 month old who is in love with phones, and quite the skilled thief, I need something with this caliber of protection. I feel like I can now breathe a little easier...

2. My automatic coffee pot. I recently recruited my Hubs over to the darkside, and he is now an everyday coffee drinker. muhahaha. But that means our single cup maker was just not gonna cut it anymore. So we got out the big boy pot we got as a wedding present. And it has a auto-set feature. Now every night Noah gets it ready, and I have fresh coffee when I walk down the stairs. It is glorious!

3. My new palet board coffee table. Awesome-sauce!  A little refurbishing(?) type store, Past Time Treasures, opened in Uptown and they had this, along with a billion other adorable items for sale :) They will probably get lots of my money in the future. Make sure to check it out if you are in the area!!

4. Wool boot socks. So I know this has been a trend for a while, but I recently jumped on the bandwagon. Noah got me a few pairs for Christmas and they are life-changing. So comfy and warm and moisture-wicking...AND SUPER CUTE!

5. And Shutterfly Photobooks. A couple months ago I ordered Gabe's "Baby Book" and L.O.V.E.D it. I recently finished up our 2013 "yearbook" and started on our 2010-2012 "yearbook" (those years get to be combined because they were B.G. (Before Gabe) therefore pretty boring) HA! Our wedding book is still on the to-do list...Now just waiting for a great coupon to do my ordering :)

What little things are you loving???

Happy Thursday!

Well, we had 2 extra hours to get ready this morning due to the below zero temps. brrrr! Although I'm not a fan of cold, I am a fan of delays, so I guess I'll take it. And, it gave me an extra moment to sneak in some blogging :)



 

 

Lately

Good thing I never got around to that "New Years Resolutions" post.

 

Because one of them would have been to blog more...

 

and I would have already failed. Miserably.

 

Sorry folks.

 

"What have you been doing?" you ask? Well here ya go...

 

Lately...

 

 

 

Lots of playing,

 

and Cyclone watching,

 

and more playing.

 

Some napping,

 

a little back to school working,

 

lots of running,

 

some very difficult problem solving,

 

a lot of snuggling,

 

 "Go Ellie" cheering,

 

and lots of wishing it was summer ;)

 

 

20 things i learned in 2013

2013 was a pretty good year in the Schmelzer house. We watched our lil man go from an adorable blob laying on the ground, to a walking, talking (still adorable) big boy . We upgraded vehicles, did some work in the house, lost an appendix...normal stuff :) We are excited to see what 2014 has in store, but first let me step back and discuss what 2013 taught me...in no particular order.


1. I should believe my husband when he says the pain in his stomach is not normal...

2. any coffee is better than no coffee. but good coffee is worth a little extra now and then.

3. Family first. Always.

4. Memories fade fast. And "everyday" memories are just as important to document as the "special" events.

5. I can often control how "busy" life seems. Prioritize.

6. Some fashion trends are worth grabbing on to. Like the "messy bun" hairstyles.
and the leggings trend.

7. Some trends should be avoided. Like high-waisted shorts.

8. mom does know best. and was right. about everything.

9. Cats, do in fact, come back! but not always the very next day...

10. 8:00 bedtimes are not just for children.

11. homemade is better than store bought. most of the time.

12. mini-vans are awesome ;)

13. God always has a way of reminding you to not take the good things in life for granted. Embrace each good thing. Hold it dear.

14. Alarms are no longer suggestions when you have to get a little one out the door. snooze = late.

15. hydrogen peroxide and vinegar are incrediby cheap and can clean about everything.

16. Not to give up on anyone. Even a naughty cat. Anyone can change with enough love :)

17. Money does not grow on trees. bummer.

18. To trust my mama instincts. But that it's also wise to ask other mamas what their instincts say ;)

19. Meal plans save A LOT of time. And money.

20. God has a plan. Always.

Happy New Year!!