Saturday, July 30, 2011


Don't forget to check out my Thirty-One Gifts giveaway! Ends Monday 8pm EST.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Moving.

We've signed a new lease and are moving next week. It's gonna be a long and tiring week. We still have to pack up the rest of our old place, which is hard when you're home alone all day with 2 children.


Anywoot, my mum gave me some cute ideas to integrate the girls room since they'll be sharing until we finally buy a house. I wanted to have something similar to what Olivia had/has above her bed right now. It's her name with a big pink O and it spells out Olivia Kymberly. I went searching and found something I really think is a neat idea, plus its a nice keepsakes for the girls when they get older. Here are the proofs that the seller has sent me.


I love them. If you're interested in getting one of your own, you can find her on Etsy. I can't wait to get them in the mail and put them in their new room.

I'm also getting a bookcase. Between the both of them, they have over 200 books. It's time to get some organization! I'm going to check out Joannes and see if I can make some initial bookends to separate their books.

We bought them some shelves for up high to put things they shouldn't be touching like the hospital birth stats footballs they both got as a gift when they were born. Plus both their piggy banks and other keepsakes.

I also want to pick up a table and chair set from IKEA. This will be put in the living room for coloring or lunch/breakfast. It will be nice once Alex is old enough to sit and enjoy it as well.

This post is kind of jumbled so I hope you can read it easily. haha :)

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Kid Free Zones

Lately, there has been a Kid-Free movement going on throughout our country. Meaning that if you have a child under the age of 6 (this can change from place to place), you cannot dine, shop, or vacation at their establishment.

Here is my 2 cents on the subject...

While I love my children dearly, I do agree with some of these "kid-free" zones. I remember before we had kids, we'd be out to dinner or to a movie and the obnoxious 5 year old across from us was throwing their food, having a tantrum, or running around the table. It was maddening. I came to enjoy the night out with my hubby, not to listen to your annoying kid.

Flash forward to after I became a mother. I still think other people's kids are annoying. For instance, I went to Target today to run in and pick up a few things for our upcoming move. I stopped in the baby section to see the new things coming out for fall. There were 2 grown women and 5 kids ranging in age of 3 to about 10. They were so loud, it was hard not to look over and give a side eye. The 3 year old was carrying on and her mother was threatening her with a Time Out or "I'll smack you right on your face!" The other kids were running around the department annoying the other customers. Seriously, can you not control your children? *No, I don't think kids should be banned from Target, that's Olivia and I's favorite place to go for popcorn*

I will be the first to say that my children are not perfect, and they can act up in public occasionally. *Alex is exempt because she's a baby and doesn't know any better* But, if Olivia is acting up, whining, crying about not getting this or that, etc, etc. You better believe we're leaving the store right then and there. Period. If we happen to be out at a restaurant and she acts out, Russ or I will take her outside until she calms down. I'll probably jinx myself, but we've been very lucky in the behavior in public places area. Olivia is a pretty well behaved little lady when we're out.....being at home is a completely different story.

I got off track for a moment. My basic feelings for this kid ban is that it's a good thing. If I want to go to a nice place for my anniversary, I definitely will not be taking my kids with us. The whole point is to enjoy being ALONE and having some some darn piece and quiet for the evening. I don't want to be around other people's kids. Therefore, I would chose a place that is more upscale and not kid-friendly. Same thing goes for adult only vacations. If we're taking the kids, we'll be going to kid-oriented things like Sesame Place or Disney World. I wouldn't take my kids to a tropical island with frilly drinks with little umbrella in them. However, I don't agree with banning children from grocery stores. I mean, really...more than half of the people who go shopping are stay at home moms.... which means, they have to take their kids. I personally leave the kiddos at home with Russ if I'm going full grocery shopping only because I can get it done faster. But, if we're out and we need a few things, they're coming with me!

Seriously though, you should not be taking your little kids out to a nice restaurant. We're not talking McDonald's or Olive Garden either.

I'm not a snob, nor am I a hater of children *ok, some peoples' kids get on my nerves*, but when I finally (maybe 1 or 2 days a month) get to have some adult time, I'd like it to be just that.... adult.

What are your feelings? Would you not go to an establishment because they have a kid-free policy?

Monday, July 25, 2011

GIVEAWAY - Thirty One Gifts

I'd never heard of Thirty-One until a friend of mine at work started selling it. I flipped through the catalog and was in love. This was while I was pregnant with Alex, so I ordered a new diaper bag, big enough that I could put both girls things in. I also bought a matching wristlet wallet to match my new diaper bag. There products are of great quality and reasonably priced! I also get people asking me where I got my bag, so I always lead them to Thirty One.

A friend of mine in Olivia's play group has just started as a Thirty- One consultant. She's offering up a giveaway in hopes to get her name out there! She's the mother of 2 little girls, so help support a fellow momma! If you like awesome things, read on for what's up for grabs!

Win It:



1 lucky reader will receive the Thermal Tote *upon winning Brittian will contact you and you chose the pattern and embroidery (if you'd like it)*

PLUS
another lucky reader will receive a $10 gift certificate to used toward anything in Thirty-One's catalog

You can look at the Thirty One catalog here. The new Fall/Winter line is being launched TODAY!

Buy It:

You can buy your own Thermal Tote, or anything else your heart desires through Brittian. Here is her Thirty One website.

Entries:

Mandatory: (If you do not complete the mandatory entries, you will be disqualified)

  • "Like" Brittian's Facebook Page
  • Follow my blog 'Tales from the Mothership' via Google Friend Connect
Extra Entries: (PLEASE LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENTS FOR EACH)

  • "Like" Tales from the Mothership on Facebook (gadget is on the left side)
  • Host a Book Party for Thirty One through Brittian ( 5 EXTRA entries) Parties booked before this giveaway do not count.
  • Host an online catalog party through Brittian ( 5 EXTRA entries)
  • Share this giveaway on Facebook saying "I just entered the Thirty One giveaway at Tales from the Mothership!"
  • Tweet about this giveaway, linking back to this giveaway
  • Post about this giveaway on your blog
To inquire about hosting a party, you can reach Brittian here.


Winners will be chosen at random via Random.org. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway closes on August 1, 2011 @ 8pm EST. Winners will have 48 hours to contact myself or Brittain to claim your prize.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Lazy Sunday

This will be a photo post of sorts. Mainly because I'm tired and I don't have anything interesting to talk about right now.

Tonight for dinner, I thought it would be fun to make purple pasta. I just used some blue/red food coloring and made our alfredo sauce purple. Olivia thought it was cool and ate almost her entire bowl! Score for mummy!

After dinner, we just hung out. Russ is on his last night shift, so he'll be home for the evenings all next week.

That's about it. Don't forget to stop back tomorrow to check out the Thirty-One Gifts giveaway!

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Purple sauce!

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It was tasty!

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Chipped Cheese

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My blue-eyed beauty

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Getting better everyday!

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Hangin' out in jammies

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Sisters <3 *Olivia loves showing Alex things on PBS Kids*

Saturday, July 23, 2011

The Start of Teething Hell

I hate teething.

Olivia started teething at 6 months old and her first tooth didn't break through until the day after her 8 month-day. This was the start of the hellish ride called Teething. My poor baby had such a hard time getting her teeth in. It would be painful from beginning to end for her. Those stupid buggers would take a week or more to come in fully, then by the time she was done with one, another one would pop out. Thankfully, after she got her first 4, she seemed to get "used" to it, and getting a tooth wasn't nearly as traumatic for her. Not to say there weren't middle of the night crying/screaming from teeth after that though. She finally got her last 2nd molar this past winter. THANK GOODNESS she's done!

But, now.... Alex is starting this exciting, yet painful journey. Since around 2 months old, her mouth became like a runny faucet of drool. She likes to chomp down on anything that is soft. I thought.. "Hmmm, maybe she's going to be an early teether." I also thought.. "She's handling this pretty well if she's teething."

Yeah. Until last night. She went to bed like normal. Around midnight, she woke up screaming. I went in and scooped her up wondering why she was screaming. I thought maybe she might be hungry, so I gave her a bottle, that she sucked down, and put her back to bed. 30 minutes later, she screaming. This time, she's screaming like she's in pain. I tried putting her paci back in and putting on Violet, this only made it worse and she was screaming louder. She was so upset that she was just a mess. She did manage to fall asleep for another half hour after I calmed her down, but woke up crying again. I finally gave in and gave her Infant Motrin and some Ora-gel. She then fussed and wanted to eat AGAIN. So, after feeding her, she fell asleep. This was 3:30am.

In the meantime, she woke Olivia up from screaming so much.

It was a looonnngg night.

I can only hope/wish that getting teeth will be easier for Alex than it was for Olivia.

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They sure are cute with just 2 teeth though. :)

Friday, July 22, 2011

Farewell

Gary
Bubs
Bubs and Cheese
Gar-Mo
Business Man,

It's so sad to see you leave us.

I hope you're up in kitty heaven with your sister.

We will officially retire company tie because you're not here to wear it.

The world has lost a good business man.

We love you, Bub-a-reeno.

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March 2002 - July 22, 2011

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Heat Wave

It's been really hot the past couple of day here in Pittsburgh. I like summer, I don't mind when its in the 80's, but when it climbs to 90 and above, it starts getting a bit uncomfortable to go outside and enjoy the weather.

The past 3 days its been over 90 with a heat index of 105 degrees. Our a/c has no shut off for going on 2 days. We live on the 2nd floor and our unit faces the sun. I close all the blinds/curtains but it doesn't help at all. Right now, its 83 degrees in here WITH the a/c on. I'm definitely grateful to have a/c on days like this though. I cannot imagine not having it.

Last night, I put a onesie on Alex to bed so she'd be more comfortable and she still woke up all sweaty. Olivia's room is always cold, so shorts/tee shirt is fine for her.

I love the sun shine and nice weather, but I've always been a fan of fall. Unfortunately, our fall is about 2 weeks and then it gets cold and snowy.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

More Adventures in Potty Training *Poop Talk*

Miss Olivia has been in undies full time for going on 3 weeks now. She's been doing great....sorta. She's still hesitant to poop on the potty, but she will if she can't hold it anymore.

The other day, while I was getting things ready to go out to a friend's house for dinner, she came running in and said "Mummy, I pooped." Ugh. Normally, if she poops in her undies, its not a big deal because she's got pretty formed poo. Not this time. OMG. Think peanut butter. I was NOT going to try and save those undies so I stripped her down, pitched the PB poo undies and got her dressed again. I'm really O-V-E-R cleaning up toddler poop. It's disgusting.

Also, while we were over at said friend's house, Alex decided to poo all up her back getting it on her legs, back, outfit and changing pad.

Needless to say, Monday I was knee deep in crap.

Overall, she's doing very well. She's been waking up dry every morning and peeing as soon as she wakes up (fighting me about it because she wants her milk/cereal). I haven't put a diaper on her during naps and she's not had an accident yet.

We're getting there..... thank goodness.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Photo Shoot Previews

My friend Roxanne came over the other day and took Alex's 6 month photos. She got some really cute shots of Olivia as well. Here are some of the previews. If you're local and interested, visit her over at Allenbaugh Photography or her Facebook page.

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I love these. I'm so blessed to have 2 beautiful little ladies in my life.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Busy Busy

This past weekend has been one of those "go go go" weekends.

Friday we headed to the PPG Zoo and Aquarium. Olivia has never been there, so we were really excited to take her. I'm still kind of unsure if she's really "ready" yet. She was SO excited to see all the animals that she didn't want to actually look at them. She was uninterested in the fish, except for the polar bear. Alex, well, she just hung out in the stroller and took a couple of snoozes. I think we'll wait until next year to go again.

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By the "a-ving-gos"

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Feesh

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Alex chillaxing

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Stopping for some Dippin' Dots

On Saturday, we headed up north to my dad's and his girlfriend's camp. They own a nice modular camper thingy right along the river. They both have boats, but the pontoon is much more kid/baby friendly. We went out for a nice ride and came back had steak and potatoes on the grill. After dinner they had fireworks for some festival they have every year over there. We headed back home at 10:30. Both girls slept the whole way home. I love going up there, but its about an hour and a half drive. Middle of nowhere, really.

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Holding her ears. One of those "things" kids do sometimes

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Mid-Cheese pose

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Love this photo. My girls love each other so much.

Sunday was nothing but laying around. We even went to get some ice cream. :) Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Giveaway WINNER

Thank you to all who entered my 100 Followers Giveaway! We had 21 entries and lucky #18 was picked by random.org.



Congratulations to Nancy for winning your own Twinkle Twinkle Violet! Please email me at mummyyam@gmail.com within the next 24 hours!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

100 Followers GIVEAWAY! **CLOSED**

First of all, thank you to all my new followers for helping me hit 100! How awesome! I said when I hit 100 followers I'd do a fun giveaway, so here we go!

Being a mummy of 2 beautiful girls, I've tried almost everything on the baby market from bottles, to baby washes, to diapers. When I got pregnant with Alex, I wanted to get her something new because she'll mostly be using all hand-me-downs from Olivia over the next couple of years. I came across the LeapFrog Twinkle Twinkle Violet. I'll admit, I bought it because it was so freaking cute and I didn't care what it did. However, it's turned out to be one of my favorite soothers. I've been using it since Alex was born and she loves it.

Here are some of the awesome things I love about it.

  • It's got 2 time settings, 10 minutes and 20 minutes, which is great for when they're going to bed for the night or for naps. Most crib soothers out there only work for 5 minutes at a time and then you have to come in and start it over for them.
  • 2 soothing settings, lullaby and environmental. We normally do the lullaby, but sometimes switch it up to the environmental.
  • It's adorable!
  • The blanket is removable if you don't want it on or need to wash it.
  • Her little star softly blinks while the music is playing. It's suppose to help baby fall asleep.
  • It's also not just for babies. My 2.5 year old likes to play with her. She's got another button on her that has little bedtime songs and games like counting sheep.

The Prize:

One person will win their own Twinkle Twinkle Scout or Violet (depending on which one you'd like)

How to Enter:

Mandatory - Follow my blog (Google Connect over on the sidebar) and leave me a comment telling me why you'd love to have your own Violet or Scout.

Extra entries: (leave separate comments for each one)

-Blog about this giveaway and copy the link in your comment
-Write about this giveaway on your Facebook page

This giveaway will end on Monday 7/18 at 8pm. Winner will be chosen at random by random.org. Comments will be counted from the bottom up.

GOOD LUCK!!

I was in no way compensated for this giveaway. All opinions are of my own.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

First picture with my new baby girl after a c-section = FAIL

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6 Months

Holy Cow. I cannot believe my little sweet pea is 6 months old. It just seems like we were headed to the hospital for my schedule c-section.

She's such an awesome, happy, smiley little girl. I'm not sure if its because Olivia is going though a terrible TERRIBLE stage right now, but I cannot remember he being so smiley as a baby. I'm probably mistaken though.

This is what Alex had been up to lately:

  • She's eating 5-6oz every 3 hours or so
  • She's sitting up on her own for a few minutes before she topples over
  • LOVES things with tags, links, crinkles, or lights
  • laughing at her big sister daily
  • has tried carrots, cereal, applesauce, sweet potatoes, and bananas and wants absolutely nothing to do with solid food
  • can roll back/belly, belly/back but she rarely flips herself off her belly
  • sleeping UNSWADDLED for a few weeks now *hoooooray*
  • wakes around 3am and 6am to eat
  • wakes up for the day around 9am *sometimes a little earlier*
  • naps for about 1.5-2 hours, 2 or 3 times a day
  • has a white spot/swollen gums on the bottom *could be weeks til it comes through though*
  • finally likes being in the swimming pool

Overall, she's a very happy and easy baby. If only she'd start sleeping all night long......

Here is a progression photo of the past 6 monthly photos:

1-3 months
4-6 Months

Here is a side by side comparison of Olivia and Alex at the same age. Notice the weight difference. Olivia was 19lbs at 6 months, I'm guessing Alex is probably around 16lbs. *Her appointment is tomorrow*

6MonthCompare

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

93!

Come on only a couple more until I hit 100! :)

Monday, July 11, 2011

14 more!

Wow. 14 more people until I hit 100 followers!

If I make it to 100, I'm going to do a super fun giveaway and this time it will be open to EVERYONE! :)

So, if you like my bloggy, follow me! :)

Update: Potty Training/Shelter for my herd

This is an update of 2 things that have been ongoing in our house for a couple of weeks.

Right now, Miss Olivia is in undies full time except for naps and bedtime. *I'm not ready to be cleaning pee up at 2am just yet* She is usually dry when she wakes up from a nap and will go pee right away. She's not, however, holding it all night. One step at a time, right?

We're having a little issue with pooping on the potty though. She's done it, so I know she can. She'd just prefer to wait until a diaper is adorned to her bum to let loose. *sigh* She'll hold it as long as she can. The other night, after 31 months, she finally pooped in the tubby. She freaked out and started screaming that it was going to get her. Bahaha, it was hilarious and gross all at the same time.

She also looks adorable running around with little undies on. Currently, she's wearing Disney Princess multi pack. :) She's doing so well, and we're very proud of her! *Who knew we'd be yelling and dancing when our child pees on the potty?*

Here's what's going on with an apartment. What a mess, I tell ya! After looking at 3 very unpromising places last week, we decided to see if there were ANY units on the bottom floor at our complex. Nothing available, but the bigger apartment that will be ready for August is actually being remodeled. New carpets, cabinetry, doors, etc. It's a little more than we pay now a month. So, we're staying here and moving when the place is finished. No word on when.

I swear if something goes wrong this time, I might vomit.

Oh, and one more tidbit. Miss Alex has a white spot on her bottom gum. Holy Moley Spicey Guacamoley! I can't believe the tooth is on the gummy horizon! I'll be sure to let you know when it pops out.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Sunday Yummies

After being on Pinterest for an hour last night looking at all the pinned things, I came across a new recipe that looks AWESOME. I figured since Russ is home, I'd be able to go out, get the ingredients, and prepare dinner without having a 2.5 year old screaming at me and a 6 (almost!) month old crying at the same time. *hair pulling worthy I tell you*

I made Enchilada Lasagna. It was fairly easy to prep, it called for skillet cooked chicken, but since we have a grill, I made them that way. After shredding the chicken, it was easy as pie. Here is the recipe:

1lb chicken breast (cooked and cubed/shredded)
1 can cream of chicken (I used c/o mushroom because that's what I had in the cupboard)
1 can cream of celery
1/4 cup diced green chilis
1 1/2 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
4 (or more) cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
package of small flour tortillas

Extra:
tomatoes and shredded lettuce if you'd like to top it with something

Cook and shred chicken.

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Mix soups, sour cream, and chilis into a bowl.

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Get a bowl of water to dip the tortillas in to wet. Spoon cream mixture into the bottom of a glass casserole dish. Place wet tortillas in a line (I used 3). Spread cream mixture onto tortillas. Add chicken breast on top. Sprinkle cheese on top of chicken. Repeat layers. Top the entire casserole with a ton of cheese. *hence the 4 or MORE cups of cheese*

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Bake @ 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbling.

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I let it sit for a few to set a little. Slice and serve!

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It was delicious! Next time I will probably make some Spanish rice or refried beans to go along with it. Russ and I love Mexican food, so this was a hit! Definitely a "Make again" recipe.

For dessert, we finally unpacked our family Christmas gift from my in laws. It's a Black & Decker Arctic Twister. You put ice cream and toppings in it and it comes out like soft serve. It was pretty cool and Olivia liked watching it come out. It reminded me of Oreo poo though. :)

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Oreo Poo

This was also very yummy. Definitely cheaper than going to the ice cream place down the road. Next time, less Oreos... I needed a glass of water with it!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

More Management Drama

So, we are moving.

We have to find a place by the 1st.

o.m.g.

Our management company sucks big time and are not willing to help us out by lowing a rent payment or anything for their mess up.

We're looking at 3 places today. I hope we find one we like. This sucks. :(

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Monday, July 4, 2011

4th Pictures & Toddle Along Tuesday

I hope everyone had a great July 4th! We had a great time over a friend's house on the 3rd. A local community did their fireworks the day before the 4th, so we didn't see any on the actual holiday.

Olivia has never been able to stay up and watch the fireworks, so this was actually her first year! She's seen fireworks before but not for the holiday. We had a nice evening with friends. Cooked some yummy food. Had a dip in the pool. Saw some pretty fireworks. We didn't get home until 10:30pm and by the time I fed Alex and put her to bed, it was 11pm. Both girls were sleepy and kind of crabby all day today.

We went to the mall and got Alex's ears pierced. We did Olivia's at the same age. I couldn't imagine trying to get a 2 year old to sit and have it done. So, either you have to do it before they hit age 1 or get them done around 5 or 6 years old. She did fine. She was crabby to begin with and didn't like the girl putting the dot on her earlobe. After she calmed down, both girls did them at the same time. She screamed for about 10 seconds and was fine. We finished off with a well deserved bottle. :) They are so cute! I picked tiny little stars with a diamond in the middle since she's got such little ears. Olivia has just plain diamonds right now. *NO, they are not REAL diamonds, maybe when they turn 16 and learn to take care of things*

Anywho, here are some pictures from our day. Hope everyone has a great Tuesday! If you're stopping over from Toddle Along Tuesday, say HI!

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My so yummy homemade salsa (I'll share the recipe this week sometime)

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Olivia and Alex sporting their patriotic clothes

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Getting ready to go swimming

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Alex and Russ

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Drool Action shot

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Hanging out before the fireworks started

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My pretty little girl with her ears pierced

*Giveaway Winner*

Thank you for all who entered my little giveaway. I enjoyed reading your stories. For those of you that did not win, I'm offering a 20% discount for a 1 hour massage. Please shoot me an email if you're interested. :)

Anyways... the winner of the giveaway is:


Life with Pog and FLeC



Please email me at mummyyam@gmail.com to claim your prize and schedule a time/date for your massage! :)



Thanks again and I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Management: I Hate You

Long story short:

End of May we couldn't find a house we liked enough to buy, so we decided to look around for a bigger apartment/house to rent for 1 or 2 years until we were ready to look again. Our complex is huge, like 600 units over a large amount of land. They have a bigger apartment available so we called to see if one was opening up on the bottom level so that Olivia and Alex could just go straight out into the grassy area to play whenever they wanted. (when Alex is walking of course) The leasing agent we were working with said there is on available come the 2nd week in August. Sweet!

Fast forward to this past week. Russ called to make sure everything was still on for our move. The leasing agent said she was mistaken and there was no bottom level unit available, but there was an entry level one. She said it had a balcony exactly like ours. So, after talking it over, we figured it wouldn't be that bad to move into an entry level. We stopped by the building on the way home last night and THERE ARE NO BALCONIES on any of the buildings. How incompetent is this lady? She's given us false information 3 different times. So, now we have 3 weeks until our lease expires. Russ is livid and is demanding something be done. It's the holiday weekend so there isn't anyone that can do anything over the weekend.

So, we wait.

I hate our management.
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