Friday, November 28, 2014

workout wishlist {YogaOutlet.com}

 This is my "Wow Mia, that is SO cool!" face :)
I love this fun, little surprise detail in my top! Jacket and tank c/o YogaOutlet.com

So let's be honest here, these pictures are obviously posed for this post (I don't workout with my hair down and there's always a nice shine to my skin from the sweat, ha!) but I really can't stress how much I love my jacket and workout tank from YogaOutlet.com!
I couldn't help but laugh at the day I chose to post my review... I'm still recovering from my Thanksgiving food coma, which means I'm sitting on the couch shopping the online sales (and most definitely not working out) ;) But then again, what better day to shout my love for these workout clothes? Not only are they offering some amazing black Friday deals, but YogaOutlet.com has made our lives easier by creating a Holiday gift guide that benefits anyone and everyone! So while you're crossing items off your Christmas lists, be sure to visit Yogaoutlet.com (but good luck not adding more items to your own wishlist! I personally just added this top, these shorts and these awesome socks for my piyo classes to my own wish list!)

P.S. As pictured below, I really do wear these clothes while I workout ;) Happy shopping!

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

stuff yo' face!

A little throwback to Mia's first ever Thanksgiving, just outside of Zion National Park. You guessed it, she loved it!

I am willing to bet my slice of lemon meringue pie (it's the only kind I like, sue me!) that you're all as excited to be filling your belly's with Thanksgiving food as I am ;) Just in case you need a few last minute ideas, I have some appetizer recipes that are b o m b !

Eric can't get enough of this cheese ball... and to be honest? For not being a cheese lover? I really dig this! Plus, it's so easy to make it's stupid. But delish!

The apple snicker salad is my contribution to Thanksgiving this year (and every year that we spend it with the Brinkerhoff's... because I can't, or won't learn, to make a pie. Sue me!)

Blame it on the fact that I'm a toffee lover, but this cream cheese toffee dip is my FAVORITE! I may or may not be drooling right now...

If you love bacon, I happen to believe that this broccoli bacon salad goes with ANY meal, including a Thanksgiving feast! I could even eat this as dessert, mmm mmmmm!

Last but not least, I am offering 50% off any and all ad spaces through the rest of the week! Visit my sponsor page and use the code "givethanks" to receive half off your spot! I am so thankful for all of the wonderful connections I've made here in blog land. I truly appreciate all of you and the love you show my family! I am forever thankful for my corner of the internet that has brought so many friends into my life. Love you all! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

just some randoms {23}

Two peas in a pod, ya'll. Definitely one of my favorite photos of my two favorite people (despite the real life mess on the floor, ha!)

Mia found a little nook at Grandma and Papa's house that is the perfect size for her! I think I'll find her hidden her more often than not when we are visiting Eric's parents!

The last photo I ever took with Mia and her binky. (I forgot that this week was Thanksgiving when I promised a post on ditching the bink, so now I pinky promise that I'll have it next week!!)

Mia and her obsession with her sunglasses! It is dark outside but she still insisted on "gasses" to play in the snow!

Mia's favorite game is to play hide and seek with me while I make my bed each morning! She runs to the end of the bed and burrows between the comforter and the bed then laughs and laughs while she waits for me to pull the cover up. Silly girl! She reminds me on the daily that it truly is the little things that make life so happy!

Monday, November 24, 2014

weekend highlights

Our weekend was one for the books! Once again, it was nothing out of the ordinary, but it was the perfect amount of family time! I feel like we did a lot, but also had a lot of relaxing time! Can every weekend be like that?! Here are some highlights:

 We pulled out the Christmas tree over a week ago, sans ornaments, hoping the newness of the tree would wear off by the time I decorated it, so that Mia would leave the ornaments alone. Well, Friday evening I couldn't resist anymore and busted out the ornaments! This is the first time I've ever put a tree up before Thanksgiving and I have to admit, I don't hate it! This time of the year is even more magical with a little one!

bracelet c/o Poppy Lane and Co
Saturday we spent our day in sunny St George! I gave Mia another haircut (her 4th or 5th, can't remember?) and this is the first time her sides have been long enough for me to trim, YAY! This little diva is sporting the cutest little bob but couldn't be bothered for a photo, obvi!

My parents watched Mia so that Eric and I could go on a much needed (and totally overdue) date! It seemed like the universe was against us that day but we made it to the temple and of course, it was just what we needed! After, we enjoyed a gourmet dinner (this NEVER happens!) at the Cliffside Restaurant and I am just kicking myself for not taking any photos! The food was delish and soooo affordable (we were told that the prices will be going up now that the owners have determined the restaurant will be a success, so anyone who's wondering if they should try it, now's the time!) and there were the most gorgeous views of the mountains. Ah! We are dying to go back asap (and I promise I'll take pictures next time)! We ended our night with a very unsuccessful shopping trip (ah! is anyone else flustered with their Christmas gift list? Christmas is so close and I still have so much to do!) and ice cream.Although, watching Eric walk around Target in their adult superman onesie pajama thing was pretty entertaining ;) and the ice cream made up for the lack of success, of course!

Seriously though, can every weekend be like this one?!

Friday, November 21, 2014

BFF's {Poppy Lane and Co}

A dear friend once showed me her matching "best friend" bracelets with her baby girl, and you better believe that I've been on the hunt ever since to find the perfect pair for Mia and me! I can't even tell you how happy I am to share that my friend started Poppy Lane and Co and she offers beautiful bracelets and the perfect mommy + me pairs! I can't wait to add more colors to our collection!
Even though I love it, I'm not one to wear much jewelery... except for my wedding ring and bands. I love wearing those every day! Ever since receiving our matching bracelets though, Mia and I have been wearing them every single day! I'm happy to say that I will be wearing my bracelet each day, along with my ring (and maybe, just maybe, I'll start branching out with some arm candy and other jewelery!)
headband c/o Emma's Kloset bracelets c/o Poppy Lane and Co

Thursday, November 20, 2014

happy 23 months to my love bug

How is it possible that my baby will be 2 in just one, short month?! I feel like she should be 3 months old, not 23! But goodness, I would never wish away one second I've had with her. Mia is the best part of Eric and I... we love her SO much!
- I don't even know how to keep track of Mia's vocabulary these days because it develops SO much! I feel like she learns multiple words, as well as sentences, every single day! But I've written down words when I remember to and she now says: "honey", "bunny", "gween" (green), "cow", "in-i boi" (inside voice), "Mourney" (Courtney), "gucker" (sucker), "horse", "ba-oo" (balloon), "house", "cuh-dee" (color), "tor-tee" (turtle),  "tiss" (kiss), "door" (but when she says door, she's really asking me to open something for her, weird!) "pu-pwe" (purple), "aggs" (eggs), "mouse", "boots", "much", "see ya soon", "what".
- She still has  her own alien/gibberish language that I love so much! I need to sneak a recording of it before it's gone, because I know I'll miss it one day!
- We are officially binky free! I have a separate blog post coming next week telling you all about it! But the first time she ever went to sleep without her bink was on Halloween night!
- Halloween was also a big day because... that's the first time Mia ever pooped in the shower. Lovely! She actually cried out as soon as it happened, like she knew that was a no-no. Instead of scolding her, because she clearly didn't mean for that to happen, I explained to her that that was poop, tell momma "I poop" or "potty!" Since then she has told us more than once "I poop" then a couple minutes later she has a poopy diaper! Yay! Hopefully that will help when it comes time to potty train!
- Oh, Halloween was also Mia's first time trick or treating :) She was so small last year that we didn't take her out. Goodness, a lot of firsts that day, ha ha!
- Mia can now point to her cheeks and her chin... we've almost got her whole body figured out!
- Eric is officially "daddy" and I'm still "momma", but lately she's been calling me just "mom", ha! It's kind of cute and kind of sad at the same time. Makes her sound older!  
- We pulled out the Christmas tree a few days ago and Mia squealed all sorts of girly squeals when we plugged in the lights, it was so cute! I'm waiting until Thanksgiving to pull out the ornaments and finish decorating the house for Christmas, but I know she's gonna LOVE it!
- Mia is still very much in the independent play phase when it comes to playing with kids her age. She loves the babies and absolutely adores playing with older kids! But kids her size, age? Everything is "mine!" and they hit a lot. Yikes! We are doing our best to teach Mia to share and "we don't hit our friends!". I won't mind when this phase passes (if it ever passes, HA!)
- She wears clothing sizes anywhere from 12-24 months! Size 4 and 5 shoes, although I did get her a pair of winter boots at size 6 and she does pretty well wearing them!
- I remember thinking Mia would be in size 3 diapers until she was potty trained. Obviously we moved her up to size 4 but we are officially in size 5 diapers now! (Size 4 is kind of pointless, I would have just sized her straight up to 5 if I had realized!)

Mia is so smart and SO much fun! We can't imagine now having her in our lives! Here's hoping the next month doesn't fly by too quickly!!

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

it's just my thang

Gotta love how off centered this photo is, HA!
So I have this thing where every time we go on vacation (outside of Utah, or in a major National Park) I pick up a magnet for our fridge. I think I got the idea from my parents, but now I love looking at our fridge and reminiscing on where Eric and I (and now Mia) have been together! There are special memories to each magnet and I treasure them so dearly! 
The Homestead magnet is the first Eric and I ever bought together, it's from our honeymoon! We have a Disneyland magnet from when we went after being married 5 months. Those three Mickey Mouse magnets? Those are from Mia's first visit to Disneyland- we couldn't resist picking up magnets to trigger those fun memories! The Fenway Park and Boston magnets are from our trip this past summer, Eric's dream vacation! Now it's our dream city and we can't wait to go back! If we could figure out how to make it big, I'd buy a second home there someday! The monkey magnet is the first magnet that Mia ever picked, from our trip to the Phoenix zoo a few months ago. She also picked the Elk magnet from our girls trip to Washington last month! It is SO fun to include Mia
It's not a huge collection, but I hope to someday run out of room on the fridge :) Do you pick up certain trinkets from your travels?!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

a wishlist... or two

I gotta be honest, I kinda suck at gift giving. Occassionally I come up with a really great idea, but for the most part I'm not very creative and have a hard time thinking of good gifts. Plus my brain has been fried (hello pregnancy turned mom brain!) so I never remember stuff. This is why wish lists are my best friend! I always appreciate ideas from everyone else, so here's Mia's birthday and Christmas wishlist for those that need one... because, you know, she totally told me exactly what she wants ;)
christmas




1- These backpacks are so adorable (plus hello? a stuffed animal that detaches as a bonus!) and would be so perfect for traveling! We are on the go all the time so Mia would love pulling this around!

2- Mia is becoming super obsessed with "babies" so I thought a doll stroller would be the perfect addition to playing with her babes. I was just informed this has already been taken care of, oops!

3- Santa is giving Mia a kitchen but doesn't really want to get the extra stuff, HA! Probably because Mrs. Clause doesn't want to deal with the added mess around the house. But if no one gets these for Mia, I have no doubt that Santa will make sure Mia's taken care of ;)

4- I can't believe we haven't bought this for Mia yet because she is obsessed! Anytime we are at someone's house who has this car, she claims it for herself and I literally have to pry her away when it's time to leave! This has been taken care of as well!

5- Mia looooves puzzles, but we only have two! We are over due for changing it up. Plus these are another fun way for her to learn names of objects, etc and practice her motor skills (that she is a pro at, by the way!)

6-  Mia is turning into quite the artist! She looooves to color, draw, paint, etc. Good thing because we will be stuck indoors most of the winter so I need little projects (like painting) to keep her busy!

Mia is super easy to please but she is also obsessed with books, baby dolls, blankets, clothes, dance clothes, etc. Thank heavens she's not hard to shop for... her daddy is another story ;)

Monday, November 17, 2014

wedding shenanigans

Headband c/o Emma's Kloset Bracelet c/o Poppy Lane and Co

Over the weekend we went back to Eric's hometown and celebrated gaining a new brother in law and niece! I've been in the mood for a family wedding lately and since my younger brother has yet to find "the girl", I was ecstatic when my (Eric's) sis announced her engagement! The actual wedding was very intimate, family only, and the open house was very busy with extended family and close friends. It was so much fun and Mia was crazy happy about the all-you-can-eat cake (or so she thought, she helped herself to her own plate on more than one occasion, ha!) and cousins galore! Even though it was a crazy busy weekend, and we were a little sleep deprived (Mia ended up in bed with us the first night, no one sleeps when we all have to share the bed! I must admit that Mia's 5am wake up call was NOT wanted, it was hilarious to suddenly wake up to, "Mourney? Mourrrrrney?" (Courtney) Oh dear!) we had so much fun soaking up family time! We can't wait to go back for Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 14, 2014

be lovely

Well guys, this week I said my final farewell to Fall! It was such a beautiful season and it flew by too quickly! We have a nasty storm blowing in that is ripping all the leaves from the trees and bringing the freezing winter temperatures, and I'm positive they are here to stay for 6+ months. BUT! I've been inspired by my new top from Rebekah Katherine to have my motto for winter be "Be Lovely" because winter can be yucky and dreary and to be honest? I get down right depressed about it, ha! But I'm determined to make the best of this winter for myself and my Mia girl- so give me a swift kick in the boot-ay if you catch my attitude being anything but "lovely" ;)
So a little off subject, but I know everyone hates the whole "don't look at the camera" photos but gosh, it is totally intimidating for me to look straight in the camera and act like I own the "modeling" thing. I'm no fashion blogger! I'm just a real girl (who is seriously lacking in the modeling department) that really loves clothes, and really loves to feature stuff that makes me feel cute! It definitely helps that I am really into these simple statement tees these days! I love that my "Be Lovely" top can look super cute with my simple outfit, or be dressed up, or be paired with fun leggings/colored skinnies, or be worn with my lounging clothes (aka- Eric's basketball shorts and sweats), score!! Give this momma all the versatile tops, ha ha!
 Shirt c/o Rebekah Katherine
 Rebekah Katherine is the sweetest shop owner and I definitely encourage your to check out her stuff as she gets things going! I wouldn't mind being matchy-matchy with anyone else who gets this top ;) (but seriously!!)
P.S. Use the code "SAVE20" to receive 20% off your purchase! xoxo

Thursday, November 13, 2014

our happy places

These pictures were taken a couple months ago. First time at this park and my spider baby climbed this "rock wall" in only a few seconds. Yikes!
We live in a very small town that is kind of isolated. It's about a 3 hour drive to get to a real city that offers good shopping, tons of good eating, and lots of play options for toddlers, bummer! We have pretty harsh winters so I wish there was more indoor fun offered for toddlers... I'm afraid we might go crazy this winter! I will definitely be setting up lots of play dates to save our sanity :) So I'm not sure that our favorite toddler outings are very winter friendly, actually I'm positive they aren't, because our favorites are mainly outdoors! But here's our list and I'm hoping to get more winter friendly ideas from everyone who links up!
  • Hiking! Mia and I have enjoyed hiking the beautiful outdoors since she was just a few months old! One of the best things about living here is that we are surrounded by beautiful National parks!
  • Swimming! Mia is a little fishy, she takes after my love for the water :) Luckily we do have an indoor pool here so we will definitely have to visit the pool throughout the winter to get out of the house!
  • Parks, of course! Who can say no to a park date? It's free and it does wonders for wearing out the littles! Although I swear Mia tries to give me a heart attack each time we go as she discovers the "big kid" toys that aren't meant for toddlers. Why does she have to think she's bigger than she really is?!
  • Mommy and me dance class! We look forward to "dan!" every week! I'm hoping to find more classes I can sign Mia up for this winter, like gymnastics or something, to get us out of the house but I'm afraid Mia will be too young for everything. My small town doesn't offer much for kids under the age of 3.
Well, that's basically all I've got :) It doesn't sound like much but really, anything outside is Mia's favorite! Whether it's playing in the back yard, going on a walk, or anything listed above? She is in her happy place! My goal is to find some snow boots for Mia (does anyone have advice on where to look for snow boots? We are having the worst luck finding a pair small enough for Mia's tiny feet!) and do my best to get her outside and enjoy the snow as much as possible. Our sanity depends on it this winter :)
Nov 13:  Favorite Toddler Outings

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

currently

First snow of the season last week... I'm NOT ready for winter! and yes :) Those are sandals over her footie pjs, ha!
Loving: this stage of Mia's life! During her first year I really had a love/hate relationship with her growth. I had a hard time dealing with how quickly each month flew by. Don't even get me started on the anxiety I experienced when Mia turned one, ridiculous! But I somehow thought that once she turned one, she would no longer be my little baby. Of course I was wrong and since realizing that, I've enjoyed watching her hit her milestones so much more! But this stage where she's learning to talk? Be still my heart, it's the sweetest thing! Just this week she started asking for "tiss" (kisses) and I LOVE it!

Reading/Watching: Once again, I'm not reading anything new. Between blogs/instagram and reading to Mia, I don't make time to indulge in a good book for myself.
But I definitely make time to indulge in my ridiculous shows, ha ha! I'm flying through the latest updated season of Revenge on Netflix. I'm pretty sure Revenge is my favorite out of all my shows! Eric and I are watching The Glades together, and I just bought Maleficent this week. We really loved watching that in the theater so now we are saving it for an at home date night :)

Trying to: enjoy the month of November. We had sooooo much fun in October and I swear we were doing a festive activity every other day! I don't have one thing planned for November and it's kind of a bummer! I need to come up with some fun activities to soak up our time... instead of daydreaming about pulling out the Christmas decor, ha ha. We wait until the day after Thanksgiving so it's time to find some Thanksgiving activities to tide us over until then!

Wishing: that my house would clean itself. I remember when I was young, sitting in my messy room wishing that I could just point my finger like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and my room would magically clean itself, ha ha! Sometimes I still wish that! Cleaning is definitely not one of my favorite past times (but obviously it's a necessity and I promise I do it!) and I would be a-okay if that was one thing I could cross of my to-do list... forever :) HA!

Excited for: Mia's birthday and Christmas!! December is going to be a crazy but funnnnn month for us!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

blondes, fire, and airplanes... oh my!

Against my better judgement, I've decided to share our story when flying to Washington a couple weeks ago. You all are about to find out just how big of an idiot I am :) But the second half of the story is just plain crazy and a little terrifying.
So this was Mia's first time flying and I was super nervous to be doing it without Eric, mainly because Mia is always on the go and I just knew she would hate sitting on my lap the whole time (hello lap child! I had to get in one free flight before she turns 2!) Also, I've only flown 2 other times in the last 6 years so I am definitely not a pro. Let me just tell you now, Mia was such a pro! She did really well in the airport (except for the time she threw herself face first on the ground and mid-tantrum discovered chewed up gum smashed in the carpet and decided to try and pick it off with her tongue. Yeah.) and loved wearing her leash backpack :) And on the flights she settled right down and fell asleep quickly both times, but I had downloaded Frozen onto my phone as back up ;)
Anyway, after Mia and I got our luggage checked and found our gate, we went to go buy a snack because we'd been up since 5:30am. After waiting far too long for one pastry, we found a bathroom. While I was changing Mia's diaper I heard them call my name to board. I heard that they encouraged all passengers with kids to board first, but I knew I wanted to board last so I didn't think anything of it, besides the fact that it seemed kind of late to start the boarding process. After our bathroom break we made our way over to the very empty gate. I let them know that I wanted to be one of the last to board. The employees gave me a weird look but said "okay?" Mia and I went over to the window where she was in heaven looking at the airplane. I noticed a few girls running to our gate which I thought was weird, but again, didn't think anything of it. Finally, the guy checking every one's tickets asked me, "Courtney, are you ready to board?" While I'm busy taking pictures of Mia I said, "Oh that's okay! I want to be one of the last ones to board!" "You ARE the last one to board...."

There are no words for my stupidity.

As soon as Mia and I took our seat, the nicest flight attendant asked if we wanted to move to the back and have a row all to ourselves. Well heck yes we did! Mia tried out all 3 seats until she settled back on my lap next to the window. I could hardly believe our luck! A row to ourselves plus Mia was being an angel?! Heck yes! I pulled out Mia's snacks and bink for take off (I was worried about her ears) and she snuggled into me snacking away. Just when the wheels left the ground I felt the worst turbulence I'd ever experienced, which I thought was weird, but Mia didn't even react! The plane instantly turned and we took a detour over Lake Mead then landed again. Turns out that turbulence was actually the left engine bursting into flames! The engine was on fire the whole time we were in the air! The captain handled it so calmly that I didn't even realize how serious things were until we were off the plane! Thank heavens everything turned out okay!
We ended up being delayed for a couple of hours which was a little rough with a tired toddler and no stroller, but we survived! We were downgraded to a smaller plane so we weren't able to have extra seats, but that's okay! I was so proud of my girl for sleeping on me the whole flight and putting up with the confusion of the day! I'd fly with Mia any day!
It was definitely a necessity to take these crappy selfies... Mia never sleeps on me anymore!

Monday, November 10, 2014

weekend tidbits

We were supposed to go out of town over the weekend but our plans changed and we got to stay home! We didn't do anything extra special, we just got to enjoy some down time as a family and hangout with our friends. It was kind of totally perfect!

Friday: We went out for Mexican food to celebrate Eric finishing his first week at the new job. He's really happy at this job and I couldn't ask for anything more! I did try taking pictures but you better believe not a single one turned out!

Saturday: I started my morning with a piyo class at the gym (my fave) while Eric stayed home with Mia. When I got home I asked Eric to get Mia ready for the day before he left for the gym, because we were meeting our friend at the waffle truck (that thing is d a n g e r o u s !). I told him the specific outfit to dress her in and when I came upstairs, this is what I found:
"I didn't know what you were talking about so I have my own thing going now." At least he ventured out and paired a different top with her pj pants, instead of the normal pj set he always dresses her in. Oh, and those are most definitely red and orange Elmo socks poking out of her shoes, ha ha!

After Mia's nap we ran to our friend's 1st birthday party. They had a pinata for the kids to take turns destroying and I won't lie, I was a little worried about it! The last experience Mia had with a pinata ended in the tantrum of the year when she had to give up the stick and give someone else a turn... Thankfully we only had to endure a short tug-o-war until she gave up the stick, but no tears! Phew!
Unfortunately Mia's diaper leaked which resulted in a change of pants. Shoot. True story though!
We had friends over for dinner Saturday night and it was so low key, but so much fun! I forget how much we love having people over! I really need to start putting myself out there more often and invite friends over!

Sunday: We pretty much had the most relaxing day of all! Aside from slipping out for church, we lounged around all day watching shows and eating good food! Mia even graced us with a family cuddle sesh that couldn't have been any sweeter! I'm feeling so refreshed and rejuvenated after some quality family time... like I said, it wasn't anything extra special, just kind of totally perfect!
my shirt c/o Collectively Yours

Friday, November 7, 2014

insta-life

Little moments I don't want to forget:: The way she excitedly shows me her doggie every time I go get her out of bed. Sometimes she has to show me every single thing in the crib, it's always so exciting for her :) The way she tucks her hands under her belly when she cuddles up to me! The way she melts our stresses away with her cheesy smile and goofy personality She was so in tune with us the whole weekend after receiving the rotten news about Eric's job, randomly asking "you okay?!" Love our sweet girl!!

A Halloween cupcake decorating party... I was sure that Mia would be shoving as many cupcakes as she could in her face, but nope! She barely sat still long enough to eat one eye and stick the hat in because hello mom? New toys to play with!

One morning in early October I took Mia on a run and we found this gorgeous patch of trees. First sign that Fall had arrived!

 #obvi

 Day date with my love (and a real smile, whaaaat?!)

Pumpkin patching in Washington with our besties!

 I think I said "last one" like two pictures ago... but you know, these are just so cute! I can't help but share :) Love my little family!

I was so excited for the month of October! We had so many fun plans, celebrating the cute side of Halloween with Mia, and seeing dear friends that we miss so much! As you know, life decided to deliver quite the sucker punch which took a lot of the excitement out of me. Thank heavens for our precious Mia who helped us find the simple joys in life again! She made October SO great! If you'd like to follow along on our adventures through November you can find us at courtbrink!

Thursday, November 6, 2014

patience is a virtue...

 Last random photo from Washington :)
...one that I fear I will never master! Today's topic is a good one, how to not lose your patience with your toddler. All I know is that every piece of advice I think of is so much easier said than done! But when I think about my sweet Mia who will do anything to please me, or get the look of approval, or earn and applause... I wonder how I could ever lose my patience with her? Yes, she tests the limits and is learning her boundaries, but I knew we would experience that when I signed up for the job of becoming a mom! I think what keeps Eric and I in check when keeping our cool with Mia, is setting our own boundaries (and helping each other stick to them.)
For example, we have decided that we will not be slapping/flicking Mia's hands to teach her a lesson. That just doesn't work for her. But occasionally Mia will purposely throw her food on the floor... the floor that I just mopped and the food I'd been slaving over for way too long... and I get the BIGGEST urge to flick her hand and teach her a lesson! Sometimes it's ridiculously hard, but I do my best to shut that urge down before I have time to react.
Speaking of reacting... I find that I usually lose my cool when I react. I have better control when I take a moment to breathe, assess the situation, then respond as calmly as I can (all it takes is a deep breath or two and I'm calm again) Does any of this make sense? I realize I'm all over the place with this post and I think it's because I don't have the right answer... I don't know if I'll ever have the right answer! I do know is that I do my best to stay calm and react in the most positive way I can to any situation Mia throws my way :) That's really the only thing I can do until I've mastered the art of patience (which will be never, in case you were wondering!)
 
Nov 6:    How to Not Lose Your Patience with your Toddler
Nov 13:  Favorite Toddler Outings
A Mommy App