Motherly Nostaglia.

As I write this ---

I'm snuggling on the couch with my little monster monkey!

{he's sweet & snuggly for exactly the amount of time it takes to drink a sippy cup of milk!}

I have to take advantage! :)

I was looking at the new tooth he is cutting--

(making that #9 - including the molar)

and I started thinking about how BIG he is getting!

He's not a baby anymore!

He's a litle boy!

so independent.

so strong-willed.

so defiant (haha).

so much personality.

and thinking about how big he is, made me a little sad ...

it made me think about those days when he was soo little ....

 I so fondly remember that non-mobile, snuggly, toothless baby!

and then I feel so thankful ...

thankful that I'm able to stay home with him.

To see all his "firsts".

To watch him explore this big world.

To snuggle and watch Sesame Street.

To play games.

To makes messes.

To go to the park & playgroup.

and just spend time together.

because he's only going to be this little once.

and one day - he won't think I'm as cool as he does now. :)

 I don't want to miss a thing.

{because he is growing up WAY too fast!}

Oh and this burst of motherly nostaglia came at a VERY good time ...

because yesterday we had a LONG day like this --

and I was ready to send his cute little butt to daycare! :)

or maybe boarding school.

forever.

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope you are spending the day with family & friends ....

at the beach ... or the pool .... or grilling out!! :)

But while you are doing so -

 please remember why you are able to live so freely ...

because many, many men/women have paid the ultimate sacrifice!

Please take a moment to say a prayer for them and their families!

"Greater love has no one than this,

that he lay down his life for his friends."

- John 15:13

As for us ...

we're celebrating at the beach --

splashing in the water ...

eating popsicles ...

and spending time together as a family of three!



because very very soon -

we will be a family of four!

(hello there baby belly! 28 weeks!)

Have a great day!

Patriotic Strawberries!

It's {almost} Memorial Day Weekend!!

and since I come from a LOONNNG line of military folk --

I like to celebrate -

to remember those who have served our country so bravely!

and last tonight the hubs had a friend over for dinner ...

{ladies -- a super cute, single Marine pilot if you live in Florida - haha!}

so I decided to surprise them with some patriotic strawberries for desset!

The strawberres right now are SOO delicious & sweet & HUGE!

oh and they are super cheap -- ;)

I didn't actually have time to take pictures before the boys men gobbled them up --

so I "borrowed" this picture from here.

Mine didn't actually look that nice... haha.

so you're better off with her picture! :)

I think maybe I need to add shortening to the chocolate!?

Mine was kind of clumpy & thick.

BUT they were DELICIOUSLY ugly!

{like you should run to the store RIGHT now and make them delicious!}

but now I need your help!

I need melting chocolate advice!

What brand do you use?

Do you use a double boiler?

The microwave?

Shortening?

HELP!

{Wordless Wednesday} - My boys!

These two make my heart happy!

Oh Baby GIVEAWAY!!

It's giveaway time!!

One lucky winner will receive the following:

$25 Gift Card to Kiki's Maternity Fashions

 4 oz bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion

One Intelligender Prediction Test

and one bottle of Elasti-Oil

This giveaway is only open to public followers of Diary of a Preppy Mom.

Mandatory Entry:

Which item are you most excited about? Leave a comment below!

Optional Extra Entries:

leave a seperate comment for each entry

- Like Kiki's Fashions on Facebook.

- Like Intelligender on Facebook.

- Like Skin MD Natural on Facebook.

- Follow Diary of a Preppy Mom on Twitter. 

- Follow Skin MD Natural on Twitter.

- Follow Intelligenderon Twitter.

- Visit Kiki's Fashions website and tell me what you'd buy! 

-- Tweet or facebook or blog about this giveaway! (3 entries)

Good luck!!

Giveaway ends Friday 27th, 2011 at midnight CST.

Oh Baby Sponsor Spotlight: Intelligender

The minute we discovered we were pregnant with little monkey #2,

I was already dreaming of my 20 week appointment!!

I couldn't wait to know if it would be blue or pink!!!!

I only wish I had known about IntelliGender before now!

I would have LOVED to take the gender prediction test!
Would it have said boy? :)

They also have another line of products that I love ....

The IntelliCeuticals™ products are made of proven remedies, herbal extracts, and flower essences all formulated to promote physical, emotional or psychological health and restore balance in the body. They are safe, effective, and designed to bring you relief from the stresses of pregnancy and early motherhood.

I was given a bottle of the Elasti-Oil to try and I love the way it makes my skin feel! At 28 weeks, I am still relatively free of stretch marks and I love the way my belly looks and feels!

BUY IT:
Check out all the great products on their website.

WIN IT:
Check back tomorrow -- I'm giving away
1 IntelliCeuticals Elasti-Oil
1 IntelliGender Gender Prediction Test

What about you?
What products help you through pregnancy!
Would you want to know the gender, if you could?

Check out Intelligender on Facebook.
on Twitter.
and on You Tube.

Oh Baby Spotlight Review: Skin MD Natural Lotion

I moisturize daily -- right after I get out of the shower!

and I LOVE my Clinque face lotion!

We've been buddies for a LONG time!

so when SkinCare MD contaced me about a review, I was a little hesitant!

how would it measure up?

I was given a 4 oz botle of the Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion.

and friends -- let me tell you ...

I LOVE IT!

It is SO smooth and refreshing!

I love that it doesn't have a perfumey scent and it is not greasy at all.

They also offer one with SPF, which is really important to me!

But the thing that I love the most is that it only uses safe, natural ingredients!

Skin MD Natural is made in the US and is specially formulated using high quality natural ingredients making it over 90% all natural with all ingredients being of food grade and on the FDA’s most safe list. It is free of harmful fragrances, parabens, and colorants making it hypoallergenic. They do no participate in animal testing nor does the lotion contain any animal products.

BUY IT:

You can buy it here.

Check out Skin MD Natural on Twitter.

or on Facebook.

WIN IT:

Come back Monday {May 23rd} to win one (4 oz) bottle of shielding lotion. Giveaway is open to US residents only.

Spray Paint Transformations: Magazine Holder

I found this little cutie @ GW {Goodwill} for $2.00!

I just couldn't pass her up --

I knew with a quick coat of spray paint she would be adorable!

A simple diamond in the ruff. :)

5 minutes later and she looked like this ...

{my FAVORITE kind of project!} 

and 20 minutes later she was already living in her new home!

in the little nook between my side of the bed and the awkward bathroom door.

The little book where there is no room for a nightstand.

So this is the perfect solution ---

It allows me to have all my favorite reads right there,

without having to hijack my husbands nightstand.

because I hate flipping through all the boring aviation magazines & history books to find my Southern Living!

Oh and do you want some spray painting tips?

Prime! Seriously, no matter what -- Prime!

Quality matters --- RustOleum is my absolute favorite!

(shy away from the .99 cans, they just don't cut it!)

Invest in one of these little "handle" things -- they are WONDERFUL!

{totally worth the $3, trust me!}

What have you spray painted lately????

I have been painting everything I can get my hands on! 

Oh Baby Spotlight Review: Kiki's Fashion Maternity Clothes

I LOVE clothes!

{even when I'm pregnant!}

but I hate to spend a lot of money on them!

{i'd much rather use that money for crafts!}

and that's why I was thrilled when someone told me about Kiki's Fashion Maternity Clothes.

The clothes are cute, trendy & very affordable.

I do believe that is perfect combination! :)

They have a huge selection of fun tops, summer dresses, bottoms & much more!

They even have an under $10 section!! Awesome!

I reviewed the blank strapless maternity dress and I love it!

It's perfect for a casual day of errands OR a beach cover up!

I ordered the wrong size in the beginning, but they sent out a new size right away!

Returns were fast & easy!

BUY IT: Head over to Kiki's Fashions to check out all the great goods!

WIN IT: Come back on Monday  to win a $25 Gift Certificate to Kiki's Fashions!

Wordless Wednesday: Exhausted.

Being a toddler is tough work! :)

A Review & Giveaway: Magic Bumpers!

Well, we still don't have internet ...

but I'm stealing some this morning! :)

and I feel pretty good about that!

because I NEEDED to blog!

So what better way to come back than with a giveaway??

We all love giveaways -- especially on a boring Hump Day!

Have you heard of Magic Bumpers?

They are WONDERFUL!

"Magic Bumpers are firm foam wedges designed to go under the bedding (mattress pad, fitted sheet) as a safer and easier alternative to traditional children's bed guards."

but {why} are they so wonderful?

{here are just a FEW reasons}

• No Assembly – Easy to set in place under the fitted sheet or mattress pad. If your bottom sheet is very tight fitting and barely reaches around the bottom corner of your mattress, you may use fitted sheet clips or a deep pocket fitted sheet.
• Child Friendly – No entrapment space between bed and bed bumper
• Space Saving – Easy to store and great for Grandma’s house
• Light Weight – The bumpers travel and store easily.
• Secure and Stable – Firm foam has non-slip surface and stays in place when placed under your bedding
• Safe - Made of fire-retardant polyurethane upholstery foam .
• Economical – Costs less than a conventional bed rail
• Fits any size bed - Cut or add length. The foam cuts easily with an electric knife.
• Foam Bed Guard Rails are just more comfortable!
• Made in the USA

But are you ready the BEST part??

They are VERSATILE!

This bumper has multiple uses from infant up to 10 years of age or weighing up to 100 lbs (45 kg).

 Infant Co-Sleeping, Bed Guard Rail, and Bed Divider.

I am most excited about this ...

Little Harrison will be making his debut in about 3 months!

oh you didn't know we had picked a name?

Yup, Harrison it is! and I LOVE it!

This will allow us to {safely} co-sleep during those first few weeks of crazy, sleepless, nursing every two hours kind of nights!!

and once he outgrows the need to be in our bed ...

{and moves into his soon to be pained ORANGE crib!}

then I'll pass it on to monkey man,

who can use it for this ...

They are perfectly light and fold up easily -

so they are perfect for travel.

and hotel beds! :)

BUY IT: You can buy them here at the Magic Bumpers wesbite!

WIN IT: Magic Bumpers is giving a set of two 24" bumpers to you!!

Mandatory Entry:

(giveaways are only open to GFC followers of Diary of a Prepp Mom)

Visit the Magic Bumper website and tell me which product you could use the most?

Optional Entries:

- Like Magic Bumpers on Facebook.

- Follow Diary of a Preppy Mom on Twitter.

Good luck!

Giveaway closes Tuesday, May 24th at midnight CST.

The winner will be be anounced next Wedesday, May 25th!

*check back every day this week - I have a lot of great giveaways!!

DIY: {New favorite Picnic Blanket}

{STILL NO INTERNET!}

add oral surgery.

two broken toes.

a teething toddler.

and moving in two weeks.

well- life is a little out of whack.

so please excuse the lack of posting!

I have TONS of projects & great posts coming ..

so stay tuned! :)

A LONG time ago -- I made this blanket!

which I loved - 

but it didn't make the move cut...

{with a lot of other things it seems!}

but now that we live in FLORIDA!

and I have a toddler that LOVES the park.

and the river.

and anything outside.

and my pregnant hiney doesn't like to get dirty.

or sandy.

or dewey.

{I needed a new blanket!}

Let me introduce to you my most favorite picnic blanket!!

EVER.

The bottom is an outdoor vinyl tablecloth!

The top is a an indoor/outdoor wipeble fabric tablecloth!

It's water resistant and super easy to wipe clean! :) 

(mine both measured 52 x 72, I think)

I even added some ties ....

so I can roll it up, tie it up ....

and throw it in my new favorite bag! :) 

This baby has already gotten a TON of use!

Now I can't wait for family picnics, park trips & the beach!

ok - now back to the world of NO communication!

ugh.

{updated jewelry holder}

I hope you all had a LOVELY Mother's Day!

We spent a lazy day at the beach with great friends -

and I didn't have to change one diaper! :) 

{it's the little things people, the little things!}

We still don't have internet -- (boo)

but I do have a new laptop (thanks mom!).

So I'm sitting here at Whataburger, 

drinking a diet coke - 

and stealing internet! :) 

While my monkey man is watching Barney in the back seat.

The things I do for you. 

HAHA! :)

Remember last weekend I showed you my new headband holder?

 Well - here's my new jewelry holder! 

I LOVE IT!!!

 The red makes me smile!

Those {adoable}knobs make me giddy.

and that organization?

Well, it makes me want to accessorize! :) 

{which i desperately need}

Want to make one too?

You need an old window. 

I had this one - from an old project.

A fresh coat of spray paint ...

{Rustoleum Colonial Red}

Some fabulously fun knobs from Hobby Lobby!

{when they are 50% of course}

 

A drill -- and maybe a ruler if you're feeling picky. 

{I wasn't}

and some wire to hang your earrings! :) 

That's it! 

Don't you LOVE it?

I think it's kinda fabulous!

and it looks awesome next to my new headband holder! :) 

and I still get to hang some of my favorite pictures ....

so it's a win all the way around! :)

How do you display all your jewelry?

How was your Mother's Day?

I haven't been able to blog stalk - 

and I feel so out of it! :(