Recently in Small Luxuries Category
You might remember back when I was pregnant (almost 2 yrs ago!) I got busy and painted the upstairs bathroom so that it would be nice when my mother came for a visit. All these months later I had been biding my time, absolutely sure the furnishings I really wanted would fall into my hands. A couple of months ago we went to an estate auction. An older gentleman was selling off everything in his outbuildings. Some of it had been around since his grandfather was a boy. Some of it had been collected over the years and then cast aside. Up for auction came this old beat up bureau that had been in an open barn for over 20 years. I was once deep dark almost black in its finish but now was so weather worn that it was greyish white. I knew that piece of furniture. It most definitely was not a bureau. I was a buffet to a long forgotten dining set otherwise called a sideboard. I knew this because I have one almost exactly like it, twice as big, inherited from my stepfathers estate. The large buffet is in my bathroom used as a dressing table and linen storage. I knew that removing the top piece with the small mirror it would fit perfectly in the upstairs bathroom. I really wanted it. Someone else bid on it but at $50 they quit and I won. It has been sitting upstairs for about two months aclimating itself to the temperature and humidity of our house.
Look at the grain of that wood! Wednesday night I set about cleaning and began oiling it. Colby was mad to the point of tears that I was putting that "nasty old thing" in their bathroom. I told her to get over it. When she paid the mortgage she could decorate the house. She got madder. Stomped and huffed. Told me how it was too big to fit in the door. It was too big for the room. It was disgusting and ugly. I ignored her. Put it in place. Rearranged the linen storage and all of the upstairs toiletries.
It is not too big! I think it looks pefect in there. It is the look I wanted to achieve. It certainly sets off the clawfoot tub. The only thing left that I would like to do in this room is to have hardwood floors put in - but they have to match my existing pine floors and to have crown molding put up. I have some glass shelves I am going to have Steve put up tonight tomorrow night.
Matching pink soap! Heaven help me. He will certainly gripe about it. The flower arrangement is there to help take the eye away from the pipes that come up from the floor. The type of tubs I have the pipes are exposed and do not run inside the walls. Colby now loves the look. I knew she would.
... and then I'll tell you how much I love you," I said to Steve Sunday afternoon.
He looked up from his laptop and said, "I love you so much it is unquantifiable."
"Oh," I turned from my place in front of the fire, "mine is quantifiable and two words.
Apple.
Pie."
The light bulb went on and his eyes gleamed.
Yes, he is spoiled. I made his favorite for Sunday supper dessert -apple pie. I used the Virginia Staymans. Goodness but that is a most excellent apple.
We also are had roasted potatoes, salad and a standing rib roast served with horseradish. Mmmmmmm mmmm.
We are now overflowing with seats. Seats for a baby. Seats and seat covers for a baby.
Just to warn you this post is mostly about baby products and if you are not interested I suggest you scroll down and enjoy the pictures of the baby.
I own all of these seats.
I chose the Profile Travel System (Tahoe Print) by Baby Trend as our infant seat stroller of choice. I chose color based on what matched my Excursion. Steven chose the brand and model due to safety. Every other brand of stroller with baby seat if you grasp the front with baby seat attached the babyseat would tilt and the stroller would slam to the ground. Not this one. This stroller is heavy. It has rubber tires not plastic formed wheels. It is not as easy to fold and stow as it takes 2 hands and you can pinch your fingers if you arenot careful. I wouldn't trade it for any other stroller. It has served us very well. The baby seat also has the car seat base with latches that hook to the frame of your vehicle. This thing isn't going anywhere once you have it installed. I have never felt better about having my baby in a car.
Roomy undercarriage for lots of shopping bags.
Steven is now over 20lbs and 29 inches long. He is too big for the baby seat. We now have had to buy a bigger infant/toddler car seat that can be rear or forward facing. In Virginia a baby has to be 20 lbs AND 1 year old to ride forward facing. I have a Brittany Spears problem because my baby is too big for an infant seat and too small for the regular carseat. He is already too big for a rear facing seat at 6 months old. His feet push against the back seat. Time for a new seat.
I have purchased the Triumph DLX Convertible Car Seat in Marimba Print by Evenflo as the new car seat for the next stage of growth of my baby boy.
It has a cup holder!
He will eventually out grow this seat and I will have to purchase yet another car seat to accomodate him but no expense is too much when you are talking about the safety and life of your child. I do not have a review of this carseat as we have not used it to be able to base our opinions an every day experiences. This seat was chosen for comfort, Consumer Reports rating (as good as ifnot better in some cases than the far more expensive Britax) and the fact that is it rear and forward facing and should contain my son safely for the next year or more.
Next in our musiucal chairs line up is the Bumbo Seat. Who invented this thing? It is fabulous!
NEVER WALK AWAY AND LEAVE YOUR BABY UNATTENDED!!!! DO YOU HEAR ME????!!!!!
Once your baby is old enough to hold his head up without wobbling you can put him in this foam support seat and the baby will be able to sit upright keeping your hands free. It is perfect for those times when you really need to do a few things but the baby is crying to be held or to be near you. Folding laundry is easy as pie when you put this on the table top right beside you and put the baby in it.
NEVER WALK AWAY AND LEAVE YOUR BABY UNATTENDED!!!! DO YOU HEAR ME????!!!!!
The baby can sit on the countertop or tabletop or on the floor while you are doing immediate chores.
NEVER WALK AWAY AND LEAVE YOUR BABY UNATTENDED!!!! DO YOU HEAR ME????!!!!!
If you have a new baby or will be having a new baby put this on your list of items to have. You will be glad you did.
We also have a floppy seat. Oh, the floppy seat!
No more germy shopping carts!
I get so grossed out when we go places and see the nasty shopping carts. I refuse to let Steven anywhere near one. Now that he is able to sit up on his own I purchased a floppy seat so I won't have to gag and cringe at the thought of putting my baby in a filthy shopping cart seat.
Steven loves his Johnny Jump Up.
Nice soothing colors.
As he got older and before he could sit up we used the bouncy seat in the upright position to feed him and to let him play. One thing about this seat though is the vibration does nothing to sooth a baby and the music makes you want to scream. They should continue to make this seat without those things. I chose this seat because I hate loud garish colors for baby things. Primary colors are great for toddlers but they overstimulate babies and no one needs an overstimulated baby.
We have lots of other seats. The high chair is used from when J. was a baby and the grandparents had the seat at their house to use and they gave it to us. It is not attractive but perfectly functional. Steven sits in it just fine at meal times.
The walker he is using to scoot all around the house is from when Gracie was a baby. It works just fine. No need to buy a new one.
Tapioca at bath time - yummmmm!
There are things I wish I had never wasted money on. The biggest being the Circle of OverStimulation and Frustration.
After about 10 minutes he is completely over wired by this thing.
It is for ages 4 months and up. At 4 months he hated it -and still does.
Two other seats we have ordered have not come yet. We chose a very inexpensive (yet safe!) standard rear bike seat for Steve's bike and for myself I got the european Bobike Mini seat so Steven can ride up front and I can keep an eye on him. Plus he can see where we are going and not my big old butt.
Do we need this many seats? Heck no! But they sure make life a whole lot simpler and easy.
BTW, my baby is not in a seat all of the time. Many days we use only 1 seat and maybe even no seats. Over time we have collected these things. The bouncy seat is now put away and not used. The bathtub ring will soon be retired as he can now sit on his own.
Steven plays in the floor with his toys and he rolls over and flips on his tummy and gets mad when he can't sit back up but does a good job of struggling to try to sit up. Any day now I suspect he will be sitting up from his laying down position all on his own. When he sits up if he can get a grasp of a solid object he tries to pull himself up. I do wonder if he will be like Colby and walk at 7 months or more like Gracie and walking at 8 1/2 months.
P.S. A baby bathtub is a big waste of money and does nothing but take up space. I learned that with Colby, tested it again with Gracie, and proved myself right with Steven. All my kids hated the exersaucer type things.
Q: "Why is American beer served cold?"
Steven and I are not drinkers. We do have a glass of wine with or after supper in the winter when that little touch of the vine gives you a little added warmth as you sit by the fire. I do enjoy margaritas in the summer by the pool but my pool isn't built yet!
I am not an expert on beer or wine. Until a little over a year ago I did not even drink wine save for a very rare glass of a sweet white dessert wine or an even rarer glass of champange. Then one day I had a glass of a red marriage wine from Australia and found my tongue for red wine.
Several years before I discovered wine I had an opportunity to visit Europe. While there I learned we Americans are swilling beer that is disgusting in comparison to the beer available in Europe. In the Netherlands I finally found a beer I could drink that did not leave me feeling thirsty or as if something had taken a dump in my mouth later. Every popular brand of American beer leaves me feeling as if I need to run a gardenhose down my throat and turn it on for a half hour to quench my thirst. Why is that?
That beer was Leffe Blonde. A true abby beer from Belgium. Delicious!
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The electricians were in my house all day long. They got here at 6:50 am and left at 5pm. I have great lights! I have 3 prong recepticals to plug things into! I did not have internet or electricity or our network for many hours yesterday. Photos to come later. I have to catch up on everything I missed yesterday.
(Recipe for the stout cake is under the cut.)
Continue reading Evening Libation.
