I took Van to a portrait studio today to do some photos of him, I prefer the more photo journalistic approach but these are something I could never do myself. He is almost one and I thought since I haven’t had any taken of him yet now was a good time. Not ones I would frame and hang on the wall however. I did find this one of Conner when he was a little one and it was fun comparing how similar they look! I don’t have a little girl yet but I love to think about what she will look like and things I will dress her in! I do love the Sophie & Lili Collection and they are having a huge tag sale, check it out! Also Ouef is having their first ever sale all clothing is 70% off.
So today when I was in the pantry I decided to read the ingredients of the trader joes cheerios that I give to my Van. I just read the ingredients on everything that I feed to my family so this is normal for me. I found an ingredient that I had never heard of (trisodium phosphate), so I looked it up and here is what I found. An ionic salt used as a thickener/emulsifier for foods, as well as common uses as a degreaser, detergent, and laxative. It is a chemical that can peel wallpaper off of a wall & they sell it at hardware stores. I know the entire world and then some feed their children cheerios but I found a cereal that actually tastes better, is in the same price range and is all organic, healthy times teddy puffs To read more about ingredients you should not consume click here.
Here are some of my favorite green companies offering eco-friendly & health-friendly toys, I feel it is important to check up on everything we give our kids to play with. It may save their life. I am just uberconscious and almost annoying about it. I love this peace baby block set.
Van got his Rody from Mimi while she was in town and he really has fun on it, he is a little young for it right now, so I assist him when he rides on it usually. Once he is big enough to jump on I probably wont have to help him anymore.
I feel a little scattered today, thinking about going back to work after a year of being home with Van makes my stomach tie into knots. I got all teary eyed today when I was feeding him his lunch. I think he knew how I was feeling because he just looked at me and smiled. It is time for us to get things back on track. However something that keeps manifesting itself is that positivity breeds more positivity. I went out on Saturday night with some friends and we had a big talk about being positive and letting go of things that continue to eat away at your core. I am feeling fluid and trying to move forward in the right direction. I know I can do it, it is just a hard step to take. Probably the hardest place I have found myself ever. I will let the positivity prevail and continue to thank God for the blessings I do have, my husband my son, faith, hope, love, health, a roof, a warm bed & a family who loves beyond words.
For brightening my every day, for looking into my eyes and making me feel like I hung the moon, for holding me, for laughing at me when I am not even funny. For sleeping in my arms and keeping me warm, for sharing the bath with me, for letting it be so quiet at night that I can hear your heart beat, for letting me comfort you when you are scared, for helping me realize that you are one of my biggest priorities, for growing with me. For making me feel a love I have never felt before. Your laugh fills my soul and makes every day better than the one before. I soak you in each day and try to tattoo you in my mind because the next day you will change a little bit more. I love you Son.
My sweet friend Jen emailed me these awesome rockabye cd’s and thought it would be a good blog post, I agree! I have seen these cd’s. I find myself listening to baby einstein and other nursery rhymes in the car latley, and most of the time I want to turn it off but Van loves to dance and move his arms around to anything playing on the radio. These entertain the kiddies and they are favorite songs that we the momma and pappas like to hear too. What a great idea!
Van jaming in the car to tunes, and showing you how big!
I made Conner & his mom a book in iphoto for Valentines day and they turned out so great. It really is a great gift to give someone. I have documented Van’s life with a photo a day pretty much since he was born, I went through them and pulled the best shots. This book is 40 pages full color and some black and whites. It has little comments about all of his firsts and so many shots of Van and Conner having fun and loving each other….
I have this book I have carried with me for the past few years, and every now and then I open it up for inspiration and some colorful moments. I love looking into other peoples lives and what better way to do it than in a book filled with postcards sent to people across the world. PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.
I really like it although it does have a dark side to it, but love has it’s sunny moments and it dark moments. Doesn’t it? Marriage is not always sunny, but the times when it’s dark are the times when you are learning the most. I ask for our marriage to be a bond that grows tighter every day and I can actually look back on the past year and notice a place where I started seeing it tighten like the laces on a shoe. Love is a funny thing, and it will probably take me forever to figure it out. I felt so red this year, the holiday was more this year for me than ever before. I have more love in my heart, and I feel so much love surrounding me. My heart continues to grow, never let yours stop.
Happy Valentines Day! I thought I would share the invites that I made for Van’s first birthday. They took a while but I had so much fun doing them. I wanted to create a vintage carnival theme with all old timey feeling carnival images and brown tones. I found a vintage photo of some people riding in an old ferris wheel, I took them out and put a cute photo of Van in there. I thought it would be fun to create a circle theme on the inside and carry it through the party too. I printed little directions and used a vintage photo of old fashioned tickets on the other side. I found some carnival stickers and used them to affix the directions! I think they turned out really cute and I am excited to carry out this theme through the little peoples party! Vintage Carnival! I am on the search for an old fashioned popcorn machine, a mini cotton candy machine & a fun littloe snow cone machine…. I am going to have some fun little goodie bags that tie in with the circle theme and the food will too. We are going to have a little book exchange as well!
Should be lots of fun! I can’t believe my son is already one, what a wonderful year it has been… Thank you Van for helping me to grow up! I love you.
Target has some cute clothes but most of the time you see it advertised and get into the store and your a little disappointed. Jovovich-Hawk, the label designed by models Milla Jovovich and Carmen Hawk, will hit Target this March!
According to Milla, “Our Target line will have all our classic pieces: smock dresses, tunics, minis, all vintage-inspired, great prints. We took the things that sold the best for us but we’re doing it on a bigger scale.”
I am the writer & editor of vanerwin.com. I write on life, love, children, sustainable living, toys, organic food & interior design. I also work part time for my Dad on the Blondie Comic Strip. I have a funny husband, two brilliant sons, and two very hairy dogs!
I took Van to a portrait studio today to do some photos of him, I prefer the more photo journalistic approach but these are something I could never do myself. He is almost one and I thought since I haven’t had any taken of him yet now was a good time. Not ones I would frame and hang on the wall however. I did find this one of Conner when he was a little one and it was fun comparing how similar they look!
