Life on LeRoy

week in photos

2012-02-16T18:54:00.003-06:00

Golden Grape Tomatoes from Trader Joes.

My new head gear from much love, illy

More nummies from Trader Joes

Dayton's Valentines for his buddies at school

New favorite polish from my bloggy friend, Jessi

We made cupcakes (or pupcakes as Day calls them) for Day's class on Valentines

Breakfast of champions (not really, just my breakfast)

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This weekend Lindsey is moving out of our house and Luke and Lindsey are moving in together! I'm so happy and excited for them and their new adventure but I will really miss having Lindsey around. I can't believe they are getting married in less then 4 months! So many good times ahead!

Also, thank you all so much for your kind words about our dog. It's amazing how an animal can become such a huge part of your lives! You are all so, so sweet and I'm so thankful for each of you!

Have a super fun, sunny weekend everyone!

XOXO

blog fart

2012-02-15T06:54:00.001-06:00

(via)

i've been having what i like to consider a blog fart lately. i just really haven't been in the mood for blogging and haven't been feeling too inspired. Poo!

perhaps it's the weather, or the fact that i've had this cold that won't go away, or the fact that our toddler has been a handful lately and is totally exhausting all my energy, or becuase work has been busy and stressful...who knows.

since i have nothing fun and interesting to blog about today, i thought i would give a little family update.

quinn {the dog}- as many of you read in an earlier post, we found a lump on his neck. the vet was unable to determine what it was and the tests didn't indicate anything either. through antibiotics it has gone down, so we are hopeful it will go away on its own. he's definitely back to his normal self ;-) so thankful!

day {the little man} - i don't know if they are secretly giving him spoonful's of sugar at daycare or what, but he has SO MUCH energy lately. if you know Day, he always has had a lot of energy, but this is even more energy! i literally fall into bed at night after being around him. i feel like i've been losing my patience with him lately and i hate that feeling. i need to remember to remind my self to take a deep breath before i react. maybe i need some spoonful's of sugar so i can keep up with him. he's moved into the 3 yo room at daycare now because he was bored in the 2 yo room.

tony and i - we've been working on refinancing our house! yippie, but lots of paper collecting. it's great to have a friend that does this for a living. it seems to go a little more smoothly that way. that's about all that's new with us. we are so exciting!

Have a great day everyone!

we rise early

2012-02-14T07:33:00.001-06:00

this is a typical day in our lives. granted, no two days are alike and since my husband works swing shifts i'm writing this based on his 7a-3p shift. if he's working 11p-7a or 3p-11p it's a little different.

we are morning people which is why we wake up early and head to bed early. i've grown to really love this schedule. it's different, but it fits us. that's all that matters.

4:40 am - alarm goes off. Time to sneak out of bed, head to the bathroom and get myself ready.

5:00 - wake up Dayton (unless he's already up) and we eat breakfast together. Usually with Cars or Rango playing on the TV. Then we get Day ready for school.

5:40 - head out the door and drive 12 miles to drop Day off at school and then head back to town to my work.

3:00 pm - done with work! Time to drive the 12 miles again to pick up Day and back to town. We get home around 3:45. so excited to see daddy!

3:45 - play, play, play! I love taking time to play, read or dance with our little man. This time is super important to me.

4:30 - start dinner (yes, we eat early). Day is usually playing during this time or hanging onto my leg while I try to cook. If Tony's around then he'll take him and occupy him.

5:15 - bath or shower time. Lately, Day loves to shower ;-)

5:30 - snuggle and watch a movie. Day likes to have popcorn too during this time (if he finished his supper of course).

6:30 - Day goes to bed. brush teeth, read a book and say prayers. of course this varies, but during the week, we try to keep it around this time.

7:00 - i pick up the house, do dishes, respond to phone calls, emails or whatever else i need to get to.

7:30 - hubs and i get some time in together. usually watching a movie and talking.

8:30 - i head to bed and read or blog. then it's lights out whenever I get sleepy. hubs usually stays up later then i do.

(source)

See, we have a pretty weird schedule.
It's ours though and we love it ;-)

week in photos

2012-02-10T06:34:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday friends!

I caught my little man's crud so I've been slugging down the tea and honey.

Needless to say, I'm so glad its Friday.

Pictures from the camera this week:

I love Trader Joe's ;-)

Pictures from the iPhone this week:

our cozy mantel

{i have a slight obsession with candles if you can't tell}

bangs!

we are goofs!

Day making sure Quinny eats every-last-bite!

Have a great weekend everyone!

2 1/2

2012-02-09T09:40:00.000-06:00

This handsome devil is 2 and 1/2 years old today!

Yup, I'm going to do that sappy mom thing now;

Day Day-

Your daddy and I often look at each other and say, "how did we get so lucky, he's actually a pretty darn good kid." The few times a week you have your "outbursts" totally outweigh the million amazing, beautiful, laughable, lovable moments you give us. You fill our house and our hearts with your unconditional love. Every night that we put you to bed and say prayers I have to hold back the tears as I'm thanking God for the many blessings you have given us. We feel so fulfill that you are in our lives. We have a hard time even remembering what our life was like before you. You have such a gentle soul and a huge, caring heart that radiates onto everyone that knows you and meets you.

You're one in a million little man and we love you all the way to the big huge moon and back.

****************************************************************

My sister-in-law's Birthday is also today! Happy Birthday Kristy!

{sorry about the picture Kristy, but it's my fav} :-)

more things i'm loving

2012-02-08T06:57:00.000-06:00

I'm newly addicted to Polyvore.

The above collection is pretty much everything I'm loving right now!

One of each please?!

My new iPhone cover! L-O-V-E Society 6!

Is it summer yet?!

HERE

Valentine's Day is just about here! Are you all ready?!

Free Printable-

HERE

I've had this necklace in my favorites for a while now! Isn't it splended?

HERE

This stuff is like silk for your hair!

HERE

I am really digging Tara's jewerly from Deer in a Bottle!

This neclace is one of my favs.

HERE

Alright there's a new little list of pretties for you!

Fun, fun!

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Life Lately:

Our little life has been a bit stress filled lately. Day got the "crud" over the weekend including a high fever and croup. Poor ritter guy ;-( We spent a lot of time cuddling and watching movies. He still has a cough and is just not himself.

Our dog is not feeling so well either. We found a large lump on his neck on Monday and within the day he wouldn't get up and was not eating. So, so scary. This dog is a huge part of our life and we love him so very much! Tony took him to the vet and they are running some tests on the lump.

I chopped myself some bangs! I'm pretty spur of the moment with stuff like that. I love going from super long hair to super short hair. Change is fun! At first they reminded my husband of when I was 12 (I seriously had some killer bangs when I was in Elementary/Middle School-thanks mom!). He's beginning to like them more now ;-)

chicken lime tacos + my sous chef

2012-02-05T17:44:00.001-06:00

With the freezing cold weather we have been having, I was feeling inspired and wanted to make something that would remind me of drinking margaritas on the patio, sitting around a campfire, smoking a good cigar. I ended up finding these chicken lime tacos! They were so stinkin' good - I can't wait to make them again. I had to borrow a picture off the internet because I didn't take the time to take my own ;-) I was hungry, what can I say... Trust me though, they looked just like the picture below.

(source)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 green onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

10 (6 inch) flour tortillas

1 tomato, diced

1/4 cup shredded lettuce

1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup salsa

Directions:

1. Saute chicken in a medium saucepan over medium high heat for about 20 minutes. Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and oregano. Simmer for an extra 10 minutes.

2. Heat an iron skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan, warm, and turn over to heat the other side. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve lime chicken mixture in warm tortillas topped with tomato, lettuce, cheese and salsa.

Enjoy!

{My sous chef}

This was how I used to get things done around the house with a REALLY little man.

He used to l-o-v-e cooking with me and I eventually called him my sous chef!

LINK UP {week in photos}

2012-02-03T05:08:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday everyone!

YAY, we made it through another week!

I'm so happy you're here today because it's my FIRST EVER "week in photos" link up par-tay!

If you took some time to capture a few snippets of your week either by your phone or camera link up with me below.

This kid is crazy for glasses! Look at those bug eyes he has with my glasses on! L-O-V-E
{and can you tell he's never afraid to pose for a picture :-)}

We're usually a little silly when we get out of the shower - I figured I better document it :-)

Our Saturday morning started with homemade blueberry muffins and coffee.

Day is pointing to the fisherman on my cup - that's the fly shop my brother guides for. He's a very talented writer (and fisherman) and writes a great blog. Check it out HERE.

I got myself some Gussy Sews!

I made some super nummy cauliflower poppers. The recipe is from Lindsay of Delighted Momma!

My mom got me the sweetest owl ring! I just love, love, love it! Thanks MOM!

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Alright everyone, now for the details of the link up:

-Write up a little "week in photos" blog post.

-Copy and paste the button below, add it to your post and link back to this post so everyone can blog hop and find you!

-Then simply follow the instructions below to add your link to the party.

Thank you so much for joining me - if there's interest I may do this more often :)

Have a cozy weekend everyone!

{guest post} then you become a mom

2012-02-02T06:32:00.000-06:00

I have a special treat for all of you today! Stephanie from the blog, Then you Become a Mom, is here today with some special parenting advice...err...kind of :)

I totally agree with everything she says. When I was preggers I never read a book, never took a birthing class and all the advice that was given to me went in one ear and out the other. My outlook was that I wanted to experience everything as it happened and I knew no book, class or advice was going to prepare me to expect the unexpected. I had a crappy pregnancy, an amazing labor/birth and now have the most beautiful son. Don't be afraid to figure a few things out on your own.

****************************************************************************

Hi guys! My name is Stephanie and I just started blogging at Then You Become A Mom in September. I love love love to blog about my son Connor, and when I'm not blogging about him, I write about DIY projects I'm working on, funny things I find, and important issues I want to pass on, like car seat safety.

Quick background...I'm 26 years old, I literally just had to figure out my age by counting years. Mom brain! My husband Andrew and I just celebrated 11 years together this January. Woah! We've been married since 2009 and on December 14, 2010 we were blessed with the most amazing little boy in the entire world.

This year has been crazy stressful...from the premature birth of our son, his hospitalization at 7 weeks old from RSV, to my husband being laid off from the construction industry most of the year and our subsequent financial struggles. It's also been the most amazing time of our lives. Everyday is a new adventure with Connor, watching him go from an infant to a toddler has simply been amazing. I love every second of it.

When you find out you're pregnant you can't wait to share the news with everyone. And 9 out of 10 times after everyone congratulates you, the very next thing out of their mouth is some sort of advice. I swear I was only 5 minutes pregnant and people were instantly bombarding me with questions and advice...

Don't get an epidural, our bodies are meant for this!

I hope you plan on breastfeeding, formula is basically poison!

Co-sleeping is best! Your baby will be traumatized if you put them in their own room!

Don't vaccinate! It causes autism!

It's very overwhelming. You're just trying to wrap your mind around the thought that there is a PERSON growing inside you and now they have you worrying about all these things at once! AH!

So here's MY advice. And trust me...it's the best advice I can give you.

Are you ready???

Don't listen to all the advice!!!!

You have 9 months to figure everything out. And to be honest, you don't have to figure out everything before the baby comes. You aren't going to know how you feel about certain things until you're in the moment.

You may swear up and down that you are not going to get an epidural, and then your baby is breech and not only do you need an epidural but you have to have a c-section. Be flexible, things don't always go the way you plan.

You may decide you don't want to give your baby a pacifier, then your baby has colic and the pacifier is the only thing that comforts them. Again...be flexible, things don't always go the way you plan. And that's OK.

Educate yourself on the things that are important to you. Don't just ask family and friends, or take unsolicited advice from strangers. Get the facts; ask your doctor, and read the literature regarding the issue. Then weigh the options and decide what is right for you and your baby.

Relax and enjoy your pregnancy and your new beautiful baby!

PS. Do listen when they say sleep when the baby sleeps! They aren't kidding! ;)

Thank you to my new bloggy friend Alli for letting me guest post here today!

finger paint valentines

2012-02-01T06:29:00.000-06:00

I {love} making Valentines with Day! He's such a sport. This year we made them at 7:30 on a Saturday morning because we were both up and ready to rock and roll. So why not finger paint right?! Ah finger painting with a two and a half year old is so fun :)

I told him we were going to use pink, white and red paint. For whatever reason he insisted that we also use orange. Ok, orange it is then.

After Day was done painting, I added glitter while the paint was still wet.

Then I cut the paper into heart shapes and we added some fun heart stickers.

Hope the grandparents {love} them :)

I had to include this photo!

This is our first Valentine's Day making crafts. Day was just 6 months old here.

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linking up here:

I hope you will join me on Friday for my very first link-up party!

The theme is "week in photos" so start taking some photos of your week and share them with us on Friday! Can't wait!

new friend

2012-01-31T06:28:00.002-06:00

I am so delighted to introduce all of you to Jessi today. Her blog is called Hopes and Dreams. Whenever you enter your name into a link-up party to be paired with another blogger, you never know who you'll end up with. Kind of like that Forest Gump saying, "you never know what you're going to get." Well, I ended up being paired with one amazing person, Jessi.

Jessi is from Utah, so right off the bat I was stoked about that because I don't know a darn thing about Utah. Like me she's married and has a little boy! Score! We hit it off right away and have been exchanging emails ever since. So part of us being paired together was to do a gift exchange. I had such fun shopping for Jessi! But this post isn't about what I sent her, it's about what she sent me - So here we go:

Above is the first glance of what I opened! How fun is that! It's like a little treasure hunt. Jessi included the sweetest note that had a little blurb on what each of the items were and what they meant to her or why she picked the item. I lOvE how personalized it was!

1-a sweet little journal for keeping lists (I'm a huge list maker)

2-nail polish - I painted my nails that night!

3-beautiful earrings

4-a fun floral tank and cardigan! Hello Spring!

5-sweet cards with an "A" on them

6-a monster truck for my little man - how thoughtful is that?! Day is in LOVE with it!

7-the most amazing necklace I've ever seen!! (homemade by Jessi herself)

Here's the tank and cardigan -

and that a-ma-zing necklace!

I have to say it's almost like Jessi knew everything I liked. It's so fun to meet new friends through blogging. I am pretty certain Jessi and I would have not met otherwise, but I'm so glad we did and I'm so glad we have started a new friendship! Please, please stop by Jessi's blog and say hi, she's got one amazing soul and is a sweetheart to boot!

Thanks so much Jessi - we'll chat soon :-)

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linking up here:

week in photos {link-up announced}

2012-01-27T08:54:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday everyone!
I don't know about you, but I'm pooped and really looking forward to the weekend.

I'm super excited to announce my first ever link up on my blog. I love the concept of link ups because you get to meet so many new bloggers that you may otherwise never meet. The link up is all about your week in photos. I love capturing little snippets of my week. So, this weekend and coming week take some photos with your camera or phone, write up a little post about your "week in photos" and link up with me next Friday, February 3rd!

**Please copy and paste the button below in your post and link back to the party!!

Alright - now for my week in photos:

Berries galore! I love these colors together.

My girlfriend, Annie, and I got together Monday evening with our little guys for a play date.

This is me and Reese.

This isn't a great quality picture, but I had to include it because they are just having too much fun!

Annie and Day

Coloring, coloring and more coloring!

I LOVE this picture! Tony and I recently showed Day our wedding album, now he wants to look at it ALL-THE-TIME! Adorbs!

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On another note, like everyone else out there I am also sad to hear that Piknik is closing down in April.

I am however enjoying their FREE premier photo services right now ;-)

If you want to use a FREE online photo editing software that is comparable to Piknik, I would recommend FotoFlexor. It's got a lot of the same features that Piknik does.

Have a supurb weekend everyone!!

XOXO

discipline

2012-01-25T08:34:00.001-06:00

I suck at it. I hate doing it. I feel enormus guilt after I do it. Our little man is almost 2 and a half now and sure knows how to take advantage of his mommy's sensitive heart.

It's come time where more and more discipline is needed. Although I think we've been through (I hope) the worst part, which for us was when he was about to turn two and the last 5 months. I have such a hard time looking into Day's big brown eyes and telling him that what he did was wrong. I knew this was part of being a parent and I want to teach Day what is right and wrong, but I'm struggling. My husband is very good at it, but oftentimes I find myself getting upset at him (even though he's doing the right thing). I feel enormous guilt in my heart after I send Day to timeout or even raise my voice (I'm not a voice raiser). I almost hate myself for doing it. Oh, all those tears! I will never spank my kids, but I need to teach myself that discipline is OK and at times, necessary.

I need to let go of the guilt.

I need to know that what I'm doing is OK.

I need to know that Day will forgive me.

I need to remember that I'm teaching right from wrong.

(source)

For the most part, Day is a pretty darn good kiddo and I feel very blessed about that. Thank goodness!

I just hope I'm helping teach him what is right and what is wrong and that in the future I can look back and be thankful that I did the right thing.

sun-dried tomato penne pasta

2012-01-23T09:54:00.001-06:00

(recipe source)

Ok everyone, this is a must make!

I work full time so typically when I get home from work I like to make something that is fairly easy.

This recipe is perfect for the family, just add a salad and garlic bread and wa-la!

**Suddenly I'm SUPER MOM!**

Ingredients

2 cups (8 oz.) dry penne pasta

8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk

2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

PREPARE pasta according to package directions, adding sun-dried tomatoes to boiling pasta water for last two minutes of cooking time; drain.

MEANWHILE, COMBINE evaporated milk, cheese, basil, garlic powder and pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

ADD pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to cheese sauce; stir until combined.

Enjoy!

7 pretty things on a sunday

2012-01-22T07:46:00.003-06:00

I was pretty stoked when I read Gussy's blog and saw that she was doing a '7 pretty things on a Sunday' link up! I love pretty things, I love link ups and meeting new people, Sunday's are pretty great too! PERFECT, I'm there.

Most of you know I love winter!

I decided to pick 7 pretty things about winter. Winter is a beautiful time to take pictures! The snow is breathtaking.

Source of all images: HERE

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Now it's your turn. Go link up.

week in photos

2012-01-20T06:39:00.001-06:00

It's FRIDAY!

This week was a good week. We got lots done around the house and now we're ready for a relaxing, no plans kind of weekend.

Day is taking showers more often these days to avoid the crazy water mess!

This little man is all about splashing!

my adorable husband organized our pantry this week!

what a keeper ;-)

yes, we did go to Cabelas last weekend - Day loved the fishies!

i'm not sure that when we told him we were going to see lions, elephants and zebras that he figured they would be stuffed. he still enjoyed them though.

**Question for everyone - I really enjoy documenting my week in photos and sharing them with all of you. Would you be interested in a link-up to share your "week in photos" as well? As you know, link-ups are a great way to meet and be inspired by other bloggers :-) Leave me a comment or send me an email and let me know. I would love to hear from you. lifeonleroy@yahoo.com

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again, another weekend with not too much going on.

YIPPIE for that. when it's as cold as it has been here in WI, it's all about hibernation ;-)

Have a great weekend everyone!

linking up here:

inspiration workshop with Gussy Sews

2012-01-19T06:33:00.000-06:00

Have you signed up for Gussy's Inspiration workshop emails yet? Well if you haven't you should! Here is some more information on what the inspiration workshop is all about.

This month's prompt was bedrooms!

Below is a little collection of my favorite (dream) MASTER bedroom finds.

I like something a little different about each one of them.

I love the simple look of this room and the pop of color.

This room just looks clean! I LOVE clean!

This room would inspire me to read.

I love how bright and beautiful this room is.

It would make me want to read with the windows wide open and fresh breeze blowing in.

(I would replace the dog with mine though :-)

(source of all pictures)

I liked this bedroom right away because it reminded me of the mosquito nets I slept under in Peru.

For my husband and I though, we would have to do one big bed and one big mosquito net ;-)

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Now, go link up with Gussy and find more bedroom inspiration!

things i'm loving

2012-01-16T08:28:00.000-06:00

Happy new week friends! YAY, so happy for a new week to start over fresh. Although I have tons of catching up to do from such a crazy week last week, I'm rejoicing in the fact that it's still a new week!

Today, I wanted to share with you some of my recent favorite finds.

One of my favorite things about finding lovely, new things is sharing them with all of you!

I love sending out thank you cards! I think it's an important thing to do.

I recently found these super classy, free printable thank you cards - L-O-V-E

HERE

One of the blogs I sponsor, Julie Ann Art, makes the most stinkin' cute, original cards!

I recently purchased a few - you need to check out her naughty Valentine's cards - they're great!

HERE

I'm loving Jessica N Designs new products!

I purchased this ring and it was shipped the same day! WOWZA!

HERE

When I saw this sparrow necklace, it was love at first sight!

It's simply beautiful.

HERE

I L-O-V-E this lip shine. It's super nummy minty! Try not to lick it off right away ;-)

HERE

Lindsay from Delighted Momma recently posted a DIY on how to make pretty glitter polish.

(perfect for Valentine's Day)

HERE

Hope you enjoyed my little list of recent finds.

Happy Day!

week in photos

2012-01-13T19:33:00.001-06:00

On Saturday we celebrated my SIL's Birthday and Tony and I dubbed it as a date night since it had been so long since we had a date night.

We had drinks and ate at Chino Latinos is Minneapolis. We had such a blast!!

Me and the hubs.

Yes, he's tall. He's 6'8" to be exact.

Got my toes done

Day loves peeling his own oranges ;-)

Don't you dare try to help him!

We have been getting outside a TON lately thanks to the beautiful weather!

50 degrees in January?!

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Have a splended weekend everyone!

We have nothing on the agenda! I'm super duper happy about that.

My hubs is trying to convince me to go to Cabelas with him ;-) We'll see...

I hope everyone is linking up over at Hollie Takes Notes for Follow Friday!

It's time to meet some fantastic new bloggers!

reflect.

2012-01-12T06:40:00.000-06:00

I recently took our dog for a long hike through some local woods near a beautiful river that runs through our town. The weather was ideal for this time of year, I had to get out and enjoy it. As I walked alone through the woods I spent much of the time reflecting on my life. I almost felt guilty to have such an opportunity. I knew I had a busy week at work ahead of me, I knew I had a lot of to do's, but nothing could have bothered me during this brief journey I was on.

I found a rock near the river and sat for a while and watched the river effortlessly gliding past me. Our life is beautifully blessed and I so appreciated the time to sit and reflect on it. I thought about how blessed we are to have such great health, jobs, food on our table, a warm house, and endless love. I thought about how the river represents our life the way it seems so effortless at times.

I've written several posts about how I appreciate the simple life we live. I try to keep it this way. I always want to be able to find time in my life to reflect; even if it's on the simplest things. Sometimes it's the simplest things that make life so beautiful. As you drive into the city we live in there's a sign that says, "where life keeps getting better and better." Every time I see that sign I think to myself, yes it does!

When is the last time you took time out of your day to reflect?

makin' cupcakes

2012-01-10T08:55:00.000-06:00

I'm constantly looking for ways to keep our little guy entertained. Trust me, in the middle of winter it's not so easy. Day enjoys baking. Probably more than I do. Baking in our house consists of opening a box and adding a few ingredients. It's all Day needs though to enjoy it. He typically does the pouring, stirring and licking of spoons.

On this particular day we were making cupcakes for New Years and he thought the baking cups made a very nice hat. He put them on his head just like he figured that that's where they were supposed to be...

I really do enjoy baking with Day. It's something that keeps him entertained and he seems to really enjoy. Not sure I'm a fan of him eating the batter with raw eggs in it, but he's survived so far.

If you have kids, do you bake with them?

i love winter

2012-01-09T14:28:00.001-06:00

I really, really love winter.

A lot of people would call me crazy, but there are so many fun activities I love to do in the winter time.

I wanted to share a few of them with you - maybe you'll get inspired and enjoy the cold weather a little more as well. As long as you dress appropriately it's never really that cold, right?!

{snowshoeing}

I love snowshoeing. Still waiting to get some snow this year so I can clear the cobwebs off my snowshoes!

Super good exercise and excellent opportunity to get out and see the beautiful snow covered countryside.

(see my tracks there along the river?)

{ice fishing}

Yup, that's me! (from a few years back). Remember this Amber?!?!

Ice fishing is so much fun! I love anticipating the bobber to go down or the flag to pop up!

{sledding}

I haven't done much sledding in recent years, but hopefully with our little man getting older we'll be able to do a little more of it. This is Tony pulling Day around in the yard last winter.

{snow angels}

This was our little man's first snow angel! He couldn't even walk yet, but we plopped him out in the snow and made a little angel.

{making snowmen}

I couldn't find a picture of a snow man that I had taken so I had to borrow one from Pinterest.

We really haven't had good snow making snow in the past couple years...

(if you live where you get snow, you know what "good snow making snow" is)

I'm ready to whip one up though, so bring it on!

{snuggling indoors by a warm fire}

I LOVE coming inside after a long snowshoe to a warm cup of apple cider or hot chocolate and cozying up by the fire ;-) I like to refer to it as thawing out.

Anyone want to come visit and try one of these winter activities?

week in photos

2012-01-06T06:58:00.001-06:00

really enjoying my new Rocket Dog slippers

little man and i made new years cupcakes

we had a-ma-zing appetizers and drinks new years eve

played a fun game of fish bowl on new years eve

little piggy toes

rose bowl party!

me and the hubs

puppy inside staying warm

Have a fun weekend everyone!!

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**I'm guest blogging over at Momma's Me Time today. Stop by and say hello**

{guest post} keeping the "spark" alive after having a baby!

2012-01-05T06:42:00.002-06:00

Hi! I'm Lisa and I'm the writer of the blog, Tales of a Young Housewife. This is my little family of three.

While I was pregnant with my daughter, Aubrey (now 10 months old), one thing I always worried about was how it would affect my marriage. I loved being a newlywed and having each other all to ourselves. I was afraid our weekly date nights would turn into every-other-month date nights. I was afraid that all we would talk about was the baby. I was afraid we would forget what it was like to just be us. I was afraid we wouldn't flirt anymore. We wouldn't hold hands anymore. As thrilled and excited as I was to have a bun in the oven, I was afraid that my marriage would lose that spiciness and spark that had kept us so strong.

Things definitely change when you have a baby; it's inevitable. But they don't have to change for the worst when it comes to marriage. During our newlywed years, I remember people saying, "Oh, you guys are lovey-dovey now, just wait until you have kids!" I'm happy to report we are still mushy gushy, (just not as annoyingly mushy gushy) and that same exact couple we were-just with an adorable daughter in our arms wherever we go.

Here are some tips that helped us keep our marriage "spark" alive.

Date night. It's tempting to have the baby be a great excuse to not go out. After Aubrey was about 6 weeks, and wasn't getting up every 2 hours at night, we went on a date EVERY single week. We'd make sure she is fed and happy, go out to dinner, or even just a quick ice cream date. This time was so important (especially for me) to get out of the house and be a little "normal" again. We still to this day go out every single week. Most of the time, we bring Aubrey. Sometimes we get a babysitter. The point is-do something together. Have it be a routine and a priority.

Greet each other. I remember clearly one day when Aubrey was a couple months old, I was so excited for Steve to come home and see all that I had accomplished: a clean house, dinner was ready on the table, all the bills were paid, I got dressed up a little more than usual. He came through the door, said "hey" and immediately scooped up our daughter to give her kisses. Being the dramatic girl I am, I started crying. I wanted him to notice all that I had done! I wanted him to greet me at the end of his long day like he usually did. I told him immediately why I was upset and he apologized and understood. He now is much better at acknowledging my hard work, and always gives me a big hug and kiss before going to see Aubrey. If you are upset about something, even if you think it's silly, tell your spouse. Communication is so, so important.

Keep it spicy. I won't go into great detail, but key word: lingerie. Babies sleep a LOT. :)

Get ready. For the first couple months, moms have every right in the world to wear sweat pants, no makeup on, and look plain haggard. Lack of sleep really does a number on you! But after you get into a routine, try to not let yourself go. Put on a bit of makeup (if you wear it) and go for the jeans maybe instead of the yoga pants. Your husband will appreciate the fact that you tried to look decent for him. (Don't even get me wrong, we still wear yoga pants every now and then around here!)

Do little things. We have a little whiteboard on our fridge, to write things down we want to remember, or sometimes I'll put the menu for the week. Every now and then, my husband will take his time in the morning, and write a little love note. It's such a small thing, but really makes me smile and know that he's still that sweet guy I was just at prom with the other week.

Talk throughout the day. Depending on the job situation here, send your spouse texts a few times a day. Call on lunch breaks. My mom always makes fun of us when she and I go out together, because I'm constantly texting Steve. She says, "Don't you guys run out of things to talk about?" Never.

Spirituality. This one is different for everyone, but when I find that we study our scriptures nightly, and pray together every day; things go smoother, everyone is kinder, and most important, happier

on dealing with anxiety

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

This was a tough post for me to write and to hit the publish button was even harder.

Growing up, I had a great childhood. I had (and still do have) an amazing family, a beautiful house to live in, lots of friends. After I graduated High School I attended college and got the job I wanted. I was one happy camper.

After I moved out of my parents house and into an apartment with a friend, got engaged, 4 of my best friends moved states away and my brother and his family moved away and I knew my parents were going to put the house I grew up in for sale and move away is when the anxiety and panic attacks started. I worried about everything.

At first I could manage them and calm myself down, but after a while, they became unbearable. I would throw up, had no appetite and couldn't control my crying outbursts. I hibernated and declined a lot of invites to hang out with friends. My husband (fiance at the time) had no idea how to help me or what I needed from him. To this day, I have no idea how he stuck by my side even when I pushed him away. He's a saint!

My days went like this; wake up, try to put myself together, go to work, leave work early because I couldn't stop crying, go home, crawl into bed and cry the rest of the night. This went on for about 3 straight months until I couldn't handle it anymore. I knew that this was not the real me, I knew I didn't want to spend the rest of my life like this. I've always had such a positive outlook on life and couldn't understand where this was all coming from. I remember the phone call I made to my parents telling them I needed to go to the doctor to get help. I made an appointment the next day. I was never diagnosed with depression, but was diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks. I was prescribed a low dose medication that I still take today. {Did not take while pregnant and nursing}

Perhaps it was all too much change for me at one time, perhaps it was the stress, the worry, the uncertainty. It was a really tough time in my life, but looking back I can say it is why I now choose to live such a simple life. I know what makes me happy and what doesn't. I know what I can tolerate and what I can't. I know I don't like clutter so I get rid of things I don't need, I know I don't like crowds so I steer clear of them. It's knowing what gives me anxiety that helps me live a simple, improved life.

I know there are a lot of people out there that don't believe in taking such medication but this is my blog and I'm going to tell it how it is. I believe that life is way too short to live the way I was living. I never want to look back on a wasted life wishing I would have done something differently. I have tried to stay off the medication, but at this point in my life I choose to stay on it. I don't think it's fair for anyone to say they wouldn't take medication if they were ever in that situation because until you are in the situation you have no idea how horrible it is and how badly you just want to get better.

I know this was a long read but it's something I wanted to share with my readers and I want everyone to know that you don't have to be afraid to get help to live the life you deserve. Life is too short, live every beautiful moment to the fullest. I'll leave you with a quote my dad told me that I live by everyday. "Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday. Was it worth it?"

Go Badgers!

2012-01-02T08:11:00.000-06:00

The badgers play in the Rose Bowl today which means lots of nummy food, drinks and watching football!
In honor of today's game, I made a little collection of my favorite badger items via Polyvore!

Go Sconnie!

our little goof

2012-01-01T08:29:00.000-06:00

Day is always cracking us up! He is just the biggest goof ball ever. He knows exactly what to do to make us laugh. My husband blames his goofiness on me, but I think it comes from him as well ;-)

He doesn't need glasses, but insists on wearing them. He used to take my parent's reading glasses and wear them until my mom got him a pretend pair. Really?! What kid wants to wear glasses? Mine I guess.

I wouldn't have it any other way. I love that he's a goof and always keeps us laughing.

We never know what's going to come out of his mouth next.

He brightens our days without trying.

He knows just when we need a smile.

He makes stressful days all better.

He's our little goof.

giving credit

2011-12-30T07:04:00.001-06:00

I wanted to let you all in on a little secret. I hire out all my blog design work. I am not overly creative in the graphic design area, so I leave it up to the experts. I am learning though :-) I've never been disappointed by anyone I've worked with so I wanted to make sure I give them credit! If you are looking for some blog design work, I highly, highly recommend working with one of these beautiful women!

I most recently have worked with Ashley from After Nine to Five. I was extremely impressed with her responsiveness, creativity and her ability to comprehend what I wanted my blog to represent. Ashley made my new blog header. Like it?

I've also worked with Danielle Roy of Changing Lanes and Casey Wiegand. Again, they very quickly responded to my requests, were very helpful, talented and I love their work on my blog!

In December I participated in a Christmas card exchange. Sign me up! Getting Christmas cards is pretty much one of my favorite things! The exchange was sponsored by Kimmie from Sugar and Dots and Rachelle from Fingerprints on the Fridge. Thank you ladies for this fun, fun idea! Let's do more!

I was paired with Kaleigh! She kicked my butt into gear and emailed me right away. It's been so fun getting to know each other and starting a new friendship. She sent me the card above. She made the most amazing blog post about the card I sent her - such a sweetie! Thanks again Kaleigh!

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Alright, we have one more family Christmas tomorrow and then it's off to my parents house for appetizers and drinks to celebrate the new year ;-) Have a happy and safe New Year's everyone!

cheers!

2011-12-29T06:51:00.000-06:00

I've never been much of a New Year's celebrator. Mostly do to my inabilitiy to stay up that late. I would rather hang out at home and watch movies and drink wine with my family in my PJ's. Which is exactly what we have planned. I also never set resolutions. They seem a little cliche to me. I do however think of things I would like to accomplish or try in the new year. I don't set dates in which I would like to accomplish things by because I think life can be crazy enough and I have enough dates I need to remember.

With all that being said, here are a few things I would like to accomplish or try in the new year:

call my friends more often.

I HATE talking on the phone, but many of my friends live out of state and I'm terrible about keeping in touch with them.

read more books.

BIG dork here, but I love to get lost in a good book.

have more date nights.
My hubs and I are terrible about this! We must make more time for each other.

do something crazy that i've never done before.

I don't know exactly what this is going to be yet, but I'm pretty adventurous and will try just about anything once. So stay tuned!

make more messes.
I'm a little anal when it comes to having a clean house, so this year, I'm going to mess it up a little more.

work on this here blog.
I have ideas; lots of ideas.

attend church.
Ever since our little man was born, we've been pretty bad about getting to church on Sundays. My excuse has always been that he's not going to sit still and be quiet any way so why even try...HOWEVER, we brought him to church Christmas Eve and he was fantastic! It's going to take some time for him to realize just how quiet he has to be, but we'll get there. I have faith in it.

~Wishing everyone a blessed new year~

we celebrated

2011-12-27T07:52:00.000-06:00

christmas questions & happy holidays

2011-12-22T08:52:00.000-06:00

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
-LOVE hot chocolate

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
-Wraps them for sure

Colored lights on tree/house or white?
-I'm all about the white

Do you hang mistletoe?
-I would if I knew where to get some...

When do you put your decorations up?
-Right after Thanksgiving

What is your favorite holiday dish?
-Mashed potatoes :-)

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
-My mom wrapped one of my gifts in a box that had a local shops name on it :-( Silly mom!

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
-YES! The siblings usually exchange gifts on Christmas Eve

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
-Very simply. Lights and ornaments.

Snow! Love it or Dread it?
-LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!

Can you ice skate?
-Yes I can. Not a huge fan of if though...

What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
-Spending time with my family and making sure our son has a blast!

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
-Cookies

What is your favorite holiday tradition?
-Hanging out in sweats, eating and watching movies all day Christmas day!

What tops your tree?
-Nothing.

Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
-I honestly really enjoy finding that "perfect" gift for someone and then watching them open it.

Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?
-I like the minis

Favorite Christmas show?
-Either National Lampoons Christmas Vacation or Home Alone

What is your favorite Christmas song?
-"Silent Night" by Josh Groban

**Happy Holidays from our family to yours!**

wild man

2011-12-21T06:57:00.000-06:00

I'm at home today with this wild man. This weeks schedule is kind of crazy as my husband is working overnights and Day is home from daycare all week and I'm trying to be at the office as much as I can.

My plan for the day is to bring Day out to my parent's house (in the country) while our house cleaner is cleaning our house and let him RUN! He's had so much energy lately, I'm having a hard time keeping up. Not to mention his listening skills must be taking a little vacation as well.

We are also trying the whole potty training thing again...The thing with this little man is that he LOVEs putting on the undies, but doesn't really care if he pees in them...boys!

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

chocolate covered spoons

2011-12-20T08:11:00.000-06:00

I made these super easy, super nummy chocolate covered spoons this weekend! They're great for last minute gifts (with hot chocolate or coffee, and a cute mug). I'm hosting Christmas Eve this year so they'll be a great addition to the drink table. I even put a few marshmallos on some of them before the chocolate hardened ;-)

What you'll need:

-12 ounce package of chocolate chips. You may use semi-sweet, white chocolate, raspberry flavored, or any other kind of baking chip of your choice.
-Heavy plastic spoons
-Shortening
-Deep glass measuring cup
-Waxed paper

Chocolate Spoons Instructions:

Pour the chips into a heatproof container, such as a measuring cup. A deep cup is the best for this project.

Microwave the cup of chips at half power for one minute. Stir. Repeat in 30 second bursts until chocolate is smooth and fully melted, but do NOT over cook.

Add to the melted chocolate one teaspoon of shortening for each cup of chips. Stir lightly until just blended.

Dip plastic spoons into the chocolate to coat the bowl and about one inch of the handle. If the chocolate starts to harden, microwave 30 seconds at half power.

Lay spoons on wax paper to set.

Enjoy!

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**the Lisa Leonard Designs gift card winner is Julie S.

Email me Julie at lifeonleroy@yahoo.com and I'll get you hooked up! Congrats girl!

mommy's night out

2011-12-18T19:42:00.000-06:00

Each year, my girlfriends from high school get together and celebrate the holidays. This year we went out in St. Paul, MN. I'm truly convinced I have the most beautiful, fun, big-hearted friends in the whole world! We had such a wonderful night.

Keely, Maggie L, Maggie H, Sheena, Heidi and me

Sheena and I

Thanks for the fun night ladies!

Getting home at 2:30 am and having to get up with a little one at 6:00 am, is totally worth it ;-)

week in photos

2011-12-16T06:43:00.000-06:00

a little peaky at our christmas card.

we celebrated our first Christmas of the season last weekend with Tony's mom, sister and Mike.

my "little" brother and Day ;-)

this depressing picture was taken right outside our front door ;-( it's depressing because the little snow that we did get is gone. it's been raining this week...RAIN! in December, in Wisconsin...
it's not looking like we're going to have much, if any, snow for Christmas. i've never experienced a Christmas without snow...

Day has his own little tree in his room.
the tree is very special as it was hand painted by my grandma.

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Tonight I'm heading to St. Paul, MN for our annual girls Christmas gathering!

I'm super duper excited for some girl time and lots of dancing ;-)

This weekend is going to be pretty low key for us. This beautiful lady graduates from UW-Stout this weekend! Congrats Lindsey, so proud of you! Lindsey has been living with us all semester and we are sure going to miss her when her and my brother get a place together.

Last chance to enter this giveaway! Ends Monday.

Have a great weekend all.

early

2011-12-15T07:03:00.000-06:00

we wake up early; every morning. and by early, i mean before 5:30 early (yes, even on the weekends). Day has always been a great sleeper. he goes to bed early and wakes up early. when we first got into this routine i couldn't handle the early mornings. i didn't know what to do with myself when it was still dark outside.

we leave the house every morning at 5:45 so we can make the trek to daycare and i can be to work by 6:30. the best thing about starting work so early is getting done by 3 every day and getting to spend the afternoon with our little man.

i have grown to LOVE our early mornings together. Day usually likes to watch "Cars" first thing with a sippy cup of juice. On days that i'm getting ready for work he also likes to put on my make up with me and try on my jewelry ;-) (Tony's not so fond of this).

on the weekends, we snuggle under a big blanket and watch You Tube videos of tractors, eat breakfast on the couch, read books and watch the sun come up. this is just mommy and Day time and it's such an amazing and important part of my day now. i wouldn't have it any other way.

meet my new owl

2011-12-14T07:08:00.000-06:00

I found this sweet, vintage owl at a thrift shop when we were up north over Thanksgiving and fell in love with him! I am (slightly) obsessed with owls so when I saw him I knew it was meant to be. I bought him for a whole $3.50 and bought a can of leather brown spray paint. My husband did the rest :-)

I LoVe how he turned out. He kind of reminds me of a big chocolate bar!

It's fun to take vintage items and turn them into new creations to fit your style.

I want to give a big howdy ho WELCOME to my new blog followers! You make me so happy! I'm trying to catch up and follow all of you back. The best thing about gaining new blog followers is finding some awesome, new blogs to follow ;) I can't believe I have almost 100 followers. I know I'm just a little bloggy, but it gets me super excited. (it's the little things right?!)

Happy Hump Day!

christmas cornflake wreaths

2011-12-11T19:24:00.000-06:00

We did a little baking this weekend. I'm not a huge fan of baking, but it's always fun to do it with other people. This recipe was introduced to me by my brother's fiance, Lindsey, a couple years ago and I haven't stopped eating them since! What's better than a bunch of melted marshmallo and butter?! A-MA-ZING!

1/2 cup butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon green food coloring
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups cornflakes cereal
1 (2.25 oz.) package cinamon red hot candies

Microwave marshmallows and butter on high for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on high for 2 minutes more. Stir. Add and mix quickly the coloring, extracts, then cornflakes. Drop by spoonfulls in clumps on greased wax paper and decorate with 3 red hots each. Once cool, transfer to lightly greased serving/storage tray with lightly greased fingers.

week in photos

2011-12-09T08:37:00.001-06:00

Tony and I are working on a barn for Day for Christmas. It's been a super fun project for us to do together.

{shhh...don't tell him!}

Last year for christmas, Day got a train. He was a little small to play with it then, but we got it out for him this week and it was a total hit! Hours and hours of fun!

Day LoVeS the snow (as do i)! This picture was taken shortly before he threw a pile of snow in my face and laughed hysterically about it. I did not.

Day woke up Thursday morning with the most amazing mohawk! If anyone could wake up with a natural mohawk, it would be him! It just fits him.

My husband worked 2nd shift all week and left this sweet note on Day's pillow one night ;-)

I got my new braidbands from Just.Lovely.Things!! I'm in love, I'm in love and I don't care who knows it! {name that movie}

We are celebrating the first Christmas of the season this weekend and baking cookies! I can't wait!

Have a happy weekend everyone!!

Have you entered my giveaway yet? It's a $50 gift card to Lisa Leonard Designs!!

Check it out HERE.

linking up here:

shoot for the moon

2011-12-08T09:48:00.001-06:00

This is one of my favorite sayings. I have it on canvas in our house. Every time I come down the stairs and see it, it reminds me that no matter how hard I push myself, even if I don't come out ahead, it was still worth trying. I believe it's important to always strive to do our best even if it doesn't get you to where you want to be. If you give it your best, you'll find satisfaction in the fact that you tried.

People often complain about how they gave something their all and it still didn't get them anywhere. If they would just turn the situation around and pride themselves in the fact that they gave it their all, the situation could be completely different.

I strive everyday to be the best person I can be, to be the best mom, to be the best wife, to be the best employee... I know I'm not any of those things but I know I try hard and aim high and to me, that's what matters.

Would you rather try hard and fail or not try but come out ahead with very little satisfaction?

**enter to win a $50 gift card to Lisa Leonard Designs HERE

homemade dog biscuits

2011-12-06T18:56:00.001-06:00

We can't forget about our hairy little friends this time of year! Winters here in WI get pretty cold so we let our dog, Quinn, come inside throughout the winter, but he truly loves being outside. He's got a top of the line dog kennel that includes a heated, insulated dog house. He's one happy camper out there! We recently made him some homemade treats and some extras for his friends.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. brown sugar

1/2 cup powdered milk

6 Tb. meat drippings or liquid smoke

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup ice water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a cookie sheet.

Combine dry ingredients. Add liquid smoke and mix until it resembles corn meal.

Add egg and enough water so dough forms into a ball.

Pat out dough 1/2 inch thick and cut with cookie cutter (we used a bone) saving scraps.

Bake 25-30 minutes.

Remove and cool.

a thank you giveaway

2011-12-05T06:00:00.003-06:00

This time of year there are so many ways to give back. Whether you volunteer, donate gifts or money it's always a challenge to decide where to give back. This year, one of the ways I want to give back is to say thank you to my beautiful, thoughtful, amazing followers. That's all of you! This blog has been such a fun journey for me and I'm so glad that so many of you have joined. Blogging has become such a fun hobby of mine. I truly enjoy sharing my life, my family's life, recipes, tutorials and more with all of you. Not only do I love hearing from you, but I also love reading your blogs as well. I try to comment and say hello as often as I can, but I know I don't do it as much as I would like to. I appreciate all of your thoughtful comments and inspiration more than I can tell you.

As a thank you to all of you and in the spirit of this holiday season, I'm giving away a $50 Lisa Leonard Designs gift card to one of my lucky followers. To enter the giveaway you must be a follower of my blog. It's super easy to do, just click 'join this site' on the sidebar to your right. If you are truly not interested in my blog, then please don't become a follower just to enter the giveaway and then stop following me after (not to be a scrooge or anything...)

to enter:

mandatory - must be a follower of this blog

tweet about this giveaway and mention @lifeonleroy

FB about the giveaway

(leave a comment for each)

Winner will be announced on December 19th

**Good Luck**

week in photos

2011-12-02T06:46:00.003-06:00

our house is getting very festive for the holidays!

I've been drinking a lot of hot chocolate and hot cider from the Keurig.

I LOVE making lists. This time of year I have lists for everything! To do's, to buys, to makes...

I can never get enough kisses from my sweet little man

Have a great weekend everyone!

Our plans are to finish Christmas shopping, wrap presents and snuggle.

Have you checked out the new recipe yet?

my mom made this dip on Thanksgiving - NUM NUM!

Stop by early next week - I'm having a BIG giveway for all my sweet followers!!

having more babies-it's personal

2011-11-30T19:08:00.002-06:00

I think I get asked about 5 times a week when we're going to have another baby. Our "baby" is now 2 years old. It didn't really bother me at first, but to be honest, it kind of gets old. Just because Day is 2 doesn't automatically mean it's time to get pregnant again. We've had many, MANY conversations on when or even IF we are going to have another baby and neither of us is ready to make a decision one way or another. I often feel guilty about not being sure if I want to have more kids. I feel guilty about Day possibly not having siblings, I feel guilty that I'm not one of those moms that knows they want to have 5 kids.

I hated being pregnant. I mean HATED it! To everyone who absolutely loved it, I'm jealous. I was sick most of the time (as in the puke sat up in my throat) and I constantly felt like I was going to puke. I couldn't even grocery shop because the thought of it made me gag. I had Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. Sounds lovely, huh?! You can read more information on that HERE. It was extremely painful (had physical therapy, but it didn't help) and lasted until Day popped out. I had high blood pressure which meant I could only be up for 6 hours a day (not ideal for someone who can't sit still) and had almost weekly ultrasounds. I felt ugly. I was moody. I was puffy.

Are you still wondering why I'm not jumping at the opportunity to have another?!

It's such a tough decision to make. Because of my husband's work schedule, I'm already alone with Day a lot of the time, I can't imagine having another one to care for while chasing around a toddler. Sometimes life throws us crazy little curve balls and changes the way we look at things.

For now, we are pefectly happy where we are at. I have to get over the guiltiness I feel in my heart. I know whether Day has siblings or not, he will turn out just fine.

it snowed!

2011-11-28T10:55:00.001-06:00

I was slightly excited when it snowed last week (to say the least). I absolutely LOVE the snow! I love how beautiful it is, how refreshing it feels and how it brings out the kid in me (I don't even mind shovelingi it). The first snow of the year is exhilarating! I got Dayton all bundled up and we headed outside to play. This is the first year Day can really enjoy the snow and the first thing he wanted to do was shovel like daddy. Our dog loves the snow too. He stood in the middle of the yard with the wind whipping around and took it all in.

If you live somewhere that it snows,

do you love it or could you live without it?

i've missed you

2011-11-27T19:06:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! I'm back from a looong blog break. Probably the longest I've taken in very long time. I've actually been doing a lot of writing behind the scenes that I'm super excited to share with you. This post is filled with pictures from our Thanksgiving holiday. We spent Thanksgiving day at my parent's house. It was so much fun to play with my niece and nephew! They live across the state, so I soak up my sweet time with them while I can. On Friday we took a 5 hour drive up to northeast Wisconsin to stay at Tonys aunt and uncle's cabin. It was so relaxing and I loved being snuggled up north for the weekend! Alright enough writing, here are a bunch of pictures -

my nephew, Logan

my niece, Zoe

off to the cabin~

we decorated cookies!

tony's uncle, Tom

Have a great week everyone!

I'm off to go do some more Christmas decorating :-)

on being thankful

2011-11-17T05:00:00.002-06:00

This time of year reminds many of us how much we have to be thankful for. We reflect on the past year and rejoice in everything we have to be thankful for. I believe thankfulness comes from the inside out; from our hearts. We must find it within our hearts to give thanks for the beautiful journey we are on. We have to find it within ourselves to give thanks for even the tiniest blessings as it's these things we often take for granted.

I'm so thankful for my family.

We laugh together, play together, nap together, take walks together and so much more.

I'm thankful for the smiles they bring to my face and the love they fill my heart with.

God has blessed us immensely and I thank him everyday for all blessings big and small.

This Thanksgiving, take time to remember all the little things you are thankful for.

Tell your family and friends why you are thankful for them.

Remember those who are suffering and may feel like they have nothing to be thankful for and pray that many little blessings come their way.

linking here:

On another note, I'm stepping away from the blog through the holiday.

We will be on the road driving 5 hours (with a 2-year old) so it should be an adventure but we'll be nestled WAY up north in a cozy cabin! Can't wait!

Safe travels everyone - I'll be back soon.

{I also posted a new recipe incase you need some last minute dessert ideas} enjoy.

OK. Before I go, one more thing. Jones Design Company has been sharing a beautiful collection of holiday printables. {for free!!} I couldn't not share them with you! They are so much fun and so simple.

Check them out here:

sled hockey

2011-11-16T05:00:00.002-06:00

My sister-in-law's boyfriend, Mike, played in a sled hockey tournament this weekend so we stopped by to watch him. I had no idea what to expect, but it was totally inspiring. I was exhausted just watching them.

That's Mike with his helmet off! GO MIKE!

Lindy, my beautiful sister-in-law and I

Lindy, Mike and Dayton :-)

Day loves his apples!

Day was in "ah" of the zamboni! He watched it the entire time it resurfaced the ice.

we made brownies

2011-11-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

I'm a huge believer in letting kids make a mess!
I think it's all part of learning, exploring and on top of that, it's just plain fun!
A lot of people think I'm crazy (including my husband), but life is supposed to be messy right?!

guest blogging @ dot...in the city today

2011-11-14T05:00:00.001-06:00

I'm guest blogging over at dot...in the city today about tips to save money at the grocery store.

'Tis the season to save!

Check it out HERE

little things of the week

2011-11-11T05:00:00.000-06:00

Watching the movie Cars with my little man. I swear he could watch it on replay ALL DAY LONG.

Capturing beautiful fall pictures

Salmon! Lindsey (my future sister-in-law) has been living with us for her last semester of school and we've been enjoying some a-ma-zing meals including LOTS of grilled salmon!!
Dayton LOVES salmon too and he's not afraid to tell you.

Moccasins! I love pulling out my moccasins this time of year! They are my favorite.

Coloring! We do a lot of coloring in our neck of the woods.
We're pretty sure Day is going to be a lefty.

Lindsey's sweet mom stayed over Wednesday night on her way to the airport and gifted us some salsa and homemade pickles! Can't wait to crack the seal on those! So, so sweet of her ;-)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Remember to cherish the little things; everyday.

guest blogging @ dondalee's today!

2011-11-10T13:29:00.000-06:00

Happy Thursday everyone!

I'm guest blogging over at DondaLee's today about rejoicing in life's little things!

Stop by and say hi: HERE

my wish for you

2011-11-10T05:00:00.001-06:00

natural remedies for cold and flu symptoms

2011-11-08T05:00:00.002-06:00

Cold and flu season is upon us here in the Midwest. I am a huge believer in natural remedies to cure the crud. Both my little man and I have already caught the crud and by using just a few of these simple tricks, the crud didn't last long. I keep these tips taped inside my cupboard and refer to them often this time of year. You can find the full article HERE.

Why Use Home Remedies?
Effectiveness. Many OTC medications simply mask the symptoms, while home remedies work to heal your body and at the same time provide relief from the uncomfortable symptoms.

Safety. Many OTC medications are not safe for children, and in fact, the FDA recommends that parents not give any cough and cold medicine to children under age 2.

Convenience. Many home remedies are things you are likely to have around your home already, which saves you from having to run to the store when you’re feeling under the weather.

Symptoms and ways to cure them:
Cough
Honey. Take a teaspoon of honey straight, or make some herbal tea and add honey. You can also add a squeeze of lemon to a spoonful of honey for some extra Vitamin C. Be sure not to give honey to children under one though.

Scratchy/Sore Throat
Salt Water Gargle. Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in warm water and gargle four times a day.

Garlic. Raw garlic is best if you can stomach it. I sometimes mix raw garlic into a spoonful of honey, which helps it go down easier and I get the benefits of both honey and garlic. If raw garlic is not an option, load up some soup with garlic and eat that.

Stuffy Nose
Try a Neti Pot or make your own salt water rinse. Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 8 ounces of warm water and use a bulb syringe to squirt the salt water mixture into one nostril at a time, while plugging the other nostril.

Use a menthol salve under your nose both to help you breathe easier, and to relieve irritated, raw skin. You can make your own salve by heating a cup of oil such as olive oil or coconut oil (or a mix,) and 1/4 cup beeswax in a double-boiler over low heat until the beeswax is melted. Then pour into containers and add 10-20 drops eucalyptus essential oil while it is still warm. Once the salve cools and thickens, if you want to adjust the thickness of the salve, simply heat it again and add more beeswax. You can also experiment with adding other essential oils, such as lavender.

Onions Beside the Bed. Cut up an onion and place it by your bed at night to relieve congestion, stuffy nose, and ease a sore throat.

Congestion
Eucalyptus Steam. Fill a sink or large bowl with steaming water and drop a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil in the water. Lean over the sink or bowl, covering your head with a towel and breathe in the steam. For young children, you can simply turn on a hot shower in a small bathroom and allow the room to fill with steam, then sit with them in the steamy room.

Homemade “Vapo” Rub. Add a drop or two of eucalyptus essential oil to 1-2 teaspoons of a carrier oil. Rub this mixture on your chest, bottoms of your feet, and even under your nose.

Humidifier. Use a humidifier at night to keep the air moist. You can also add some eucalyptus essential oil to some models, but check your manual first.

Stay Well Hydrated. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. Clear broths and soups are especially good too, as well as herbal teas. Avoid drinks with caffeine because they can dehydrate you.

Apply warm compresses to your sinuses if you’re having trouble breathing through your nose.

Elevate your head with a few extra pillows at night to help you breathe better throughout the night. For young children, roll some towels or place pillows under the head of the mattress to elevate that end of the bed.

Stay well everyone!

park time

2011-11-07T05:00:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite things is to go to the park with my family. I absolutly love the time we spend there. We're trying to soak up as much time at the park as we can right now before the snow flies.

I think Day could sit and swing all day if he could.

We told him he could go close to the water, but not in the water. I love that he puts his hands in his pockets! What a little man!

Are you ready for the snow to fly?

I AM, I AM!!

I love the snow and can't wait to get my snowshoes out!

to make you smile

2011-11-05T05:00:00.002-05:00

Just a little picture today to make you smile ;-)

Have a great day everyone!

little things of the week {free printable}

2011-11-04T05:00:00.002-05:00

playing legos with my little man at 5:30 am in the morning.

lovely notes left on our chalkboard by vistors

my sweet new earring holder made by my super talented husband ;-)

the best part is that there's plenty of room for more!!

It's NOVEMBER! The month of my favorite holiday of the year!

{get this free printable here}

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linking here:

lucky.

2011-11-02T16:38:00.000-05:00

I recently found myself sitting in a patch of four and five leaf clovers. I kept searching and kept finding more and more. I even wondered if finding a five leaf clover was more lucky. After making this 'lucky' discovery it had me thinking about all the ways that I am lucky. I'm lucky to be a wife, a mommy, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, and so much more. I'm lucky to have such great love surrounding me in my life. I'm lucky to know what it feels like to be lucky (hope that makes sense) :-)

As I'm writing this I'm reflecting on what a tough day this past Saturday was. Our 2-year old was in full swing "terrible 2" mode. Everything I said and did he fought back. He challenged me like he never has before. I felt like giving up at times, feeling like anything I did, failed. At the end of tough days like Saturday was, it's hard not to remember how lucky I am to be a mommy in the first place. Even if at times I feel like I'm losing it.

We are lucky as moms because God has given us the ability to keep it all together (most of the time) and prevail in the end. We are often challenged in ways we never thought imaginable and somehow we push ourselves even harder. It's the instinct inside of us. Tough days make the better days more beautiful.

I am one lucky mommy, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and more.

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linking here:

sweet little skeleton

2011-11-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

Our little man was the sweetest little skeleton for Halloween. We went trick or treating, handed out candy and ate pizza shaped like a pumpkin with grandma and grandpa Sipple and auntie Lindsey!

Tony had to leave for work at 6 :-( so my parents went with me to take Day around the neighborhood to trick or treat. This was his first time out and he had a blast to say the least!

The first couple houses we stopped at Day would say, "Happy Birthday" instead of trick or treat. It was so funny! I guess he had good intentions, right?!

extra easy lasagna

2011-10-31T05:00:00.002-05:00

One of my hubs' favorite foods is lasagna. To be honest, I was too afraid to make it for him for years because it looked way too complicated. But since I knew it was his favorite I figured I better suck it up and give it a try. My mom gave me a super easy recipe (you don't even have to cook the noodles) and now it's one of my favorite things to make. It's total comfort food and since the long winter months are on their way here in Wisconsin I thought I would share it with you so you give this super easy recipe a try.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. ground beef (I use turkey)
3 C. spaghetti sauce
15 oz. ricotta cheese (I use cottage cheese)
2 C. shredded mozzarella
6 uncooked lasagna noodles
1/4 C. water

Directions:
Cook ground beef (or turkey) according to directions. Add spaghetti sauce, heat through. In a 2 quart oblong baking dish spread 1 1/2 C. meat mixture. Top with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, half the ricotta (or cottage) cheese and half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Slowly pour water around inside edges of baking dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

little things that make me happy

2011-10-28T05:00:00.003-05:00

My sweet new mug sleeve I won from here.

The last bright colors of the year.

Walks with the family

My favorite boots ever

Sparkling lemon water from Trader Joes

Yummy pomegranates

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linking up here:

live simply, live happy

2011-10-26T13:40:00.000-05:00

Living a simple life is very important to me. I actually strive to live simply because I feel like it makes my soul happy and helps me to focus on the little, beautiful things in life that surround us everyday. I often get asked what about my life is so simple? My response is typically because I don't have a lot of "clutter" in my life. Clutter can be physical things, a crazy busy work and personal schedule, or even negative people that bring you down. I try to keep my life free of this clutter and have found over the years that life is so much sweeter without the clutter.

When I was a junior in High School I took a trip to Peru, South America. I stayed for 12 days in the Amazon Rainforest and visited villages where people had very little. They lived in shacks, ate meals covered with bugs and wore mismatched clothing. However, something to this day stands out in my mind about them; they were so happy and so beautiful! They live these simple lives, free of clutter and even though they don't have much, they have enough. When you feel like you have enough in your life it can be such a satisfying feeling.

I don't have clutter in my house, I'm not involved in a lot of activities because I would rather spend that time with my family and I keep the negative people out of my life. I feel so blessed that my life has evolved into this simple way of living because it's truly what makes me happy.

Too often I hear people complaining about their cluttered house and crazy schedules when they could be doing something about it. Clear some of the activities out of your life and spend a little more time with your family, donate your clutter and free your life of the negative people.

Live simply.

What do you do to live your life simply?

What is one thing you could do to live more simply?

weekend with my bestie and little man

2011-10-25T05:00:00.001-05:00

My best friend lives near WI Dells, about 3 hours from me ;-( I don't get to see her nearly as much as I would like to. Day and I decided to take a short weekend trip down to see her and her boyfriend, Tommy, and it was a such a blast! Day was such a good boy (even on the long drive). He got to go on a tractor ride, we went to a pumpkin bash, and stayed at Copa Cabana Waterpark!

Giving horse kisses ;-)

On a sugar high!

I think Day went down this slide a good 50+ times! He loved it. Even though the water was cool and his lips turned blue, he didn't want to get out!

We ate at Sprechers for dinner Saturday night. Day had to sit next to Amber in the booth ;-) Really yummy food!

We miss Amber and Tommy already! It was a beautiful weekend spent with my bestie and little man! (now mommy needs a vacation)

ducks

2011-10-24T05:00:00.001-05:00

We have a little lake in the middle of our town where everyone goes to feed the ducks and geese! It was a beautiful fall day and we had some leftover buns so we went to find some hungy ducks.

Day LOVED it! He threw in a few whole buns ;-) Lucky ducks! Quinn, our dog, wanted to jump in and play.

Have a great week everyone!

who i am

2011-10-21T05:00:00.001-05:00

i'm insecure
i love sleep
i played basketball and ran track in high school
i love finding beauty in ordinary things
i hate attention
my favorite color is orange
my favorite TV show is Wipeout
i hate lettuce, but i eat a salad almost every day
i have high cholesterol
i have sweaty feet
i'm a clean freak
sunsets make me happy
i enjoy a good cigar every now and again
my favorite movie is Gladiator
i love listening to sappy love songs
my house cleaner makes my life a lot easier
i rarely brush my hair
i've swam in the amazon river in peru (and lived to tell about it)
the smell of fresh cut grass is my favorite
i love shoveling snow (weird, i know)
i watch football on sundays
hunting with my dad is my favorite
i hate shopping
i'll try just about anything once
my favorite food is mashed potatoes smothered in butter
making people happy makes me happy
i hate snuggling (most of the time)
i'm shy
i can't sing a note to save my life
i love fall and winter
going to the dentist makes me happy
favorite bands are OAR and Mumford and Sons

what about you? tell me something about you now!

My little man and I are heading off to Wisconsin Dells for the weekend to visit my bestie and to stay at a water park ;-) Have a great weekend everyone!

content

2011-10-19T07:19:00.000-05:00

source

What makes you content in your life?

favorite quote

2011-10-17T05:00:00.001-05:00

I love quotes. I have a journal full of my favorite quotes. I wanted to share one with you today from a favorite book of mine. I think it's a good reminder to live life to the fullest; everyday.

photo by me

The winner of the $20 shop credit to Made by Jewls is: Beth!

email me at lifeonleroy@yahoo.com

easy apple crisp

2011-10-13T05:00:00.003-05:00

I love visiting orchards this time of year and collecting lots of varieties of apples to make delicious apple dishes. Today, I'm sharing a super duper easy apple crisp recipe with you.
Grab some apples and chop them up-

Place the apple pieces in a bowl and add some sugar and cinnamon-no need to measure, just eyeball it. Mix so all the apples are coated with the goodness.

For the crunchy topping, mix together 2 cups of oats, 1/4 cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 stick of melted butter.

Sprinkle the topping over the apple pieces in an oven safe bowl/pan

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until the crust is golden brown

Enjoy!

linking up here:

what i wore wednesday

2011-10-12T04:55:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up with Lindsey this week for another rendition of What I Wore Wednesday.

Check out her blog and others for some fashion inspiration and to meet some beautiful people!

This week's pictures are from a little photo shoot I did with a friend (thanks Annie!) recently.

Totally for fun, I'm no model, that's for sure!!

I'm a huge jeans and t-shirt fan. Nothing better in my mind so I wanted to stay true to myself in the pictures.

necklace - pink lemonade

white tee - H&M

jeans - H&M

tee - again, H&M

scarf - Egypt

sweater - American Eagle

jeans - H&M

Happy Hump Day!

**I've got a giveaway going on! Check it out HERE**

CLOSED giveaway by jewls

2011-10-11T05:00:00.002-05:00

The beautiful Julianne of Made by Jewls is offering one of Life on LeRoy's readers a $20 credit to her shop! Julianne's earrings are so much fun! Her shop is filled with a huge variety of earrings {even some for Halloween}! I recently received the earrings below and loved the adorable packaging (I'm a sucker for cute packaging) and quality of the earrings (not to mention the prices are great)! Julianne's earrings are simple enough to wear with just about anything; they make a perfect statement.

Etsy: www.madebyjewls.com
Blog: www.madebyjewls.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/madebyjewls
Facebook: www.facebook.com/madebyjewls
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/madebyjewls

To enter:
mandatory - must be a follower of Life on LeRoy (tell me you are for one entry)

head to Jullianne's shop and tell me what your favorite earring is!
tweet about the giveaway and mention @lifeonleroy and @madebyjewls
follow Julianne's blog
follow Julianne on facebook
follow Julianne on pinterest
{one entry for each}

winner will be announced next week!

weekend in pictures

2011-10-10T05:00:00.001-05:00

My older brother and his family were in town this weekend so we took the kids to a local orchard. It was such a perfect way to spend a beautiful Fall day! Enjoy the pictures.

Stop by tomorrow for a giveaway!

changes

2011-10-07T08:51:00.000-05:00

Change is good right? I try to remind myself of that, but it doesn’t always seem so good. I’ve been through some hard times in my life lately, some I’ve come through feeling better and some I’ve come through feeling hopeless. I think God puts us through these tests to make us stronger, to appreciate the little things and to reflect on our lives. In my daily life, I strive to make people happy, which is one of my biggest joys, I strive to be strong, and I strive to be the best I can be. I know we only live once; we’ve only got one chance at living our lives to the fullest. I never want to look back on my life and wish I would have done something differently or wish I would have done something that I was too scared to do or not brave enough to make changes that will make me happier and stronger.

I rarely cry, I especially don’t cry in front of others. Well, I’ve cried a lot lately. Sometimes after a cry I just want to close my eyes and fall asleep, sometimes after a cry I feel refreshed and ready to move on. I’ve cried both types lately...a lot.

God has plans for all of us and sometimes it takes a while for us to figure them out, sometimes we end up asking for his forgiveness in the end. Life evolves everyday and it’s up to us to decide the right path.

I want everyone to know that I write this blog as a type of outlet for myself. I write from the heart, I write what I’m feeling, I write to let go. I’ve always loved writing which is why this blog has been such an amazing journey for me. I hope you enjoy reading what I write because it’s all from the heart and it’s who I am.

(thank you to my great friend, Annie for my mini photo shoot)

what i wore wednesday

2011-10-05T04:56:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up again this week with Lindsey from The Pleaded Poppy for some fashion inspiration and to meet some totally amazing, beautiful people!

{road trip to a winery and cidery}

sweater - Old Navy

jeans - Hollister

boots - Madden

necklace - me

{errands and just plain hanging out}

top - Forever 21

jeans - Express

boots - gift from the coolest mom ever!

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

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The winner of the Much Ado About You calendar is:

Ashley!!

email me at lifeonleroy@yahoo.com and I'll get you hooked up!

terrarium

2011-10-04T04:00:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday, Maggie of Gussy Sews, hosted a sweet terrarium making meet up in Minneapolis. It was held at the most beautiful, little flower and garden shop called Amelia. It was a fun opportunity to meet local bloggers, drink wine, eat nummy cheese and make a terrarium!

Maggie and I

I want this in my house!

My finished terrarium! I love it!

winery & cidery

2011-10-03T04:00:00.003-05:00

My friend and I left work early on Friday to head to a local winery and cidery! It was a gorgeous Fall day and the leaves were just starting to turn to beautiful reds, yellows and oranges. It was the perfect day to take a drive through the bluffs.

Fresh picked apples getting sorted and washed.

They had lots of varieties of apples to buy!

A sweet little gazebo in the middle of the orchard

We had dinner here at Gelly's Pub. It was seriously amazing!

It was such fun way to spend an afternoon with a great friend.

http://www.maidenrockwinerycidery.com/index.html

little mommy things

2011-09-30T04:00:00.003-05:00

I believe it's important to reflect on the little things in life that make it so beautiful, to be thankful for all the little things and not just thankful once in a while when a big thing happens.

I'm fortunate to have a life that I feel is very blessed and I've always found that reflecting on the little things in life helps to remind me just how lucky I am.

Here are a few little things this week that make me one lucky mommy:

eating animal crackers in bed with my little man

explaining to my 2 year old that these little pumpkins are for decoration and not for eating!

see those bite marks?! he's now thrown away every little pumpkin i bought...i guess if he can't eat them, he doesn't want them out as decorations either!

watching my little man look at books and say the a, b, c's

on the way to school one morning, he counted two stars in the sky (yes we get up early) and then started singing, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

{melted my heart}

Lastly, we had to put my cat to sleep this week.

It was tough, tougher than I thought it was going to be. The cat has lived at my parents house since I moved out because it didn't do well moving to my house. I got home from my parents house after loading the cat into the cage, cleaning up every cat thing in my parent's house and was crying pretty hard. Day noticed me right away and asked me if I was OK. This is coming from a 2 year old. He knew right away that mommy was sad. Then I scooped him up because I just wanted to hold him and be comforted and he moved a piece of hair away from my face, wiped a tear and asked me if I was OK again. The tears flowed all over again. This time the tears were for happiness; happiness that I'm so lucky to have such a caring, gentle, big hearted little man.

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linking up here:

what i wore wednesday

2011-09-28T05:07:00.001-05:00

I'm linking up with Lindsey this week for another What I Wore Wednesday and a little fashion inspiration! Day doesn't leave my side for too long these days which is why he jumped in this picture at the last second ;-)

{art in the park}
Flats - Target

Sweatshirt - Old Navy (I have to get another one of these! I love it)

Jeans - 1969 Gap

{errands and lots of football watching}

Cardigan - Target

Belt - H&M

Jeans - H&M (my favorite)

Necklace - Old

{hanging out after work, dinner at my parent's house}
Sweater - Old Navy
Scarf - The Pleaded Poppy
Jeans - Hollister
Boots - Madden (I LOVE my new boots!!)
Ring - H&M

Have you entered my Much Ado About You giveaway yet?

Enter HERE

CLOSED {giveaway}

2011-09-26T14:33:00.001-05:00

I recently did a post dedicated to my new Much Ado About You Planner. See it HERE
Much Ado About You is offering one of my readers a Large Desk / Wall Monthly 2012 calendar!

Large Desk / Wall Monthly 2012 Calendar

From Much Ado About You!

This is a brand new product for Much Ado About You!

Perfect for your desk or wall, and way more stylish than the one your Sales Rep will give you.

*The paper is a heavy weight, 70# paper that allows you to use colored markers and not soak through to the next month.

*The top edge is perforated for easy removal.

*There are also two holes in the binding to allow for wall hanging.

*Plenty of space for notes, and year-at-a-glance on each page.

*measures 18" x 24"*

to enter:

mandatory - must be a follower of 'Life on LeRoy'
{tell me you're a follower for one entry}

Tweet about the giveway

Blog about the giveway

FB about the giveaway

art in the park

2011-09-26T04:00:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, my mom, Day and I went to Art in the Park in Afton, MN. It was a gorgeous Fall day, perfect for browsing local artists booths, listening to good music and eating delish food from food booths. Thankfully, the event took place in a park so there were swings, slides and other toys for Day to play on! He was such a sport all day and especially loved listening to the band.

Day loves popcorn and wanted a BIG bag of it all to himself!

This was my big purchase of the day! I've wanted a vintage skeleton key necklace for a while now and fell in love with this one!

guest blogging @ Yellow Heart Art

2011-09-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

Happy day everyone!

I'm guest blogging over at Yellow Heart Art today!

Check out the a-ma-zing yummy dinner I made!

Find it HERE

little fall things

2011-09-23T06:53:00.001-05:00

Fall is my favorite. I love all the little things that make it so beautiful.

apples and yummy apple cider

this little man LOVES apples!

gorgeous changing colors

campfires and smores

cozy sweaters

soup - Annie Chun's Miso soup from Trader Joes :-)

kraft carmels! for some reason, they just taste better in Fall!

(source)

and (in my opinion) Fall would not be complete without football on Sundays!

what little things do you love about Fall?

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linking here:

reflections

2011-09-22T07:23:00.001-05:00

When is the last time you stopped and really reflected on your life?

Where your life is going?

Where you want your life to be going?

Where you've been?

Who or what has influenced you to be the person you are today?

Sometimes our lives fly past us so fast we forget to reflect and make decisions that will better ourselves, make us happier. I've been trying to do this a lot lately. I know I'm in a very blessed place in my life, but there are definitely changes I could make to live happier, healthier, and simpler. I pride myself on living a simple life and I often find myself re-evaluating my surroundings, my work, my faith and my daily routine to ensure I'm doing what is going to make me the most happy and help me to never look back on my life with regrets. I believe when you make positive changes in your own life, it will reflect on others and hopefully influence them to do the same. If we all reflected a little more often, imagine the change we could make.

future hunter buddy

2011-09-21T04:00:00.001-05:00

I shot my first turkey when I was 6 months pregnant with Day.

I got the shirt Day is wearing at a baby shower and really never thought he would be big enough to fit into it and look at him now! (I took this picture yesterday) He's getting so big! I can't wait for him to join me someday out in the turkey blind, listening to the sounds of the wild and watching the sun come up. Hopefully he can stop talking and sit still for long enough to call a turkey in ;-)

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The winner of the Sweetnature Designs giveaway is Lindsey!

Congrats Lindsey - email me and I'll get you hooked up.

the planner in me

2011-09-20T04:00:00.001-05:00

Have you checked out Much Ado About You yet?!

I heard about Much Ado About You through a fellow blogger and as soon as I checked out their site, I was hooked. I knew I had to have one of their personalized planners. It's prefect for what I need it for and can't wait to fill it in and start planning my 2012! (I know, I'm a little ahead of the game)

Here are their current planner covers to choose from:

{I got #12}

When my planner arrived, I was so impressed with the packaging! They really put a lot of time and thought into the delivery of their products. I love that about handmade business'.

I got 'Life on LeRoy' put on mine, but you can select pretty much anything you want!

How fun is that?!

There's sweet little quotes on the pages! I love this one ;-)

What are you waiting for! 2012 will be here before we know it!

Check out their site HERE.

Happy Planning!

hello new week

2011-09-19T04:00:00.002-05:00

Our little man wakes up very early (even on the weekends)! Notice outside the window in this picture the sun is just starting to come up ;-) It's ok though, I love sneaking in some quality cartoon watching time with him. He drinks his juice and I drink my coffee or "mommy juice" as Day calls it.

I put out a few Fall decorations this weekend and noticed Lightening McQueen got jammed into this pumpkin! Wonder who did that?!

I made a Fall wreath and LOVE how it turned out.

This picture is for my cousin, Brynn. She got him this Brewers outfit at a game last year and he's finally fitting into it! He calls it his baseball outfit. (he knows I'm taking a picture which is why he's not looking at the camera) Stinker!

Have a great week everyone!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE.

The winner will be announced on Wednesday.

guest blogging @ Mandipidy

2011-09-18T13:51:00.000-05:00

I'm guest blogging over at Mandipidy today! Head over to Mandy's blog to check it out!

real beauty

2011-09-15T18:50:00.000-05:00

I rarely ever look in the mirror and like what I see. I'm very critical of myself and mostly always have been. When someone compliments me, I feel like they're lying and just trying to be nice. Why am I this way? No one has ever told me I'm not pretty or made fun of me for any reason that would make me feel un-pretty.

The older I get, the more I'm starting to appreciate the way I am and the way God intended for me to be. I'm in no way perfect, nor do I strive to be, nor would I ever want to be. I am trying to look in the mirror and look at the whole picture, rather than just looking (and focusing) at the tiny imperfections. If you always focus on the imperfections, it's impossible for others to see your real beauty. Again, I try to tell myself this every day. It's tough, it's a learning experience, but I'm getting there.

**********************************************************************************

I'm linking here:

**I've got a giveaway going on right now! Enter HERE

let's meet!

2011-09-15T08:50:00.000-05:00

Do you live in Eastern Minnesota or Western Wisconsin?!

Maggie of Gussy Sews has put together an amazing opportunity for us to get together!
For more information visit her blog here.

Hope to meet you soon!

CLOSED {giveaway} sweetnature designs

2011-09-13T08:04:00.003-05:00

It's my pleasure to introduce all of you to Beth of Sweetnature Designs. I found her shop on Etsy a few months back and fell in love at first site. You know when you find a new shop and you're like "wow, this is so me!" (that's exactly how I felt). I love her bright, bold colors, sweet, inspiring phrases, and unique drawings. All of her designs start with one of her original drawings and each item is sewn and hand screen printed by her in her home studio!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Cotton Jersey Scarf: HERE

Bicycle Wooden Pendant Necklace: HERE

Cotton Kitchen Towel: HERE

16x16 Pillow Cover: HERE

Now, lets get to know Beth a little better:

My name is Beth Tobey and I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington. I have two school age children and a wonderful husband and together we enjoy long boarding, hiking and biking. When we can, we head to the Oregon coast for boogie boarding and surfing.

Once my youngest entered 1st grade, I decided to find a way to put my artistic hobbies to another use. I loved painting and had sold several paintings throughout the years, but I wanted to find something with a quicker turnover…something smaller to ship, too! I had some fun designs in my mind and thought they would translate well onto kitchen towels and other accessories. Through a lot of trial and error I have finally found the ideas that work! My kitchen towels, scarves, bags, pillow covers, and aprons are so much fun to make and I am so blessed to have found this creative outlet!

I currently sell my products in several stores and boutiques across the country as well as in a few online markets such as etsy, artfire, and zibbet. Surprisingly, after the United States and Canada, the majority of my sales come from Australia! I added pillow covers to my line about 9 months ago and they have been really successful. Many of my customers tend to like the designs I have created with fun little reminders on them:
Be Happy, Life is Pretty Cool, It’s All Good, Smile, Funny Life… Any of my products with these designs on them tend to be the most popular.

I can’t live without my phone! It’s my mini computer, and it helps keep my organized and connected. However, I am also a huge list maker and "doodler" and the lists and doodles MUST be on paper…it’s the artist in me, I guess! I carry my phone and my day planner everywhere.

Reese’s Peanut Butter cups are ALWAYS in the house. Necessary for lapses in creativity.

"Worry is the misuse of your imagination". I keep this in mind often as I come from a long line of worry-arts and artists. Hmmm…

Favorite movie: Sense and Sensiblity AND Sixteen Candles. I’m a hopeless romantic.

I am a huge homebody, but if I lived on the beach I would never go anywhere else. It doesn’t matter what the weather is…I LOVE the ocean.

A now, for the best part! Beth is kindly offering one of my readers a cotton or linen kitchen towel of their choice!! Yes, please!

to enter:

mandatory - must be a follower of 'Life on LeRoy'
{tell me you're a follower for one entry}

more ways to win -tell me what your favorite Sweetnature item is.

Tweet about the giveway

Blog about the giveway

FB about the giveaway

Winner will be announced later next week.

Life on LeRoy

week in photos

blog fart

we rise early

week in photos

2 1/2

more things i'm loving

chicken lime tacos + my sous chef

LINK UP {week in photos}

{guest post} then you become a mom

finger paint valentines

new friend

week in photos {link-up announced}

discipline

sun-dried tomato penne pasta

7 pretty things on a sunday

week in photos

inspiration workshop with Gussy Sews

things i'm loving

week in photos

reflect.

makin' cupcakes

i love winter

week in photos

{guest post} keeping the "spark" alive after having a baby!

on dealing with anxiety

Go Badgers!

our little goof

giving credit

cheers!

we celebrated

christmas questions & happy holidays

wild man

chocolate covered spoons

mommy's night out

week in photos

early

meet my new owl

christmas cornflake wreaths

week in photos

shoot for the moon

homemade dog biscuits

a thank you *giveaway*

week in photos

having more babies-it's personal

it snowed!

i've missed you

on being thankful

sled hockey

we made brownies

guest blogging @ dot...in the city today

little things of the week

guest blogging @ dondalee's today!

my wish for you

natural remedies for cold and flu symptoms

park time

to make you smile

little things of the week {free printable}

lucky.

sweet little skeleton

extra easy lasagna

little things that make me happy

live simply, live happy

weekend with my bestie and little man

ducks

who i am

content

favorite quote

easy apple crisp

what i wore wednesday

CLOSED *giveaway* by jewls

weekend in pictures

changes

what i wore wednesday

terrarium

winery & cidery

little mommy things

what i wore wednesday

CLOSED {giveaway}

art in the park

a thank you giveaway

CLOSED giveaway by jewls