Little M's Video Debut!

A little something fun on a Friday! Here is Little M doing the accent vlog! {well kinda}

Sisters, Sisters...

Never were there such devoted sisters.  White Christmas anyone?  No, just me?  Okay.

When we first learned that Baby C was going to be a girl, I was overjoyed.  We knew we just wanted to have two kids, so the thought of Little M have a sweet sister to play with made my heart happy.  I hoped {and still hope} that they will be the best of friends one day.  Playing together, talking, sharing secrets.  As one of three girls in my family I know how special the bond between two sisters can be!

Now they're still real young and Baby C is too little to do much of anything, but I think they're friendship is off to a pretty good start already!

Heart.melting

A to Z of Me and a Shoutout

I just wanted to do a quick shoutout to my mom!  She has recently started a blog about her life as an American, married to my dad the Englishman and it's awesome!  Head on over to Between the Two and leave her some love!


I saw Mindy over at All I Will Ever Need and thought it looked really fun!!  Feel free to copy and do it yourself!  Just make sure to leave me a comment and let me know if you did so I can come over and check it out!

A. Age: 28
B. Bed size: Queen...we like snuggling!

C. Chore that you hate: Putting clothes away baskets of clean clothes sit in our room for DAYS {sorry Mom}
D. Dogs: Two...Shiba and Mr. B
E. Essential start to your day: Coffee
F. Favorite color: Pink

G. Gold or Silver: Silver

H. Height: 5'4"

I. Instruments you play: None. I played the clarinet in the fourth and fifth grade and was HORRIBLE
J. Job title: SAHM
K. Kids: Little M and Baby C
L. Live: Dirty Jersey
M. Mother’s name: Mom

N. Nicknames: Mandy

O. Overnight hospital stays: Just two...when I had my baby girls
P. Pet peeves: People who drive too slow
Q. Quote from a movie: Anna Scott: "For June who loved this garden from Joseph who always sat beside her." Some people do spend their whole lives together. - Notting Hill


R. Right or left handed: Right handed.

S. Siblings: Two sisters...one older, one younger
U. Underwear: Of course.

V. Vegetable you hate: Peas

W. What makes you run late: My girls
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Dental x-rays and ones of my feet before I had surgery
Y. Yummy food that you make: M&M cookie bars
Z. Zoo animal: Sea Otter

2 on Tuesday

It's time for another installment of 2 on Tuesday with Andrea! 

 This week's topic is "What two television shows that have gone off the air do you miss?"

The first show I miss is Lost.  Now I didn't watch it when it was live on the air....Skip and I started watching it about a year ago on Netflix and watched the whole series in just a few months.  We absolutely loved it though and I'm so sad I'm not getting my weekly Sawyer fix!


The second show that I miss is Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. I'm not normally into comic books or superheroes but I LOVED this show!  It hasn't been on in years, but I still miss it!  Thankfully the whole series is on Netflix so I can watch it anytime I want!



So what shows do you miss that aren't on air anymore?

Being a Cop Wife

In case you missed it, here was the guest post I wrote for 5oh Wifey last Friday!


I want to start off by thanking 5oh Wifey for the opportunity to guest post on her blog.  It's the least I can do after she wrote such a wonderful post for me a few weeks ago.  I've never done a guest post before, so bear with me!

I guess I should start off with an introduction.  My name is Mandy and I blog over at my site Mommy Musings.  I can also be found tweeting most of the day on @mommusings.

I've been blogging for about two and a half years and have met some wonderful friends along the way.  I am twenty-something former teacher turned SAHM. 

My two daughters, two-year-old Little M and three month old Baby C are my world.

I married my best friend on a hot summer day in 2005 at the young age of twenty-two. 

My husband Skip is truly my better half.

I wear and have worn lots of different 'hats' in my life: daughter, sister, student, teacher, girlfriend, fiance, wife, mother, friend.  But the hat I am most proud to wear is that of a cop's wife.  Skip was in the police academy when I met him {as well as the Marine Corps Reserve, but that's another post entirely} so I knew what I was getting into from the start. I never thought I would marry a cop, nor did I really know what it would entail.  I have definitely learned a lot over the past few years. 

{one} Being a cop wife can often be confusing. 

 Cop schedules can vary depending on which department he works for.  I have a total love/hate relationship with my husband's work schedule. As far as cop's schedules go, we are very lucky that we know what days he's working for the whole year, for the most part. He has a rotating schedule of four days on, two days off for three weeks and then one week of five days on two days off. One week he works 7 am to 3 pm. The next week he works 3 pm to 11 pm. That only changes when he takes overtime after a shift. Overtime is another eight hours long. Then there are the days he works at the police academy from 8 am to 4 pm. And then sometimes he works a funeral or parade for the honor guard, and those hours depend on what he's doing.  I have learned that I have to be *super* organized to not only remember what the girls and I are doing every day, but when and where Skip is working as well!

{two} Being a cop wife can be frustrating. 

My husband is rarely off on holidays.  I think this year is the first year since I met him that he will be off on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day {and yes I am already looking for a babysitter so we can go out!}  Skip is pretty senior at his department, but he's not quite at the level of being able to take off any holiday he wants.  So for the past six years we wait to see if he is off on a holiday just by chance, and that rarely happens.  So I spend most of my holidays with just the girls, or my family.....while Skip spends them working.

{three} Being a cop wife can be lonely.

Since Skip is working nights at least every other week, I have to spend a lot of time by myself at night.  Sometimes I don't mind it as I use the time to catch up on housework, blogging, having my girlfriends over...but it's still rough.  I miss having him around to eat dinner with and snuggle up on the couch and watch TV.  Thank God for DVR!

{four} Being a cop wife can be exhausting.

Rotating schedules, 8-16 hour shifts, holidays, stress, worry, taking care of the girls by myself, lack of sleep.  These are all things that come with the territory when you are married to a cop.  You push through the hard days and are thankful when the easy days and sleepful nights come around.

{five} Being a cop wife can be scary.

I rarely talk about it, but my husband was assaulted at work a few years ago.  He wasn't hurt too badly and much worse things have happened to other cops, but it was still a very scary day for me, as his wife.  {He didn't seem to phased by the whole thing} No one wants a call from your husband saying he has to go to the hospital.  All those in law enforcement know there is a physical risk at their job every day.....I mean they're not strapping on a bullet proof vest every day just for fun!  But it still shakes you to your core when it happens to your man.

{six} Being a cop wife can be rewarding.

As a former Marine Corps wife who went through a deployment with Skip, I know a thing or two about pride.  As a Marine, Skip selflessly served his country for six years.  And now for the past eight, he has continued to do that every single day as a cop.  Nothing can bring a tear to my eye like seeing my man in uniform, head held high, leaving the house to spend his day 'serving and protecting.'  Being a cop isn't just a job or a career....it's a calling....it's a brotherhood.  It takes a very special kind of man to put his life on the line every day, just to make people feel safer.  And it takes a very proud woman to stand behind him.

Game Day!

How can you not want to cheer for the Giants when you see how cute their fans are!

LET'S GO BIG BLUE!!!!

Shaklee Cleaning Product - Review and Giveaway!

I am always on the lookout for new cleaning products.  I am most interested in their effectiveness and price.  And while it isn't a priority for me, a product that is good for the environment is always a bonus!

That's why I jumped at the opportunity when a representative from Shaklee contacted me about reviewing their Basic H2 – a concentrated, organic cleaner.  It's non-toxic, organic, doubly concentrated, natural, and biodegradable.  This product can be used on any washable surface: walls, windows, mirrors, counter tops, floors, appliances, stoves, sealed woodwork, pots, pans, and furniture.

The tiny vial is enough for 2-16oz bottles of cleaner..I just had to mix it with water!  The directions were "First, mix 2 drops into 16 oz of water in a spray bottle for cleaning windows and mirrors.  Then mix 1/4 tsp. into 16 oz of water for all purpose cleaning."  I didn't mind the extra step of mixing it myself, because then I knew I wasn't paying for the water and bottle like you do with traditional cleaners.  As I said, I'm always on the lookout for a a great deal!

First I made the mirror and window cleaner.  I have a TON of windows in my house so I am always looking for something to make cleaning them easier.  The cleaner did a wonderful job at removing all of Little M's tony fingerprints and did not leave any streaks!

Next up, I mixed together the all-purpose cleaner.  I used it to tackle a decent amount of grease and grime that had invaded my kitchen.  {sorry, I completely forgot to take before pictures!}  However I do have a few after pictures. 

All clean!

Look at that shine

I was slightly worried about using a new product on my brand new counter tops, but I had nothing to worry about.  The cleaner was super gentle, and yet still got the job done!

Now don't be fooled....Shaklee is not just a cleaning product company.  Their goal is to create an overall healthy lifestyle for people! Healthy Nutrition, Healthy Weight, Healthy Home, and Healthy Beauty are the categories you can choose from on their site. 

Now here's the best part.  Shaklee wants to give away a vial of the Basic H2 – a concentrated, organic cleaner to FIVE of my lucky readers!!!


Shaklee also offered a special deal for everyone!
Free membership with the purchase of Vitalizer at member’s price, plus a MaiaBee Special

Now here are the rules for entering the giveaway:
{mandatory entry} Go visit Andrea's blog and leave a comment saying that I sent you!

Extra Entries:
1. Be a follower of Mommy Musings
2. Follow Andrea's Facebook Fan Page
3. Follow Andrea on Twitter @MamaBee_Z

4. Visit the Shaklee Site and tell me another product you would buy!

Giveaway ends Friday October 7th.  Good luck everyone!!



{Disclaimer: I received a sample of the cleaner to use for my review.  I was not monetarily compensated for this review.  All opinions are experiences are my own.}

I'm a Guest!

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I will be guest blogging today over at 5oh Wifey: Life as a Mommy and Cop Wife.  It's my first guest post so be kind!  My post is all about being the wife of a cop and what I have learned about that.  Head on over and check me out!

It's About Parenting, Not Parenting Style

I'm a Mommy Blogger.  Most of the blogs I follow are Mommy Bloggers.  So alot of the posts I read have to do with different parenting styles.  And I always find it interesting to see how other people raise their children.  Different parts of the country, how you were brought up, career paths, all seem to contribute to the decisions parents make on how to raise their children. 

I want you to know, that I honestly do not judge people on how they raise their kids.  Unless it is putting your child in danger, it's none of my business.  It is ROUGH to be a parent and raise these tiny humans, and i is not my place to butt into your lives.

That being said, I have made several observations about the blog world.  Maybe it's just the blogs I read, but I mostly see parents describing the 'attachment parenting' style.  Most parents who fall under that category breastfeed, cloth diaper, co-sleep, baby wear, and make their own baby food.  And the one common thing I hear from these parents is how wonderfully adjusted their children are and how fulfilling their personal lives are, because of this parenting style.  I'm sure that is true.  From what they share on their blogs, none of their children are screaming, fitful, terrors 100% of the time.  So I believe what they say. 

But what about the rest of us.  Those of us with a different parenting style?  Where are the posts about how wonderful our kids are, how fulfilling our lives are, because of our parenting style?

- I breastfed my babies for just a little while, but they were and are mainly formula fed
- My girls slept in a crib, in their own rooms, since the night they came home from the hospital
- I use disposable diapers
- I bought and will buy baby food in a jar
- I baby wear when convenient and use a stroller when convenient
- My kid watches TV and plays on the computer
- Little M still has a pacifier at night and I have no real plans to take it away
- I didn't attempt to potty train my kid before she was 2 1/2 and the potty stays in the bathroom only
- We use time-out for punishment
- I will not, nor will anyone else, ever spank or lay a hand on my kids
- We are only having two kids
- I don't really use organic anything
- My kid drinks juice and whole milk {just M not the baby}
- I don't sweat it if she doesn't eat a wide variety of foods yet
- I am very overprotective and picky about who gets to watch my kids
- No one but my parents have ever driven them anywhere
- I do make sure to get out of the house almost every single day and do something for myself...I think it makes me a better mom
- Skip and I make sure to go on dates and have time for just each other
- I don't use special detergent
- Unless a toy was in one of my dogs' mouths, I don't wash them
- We dance around as a family alot
- Little M's favorite food is 'chocolate candies' but I won't let her have a drop of soda
- We stick to a strict schedule.  I won't take my kids out at night if it's past their bedtime.  It's not fair to them or others around us
- If they scream in a store I just leave
- Hugs and kisses are given out freely


So that's my parenting style.  I don't think there's an actual term that encompasses all that, but I like it better that way.  It's not about being defined by a label, it's about doing what's best for YOUR kids and not judging anyone else's choices.  You know what?  My girls both sleep 12 hours straight a night.  They nap pretty regularly.  They are happy, healthy, developmentally on-track, thriving little girls.  It's not a parenting style that makes well adjusted kids, it's just being good parents.


I think as parents we all need to stand up and be proud of how we raise our kids.  It's a tough job and we should all stick together, not tear each other down.  So how do you parent?

Potty Training Take Two

See this little girl right here?

That's my baby...my little bumbling toddler.  But now that she is POTTY TRAINED I don't think I can call her anything other than a girl anymore:(  I am soooo proud of her and how far we've come.

Remember this post I wrote a few months ago about how we started, and then promptly stopped potty training Little M?  Well putting it down completely for a few months was probably one of the best things we did.  She obviously wasn't ready and the fact that we backed off really helped.  But a few weeks ago we figured it was time to start again.  She seemed much more ready this time and I was looking forward to only having one kid in diapers. 

We started on a Thursday.  The first two days were hard...they made me want to give up.  Little M was finally going to the bathroom in the potty, but she was having as many accidents as she was successes.  But we kept on and didn't quit.  We had decided to just dive head first into it.  We got rid of the diapers and decided Little M would only wear underwear during the day, and pull-ups at nap time and bedtime.  No matter how tough it got, we would not go back...we didn't want to cause her any confusion.

The first two days we sat her on the potty every 15 minutes.  She had to sit there for at least 3 minutes.  If we could tell she really had to go but was trying to hold it in, we'd leave her on there until she went.  We didn't do any kind of reward system, just a ton of praise.  Oh, and we only leave the potty in the bathroom.  We're not the type to just have it wherever the child is hanging out, but that's just us.

Days three we were able to extend the time in between potty visits since she was able to hold it for longer.  My day four we didn't make her go sit on the potty at specific times, we just asked her every ten minutes or so if she had to go.  We obviously still have a few accidents here and there, but they were few and far between.  Once we had been potty training for a week, we no longer had to ask Little M if she had to go...she just told us! 

We started Little M of on a little kid's potty on the floor.  We have since taken the top off of that and attached it to our regular toilet.  Makes cleaning up so much easier!!  She still needs a little help taking her pants on and off and getting up on the seat, but other than that she's good!  We have even been able to take her out on a few outings recently with no accidents!  We're never out for more than 2 hours, but that's still a long time for a little girl!  We'll have to see what happens the first time she has to use a public bathroom! 
So that's what has been going on around here.  My little baby is all grown up and day-trained on the potty.  She's still waking up wet from nap and bedtime, so she'll be in pull-ups then for awhile.  Though she will sometimes wake up and want a change if she wets herself!

The only advice I really have for moms and potty training is really wait until your KID is ready.  Don't worry about having two kids in diapers, or if they are older than you wanted them.  It will be soooo much easier once they are ready!

Next up? Getting Baby C on a nap time schedule! Wish us luck!

And one more picture because who doesn't love this face!

2 on Tuesday

I'm excited for another week of 2 on Tuesday! 

This week Andrea gave us two topics we could choose from, so I decided to do both!  The first is

Many fall shows are starting up again this week. What two shows are you most looking forward to?

The two fall premiers I am most looking forward to are Grey's Anatomy {I am sad that it is Patrick Dempsey's last season though.  I also heard a rumor that Ellen Pompeo might leave after this season as well.  I think if that happens they should just end the show.  I *love* it, but would rather it went out on top rather than start to go down the crapper.}



and The Biggest Loser {Though it's been getting a little weird the last few seasons.  We'll see what happens with Jillian gone now}


The other topic today is

What two cleaning products make your life easier?

1. One of my favorite cleaning products, specifically for the bathroom, is Scrubbing Bubbles.  With one bathtub/shower to share among four people {and sometimes the dogs!} my tub can get grimy pretty quickly.  Scrubbing Bubbles is the only thing that works quickly and completely for me!



The other cleaning product that makes my life easier is definitely Soft Scrub with bleach.  As I've mentioned on here before, I have a really tough time bleaching the grout in my kitchen.  This is the ONLY product that really works.  It really makes my grout look like new again!


So what shows are you excited about?  What cleaning products can't you live without?



Can You See It?

Skip and I took the girls outside yesterday to get some fresh air and run off some energy.  I brought my camera since I feel like I've been lacking in the picture taking department recently.  And there's nothing like a beautiful fall day as a backdrop!

I snapped oh you know like 200 pictures of my girls in a span of about 20 minutes. What can I say...I think everything they do is cute! But there are two pictures that even I can't believe I took, they are so beautiful!

Not only do you get a good glimpse of Baby C's baby blues, but if you look very closely, you can see the gorgeous clouds reflecting in her eyes!  Now I'm not photographer, but these are pretty damn good if I say so myself!

Silent Saturday

Want It Wednesday

At the beginning of each new season, I also start thinking of some things I'd love to buy.  Sometimes I actually get them, and sometimes it's just nice to daydream!

{one} An I Phone.  Skip and I both think we finally want to take the plunge and get one.  I think we're going to wait until the I Phone 5 comes out though and get one of the older, cheaper models!


{two} Perfume.  I only have a tiny bit left in my last bottle!!!  I definitely need to get some more in the near future. 


{three} A new pair of sneakers.  My current ones are about a year and a half old and really showing signs of wear.  It's only a matter of time before I injure myself in these!


{four} These boots


I loooove me some boots and don't own ANY grey ones! 


{five}  A vacation to here:

Our last vacation got interupted by the hurricane, so I totally think that warrents a trip to Fuji....don't you think?


What have you been lusting after these days?

2 on Tuesday

I'm linking up again this week for My Chihuahua Bites for this weeks 2 on Tuesday.  Today's question is:

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what two items would you wish to have with you?

First off I'd make sure to have my I Pod touch {with Internet access of course}
 
Music, twitter, Facebook, blogs, I'd be set for weeks!

And the second thing I'd want on the island?  Sawyer from Lost of course!

Strictly because of his experiences with deserted islands...of course ;)

So what about you?  What two things would you want?

Miscellany Monday

Just some random stuff that's been on my mind!

{one} Do they show the reading of the victims names on 9/11 in other parts of the country?

{two} Do towns in other parts of the US have 9/11 ceremonies, or is that just around here?

{three} I find it strange when people want to come to NYC to see the sight.  I am not judging them at all, and I understand why they want to, but it's just weird to me. 

{four} My allergies are driving me crazy today!!!  No idea how to make them stop

{five} I hate the Giants this week:(  BUT the plus side is that Skip and I have the most fantasy points this week in our league....that has NEVER happened for us before!!

{six} There has been a lot of drama going on in my life this weekend.  Hoping this week brings a break from it!

{seven} One of my Marine's Girls is getting married this Friday and I could not be happier for her!!  I am also ridiculously excited to go to a wedding not pregnant!

{eight} AP is going to be taking some pictures of the girls soon and I am totally stressing what I should dress them in....any suggestions?

{nine} I just realized I have the same first two initials as AP...haha

{ten} I still have FOURTEEN pounds of baby weight to lose:(  How did all my weight just fall off with Little M but this just won't budge?!?!

{eleven} Baby C has outgrown her newborn stuff and is now in 3 months clothes...sniff sniff

Remember in Silence

Please link up below....

The Day that Changed Forever

Since I will be participate in my blogging day of silence in honor of those killed on 9/11, I thought I would post my memories of that day today. This is what I wrote last year....


This date will never be the same to me. It will never just be another day in September. It will always be a day of solemnity and remembrance. September 11, 2001 forever changed the world as I knew it.
I was a college freshman at University in Connecticut. I had only been there 8 days when I woke up that Tuesday morning. I had an 8:00 am class that got out just before 9:00 am that day. As I walked out of class, I noticed a lot of students standing around the TV in the hallway. There was no sound but someone told me that a plane flew and hit into the World Trade Center. Just then I looked up at the TV and saw the plane flying into the tower. I thought it was video coverage of the first plane. I had no idea it was the second plane hitting.
I went back to my room to tell my roommate what I had just seen. She was getting ready to go out to breakfast with one of her friends and invited me along. I said I thought I should stay home and check out the news, but sheconvinced me it was probably just an accident and was no big deal. So out we went.
We got home a little before 11 and I called my dad {who had been scheduled to go to a meeting in NYC that afternoon before getting a plane to Europe. Thankfully he cancelled both of these as soon as the first plane hit}. 'Both towers are gone Mandy, and they've hit the Pentagon,' he said. 'Gone, what do you mean they're gone?!?!' I answered back, panicking. This was no accident. We were under attack. I had never been so scared in my entire life. I was alone at a new school where I really only knew one person {a friend of mine from home was a junior there}, I was away from my friends, and family, and oh yeah they put my school on lockdown. No one was allowed on or off campus.
I worried for my friends and family at home. I'm from North Jersey. So close you can see the NY skyline from the town next to me. I had friends in Washington DC who worked in the Capital building. I had a cousin and friends on lockdown at West Point. I spent the rest of the morning on the phone, attempting to contact every one I had ever met, praying for their safety.
The rest of the day was a blur. We all joined together for a mass at noon and a candlelight vigil at night. Cell phones rang out constantly, people hearing news of their loved ones whereabouts. We all clung together and sat for days, watching the news over and over again. There was nothing else we could do.


I went home that weekend to be with my family. My father had lost several of his close friends, and my best friend lost her cousin. I needed to be with them. As my father and I drove over the Tappan Zee Bridge I looked to my left at the NY skyline. Even a week later the cloud of smoke and dust still hung in the sky. It was so eerie and sad. That night my friend, sister, and I held a candlelight vigil on my front steps. We just needed to do something together, to pray, to mourn, and share our fears.
The smoke has cleared and the wreckage is gone, but what happened on 9.11.01 still affects my life every day. I have sent my husband, cousin, and many many friends off to war in retaliation of this horrible act. I have looked into the brave little face of one of my former students whose father was a fireman killed in the towers. I send my husband {who is in NYC today mourning the loss of former brothers in blue} off to work every day as a cop. He is also a first responder for his department, so if something like this happens again, he will be the one running into the buildings.
Today is a day of prayer, reflection, and remembrance. Today I woke up, dressed Little M and myself in patriotic clothes, clasped on my 'Jesse bracelet', and went downstairs to put on the TV. I watched the reading of the victims names...pausing to remember those I knew. I watch the History channel for the rest of the day, rewatching all the programs dedicated to the tragedy. My daughter will never know what the world was like before 9.11. She will grow up hearing the stories of bravery and heroism. She will be scared whenever her daddy goes to work, but more than that she will be proud. Her daddy, like all the ones before and since, is a Marine, a cop, a hero. He and his brothers and sisters in arms risk their lives every day. We must never forget to honor them and their sacrifice.
September 11, 2001 forever changed my life and the course of this country. We must always honor it. We must never forget.

Baby C Hits the Beach!

I was super excited for our first outing to the beach as a family of four!  I live for the sand and water and love sharing that with my girls.  Since Baby C is so little still we brought a tent for her to hang out in most of the time.  I did make sure to stick her little toes in the sand for a few minutes though!

Her very first bathing suit!

Matching beach cover-ups

Love this view!

Having a little snack in her tent

Me and my baby

Beach babes