Current sweetness

My favorite part of the day is this....



Carson periodically decides that he needs some sugars. He stops playing, comes to me, lays his head on my chest and hums...which is his way of telling me to hum his lullaby. So I do and if I stop, he starts back up as if he is reminding me to keep it up. It last for all of about 10 glorious seconds, but ooooooh sweet baby. These are the moments that make me melt. And these are the moments that fill my love tank for the other moments when he is a total stinker.


These are also the moments when I can sit and soak in just how blessed we really are because nothing is more important than soaking in this sweet, sweet love.

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Cheap spring wreath

I finally took down my autumn colored wreath and made this semi-tacky-Mexican-fiesta-looking one for spring. I think it is cheerful and it makes me happy, so it's staying up for a while. Plus, the wreath was $2.50, the letter cost $1.33 and the fabric and bling came from my stash! What a deal!




I also wrapped our wreath hanger with jute to give it an updated look. That may be my favorite part!




The other super helpful tip I have is to stick thumb tacks in the back of what you need to paint...like this...




That way you don't have to hold it and get tons of paint on your hands! What a simple (and free) solution!
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Screwed.

Here's the rundown. I'm being all domestic putting 20 lbs of chicken into individual sized ziploc baggies to freeze because I hit a great sale.(aka: I'm feeling pretty good about myself.)

Carson is playing in the playroom, just adjacent to the kitchen.

I get a wave of mommy intuition imposed you-better-go-check-on-baby.

And....he is chewing on a screw. YEP, A SCREW! A BIG FAT CHOKABLE SCREW! It had fallen out of the latch on the toy box and he was just-a chompin away! Talk about giving me a heart attack. Luckily he took it out of his mouth and handed it to me like, "look what I found!" I didn't even have time to reach for it...He was so proud to show me his treasure. Well, so much for the feeling good about myself thing! I have been shaken up all morning! You know, you think that your house is safe and that you have done all that you can to protect the little one. Guess not! Now I'm thinking about super gluing all screws into their place!

I'm usually a super calm, go with the flow, don't freak out about things in the mouth type of momma....But wowzer. Not this time....I don't think that he could have passed this on his own.

Have patience

There was a song that my mom used to sing to us all of the time when we were growing up. When we got a little older, she would only have to sing the first few words. And when we were teenagers, we would just roll our eyes and ignore it. But now, as a momma myself, I find myself singing the once annoying song to my son...further proving to me that my mom was (and is) always right. *sigh*

I sing the song to Carson when he needs to be patient, like when he's squirming on the changing table or squealing in his high chair waiting for food. At this point, I'm sure that it's just more of a distraction technique but hopefully it will grow into something that he learns from down the line....or heck, maybe even sings to his eye rolling teenagers one day.

It goes like this...

Have patience,
Have patience,
Don't be in such a hurry,
When you get impatient,
You only start to worry,
Remember,
Remember,
That God is patient too,
And think of all the times when others had to wait on you.


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Guest Spotlight: Melanie Bowen, Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance

I would like to welcome Melanie Bowen to La Dolce Vita! She is a part-time blog contributor for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance and blogger of Milady Knows. Her focus is on advocating for natural health and cancer cure initiatives, along with encouraging those with illnesses to use journaling as a path to healing and it is on that topic that she writes today. So, without further ado, here she is!

 

Taking Lemons and Turning Them Into Lemonade

Sometimes, life’s obstacles can seem unbearable or too strenuous to overcome. For example, if you have been given a serious diagnosis of a life threatening illness like mesothelioma, cancer or multiple sclerosis, you may not have a cheery outlook on your prognosis.  However, there are ways to make your life meaningful and give you something to work toward.

Writing Your Way to Health

Health has many different meanings.  You can be healthy in mind, even if your body is not cooperating. You can be healthy in spirit even if you are facing chemotherapy, radiation treatment or a grim prognosis.  It is all in the way you look at health.  Holistic practitioners and even researchers are finding that addressing all aspects of a person, not just their body, has a huge impact on the overall health of a person and how well they respond to treatment when facing critical and major illness.

Writing is one way to find a path to obtaining a positive healthy mind, body and spirit.  Keeping a personal journal is a practice that many psychotherapists recommend.  Writing can be a safe way to explore your thoughts and feelings as you go through your healing journey.  Nobody else sees it.  Nobody will review it and critique you for whatever feelings you express in your journal.  It is a place you can rant and rave, a place where you can say how angry you are at what is happening, a place where you can complain to your heart’s content about the nasty side effects your medications are having on you.

It is also a place where you can dream.  Your personal journal is a place where you can write about the life you imagine you want to have.  It is a place where you can explore your biggest fantasies and write about the things you still want to accomplish and experience in life.  Your personal journal is a place where you can write down goals for yourself and then have the joyful experience of crossing them off as you actually accomplish them.

Looking Forward by Looking Back

As you go through your life journey, you will occasionally want to look back at all of the things that you have conquered and pat yourself on the back for your accomplishments.  In fact, for many people, looking back at their life challenges and seeing just how strong they have been is a source of inspiration for the future.  They say to themselves, “look at what I did in the past, this is nothing compared to that!”  By keeping a journal, you can document your personal journey and have a reminder of just how much you have accomplished and what you have to look forward to in the future.

A personal journal is a great place to keep track of your own personal journey. It can be a place to turn to for inspiration and to remind yourself of your inner strength and your abilities.  It can be a place where you explore your personal goals, where you talk about your frustrations and where you crow to yourself about your accomplishments.  So pick up your pen today and start writing.  Your future self will be happy you did.

So today, pull out a piece of paper and start writing down things you want to accomplish.  Write about your dreams and your goals.  Write about your fantasy adventures.  Write down your own personal bucket list – and then begin taking steps, large or small, to bring those dreams to life.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Here's out little shamrock on St. Patty's Day! Ross totally dressed him in green all on his own....such a proud moment!


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Bathroom love notes

Do this. 

You won't regret it. 

Put a dry erase marker in your bathroom. 

Scribble little love notes on your hubby's side of the mirror.

Don't worry; it wipes off with toilet paper.

Tell him thanks for working so hard, helping out with the baby, taking out the trash, etc. 

And, he'll write back...and it might be super sweet...or it get racy...and it might be fun.

Either way, he'll appreciate the verbal affirmation.