I think I mentioned this is the best weekend to live in Eastern Connecticut a time or two hundred in the past couple weeks. Last year we were in South Carolina so we missed it (although I wouldn’t exactly say I was missing it, Bob). This year, E had to work all weekend but I was DETERMINED to do ALL THE THINGS with the kids. I’ve spent the summer learning to drag them both around plan fun outings with two kids on my own and this was sort of like the Olympics of solo-parenting. Three food festivals plus a town fair – and for the record, I only cheated on my diet a tiny bit.

The kids did a GREAT job the whole time. There were zero tantrums and only minor threats needed for cooperation. Evan did a ton of walking so I could use the stroller as a single (although I still got stopped at least once every 15 minutes to talk about my City Select) which was like a vacation for my arm muscles after pushing it as a double for 20 months. I feel sort of really actually completely terrible that we had so much fun while my husband toiled away at a job that’s driving him crazy. I know it hurts him that he’s missing so much. But I keep telling myself it’s not the kid’s fault that Daddy has to work so much and they shouldn’t be punished. I don’t even want them to REALIZE their grown ups are stressed and tired and miserable. All they should worry about is how they’re going to have room for ice cream AND funnel cake for breakfast.

Another breakthrough from this weekend: I threw out all my shame regarding hauling my giant camera around and acting like I had a press pass allowing me to shoot whatever the heck I wanted. Which means I took an epic number of photos. I’ll try to keep this post down to a semi-reasonable number but I’m going to add a break after a couple so the page isn’t INSANELY long. And be sure to check Facebook for the whole album – I mean, if you’re interested in gingers and food porn and New Englandy stuff.

Friday:

I gave the bread to the kids and ate the insides. Go paleo!

They both got COVERED in powdered sugar eating cookies

We walked home across the Chelsea Parade (it’s a big empty square of grass where the militia used to muster) and the light was SO PERFECT.

(more…)

You know what I love about the business end of blogging? Getting a chance to work with brands I already use and recommend. I ordered Caroline’s birth announcements from Paper Culture (Although for the LIFE of me I can’t find them on the blog – did I not post it? I know I ordered so many I sent them to everyone from my old boss to the mailman)(It was this one, in case you were curious) because I won a credit on another blog. They were the nicest, best quality stationary I’ve ever ordered. Paper Culture uses beautiful, thick, 130-lb weight card stock AND rounded corners on their announcements. Rounded corners are pretty much my favorite thing. Add their fun, modern typography and their commitment to being extremely eco-friendly and you get a brand that is totally doing it right.

So when I was offered a credit to Paper Culture through the Global Influence Network in exchange for sharing my experience with you I jumped at the chance. Especially since Paper Culture has just launched a new product – bamboo wall art.

I am a huge fan of any company that turns my photos into art without needing a frame. I’ve ordered several before – mounted on foam board or on canvas – but the bamboo wall art is by FAR the nicest. The photo is perfectly crisp and clear, even though it was blown up to 8.5 inches square. The interface is simple and easy to understand. There are options with text, options with several photos and the one I went with, a plain photo. My only complaint was that the photo editing software built in to the Paper Culture site is TOO much fun. It took me an hour just to pick the perfect photo and then another hour playing with black and white, tints, effects (very Instagramesque) and sharpness.

In the end I used just a tiny color bump and a crop to turn one a snapshot of Caroline swinging into the newest piece in my family room wall gallery.

My gallery was a little light on Caroline pictures so I’m thrilled to have a new one. Plus I love how she’s checking out baby 8 month old Caroline walking on the beach.

I’m not sure how exactly the get the photo on the bamboo, but it looks flawless.

The unfinished bamboo edge is cool and almost unnoticeable when it’s hanging on the wall – it just looks like it’s floating.

I love her, her swing and this piece so, so much.

I realize with the yellow wall and the weird lighting in the room the wall art looks weird in every single shot – but I promise in person it is nicer than any of these. Comparable to a professional print.

 If you have a photo you’re dying to get up on the wall, I found this on the Paper Culture site: Save 25% off all Bamboo Wall Art by entering voucher code: BAMB25 on the Review Order page before Aug 15, 2012. I’m going to keep my eye out for more codes, since I’m guessing the grandparents would LOVE these as Christmas presents.

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I was given a $50 credit towards my purchase at Paper Culture in exchange of my honest review through the Global Influence Network. No other compensation was provided.

I was careful to plan extra time into my trip to NYC next week for sight seeing, since last year in San Diego I was so rushed with conference events I didn’t see anything besides the inside of the hotel. This year I planned time for relaxing, unpacking, and a walking food tour of Chelsea Market. But when Adorama announced The Blographer Event on Thursday, August 2rd I threw ALL my plans out the window (Deep, sincere apologies to the friends I cancelled on, but thank you so much for understanding.)

The Blographer Event is a chance to learn from and connect with some extremely talented photo bloggers, whose specialties range from urban landscapes to food to children and families. I’m extra super excited to hear Rachel Devine speak on how photographs can be just as important as words when it comes to telling our stories online. I imagine I will spend most of Thursday yelling “Yes! Perfect! Exactly! Amen!” – but I promise to yell quietly so I won’t bug you if you’re sitting next to me. (Please come sit next to me?) You’ll also get to meet Jill from Baby Rabies – Miss Blographer herself.

I promise this isn’t just for pros and experts (heck, if I’M going I can assure you no one is checking portfolios at the door.) Here’s a quick list of people who should attend this event:

1. Bloggers.
2. Photographers
3. Blographers
4. People who shoot on manual all the time
5. People who don’t even know how to set their camera on manual
6. People who have read their manuals
7. People who can’t find their manuals
8. People who really love photography no matter what their level
9. People who love to be inspired
10. YOU!

Here are the details: The Blographer Event runs 9:30 am – 5:00 pm on Thursday August 2nd at the Metropolitan Pavillion (2.2 miles from The Hilton – a 7 minute cab ride). There are 3 sessions, each led by two experts. Drinks, snacks and lunch will be served and each attendee will get some amazing goodies (aka swag) to take home. Really, with tickets priced only $69 I guarantee it’s worth it JUST for the swag and food. If you can find a buddy to go with you can buy two tickets for $99 and it’s an even more amazing deal.

Are you as excited as I am now? Are you ready to register? You DON’T have to be attending anything else happening that weekend to come, so if you’re within a couple of hours of NYC I recommend calling in sick taking the day off because this is a very, very special event. Here’s the coolest news so far: I have one free ticket to give away for The Blographer Event!

Time is short so this is going to be a quick turn around! Leave a comment on this post saying “I WANT TO GO!” (if you want to comment but can’t make it to NYC, you can leave a comment too but I won’t count ones that don’t specifically say “I WANT TO GO!”) I will count up all the comments and draw a winner using Random.org early Monday morning.

p.s. If you buy a ticket now and end up winning, Adorama will happily reimburse you. So go! I mean come! I will see you there!

 Disclaimer: One comment per person, winner must provide a valid email address so I can contact them Monday. I was given a ticket to this event along with one to give away, but I was already planning to ditch my friends and go because it sounds super cool. No other compensation was provided and all really excited and caps-locky opinions are my own.

This might be one of the braggiest braggy monthday updates ever. Just warning you. I don’t feel bad or anything.

Caroline is 19 months and she can name pictures in books (kitty, mommy, milk, cow) which is listed as an Advanced Skill for 21 month olds. She already sleeps in a big girl bed, which is an Advanced Skill for 22 month olds. She can walk down stairs – an Emerging Skill at 24 months – by herself if it’s only 3 or 4 stairs or with a handrail, if she’s tall enough to reach it (mostly, she’s not, so she holds my hand). She can jump with both feet off the ground, which isn’t even ON this chart – it’s listed on the 25-30 months chart. And if yelling “JUMP!” as she throws herself off the couch and “WALK!” when I’m carrying her and she wants to get down (“DOWN!”) counts, she can “Name two actions (e.g., skipping, jumping)”, a skill not listed until 36 months.

She’s really freaking smart, is what I’m saying. And it’s not all good. Her new favorite word is “no”, which she says even when she means yes. I started counting with her (“Caroline! Stop running away from me. I’m going to count to three!”) and instead of listening she yells “THREE!” and runs faster. I’m just lucky she’s still too short to reach the doorknobs so I can trap contain keep her in her room for naps. Toddlers are like velociraptors – they’re only REALLY dangerous once they can open doors.

I forgot to bring her record book to her 18 month appointment so I don’t remember the exact numbers, but she was about 21 pounds which still puts her in the 25th percentile. She fell to the 15th percentile in height, but instead of freaking out the way the doctor did when Evan dropped to a lower curve, the doc just said “Meh, put peanut butter on her apples.” Which is good, since “AP-PULL!” is her new favorite food (again). She also loves every other kind of fruit, carrots, peas picked from our garden, anything she can dip in hummus and Wheat Thins. She pretty much loves food in general, which makes me a happy mama – no fighting to get calories into her and worrying the doctor is going to order more weight checks.

Her favorite place is the aquarium (although the zoo is a close second) where she presses her entire body up against the glass and screams “FIIIIIIIIIIIIISH! FISH! FISH!” She will sit through the entire sea lion show and is happy to touch the sharks and stingrays and crabs in the touch tanks. I cannot even tell you how much I love that she loves the aquarium. It feels like I somehow passes a piece of my heart and brain to her as well as my genetic code.

Other likes include dogs, kitties, books, turtles, climbing, slides, water of all kinds, nudity, juice, cheese, apples, talking, shouting, screeching, running, stairs, the potty, beds, fruit snacks, fist bumps, boats, fire trucks, her dolly, dancing, music, babies and hugs.

Dislikes include falling down, being hungry, letting me look in her mouth, missing out on fun things, when her brother puts a pillow over her face and sits on it.

Baby pool? I don’t need no stinkin’ baby pool.

Oh hai, is this a problem?

NOW is it a problem?

Man I love testing limits! So fun!

I’m too cute for you to stay mad.

LACE. ROMPER.

She’s thinking about jumping

Accessorizing!

Heartbreaker

Posing for her Senior Portrait

The many faces of Caroline

19 Month Milestones (from BabyCenter, as usual)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Uses a spoon and fork – Prefers forks, but can use both.
Runs – SO FAST.
Throws a ball underhand – She got E RIGHT in the face with a ball the other day. I laughed because I’m a bad person, but I should probably be signing her up for softball.
Enjoys helping around the house – You guys, I think she does more chores than I do. She loves helping and I am not adverse to letting her.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Understands as many as 200 words – Understands ALL THE WORDS. She even understands sarcasm. Obviously she’s my daughter. She also SAYS at least 75 words – her newest skill is words with more than one syllable.
Recognizes when something is wrong (e.g., calling a dog a cat) – I’m sure she WOULD but that seems like kind of a mean game.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Washes and dries own hands with help – Washes hands all freaking day if I’d let her,
Points to picture or object when you call it by name – We just played a game of this in while hanging out in front of the open fridge. She got: yogurt, milk, juice, cheese, grapes and beer.
May know when she needs to pee – Can pee and poop in the potty but also just thinks using the bathroom is REALLY COOL so she wants to do it all the time. I’m not going to work on actual potty training for a couple more months, unless she does it entirely on her own.