Thank you all so much for your encouraging, honest comments, suggestions, and advice on yesterday’s post. It means a lot to me that you take time to share your thoughts with me.

It’s time for a Tuesday Brain Dump! Whoop!

• Can you tell we’ve been watching a whole lot of The Little Mermaid around here? We can’t get enough of Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder (or Clownder, as Hudson calls him) and Scuttle. And Ursula (“octopus”) is just so scary! I decided to introduce Hudson to The Little Mermaid on Friday after his nap. (Yay, naps!) It was one of my favorites as a kid. But it is kind of girly, so I wasn’t really sure how it would go. But the movie opens up with fishermen, a big boat, and a fun dog, so I thought that might hook him (no pun intended) right then. And it did! He’s a fan!
• We had been watching a whole lot of Beauty and the Beast, so The Little Mermaid is a welcome change. Hudson has all of the words to “Belle” memorized and it’s so funny to hear him say, “Bonjour… Bonjour… Bonjour, bonjour, bonjour.”
• I’m not sure that Todd is a fan of The Little Mermaid, but he’s never even seen it.
• Before I was even pregnant with Hudson I started collecting the Disney animated movies on DVD. We have a good many of them, but there are still a couple we don’t have. That darn Disney vault!
• We watched Smash last night. I loved it! I am a big Katharine McPhee from the Idol days. (I voted for her a LOT and her Somewhere Over the Rainbow is my favorite version.) I also love Debra Messing and I am a big musical theater buff. Love it!
• My mom sent me a text just after kick off for the Super Bowl on Sunday night. We were in Walmart. We missed kick off. We divide up our grocery shopping every week and get the produce and meat at Publix and then go to Walmart to buy everything else. Walmart was a zoo on Sunday night! Why did we decide to do our grocery shopping at the beginning of the Super Bowl?
• I’ve never kept it a secret that I watch the Super Bowl just for the National Anthem. And whoa, Kelly Clarkson. She didn’t disappoint! Thank goodness my DVR got it for me, so I could watch it on Monday. I thought Kelly Clarkson looked and sounded amazing!
• My very favorite Star Spangled Banner arrangement and performance was The Dixie Chicks back in 2003. Wow! Watch it on You Tube!
• My whole Brain Dump is about TV and movies…
• Todd and I have a date night coming up this weekend! We planned way ahead, scheduled a baby sitter, made dinner reservations and I’m excited! We’re going to see The Vow. (My choice, not his. It’s payback for when he chose Horrible Bosses.)

• Hayes had four straight nights of uninterrupted sleep. Hallelujah! But then he was up at 1:30 this morning. Teething, ear infections, random bursts of excitement and the need to party at midnight have had him awake at least once per night for the last month. Hopefully he’s back to sleeping.
• And he’s doing much better with his eating. He has always been so content to just have everything done for him. He’s a slow crawler. He never wanted to nurse and feeding him has always been something I worried about, so I’m so thankful that he is really starting to like food. (Thank you ALL for all of your suggestions. I need help and you are all so kind to help me! We’ve adopted a few “baby led weaning” principles thanks to so many of your suggestions and we’ve also found that he really enjoys Ella’s Kitchen baby food.)
• Have y’all ever had a hair dresser who, despite your pleas, just didn’t do what you asked? And I don’t mean cut off three inches when you wanted two inches cut off. I mean you ask for blonde hair and you don’t leave with blonde hair. I see a hair stylist “divorce” in my future.

I hope everyone’s week is off to a great start! I had a great morning at Bible study, which was completely unexpected. I had completely forgotten that it was today, but I went ahead and had a great morning.

I have a few product reviews coming up over the next few weeks in addition to a couple of fun giveaways!

I’m also hosting a Kelly’s Kids trunk show for one of my oldest friends this week. Yay!

Motherhood continues to humble me and put me in my place.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at my wits’ end. Hudson hadn’t napped in three days and I was frazzled. I felt awful and I looked tired. (Because I was tired.) But I felt badly about myself. Not because my son didn’t nap. I felt bad about myself because of the way I was reacting to him.

We were butting heads. I realize now that he was “escalating” in response to me. I was frustrated that he wasn’t napping. It wasn’t so bad during the time that he was supposed to be napping, but it was bad about an hour before bed time. He wasn’t obeying me. He wasn’t listening to me. And there just a big disconnect.

The biggest mistake I made was losing my patience. I consider this to be my biggest battle. And after I’d lose my patience and scold him, I’d spend the next three hours beating myself up and hating the person I was that day. I was frustrated, angry and just done. It was a horrible cycle and it was a horrible week for me. And I’m sure it was bad for Hudson, too.

The last day without a nap was a Thursday. On Thursday night, I prayed very specifically for Friday. I prayed for my attitude. I prayed that I would be full of optimism and creativity when thinking of ways to focus on Hudson and to do things to make Hudson feel loved and like he had my undivided attention.

I started thinking about why I was so upset that he didn’t nap. And I realized, of course, that all the reasons were selfish reasons. When he doesn’t nap, I can’t get anything done. The laundry doesn’t get folded. Dinner doesn’t get prepped. I can’t check emails, return phone calls, or sit down to write and update my blog and check Twitter. These things aren’t insignificant, but they’re not worth the reaction I had to losing a nap.

I prayed again as soon as I woke up on Friday morning. I didn’t want a repeat of Thursday and I wanted us to have a good day. I know that toddlers can be very hard to please, but I realized that Hudson was responding to me and my busyness. I felt extreme guilt for wanting to get him tucked in for his nap as soon as possible so I could rush off and use the next two hours to do things I wanted to do. I know it’s normal to crave those quiet hours to ourselves, but I’m telling you, this wasn’t normal.

Friday morning, I deleted Twitter and Facebook from my phone to remove the temptation to check in throughout the day. I didn’t want anything to make Hudson feel like he had to “act out” to get my attention.

That day was a fun day. We went to Little Gym, like we do every Friday, and we started a new Friday tradition of going to Chick-fil-A and taking it to the park for a picnic lunch. We had so much fun. He followed directions at Little Gym and he played hard at the park. (Hayes slept in his stroller at the park.)

When we got home, he asked to wash his hands and then he told me he was ready for his nap.

I tucked him in and laid down beside him. He dozed off within five minutes.

That day was the start of something new. Sure, things are a challenge. And they’re not perfect. And just because we had a great day, things won’t always be great. But I’ve noticed a change in myself since then- and a change in Hudson as a result. All I can control is my reaction to my children.

I have one chance with each of them. I want to be proud of how I did my “job” every day. I want to feel satisfied and I want to know that I did all I could to show them how much I love them.

It’s important to me to keep up with my home and get the things done that I need to get done, but I don’t want to run a tight ship. My relationship with my children and their happiness should always come first.

*The adorable fish bowl shirt and check pants that Hudson is wearing are from She She Made. (Hayes has a custom made long all, too, but he goes through 3 outfits a day and spit up right before I took his picture.) Ashley has become a dear friend of mine and creates the cutest things for boys and girls. I love these outfits she made for my boys. She is always updating her online store, so check it out! And follow She She Made on Facebook.

I am such a sucker for the pink and red. I walk into stores in January and February and I am consumed with the urge to grab everything Valentine’s Day-related and throw it into my cart without even evaluating whether or not I need it or even want it!

(This is why I’ve only been in grocery stores so far in 2012!)

So I love the Valentine’s Day goodies and, while I can avoid the stores, I can’t avoid my favorite blogs, Etsy sellers, or Pinterest.

My friends at Sweet Birdie’s Nest have created the cutest Valentine’s Day printable collection and it is geared toward school children. I am so excited that Hudson can pass out Valentine’s at school this year. I’m in charge of the Valentine’s Day party, so I’m really excited about this printable cupcake toppers and goodies for treat bags. They created a boys’ collection and a girls’ collection. Aren’t they cute?

The whole collection is just $5.00!

My favorite fine paper resource, Minted., has some gorgeous Valentine’s Day paper this year.

Minted Classroom Valentine’s Day Cards
The classroom Valentine’s Day cards are small and meant to be handed out. So they actually cannot be mailed.

These Williams Sonoma X and O S’mores are just so cute. If they showed up on my door step around Valentine’s Day I’d be pretty excited!

And these Heart Pie Pops? I love them! They’re just so sweet– and no doubt tasty. These are perfect for a Valentine’s Day evening spent at home.

My blog friend, Sarah, created this printable that I just love! You print it, frame it, grab a dry erase marker, and put it somewhere in your house for you and your honey to write little notes to each other. And it’s FREE!

The link to the printable is on Sarah’s blog!

photo via Life Sweet Life

(if you want to *pin* this, please do it from Sarah’s blog)

I love these personalized pajamas from Chasing Fireflies for a little girl.

Many thanks to all of this month’s sponsors!

I continue to create these posts because the women who have buttons on this blog have become friends of mine and I want all of you to see the great stuff they’re selling and making. Read ahead to see some of my favorite products and find out about deals from each of these fabulous companies!

This month’s new sponsors are Oreck, Thirty-One Gifts from Kodi BeVelle and My Southern Accent by Wendy Woodall.

::Oreck::

What can I say about Oreck? I am the proud owner of a Dual Max Air Purifier and that thing has made such a difference in our home!

My little handheld vacuum is the greatest thing, though. When I need to get into tight spaces to clean up, it’s perfect. Or if I need to get a spill off the couch, it’s perfect. When I took down all of the Christmas decorations, I just went around and cleaned up everything with this great, light weight handheld vacuum. The price is great and the function is unbeatable.

I also have the new Oreck Magnesium upright vacuum and it is truly the greatest vacuum I’ve ever used. I’m so proud to own one! I have a great, trusty older Oreck vacuum model that will not die and still works as great as it did when I first got it. I am an Oreck customer for life.

::My Southern Accent::

My friend, Wendy, started her Etsy shop called My Southern Accent last year. She sells these fantastic print/printables featuring Southern quotes and sayings. I just love them! They are perfect for an office, a creative space, as a reminder hanging on the wall in your closet, in a child’s room. They are just so cute and so creative!

I can’t wait to see what new designs she comes up with.

And Wendy was featured in Southern Living in the December issue for great gift ideas! Isn’t that so exciting? She is super talented and has become a friend of mine over the years. I’m so proud of all of her success and I just love her Etsy shop!

::Thirty-One Gifts with Kodi BeVelle::

Y’all know how much I love a good organizing tool and a great tote bag, right? Thirty-One Gifts is just the latest in amazing organizing gear. And Kodi has become a good friend of mine through blogging and Twitter.

The name is based on the Proverbs 31 woman and I think that is just so great. The company is centered around celebrating, encouraging and rewarding women. How great is that?

I have been drooling over so many of these bags and home organizing products. I love the magazine basket that you can carry from room to room. I love the thermal bags so much. We use them for Hayes’s bottles when we’re out and about and need to keep them warm.

The utility totes are great for transporting yoga gear, clean laundry, dirty laundry, beach supplies, party supplies and casseroles. You name it! I just love all of this stuff so much. I’m in serious need of a rolling duffle. For real. Am I just listing my Christmas wish list.

Check out Kodi’s Thirty-One site and place an order. All you have to do is click on “Place an Order” and click on the party  under Kodi’s name. And get to shopping.

::Polka Dot Posies::

I’m a boy mom, so I don’t buy bows, but I do love some bows on some little girls! Polka Dot Posies has the cutest and most affordable options for bows. Really, you cannot beat their prices. All of the bows and stocked and ready to ship so there’s no wait time to receive the bow.  I just think they are so cute! And, really. $4.00 for a bow? Can’t beat it. They also have hats, headbands and other accessories.

::BarBelles at Home and BarBellies at Home::

This is, without a doubt, the most unique sponsor on my blog, but I am SO excited to know about the blog and what it offers.

::Monogram Chick::

Oh my goodness, do I love the Monogram Chick. I recently ordered that gorgeous white, waffle weave, ruffle robe with my monogram on it. I am in love. I also recently ordered the 24 oz tumbler in a great purple color with a white decal with my monogram. I have used it so much!

Monogram Chick has the most wonderful gift selections and I have gone to her website time and time again looking for the perfect gift for every occasion. Monogram Chick is an extensive selection of fabulously unique products including gifts for bridesmaids, hostesses, sorority, housewarmings, children and babies. I have gotten so many of my favorite baby gifts and personalized items for myself and my children from Sarah, the Monogram Chick. She has items for every budget and no matter your budget, your gift will be personalized and meaningful to the recipient!

::Willow House with Callie Parker::

I am obsessed with Willow House. I’d buy everything from the catalog if I could afford it. My friend, Callie, sells these gorgeous products and a few months ago I hosted a party. For hosting the party, I was able to get some gorgeous things for some fabulous prices. I stocked up on some amazing entertaining pieces. The collage above shows some of the things I have and some of the things on my wish list, including the Nola Party Bucket and the Christmas card display holder.

Have you always wanted the Savannah Beverage Server? They’re back for a limited time and at 40% off! I have three of these and love them for parties. Click here to order yours!

And visit Callie’s Harvest Sale!

If you’re interested in hosting a Willow House party or purchasing anything, contact Callie at willowhousemom@gmail.com.

::Stella & Dot::

I absolutely love Stella & Dot jewelry. I love that it is stylish and affordable. Each season, they have the greatest pieces that fit with the latest trends and I always look for something to fit every outfit. Stella & Dot offers some of the most attractive, trendy jewelry I have seen in years. I have quite a few pieces and I wear at least one thing every day. Whether you are a stay at home mom, working mom, on the go, or going out on the town Stella & Dot has just the piece for you. Check our Karah’s site and see if you find something that fits your style and your budget!

::Sweet Birdie’s Nest::

Any time someone asks me who to use for a great birthday invitation for their child or who to use to get all the extra fun birthday accessories for their party, I recommend Sweet Birdie’s Nest. Sweet Birdie’s Nest is two sisters who make sure everyone has whimsical, beautiful and personalized stationery and party invitations.  These girls create invitations and details for bridal and baby showers, Christmas cards, birth announcements, and Baptisms.  They created all of the invitations, banners, cupcake toppers, party circles, and favor tags for Hudson’s second birthday this year.

This month, Sweet Birdie’s Nest is offering an adorable Valentine’s Day printable for school age kids! I’m so excited about it and can’t wait to show you more!

::Southern Tots::

Southern Tots has every single one of my favorite brands for kiddos. My favorite smocked and applique styles are there and Ashley also creates custom pieces for parties and occasions.

Southern Tots has Facebook sales almost every day of the week! You can go on Facebook on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to buy great smocked and appliquéd outfits for your little ones!

Their spring collections are on the website now and they are c-ute! You can always find something new for your little boy or girl when you visit www.southerntots.com!  Find them on Facebook as Southern Tots.

::Ashley Brooke Designs::

Ashley Brooke Designs is one of my absolute favorite gems that I’ve found through blogging. Her one-of-a-kind designs have found a place in our home as I’ve had stationery created for our family, for Hudson, for Hayes, given custom stationery as gifts, and used Ashley Brooke’s designs for invitations! Ashley Brooke Designs is a luxury paper company where Ashley creates hand-drawn fashion sketches from scratch.  She creates blog headers, invitations, personal stationery, announcements, and holiday cards. She works one on one with clients to design exactly what they’re looking for.  The designs are available on everything from stationery to coffee mugs to tote bags.

Now Ashley has an amazing online shop that includes beautiful stationery that is already made and ready to go. These are some of the most adorable notepads, moving announcements, thank you cards and “just because” notes I’ve seen!

Contact Ashley at info@ashleybrookedesigns.com!

::Penny Lane Designs::

Marina of Penny Lane Designs creates the best blog designs, hands down! I have used Marina from Penny Lane Designs to create my blog design twice now. When I had my original blog, she created an adorable design there, and she created the one I have now. I always recommend her to everyone because I believe she is the best of the best. She offers pre-fab layouts and custom blog headers. Each custom header is truly original and she helps your blog brand itself. I love working with her! Click here to place your order.

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