Month: January 2012

  • 24 Months Of Our Lovebug.

    It seems like just yesterday that my son came into the world. Here we are, almost two years later, and I just don’t know where the time went! I decided to put together a video that shows him growing up before our eyes. Enjoy the look back at the past two years. I am so blessed to be his mommy! See the video here.

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  • 10 Things To Do With Your Toddler

    I LOVE hanging out with my little love bug. My husband works most weekends, but I’ve come to look forward to my days alone with my son. I do, however, struggle coming up with new, entertaining activities for us to do. I can’t be the only one, though, right? I racked my brain and realized that WE REALLY DO A LOT OF FUN STUFF! Here’s our top 10 list: 

     

    pretend play  messy factor: *

    As a kid, I really enjoyed dress-up. The frilly clothes, the shoes and hats… I would pretend to be a princess, or president, or nurse, or teacher (or a princess president that moonlighted as a nurse teacher). It looks like I’ve passed that love for pretend play on to my son. He’s game for wearing silly hats, glasses and even an outfit or two! 

    finger painting  messy factor: *****

    I know what you’re thinking: this is a disaster waiting to happen. But, there’s no greater joy than seeing the smile on your kid’s face as they squish the paint between their fingers, then smear it across the paper. I take an old fitted sheet and put it on the top of our kitchen table, and let him have at it! Be sure to have the bathtub ready when they’re done, though.

    reading  messy factor: N/A

    A good book can leave a lasting impression on a child. In fact, it was my love of books that inspired me to become a writer. Set aside time each day to read to your child. Don’t be embarrassed to read in different voices, or have them interact with what’s on the pages. Their brains are thirsty sponges; help fill them up.

    bubbles messy factor: **

    Who knew a little dish soap and a plastic wand would be a child’s obsession?! These floating orbs of air have a way of stopping a running toddler in their tracks, only to have them stare up, up, up. While this activity is best done outside, throw a few beach towels down in the living room and send the bubbles flying! Even better than watching bubbles soar? POPPING THEM!

    playing outside  messy factor: *-***    

    Got some energy to burn? Best take it outside! Love bug loves taking wagon or bike rides to the park, then running up and down the jungle gym. A. million. times. Point out things you see along the way (“see the bird?” “what color is the sky?”), and teach them about their outside surroundings. It’s okay if they get dirty—it’s what kids do!

    housework (play)  messy factor: N/A

    Teach children about housework early. I’m not saying give them actual chores, but let them “help” when you’re working around the house. My son loves to dust, vacuum and “cook” for us with his play kitchen. He’s also a fantastic sweeper and lawn man. We make clean up a game, and try to teach him that it’s okay to play and be messy, but we need to all help clean up when we’re done.

    swimming  messy factor: **        

    Unless you have access to an indoor pool, this activity may need to be earmarked for summer. Love bug enjoys filling containers with water, then dumping them back out; a baby pool served us well last summer. It was enough to get wet, but kept him safe and contained. He also loves jumping into the big pool (into our arms, which still makes me very nervous), and swimming with daddy.  Remember, ALWAYS supervise your child around water.

    play doh  messy factor: ***

    We have entered the “play doh” phase, and there’s no end in sight. Play doh exposes your child to colors, shapes and textures. They can build towers, or simply smoosh it between their fingers. We have a “pizza making” set, and he will sit for 10 minutes at a time, pressing the “doh” into the molds. Perfect for rainy days or car trips. Be warned that it flakes apart fairly easily, and requires a good deal of clean-up afterward.

    toddler gym  messy factor: N/A

    We enrolled our son in Gymboree last October. My initial thinking was more about the social aspect (to meet other parents), but it became a great way to burn off some weekend energy. We decided on the open age class, which exposes him to kids from 6 months to 5 years. For one hour each weekend, the class reads stories, pretend plays, sings, dances and have a ball. Yes, it can be a bit pricy, but for us—with only one kid—it’s worth it.

    blocks   messy factor: ***

    Our house is FILLED to the brim with blocks. I’m finding them in just about everything, from couch cushions to cabinets and even in the dark spots of the carpet! My son is quite the architect, however. Tall towers are erected in the playroom, only to be demolished seconds later. Did I mention he is quite the demo dude, too? It’s par for the course with this activity. They’ll love building it, then watching it crash to the ground. Definitely a winner at home.     

    What activities does YOUR toddler enjoy? Add to my list!

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  • The 7 Stages Of Marital Bliss

    Apparently, I’m a fairly seasoned traveler on the road of love. I’ve learned that your relationship changes—and grows—over time. Interested in the deets? Here’s a breakdown of the seven key stages of marital bliss: Continue reading →

  • We’ve Been Framed!

    In addition to planning Noah’s birthday party, we are also decorating his room. (Not redecorating… you have to have décor up to re-do for that!)
    What’s the theme? You guessed it: Dr. Seuss! You’d think we’d be sick of it by now (I’m seeing poodles with noodles in my sleep, I assure you), but it’s so fun and whimsical!
    To dress up Noah’s walls, I initially had the idea to frame mini-book jackets and hang them. With toddlers, the jackets are the first thing to go, so why not re-purpose them? I found cute, colorful frames at IKEA, and even found a coordinating ribbon to hang the frame from. If you consider the cost of the book, the frame and the ribbon, each one cost me almost $8 to make. YIKES!
    I pinned a few up on Noah’s wall the other night, and the result was decidedly overwhelming.
    “They should be bigger,” husband said as he walked by.
    Damn. I hate when he’s right.
    I remembered finding some great deals at the Dollar Tree last week, including an untreated wood document frame. 
    It would be easy enough to paint them, but where would I find book covers large enough? Hellllllo, internets!
    Confession: I didn’t pay attention to the size of the frame at first (document frames are 8.5×11”). I had printed each cover and cut it down to an 8×10” size. I could have just skipped the cutting step altogether. This is why it’s so important to know what you’re working with. Just sayin’.
    It only took one coat of acrylic paint—which I had in my craft closet—to cover the frames, and before I knew it, the project was done!
    I couldn’t wait to show Noah the result… I felt like a contestant on “Project Runway” or something.
    He seemed very pleased with the result (and so am I!) Looks like I’ll live to be his interior decorator for another day!
    Originally posted on Barelyjen’s other blogging venture, confessionsofanoverworkedsupermom.blogspot.com. I’m also on Facebook! Oooooh, I know, right? 

  • The Truth About Bloggers

    First, a note to my fellow bloggers: Yes, I’m ratting us out. But much like you do each day, I’m writing down the random words that pop into my brain, and sharing with the masses.
    I’ve been a blogger for almost eight years. My first foray into the blogosphere was on Xanga (shout out!). I found that people enjoyed my daily musings about almost nothing. In time, I had amassed a few thousand followers (at its peak), was a continually featured blogger and found myself craving the blogging spotlight.
    That brings me to my first truth about bloggers: we’re attention whores.
    If you had told my 15-year-old self that I SEEKED attention from others, I would have thought you were crazy. In “real life”, I’ve always been a shy, hide-in-the-corner-so-they-don’t-talk-to-me person. But there’s something about a forum where you aren’t seen, but heard, that really appealed to me.
    I found myself documenting EVERYTHING—from the food I ate to the places I went—and writing about it. That brings me to my second truth about bloggers: family and friends dread becoming blogging fodder.
    My husband would roll his eyes when the camera came out. Most date nights he’d preface with “this better not show up on a blog.” …well, it usually did.
    But I had valid points to make! My life is important! Hello, third truth about bloggers: we’re egotistical, and show-offs to boot.
    Our blogs are our soapbox. We have a voice, and we’re screaming to be heard! We’re awesome, and amazing, and gosh darn it, we’re not going to stop blogging until everyone knows about us.
    When I found out I was pregnant three years ago, I made the decision to put my blogging life on hold. It was surprisingly easy, considering how ingrained blogging had become in my daily routine. While I journaled for myself (and my unborn son), I took a blogging break.
    Then, after having my son, I decided the only way to lose the weight was by blogging (about my diet and exercise, of course). I documented my weight loss—35 pounds—on blogspot for the world to see. This time, though, while my desire to be heard was still there, the “attention whore” seemed to have been tempered. I wasn’t planning my day around how many blog posts I could squeeze out of it. Of course, the blog was all about me, and it was my place to tout my personal success. But it was also a place to share the success of others, and inspire them to lose weight as well. It was a magical time.
    Two months ago, I decided to start a new blogging venture. Since it’s still getting off the ground, I’m back to milking my day for post ideas, but I’m turning to my crafts and recipes to bulk up the blog. Yes, I’m still craving attention, but I want to see if I can make this hobby of mine into something bigger than a small blogging forum.
    Every blogger can identify with the truths I shared, but to what degree is on them. We write to be heard, so of course there’s an amount of attention-seeking that comes with it. And yes, our life is the foundation of our musings, but what else would you continue to enjoy writing about? People love to read about other people’s lives, and more often than not, ego comes off as confidence. I hope that’s the case with me.
    Yes, I want you to read me, and “like” me, and follow me… but I’m not going to go to desperate measures to get you (except for my giveaway. HAH!). Keep reading me or don’t, I’m just glad you’re here now.

  • where’s BarelyJen in 2012?

    I received messages from two Xanga readers the other day, so I figured I’d pop back on and give everyone an update on me!

    I’m working (mostly to pay for the home we bought last year), and enjoying life with my almost-two year old! WOW! Time sure does fly.

    I’m also on facebook with a new venture I’ve started: Confessions of an Overworked Supermom.

    If you have the time, you should stop by, “like” it and keep checking it out!

    So, what new with y’all?