Dating Game for Moms

When I was single, I hated dating with a capital "H". I ran all the usual drills: meeting at a club/bar/church, internet, introduced by a friend, blind date, luring them to my tinted window van by acting like I needed help loading a sofa...no wait, that was Silence of the Lambs...

Anyhoo, dating sucked. It was stressful, awkward and I once had a guy sing in the car on the way to the restaurant, in the restaurant and on the way home. No love match there. The worst part for me was my own kooky insecurities:

"Do I have something in my teeth? Oh crap, do I have something in my nose?! Who should pay? Does he like me? Is this going well? Wait, how long has it been since he stopped talking??? The silence has gone on too long, say something stupid!"

"So...uh...this is fun...right?"

Part of me always wanted to revert back to grade school dating tricks:

Once I was married, I did a happy dance that my horrifying dating days were over. Or so I thought. Turns out when you get knocked up, if you don't have a built in system of friends or close family with kids the same age, you're right back in a dating pool of another sort...

I never worried about Toot having friends at first, a kid can't really "play" when their biggest talent is staring at the ceiling fan. But now she's two and I can't deny it any longer. My kid needs some friends. Luckily there's a park close by and she LOVES it there.

Of course said park is filled with kids and...their moms. Now I find myself in the same cringe-worthy position I was in when I was dating. Trying to catch an eye, giving them a friendly smile or nod, looking out of the corner of my eye to see if they're looking at me, attempting to not look desperate, sucking in my stomach so I look thinner...after all, you gotta win over the moms.

And then, amazingly, I'm right back where I started:

"Do I have something in my teeth? Oh crap, do I have something in my nose?! Who should pay? Does she like me? Is this going well? Wait, how long has it been since she stopped talking??? The silence has gone on too long, say something stupid!"

"So...uh...this is fun...right?"

Finding your path through the sea of motherhood can be tricky. Of course for my part, I could never imagine someone NOT wanting to have Toot around, she's a hoot! Plus, come on...she's pretty cute if I do say so myself.

But I never realize it would be up to me to get the ball rolling. I've got to wade into the deep end and start flirting up the moms and see who flirts back and then it's on. My kids gets a friend, some social skills and who knows...I may learn some new social skills too.

Hooked On This and That

Hi everyone!

Took a mini blogging break last week, getting super pregnant now and trying to keep it all together! lol Today I wanted to share some little crochet projects I've been able to finish before the baby arrives. The first is a dishcloth I made using the pattern from JPF Crochet Club:

I made this flower dishcloth using a pattern from Bernat:

I just love this sparkly cotton from Hobby Lobby! (Funny enough, the yarn is called "I Love This Cotton!" so I guess they knew I'd like it. lol)

And last but not least, I made this frog bath pouf using a pattern from the latest issue of Crochet Today magazine:

I've really been "hooked" on crocheting lately. hahahahaha Sorry, that was much funnier in my head.

Have a great day everyone! :)

Kathie's Friday Night Fab Five

Hi everyone and welcome to Maggi's Friday Night Fab Five where normally she lists 5 things she likes, loves or generally adores for the week.

This week Maggi has generously allowed me to share my 5 things for this week!

My name is Kathie @ Just a Happy Housewife. I don’t fall into any blog niche, but that’s what makes my blog so appealing to a variety of bloggers. My blog is about sharing whatever strikes my fancy. I share what I am interested in from animal causes, my pets, trying new products, tv & movies to memes and just about anything else. Variety is the spice of life, no? The most common description of my blog is that you don't know what you're going to find when you visit. What can I say, I love being random.

I'm constantly brainstorming ideas for my house so I thought I'd share them for this week's fab five since I'm on a roll when it comes to daydreaming about them lately. Not only for added aesthetic value but also for resale reasons. We aren't living in our "forever 'n ever" home and the competition for selling is a little fierce in our small subdivision alone. So, I think some creativity will be necessary.

1. Faux Crown Molding

(Image: hgtv.com)

Nothing beats the real thing, but I love an inexpensive alternative solution to anything. If money were abundant and I didn't have a list of things I wanted to do to the house, then I'd go with authentic crown molding. However, I have yet to acquire a money tree, so faux will be the way to go if I can convince my husband to do this project. I just think crown molding (faux or not) completes a room, don't you?

2. Built in bookcase with window seat

(Image Credit)

Our guest bedroom is perfect for this kind of project! On either side of the window, the wall is recessed making it perfect for a built-in bookcase. I think it would add charm and who doesn't love a window seat??? It beats an ordinary bookcase which incidentally we are desperately needing at the moment.


3. White kitchen cabinets

(Image: decorpad.com)

We have oak cabinets, which is fine, but most of the other subdivision houses for sale have more expensive wood cabinets (not to mention stainless steel appliances, ceramic tile floors and granite countertops...which we have none of in our kitchen). So, instead of replacing cabinets, I've been toying with the idea of painting the cabinets white. It will even look good with our white appliances! It looks so light, open and clean.


4. Beadboard backsplash

(Image: elitecrownmoldings.com)

Another idea for the kitchen improvement. I've always wanted a backsplash, but I can't find anything I like at all. Finally, I came across a few pictures of using beadboard and fell in love. It's more white in the kitchen, but I like the kitchen to be light and bright 'n cheery. It also gives a cottage-y feel to the kitchen, which I love, especially since our house is a ranch.


5. Inside window shutters

(Image: katyelliott.com)

Is it just me or do inside shutters squeal cuteness to you too? eek! I love it. I have to say that I'm kinda odd in that I don't really like curtains. I just think curtains can be bulky which makes a room appear smaller, so I'm not a big fan. Mini blinds are okay but they're a bit plain looking. However, I do like my privacy, so not having any window coverings isn't appealing either. Inside shutters seem like a great option and they're simply charming.

So, there you have it, my fab five home project ideas that I'm loving.

A ginormous thank you to Maggi for letting me join in on the fun this week!

What have you been drooling over this week?

It's Two, Two, Toot Times the Drama

Hi everyone!

I have to admit, I got pretty lucky in the first kid department. Toot is pretty cool: she started sleeping through the night fairly quickly, knows her numbers, her letters and likes to give hugs and kisses. But even the best kids (especially toddlers) have those "off" days. When she wants something and you tell her no, well...this might happen:

"My world is ending..."

And of course I'm the sweet, understanding sort of mother who takes pictures of her child's melodrama. I wonder where she gets that from? Hmmm...must be from her father. Later in the week, I took this picture after trying to explain to her that this is not a Democracy and she doesn't get a vote until she's 18 and even then it's just for the President of the United States.

"My world is ending...again!"

I try my best to be stern on the outside and not let her get away with tantrums but come on, this is funny. I'm not worried though, I'm sure she'll get this sort of drama out of her system and never do it again. Right?

...

RIGHT?!

Cupcakes and Other Yarn Love

Hi everyone!

Still in a rush to finish up some projects before the new baby gets here (since today's the 7th if she comes on time I've got exactly 2 months left!) and I'm proud to show you something actually completed! lol Kathie from Just a Happy Housewife won a custom cupcake scarf during my blogoversary giveaways and here it is!

She picked pink and brown for her colors and I'm very happy with the finished result. (Let's hope Kathie is too, LOL)

Friday Night Fab Five: Random Rules!

Hi everyone and welcome to another Friday Night Fab Five where I list 5 things I adore this week. I'm going full on random so without further ado...

1. Crocheted Leaves for the Naked Branch

(Image: Easy)

The first time I read the post, Crocheted Leaves for the Naked Branch, from Easy I immediately fell in love. This is such a sweet and easy tutorial, I'm ready to start canvassing my yard for branches to use. So many possibilities and ways to display these in your house!

The First Cut Is The Deepest...

Hi everyone!

Well, after hearing various family and friends tell me how crazy Toot's hair was looking, I thought it might be time for her first haircut. I mean at first I thought they were all nuts but when I realized that my nickname for her hair was "Crazy Hair" I started rethinking my stance. Well, judge for yourself:

(Toot's the one on the left)

And no way on this good Earth I was going to try and cut it. (Seriously, remind me to tell you how I once knifed myself in the eye.) So off to the fancy pants kiddie salon we went. They were very nice and Toot seemed to enjoy herself...