Despite the fact that our hotel was amazing, we did not spend much time there. We were having too much fun with our family at their home in Cleves. There are two things you can count on when visiting Bill, Cathy and the kids: laughing too hard and eating too much. Cathy is such a good cook and she makes sure no one leaves hungry. Some of the highlights were Skyline chili-spaghetti, pineapple upside down cake, fluffy eggs and bacon… and of course delivery pizza, because their local pizzeria is …

Eric and I have a lot of similar history. We hung out in the same towns as teens and probably crossed paths a few times before we finally met at 20 and 21. (I’m the “older” woman.) Both of our dads are from the great state of Ohio. Mine hails from Toledo and his grew up in Cincinnati. Our moms are both from Wisconsin. We have a lot of other things in common, too. For example, we’re both really really good looking. Really.
Anyway… for the past few summers, we’ve all …

During a family road trip this weekend, I caught a glimpse of a driver in the next lane picking his nose. Don’t people realize that your vehicle is not exactly private on the open highway? Periodically he would inspect his finger. I laughed so hard. We were clocking a lot of hours on the road and solitaire can only keep a person entertained for so long.  I was intrigued by one burning question: how many drivers could I catch picking their nose? And… what else would I find Ohio drivers …

Today I’m over at my friends’ apartment with Micah and we’re keeping their 3-year-old daughter company, also known to some people as “babysitting.”  The little one is napping and the not-as-little one is watching Spongebob, so I have a moment to write. Do you know how much fun it is to play with a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old at the same time? They are hilarious. I hope Barry and Jayna don’t get a complaint from their neighbors about the noise this morning. You know, I just couldn’t help myself.
It was …

We bought our house almost exactly three years ago. Besides a small back patio built  from red pavers, we have done absolutely nothing to the outside of the house. It looked super boring. We were the only house in the whole neighborhood without some type of landscaping in the front. The only reason we haven’t done anything is because we really couldn’t afford to.
A few weeks ago I came up with a plan to landscape our yard for $0.
Behind our house is a giant pile of limestone rocks left over …

At Eric’s softball game the other night, Micah found a bunch of kids playing with sidewalk chalk and joined in on the fun. I have a box of this stuff, but never imagined he’d get the concept so early. He loved it! I am going to break out the old clothes and chalk and have some fun in our driveway as soon as it cools down. (Supposed to be 91 today!)

The way I prepare, cook and eat food has changed a lot since we found out Micah has multiple food allergies. You would not believe how crazy meal planning becomes when dairy is out of the mix. Most of the recipes you find on sites like Campbell’s or Taste of Home contain some form of cheese, cream, milk, butter or other dairy product. Certain ingredients are easy to replace with olive oil, apple sauce, palm oil shortening, or even water. There is no replacement for cheese. (Well there is but …

Ever since I discovered that some of my images are popping up in Google Image Search, especially when you search for pregnancy, I realized I should start “signing” my photos. I have played around with different formats, but ultimately I have settled for a frame with my site address. A lot of photographers watermark the actual image, and I understand why, but I’m all about sharing the love. I’d like the return traffic, thus the blog address, but I’m not worried about someone “stealing” my images. If I was, I …

Last night I watched a few tutorials about shooting in manual mode and learned quite a few things that I never knew before. Of course, it was dark already, so I had to wait to try out some of the new techniques until this morning. After Micah was done eating, I threw a blanket over the back of his high chair and scooted him over in front of the white wall by the window.  I gave him a measuring cup and a potholder – a perfect distraction. I ended up …

That’s the only explanation I can come up with for the magical change we have experienced in Micah’s bedtime routine this past week.

It all started last week when he decided one night that I wasn’t going to leave his room. Ever.
Per our usual routine, I changed his diaper, took him upstairs and found his pacifier, put on his t-shirt (summer jammies) and tucked him in. I nursed him and as soon as he was asleep I popped the binkie in his mouth.  Now normally, he would remain asleep and I …