Favorites Friday:Christmas for Mommy?

My christmas wishlist... all the amazing etsy goodness that i would just LOVE to find christmas morning...

(click to enlarge)
#1: Glamasaurus - Rainbow Candy 4g Plugs
#2: SimbiosisbyJulie - Kawaii laptop sleeve... "I want this SOOOO bad. I think its at the top of my list this year."
#3: Small Threads - Bony Mama Hoodie... "my most favorite purchase... it was my Christmas gift to MYSELF! And i love it."
#4: Morikaty - Vintage Silver Sewing Machine & Scissors necklace
#5: ShabbyChicFairytale - Antique Damask chair... "i NEED this for my bedroom..."
#6: JCSkyline - Makeup Brush Roll
#7: MoLoveRox - I need a wholeeeeee bunch of MoLove sparkley pigments...
#8: FA2u - Skull Frame Clutch
#9: MichelleChangJewelry - Baby Skull Ring w/ Diamonds "I have wanted this ring for years... someday I will have it."

Thursdays Tunes: Katy Perry & Elmo

 So - there was a ton of controversy about this & her outfit... what do you think? Too scandalous??

Wordless Wednesday: Plotting Revenge

GIVEAWAY! Hoot-n-Andy

If your a follower of the blog, then you saw that last week for Favorites Friday, we featured an AWESOME shop called Hoot-n-Andy... I dont even know where to begin... because the handpainted awesome-ness pouring out of this shop is totally overwhelming. So lets start small and work our way up... with my personal favorites :)

#1: The tattoo mommy/daddy yo-yo... This bad boy will be gracing Izzaq's stocking with its presence this year. How could I pass it up!? And crazy enough, Izzaq asked santa for a yo-yo... so, we will be yo-yo-ing in style at the Zrust house ;) Just $9

#2: Memory Games! We loveeeeeee memory games... but never have I ever come across one as amazing as this...  We will have 2 of these under the tree this year... one for each kiddo... a guitar themed one, and a tattoo one (like the above mommy/daddy yo-yo)... Why keep buying those cheap-o cardboard games when you can have something quality that will last you generations and generations...

#3: Nesting Blocks - Each set comes with 4 blocks, complete with letters, numbers, bright patterns, and of course- cute, skeleton animals! Im in love... I need another baby so I can get these... cuz they are ADORABLE!

#4: And last but DEFINITELY not least... if anything, THE BEST.... the "Rockin' Horses" or... "Rocking Horses of a Different Color" if you Jenny :) Either way, I think we can all agree to call them amazing. HAve you ever seen such a classic toy with a twist?! Im in love... and would be willing to sell a kidney to get that tattoo one...

Im really truly just in love... Her things are amazing... the detail that she puts into them is flawless... and she went above and beyond to be sure she was using baby/toddler safe materials... and guess what... you get to see for yourself... One lucky winner will get their hands on a CUSTOM memory game... shoot any theme her way, and she will make it happen... guitars? sure! Punk? No problem! Flowers? Rainbows? Cars? Butterflies? Owls? Trains? You betcha! Ok... well, you get the picture... any custom memory set you can dream up.

How to win:
(For each finished task below, leave a separate comment letting me know you did it. Ill check :)
#1: Mandatory entry: Comment below and let us know what YOUR "dream theme memory game" would be...
#2: Heart the Hoot-n-Andy shop...
#3: Heart two of her items...
#4: Heart the RockerByeBaby shop...
#5: Fan Hoot-n-Andy on Facebook!
#6: Fan RockerByeBaby on Facebook!
#7: Visit the Hoot-n-Andy Blog and leave a comment on one of her posts.
#8: Comment on one of OUR past blog posts (this post doenst count :)

Annnnd.... im a jerk :(

Nothing better to finish off a crappy day than making a 4 year old cry... :( Today the boys were horrible. Screaming, yelling, fighting, hitting, pushing, running... just being terrible to each other... for 10 hours i put up with chaos today while trying to cook, clean, & work... and throw any idea at them to keep them entertained... nothing worked... finally around 6 tonight I made some dinner... which was quickly followed with toddler tantrums. Apparently I didn't make the right food choices. *mommy fail, again...* I had finally bribed them into eating all their dinner in order to get a cookie... *mommy win!* Sugar buzz... {head/desk} *mommy fail, AGAIN* Just as I was starting to lose all hope in salvaging any of this day, Nightmare Before Christmas came on... they plopped their little butts on the couch and sat like statues... YAY!! When the movie was over, it was time for bed... this part was going surprisingly better than I had expected... until I opened my mouth of course...  now let me give you a little back story... When I was a kid I had a bad habit of licking my lips.. and i got a horrible red ring around my mouth... it was so bad, and beyond looks, it always hurt! But... it was a habit i couldn't break until my mom put some gross lotion stuff on them the doctor gave her... Now, of all my crappy habits, of course this is the one IzzaQ picks up...

day after day his perfect little lips get a little more red... I try to stop him when I see it, and I always am lubin' him up with Aveeno chapstick... Well tonight I did the usual... tucked him in, kissed him goodnight.... and said "oooh baby, your lips look sore & red! Lets put on some chapstick, you don't want to look like a Clown do you?" And all Hell broke loose... histerical IzzaQ: MOM! You hurt my feelings!! I dont want to be a clown!! Then I will scare you away forever!! Me: Oh no honey, I dont want you to be a clown either, im sorry... I just dont want you to have owie lips. {holding back tears} this went back and forth for a good 10 minutes... he kept hugging me and hugging me... I really hurt is feelings and I didnt mean to... I felt SO SO bad. My poor baby :(

Its crazy though... hes growing up so fast... 6 months ago I could have said something like that and he probably would have giggled and made a silly clown face... but now - he takes things like that personally... when did this happen!? When did my little baby boy turn into such a mini man? I dunno... but Im sure not ready for it...

Mentoring Monday: Children are Water, We are the Glass

As usual, Monday welcomes another post by new mama to Maddie, Aymee. Leave her some love!

Our Children are Water, and we are the Glass

      H₂O: the single most important tangible substance for life on Earth. It is what allows all organisms to flourish. This naturally renewable source is a cure-all for when we are sick, tired, and run-down. Water is the most pliable element, taking the shape of whatever container it resides in. Take the simple image of a cool glass of water. What comes to mind? Rejuvenation, refreshment, mmm…a good feeling.
      If our children are water, then we are the glass that holds them. Some glasses are simple cylinders; some are artfully colorful or eye-catchingly shaped. But they all serve the same purpose: to provide a receptacle for water to do its job and reach its full potential. When one thinks of a glass of water, one focuses on the water. The glass is often taken for granted. But if the glass is structurally unstable (i.e. a crack in the side), precious liquid will helplessly leak out making a mess. Parenting is a lot like being a glass. We have a responsibility to stay structurally sound so our children can reach their full potential and fuel a better future.
      Originally, I did not plan to have children until I was finished with college. College-then-kids is the stereotypically expected plan in our culture because college-with-kids is damn hard. But late last year, a burning stillness rose within me to have a baby. Adam had been prodding for children for years. Six months into dating we went to see Jersey Girl in the theater. As the credits began to roll, he looked lovingly at me and said, “Let's have a baby.” --!!!-- “Get away from me!” I humorously thought. Working on my Associates degree, we weren't even married yet (not that you have to be married to have kids). I made him wait five and half years, and I'm lucky he's so patient. When I enrolled in school last fall, I still had every intention of finishing my Bachelors before getting pregnant. But in November, something changed within me. The time came, and I had a peace in my heart and my gut so strong: I knew I had to listen. My mom, who lovingly pressed me to finish college, softly questioned my judgment. “What about school?” she asked. In her head, it probably sounded more like, “ARE YOU CRAZY?! Do you have any idea what you're in for?” But I'm an extremely lucky individual. My mom is amazing, supportive, and keen enough to have always known her strong-willed daughter has to follow her heart, even if she sees otherwise.
      Following my heart paid off. As Adam puts it, “We hit the jackpot.” Our little girl is more wonderful in every way than I ever imagined. I like to think the stars aligned last November, my soul sensed it, and thank goodness I listened. Still, in the back of my mind I wonder if having my plate so full will have a negative impact on my parenting abilities? The conclusion I always come back to is this: the answer is up to me. The answer will lie in how I prioritize my obligations. It is a given that my child and husband come first. Then my job and school come next. And my sanity? Well…
      It would be easy to decline into a slippery slope of sacrificing my sanity for the sake of my responsibilities. But will that eventually make me a cracked glass? Certainly. In the circular method of doing what's best for my child, I have to take care of myself. The battle is figuring out how to deliver on all three planes without becoming overwhelmed and losing hope--but it's not impossible. At my college, forty percent of the student body are working parents. And like them, I am (somehow) still passing my classes and my child is thriving. Or take a lot of the working Moms on Etsy & Artfire: Brooke, Steph, and even our beloved Amber; multiple kids and successful stores they run by themselves. If they can do it and stay sane, so can I. With a positive mindset, it is amazing what we are capable of.
      I find taking pride in my struggle for Maddie yields further motivation. Taking comfort in doing the right thing for my family, regardless of how hard it may be, gives me the energy to press on. To get up before dawn, to stay calm when she's not, to attend class instead of go home and have a beer: all for my family. Yes, water fuels the future. But who knew it fueled the glass holding it?


Amber edit: Thanks Mee-Mee, this could have been more perfect today... today my friend, has been a total whirlwind.. cooking, cleaning, working, parenting, wifing, and i still have about 6 hours to go... its 7:30 (head/desk) doing it with my sanity? I dunno... some days (like today) I swear my heads gunna explode... other days? Piece of cake.. I just keep focusing on the next day... get as much done today because "the next day" will be easier... it seems to help me get buy and stay focused on the tasks at hand... if not, i get completely overwhelmed... i love you!

Note to Self Saturday: Just breathe.

A to do list... or a to dont list... or maybe an already did list... i dunno...

A rant about my day(s):

• Zaq's Christmas present showed up in the mail yesterday... This makes me happy, i hope he loves it. 
• IzzaQ is so incredibly intelligent... its a blessing and a curse already - I can only imagine what this will be like when he is older. 
• Once Aymee and I talked about how we hope our children grow up to be strong and independent adults... if your doing your job right, the also comes with a strong and independent toddler... he gets "stonger" every day...
• I am SO crazy busy in the store... that Heather has had a suitcase of my stuff for over 2 months now... because i havn't had time to go downtown. *fail*
• Bullet points make me feel organized. Im not...
• Yesterday my puppies pooped on the carpet twice... then Zavery pooped in his pants, and before i realized it - i stepped in it... it was a "shitty" day.
• I wish leaving California didn't mean leaving my "Dixie"... My world was much less chaotic with her around... moving here was supposed to mean we had more help... so far, we have lots less, and when i do get it, im still paying for it. I shoulda just made Dixie come with me.  I miss her.
• Zavery needs a haircut... he has been called a girl in every store we go into, about 239842308570938450984504398503985034985029384029 times... no matter what he is wearing... full on boy clothes, they still say "she".
• Today has been a stressful day... crazy kids, too much work... and a super rude customer. 
• Daddy texted to say he went to the store on his lunch break and got me a couple bottles of wine... this makes me happy.
• Majority of my friends are pregnant... and today I found out about one more... *shhhh* i cant tell!
• Im still fighting with myself about #3 or not... daily. Probably more like 5-10 times a day. 3 times a charm right? Because I don't think i can continue on the miscarriage emotional/physical roller coaster.
• I woke up this morning singing the "outdoors" sesame street song by Jason Mraz (youtube it.)
• Tonight i think i spent over $300 just on fabric... and tomorrow i have to go to the fabric store... and still have loads more to buy!
• I miss my hubby... im lonely when he closes. I dont know how military wives do it. Stronger ladies than I am thats for sure!
• Last night i made the most DELICIOUS turkey chili & corn bread... can't wait to have leftovers tomorrow :)
• Zaq keeps asking what I want for christmas.... what more COULD i want? Im pretty fortunate.
• I get more excited getting presents for other people than thinking about what i might get myself... 
• Umizoomi is over :( That means bed time... and back to the sewing machine for me... see you guys next time!

Favorites Friday: Toddler Toys for Christmas!

All I want for Christmas is.... A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF FROM ETSY!!! Im nuts about handmade goodies... duh, and i LOVE keeping Christmas as handmade as possible... so here is a list of goodies we want to get for the boys for Christmas! (or have already gotten and recommend)

#1: HandmadePretties - Rock and Roll Giant Fleece Ball $50.00
#2: JugieBeeCrayons - Guitar Crayons set of 10 for $6.99
#3: BabiesLoveBlankies - Royal Skull I Spy Bag $15.00
#4: HootNAndy - Tattoo Memory Game $30.00
#5: ThePolkaDotTotSpot - Groovy Guitar Large Cloth Jingle Ball $14.00
#6: DeniseJacobsohn - Soft Guitar $28.00
#7: EnchantedDandelions - Silly Sprout Bean Bags $4.25
#8: LittleMetalMisster - GuiTag Blue $20.50
#9: BabyBooFelt - Rainbow Skulls Squeaker Block $9.00

**We love hosting giveaways, if any of you awesome sellers want a Tuesday feature for a review & giveaway contact us at rockerbyebaby@gmail.com for more details!
Thanks!