Tuesday's List: Current Obsessions

Today, my friend, Jessica, is starting up a new blog carinval called "Tuesday's List". I absolutely love her idea and am so excited to participate! This week's topic... Current Obsessions! And oh, do I have plenty of those!! ha! So.. enjoy my current obsessions and go over to Jessica's blog and take a peek at her's!

{1} Fall tv lineup

Ok.. I actually dont get to watch these shows while they're showing, but that is why i LOVE DVR! We dont watch television in our house in the evenings, so Chris and I will typically catch up on shows after the kid's have gone to bed. My faves... Fringe, House, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.

{2} Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

OH, the yummy goodness!! Seriously, I can not get enough of them these days! My favorite is the "Hyde Park" from J.Alexander's.. but honestly just one homemade on the grill is good enough for me! :)

{3} Coke

No.. not the illegal substance!!! Just the good ole fashioned Coca-Cola (fountain, prefered!) I know.. I know.. it's terrible for me! And I promise that I do try to set a limit! But sometimes, a Route 44 during Sonic's Happy Hour is enough to just make my day!!

{4} Cardigans

I dont know what it is with cardigans this year, but I just can't get enough of them! I have one in particular that I promise you I have worn almost EVERY SINGLE DAY! Seriously, people are going to start thinking that I have no other clothes in my closet! ha! This is probably why I have refused to walk into J.Crew for about a month now.. every time I do.. I come out with another cardigan! What is wrong with ME?!

{5} Organic Nighty Night Tea

I found this at Whole Foods, while shopping, the other day! I decided to give it a try. The kid's LOVE it!! (and i really do think it helps to calm them down a little before bed!) It's has a nice flavor and is super easy to make! They have several different teas to choose from! Go to Whole Foods and grab one! :)

Ok..... I could go on and on and on and on.. trust me! I'm just going to stop there though! I hope you enjoyed my current obsessions!! Thanks for the idea, Jess! :)

Not Me . . .

I'm back participating in MckMama's "Not Me Monday"!!! ENJOY!

{1} I definitely did NOT pack my purse full of popcorn, candy, fruit snacks and juice boxes to take to the movies for the kiddos. NOPE! I was a courteous patron who purchased all of my overpriced yummy snacks from the concessions before I went in to see my flick! Yes.. that’s exactly what I would have done! (However, I would have saved about $30… IF I had!)

{2} I, of course, being a good mother, get right out of bed when I know my kiddos are up. {of course!!} So, I most certainly would not have “pretended” to be asleep for almost an hour on Sunday morning while my husband was downstairs making breakfast! Gosh.. who would do that?! Although, Ethan was still asleep and LK was watching A Little Princess, I still would have been up helping my sweet hubby and making him coffee! I bet I could have gotten a lot of blogging accomplished though.. too bad I, of course, didn’t!

{3} I most certainly did not give our chocolate lab, Dixie, a Benadryl before bed last night because she has dry skin and her constant scratching kept me up ALL night the night before! No WAY! I would have been a little more sympathetic to her being uncomfortable and just dealt with the minor annoyance. Besides, Is it even healthy for animals to have medicines like Benadryl??? Since, obviously, I don’t know this… I would not have taken any chances in giving it to our sweet, loving, family pup! I’m sure she would have slept like a baby if I would have given it to her though!

To the movies... and BEYOND!

He's been seeing it on TV for weeks now... Toy Story and Toy Story 2: 3-D Double Feature coming to theaters! And oh how he LOVES Woody and Buzz! Seriously, this time last year we were being forced to watch either and/or both movies at least once a day! Now, it's more like once a week, but still obviously his favorite of choice! Last Christmas, of course, since it had been quite a few years since Toy Story came out, there was NOTHING in the stores! I had to search EBay for weeks to find some stuff for him! Luckily, I found quite a few things and he was a happy boy come Christmas morning! This year, since TS3 is coming out in June, there is TONS of stuff in the stores! An entire section dedicated to the gang! So... grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends... THIS is what you need to get the little man for Christmas!! :) (*FYI - he is dying for the "REX" dino!!*)

So, when we saw that the first two movies would be in the theaters, we immediately made plans to take Ethan! I was just giddy with anticipation of his little face full of excitment! We decided to go Sunday afternoon and it turned out to be the perfect day to go watch a movie! We woke up and the sunshine that had graced us for about a week was gone and had been replaced with dark rainy clouds. So.. off to the movies we went! I dont think I've ever seen Ethan so excited about something before! He was a mess! :) I dont know what was more adorable... watching E trying to keep adult-sized 3-D glasses on his head or hearing him quote almost every line in both movies! It was a blast! We all had such a fun time and CAN NOT wait for Toy Story 3 to come out in June!!! Ethan's birthday is June 11 and the movie comes out June 18th... I'm thinking a Malco Birthday Party just might be in order!! ;)

Daddy, Ethan .. and Woody getting ready for the show!

Of course, Woody and Bullseye had to come along!

You can always count on LK for a little comic relief! ha!

a boy, some M&Ms and Toy Story... PERFECT!

On Saturday, we took a visit to Memphis Botanic Gardens' new kid's garden, My Big Backyard! It was a blast!! Luckily, the weather on Saturday was absolutely gorgeous! I'll post pics tomorrow of our trip to the gardens! :)

Day 5 - Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5

1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom,

listen well to my words of insight,

2 that you may maintain discretion

and your lips may preserve knowledge.

3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey,

and her speech is smoother than oil;

4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,

sharp as a double-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death;

her steps lead straight to the grave.

6 She gives no thought to the way of life;

her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.

7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;

do not turn aside from what I say.

8 Keep to a path far from her,

do not go near the door of her house,

9 lest you give your best strength to others

and your years to one who is cruel,

10 lest strangers feast on your wealth

and your toil enrich another man's house.

11 At the end of your life you will groan,

when your flesh and body are spent.

12 You will say, "How I hated discipline!

How my heart spurned correction!

13 I would not obey my teachers

or listen to my instructors.

14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin

in the midst of the whole assembly."

15 Drink water from your own cistern,

running water from your own well.

16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,

your streams of water in the public squares?

17 Let them be yours alone,

never to be shared with strangers.

18 May your fountain be blessed,

and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19 A loving doe, a graceful deer—

may her breasts satisfy you always,

may you ever be captivated by her love.

20 Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress?

Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife?

21 For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD,

and he examines all his paths.

22 The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him;

the cords of his sin hold him fast.

23 He will die for lack of discipline,

led astray by his own great folly.

Proverbs 4

Proverbs 4

1 Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;

pay attention and gain understanding.

2 I give you sound learning,

so do not forsake my teaching.

When I was a boy in my father's house,

still tender, and an only child of my mother,

4 he taught me and said,

"Lay hold of my words with all your heart;

keep my commands and you will live.

5 Get wisdom, get understanding;

do not forget my words or swerve from them.

6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;

embrace her, and she will honor you.

9 She will set a garland of grace on your head

and present you with a crown of splendor."

10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,

and the years of your life will be many.

11 I guide you in the way of wisdom

and lead you along straight paths.

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;

when you run, you will not stumble.

13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;

guard it well, for it is your life.

14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked

or walk in the way of evil men.

15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;

turn from it and go on your way.

16 For they cannot sleep till they do evil;

they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall.

17 They eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know what makes them stumble.

20 My son, pay attention to what I say;

listen closely to my words.

21 Do not let them out of your sight,

keep them within your heart;

22 for they are life to those who find them

and health to a man's whole body.

23 Above all else, guard your heart,

for it is the wellspring of life.

24 Put away perversity from your mouth;

keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,

fix your gaze directly before you.

26 Make level paths for your feet

and take only ways that are firm.

27 Do not swerve to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil.

Show Us Your Life: Baby Gear

Ok.. I know this is a little late {forgive me?!} but I'd still love to participate in Kelley's "Show Us Your Life: Baby Gear"!! Here are just a few of my favorites!!

{1} TykeLight

This is something a little new and not so much "baby"ish.. but these days, we couldn't live without it! I've seen them several places including Target and Walmart and super cheap ($8, I think?!). It's a night light, obviously, but it's kid-friendly and you can set it to go off at a certain time. Ethan calls it his "Little Man" and has to have it every night at bedtime! He just cuddles right up to it.. so sweet!

{2} MacLaren Volo Buggy



I absolutely LOVE my maclaren! I seriously dont know how I ever survived without it before! It's super light-weight (I can pick it up with one hand while struggling to chase Ethan in the other.. BLISS!) and super cute! I got an organizer to go on the back of mine and it's fabulous. Mine came with a plastic rain cover that covers the entire front of the stroller, so if it's pouring I can still put Ethan in the stroller and he wont get wet! LOVE IT! If we have more children, I will definitely get the MacLaren buggys again!

{3} Kate Spade Baby Bag/Vera Bradley Tote

When I was pregnant with Ethan, I decided that I needed a KS Baby Bag. Yes, it could have been only because of my addiction to KS, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I could have made! I absolutely LOVED it! I pretty much used it as purse and baby bag for the entire first year of E's life. It was wonderful! As he got a little older and didn't require so much stuff, I downsized to just a simple VB tote. Now, we just use a little Stephen Joseph backpak with a few items in it. Other than a couple of extra pull-ups, he doesn't really need much, but it's more of a comfort thing for me to have a bag! You just never know.... esp with boys! :)

{4} First Years Take and Toss

I couldn't live without the Take and Toss utensils, cups and bowls! They are absolutely perfect for keeping in Ethan's backpak for eating out! I also use them for his lunches for MDO. So easy and so inexpensive! This way, I dont have a hissy when something doesn't get returned home!! :) Seriously.. they're great!!

{5} Baby Einstein CDs

Both of my kiddos have cd players in their rooms (well, now LK has an iHome, but still...). From birth they have been listening to the Baby Einstein CDs at bedtime and they love them! It's such a nice soothing way to get them to fall asleep. (and introduces them to some pretty great music in the process!)

Other things I loved:

* Bumbo chair - Ethan loved this! Although he did get too big to sit in it quite quickly! While he was small enough though, it was great!!

* Boppy - Who doesn't love the Boppy?!! I think I still have one floating around the house somewhere!!

* Pottery Barn Kids pajamas - Ethan still has a few of these left and i LOVE them!! I am convinced that they are truly the best pjs for babies! Ethan lived in their little pant and long sleeve onesie sets for his entire first two years!!

* video monitor - I was given one when I had LK and luckily it was still in practically new condition when Ethan was born, so I got to reuse it! Good thing too, they're expensive! I could not have lived without it!! It was such a comfort to be able to not only HEAR your baby, but SEE your baby! I would recommend a video monitor to every new mother!!

Well, that's my list! I'm sure there's tons more I liked when my kids were little, but that's just what I could think of right now! :)

Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3

1 My son, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in your heart,

2 for they will prolong your life many years

and bring you prosperity.

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

4 The you will win favor and a good name

in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,

with the first fruits of all your crops;

10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

and your vats will brim over with new wine.

11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline

and do not resent his rebuke,

12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,

as a father the son he delights in.

13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,

the man who gains understanding,

14 for she is more profitable than silver

and yields better returns than gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies;

nothing you desire can compare with her.

16 Long life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways,

and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;

those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,

by understanding he set the heavens in place;

20 by his knowledge the deeps were divided,

and the clouds let drop the dew.

21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,

do not let them out of your sight;

22 they will be life for you,

an ornament to grace your neck.

23 Then you will go on your way in safety,

and your foot will not stumble;

24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

25 Have no fear of sudden disaster

or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

26 for the LORD will be your confidence

and will keep your foot from being snared.

27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,

when it is in your power to act.

28 Do not say to your neighbor,

"Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"—

when you now have it with you.

29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,

who lives trustfully near you.

30 Do not accuse a man for no reason—

when he has done you no harm.

31 Do not envy a violent man

or choose any of his ways,

32 for the LORD detests a perverse man

but takes the upright into his confidence.

33 The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked,

but he blesses the home of the righteous.

34 He mocks proud mockers

but gives grace to the humble.

35 The wise inherit honor,

but fools he holds up to shame.

Friday Five!

Friday Five is your chance to let a little steam off, or just talk about something that's been on your mind all week! Here's my Friday Five! Enjoy!

{1}Don’t you just hate it when you’re driving down the street and there’s a point where traffic is going to merge into your lane (like an interstate off ramp, maybe?!) and instead of MERGING, they just plow right into your lane and come “way too close for comfort” close to side swiping you?! OH.MY.GOODNESS! This happens to me at least once a week and I typically about come unglued when this happens. I usually have my kids in the car with me and I’m a cautious driver…. So you be one too! Please! Give me a chance to change lanes so you can merge.. don’t just assume that you have the right away.. YOU DON’T! You only have the right to MERGE when you’re able to!

{2}Why is it that food that is actually healthy for your kids is WAY more expensive than the crappy stuff?? Seriously, I stood in the “juice box” aisle for 10 min in Kroger the other day just reading all the labels! First of all… over half of the drinks are ridiculously bad for kids! I mean, come on, we should all know by know that artificial sweetener is a NO-NO for kiddos! It took me a good 2 or 3 minutes to find one that didn’t have it! My other requirement… 100% juice! Once I finally found one that was actually good for my kids to drink.. it, of course, cost a good $3 more than all the others! CRAZY! Same goes for snacks too! Lately, I’ve been making the switch to all organic stuff for them… and yep.. costs way more money! That just seems unfair to me! Just because I want my children to be healthy and eat things that are good for them, I have to pay more money! UGH!

{3}Cat Litter… I don’t care what the package says… that litter box STILL stinks! I hate it! And by the way… LILLY KATE’S kittens have only had LILLY KATE change their litter about 3 times! I think a change is needed in the Stickles house!

{4}Dress your children “weather” appropriate.. please! This time of year, it is chilly in the mornings but hot by the afternoon. I can’t tell you the number of kids I see walking to school in the mornings in short sleeves and shorts. Yes… it’s going to warm up, but right now.. IT’S COLD! Do what I do… I make LK wear a sweater/light jacket so she can take it off once she’s inside. It’s not that hard! And then you wonder why your child constantly has a runny nose this time of year!

{5}Just something I’ve been thinking about… room mom crafts! I’m really trying to hard to make this such a fun year for LK’s Kindergarten class. I’ve been searching the internet for Fall craft ideas. The problem is that her school does not celebrate Halloween, so any craft related to Halloween isn’t an option. So… Can ya’ll help me??? I’d much appreciate it! :)

October 2: Proverbs 2

Proverbs 2

1 My son, if you accept my words

and store up my commands within you,

2 turning your ear to wisdom

and applying your heart to understanding,

3 and if you call out for insight

and cry aloud for understanding,

4 and if you look for it as for silver

and search for it as for hidden treasure,

5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD

and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the LORD gives wisdom,

and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 He holds victory in store for the upright,

he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

8 for he guards the course of the just

and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9 Then you will understand what is right and just

and fair—every good path.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11 Discretion will protect you,

and understanding will guard you.

12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,

from men whose words are perverse,

13 who leave the straight paths

to walk in dark ways,

14 who delight in doing wrong

and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

15 whose paths are crooked

and who are devious in their ways.

16 It will save you also from the adulteress,

from the wayward wife with her seductive words,

17 who has left the partner of her youth

and ignored the covenant she made before God.

18 For her house leads down to death

and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

19 None who go to her return

or attain the paths of life.

20 Thus you will walk in the ways of good men

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright will live in the land,

and the blameless will remain in it;

22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,

and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

October One!

First of all, let me just say… HAPPY OCTOBER!!! I absolutely LOVE the month of October. It could possibly have something to do with the fact that SOMEONE’s (ME!) birthday is on the 20th… but really I just love the whole month for everything about it! It is officially the beginning of fall! I love fall! The changes of the colors.. the weather starting to get cooler.. LOVE IT! So.. Happy October!! May it be as exciting and fun-filled for you as I’m sure it will be for us! :)

To go along with the month of October, I will be participating in K-Love’s 31 Proverbs for 31 Days. I will be reading and sharing a proverb every day. I heard about this on the radio this morning and thought it sounded like a good idea to go along with.. little did I know, I think God was trying to send me a little message. Lately, I’ve been trying to renew my relationship with him. I’ve been praying for a new beginning, a better way to bring Him into my family more and more. I’ve been praying for guidance and discipline. Well, this morning when I began to read the first proverb, there it was…


“The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

for attaining wisdom and discipline;

for understanding words of insight;

for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,

doing what is right and just and fair; “

It was like God was speaking to me.. that this is something I need to do! So… here I go! 31 Proverbs in 31 Days!

Proverbs 1

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2 for attaining wisdom and discipline;

for understanding words of insight;

3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,

doing what is right and just and fair;

4 for giving prudence to the simple,

knowledge and discretion to the young-

5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance-

6 for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

8 Listen, my son, to your father's instruction

and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

9 They will be a garland to grace your head

and a chain to adorn your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you,

do not give in to them.

11 If they say, "Come along with us;

let's lie in wait for someone's blood,

let's waylay some harmless soul;

12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13 we will get all sorts of valuable things

and fill our houses with plunder;

14 throw in your lot with us,

and we will share a common purse"-

15 my son, do not go along with them,

do not set foot on their paths;

16 for their feet rush into sin,

they are swift to shed blood.

17 How useless to spread a net

in full view of all the birds!

18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;

they waylay only themselves!

19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;

it takes away the lives of those who get it.

20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street,

she raises her voice in the public squares;

21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out,

in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

23 If you had responded to my rebuke,

I would have poured out my heart to you

and made my thoughts known to you.

24 But since you rejected me when I called

and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

25 since you ignored all my advice

and would not accept my rebuke,

26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster;

I will mock when calamity overtakes you-

27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer;

they will look for me but will not find me.

29 Since they hated knowledge

and did not choose to fear the LORD,

30 since they would not accept my advice

and spurned my rebuke,

31 they will eat the fruit of their ways

and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety

and be at ease, without fear of harm."


I hope you enjoy this journey with me!

On a side note, last night I made my little E-Man a jon jon for picture day! I have to say.. it turned out pretty cute!! He LOVED it!

*those are definitely faux buttons!! :) i'm not so good at button holes just yet.. ha!

*my quick and easy solution to not being able to do button holes... SNAPS!! love it! (and super easy for a potty trainer!*

how cute is this little football?! Hobby Lobby... $2! Love it!

I hope everyone has a great October ONE! Proverb 2 tomorrow!! I can not wait!