turning trash into treasure...

so I finally have gone through a huge mess of clothes in our closet and *somewhat* organized it.  there's about 35 pieces of baby clothes that Mia has already outgrown. I washed and pressed everything, took some pics and listed the stuff on ebay (who is having a free to list promo right now). the auctions are all ending today and tomorrow and so far, I'm up to $231! that's right, a pile of crap on my closet floor just turned itself into $231 and growing. the motivation for all of this selling you ask? a car seat I want for Mia, but not any ol' car seat, the best car seat money (I don't have) can buy. she's completely out grown her Graco Safe Seat that did her AND her big brother righteous their first year. but now she's kind of "pouring" out of it and needs a new one, drum roll please...a Britax Advocate 70 CS. god, it sounds so good, like the name itself could impede an oncoming car. and she will probably have it within 2 weeks, WHOO HOO! I also plan on using what's left over for christmas for the kiddies (and my hubby who is in desperate need of something frivolous). the point of this rant? look around on your floor (where I found a broken iphone that Desmond has been using to look like daddy and is probably going to fetch anywhere between $130-$150) and in your cluttered closets. it's the stuff dreams are made of.

attempting the dreaded holiday photo card...

every year it gets harder and harder to capture that elusive picture that I need for our holiday card. this year is especially difficult because I need to photograph my three year old, Desmond (who always seems to have his finger in his nose or the payoff from the picking on his face) AND our "newish" addition, Mia (she's 10 month old).  cut to me now close to 500 pictures in (spread over several trips to the local duck pond, playgrounds and anywhere else I can corral them in) and I don't have ONE picture that I would want to show a stranger. if Mia looks perfect, Desmond looks like he was born cross-eyed with an underbite. if Desmond looks like an angel, Mia looks like a dirty, crying orphan. how do people do this every year? how is it that I've received holiday cards where all the children are smiling in synchronicity? I'm lucky if they look present in a picture. maybe my good friend photoshop can help  me out again this year. last year we were able to get rid of a huge booger plastered under Desmond's nose.