Look At This Madness

Finding a sense of self identity as a solo mom can be hard. I've been struggling to figure out what makes me happy, aside from my daughter. So I took a moment and asked myself, when am I happy? Whenever I'm outside. So Fourth of July morning my daughter (who will be two on Sunday!!!!) and I hiked up to Pumpkin Rock, in Norco. I only fell on my arse once on the downhill. Definitely did not sit there a moment pretending I did it on purpose in case anyone was watching.  I have taken two different ways up the hill and both are pretty steep. Generally, I don't know if I would recommend this hike to moms with two year olds for that reason. Along with the fact there is a lot of broken glass mixed in with the sand at the top. I don't know about your child, but mine loves to throw sand. If you have good shoes on and know how to make proper foot placements then definitely go fo it though. Ella had a blast and so did I.  Moving along...  Truth be told, the nasty thi...

There are some things you might want to know before going to Disneyland, during the summer, with a one-year-old. Disneyland not only tires your child out but will certainly make you want to take a nap along side the ducks that are scattered throughout the park. 1. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT forget your stroller. My 20 pound child is not heavy until I have to carry her around an entire amusement park. On the bright side, my arms are sore today, which means progress... right? With that said, the park does offer complementary strollers but I guess you could say I am stubborn and like to avoid germs. I like to think holding her over the strenuous journey through Disneyland only brought us closer together. 2. You might actually melt. Summertime is nice and all, but not when it is 95 degrees and surprisingly, there is not a whole lot of shade. Disneyland should consider installing steamers throughout the park. If my baby, that isn't doing a whole lot of waking, has dew drops on her ...

Anything that has to do with paper and string I love, so naturally I spent today making tags.You can use these tiny pieces of paper and string for lunch notes, gift tags, name tags for parties or gatherings, and a lot more. The possibilities are seriously endless. The little things in life can often mean the most or add the final touch. One of the best parts about home made tags? NO PLASTIC! Since having a baby I feel like I've been drowning in those plastic pieces that all tags are on in department stores. Everything my baby wears is brought home with at least one piece of throw away plastic. Though they might be fun to chew on, they really aren't great for the environment. Not to mention, I always find the ends in the carpet. How did it miss the trash? On final note, for those of you who do not know, I have a crafting Instagram page. Username, @creativepaigepage2 You can personal message me on my page if you're interested in tags, cards, banners, or like I said, ...

Yesterday I was at Goodwill with my mom and brother and while I was looking at the clothing, my brother asked me what "Paige as a mom" wanted for Christmas. It was in that moment I realized, I don't really know what I like any more. All I could think about was diapers or Starbucks and Starbucks really doesn't count. I've found myself trying to figure out what I actually like besides anything to do with Ella and boy, it's a tough one. When your little person comes into the world nothing else seems to matter - nothing.  What do moms like? I like face wash and face lotions or grocery shopping... Anything organic or all natural... plants are neat, like the scallions I'm proudly growing in a cup in the kitchen. The scallions are like my little plant children. I'm 21 years old and that's all I got on the list of 'what I like' - What an odd thing. Mom Likes: plants groceries face lotions eye cream organic all natural nifty cooking spa...

One word: Spinach. Doctors are always so encouraging of "leafy greens this," "leafy greens that" and spinach is the easiest vegetable to incorporate into meals. My favorite is adding olive oil and 'melting' spinach down in a pan, adding scallions, mushrooms, green peppers, and at the end, an egg. This mixture can be eaten alone, or thrown on a tortilla for a breakfast burrito. Feeling guilty that you just ordered pizza? My advice for feeling a little less guilty, ADD SPINACH! Raw spinach leaves tastes perfectly fine on any type of pizza all while adding those leafy greens your body secretly cries for. Nearly anything that can go on a bun will taste just fine with spinach. Meat patties, veggie patties, tuna, or chicken. When you use iceberg lettuce there isn't a huge nutritional benefit. As expressed in the title, ICEBERG lettuce, there is a high water concentration rather than actual nutrients. I for one have a peculiar method to eating spinach ...

My beautiful daughter, Ella Sylvia, was born on 7 - 7 - 17 at 9:55 pm weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces at 20 and a quarter inches long. It has been 12 days and so far I've come to learn a few things I hadn't otherwise known. 1. Mother instincts are real. It wasn't until my own baby that I actually had a "thing" for babies. Before Ella they were just these little animatronic type creatures that cried and needed diaper changes. Now that I have my own little creature, she's so much more than that. She's my life, my joy, my little bean and all in all, these first 12 days have been SO MUCH easier than I ever thought they would be. 2. Diaper changes aren't bad AT ALL! Not going to lie, it took me a good three or four days to change a diaper all by myself - my first diaper change ever, might I add. My husband was thankfully right on top of changing her whereas I was merely an observant bystander for the first few days. 3. Once the milk comes in, your boob...