GTKY - Amanda aka Cramster

Hi all!

My name is Amanda and Staci invited me to join this blog. I met her through a fabulous roomate I had when I was when I was single. Okay, that fab roomate is Natalie, another contributor on the blog. A little about me...

I live in Logan, Utah. Not for much longer - my husband will finish his coursework this spring and we will get to move somewhere new and exciting. He is studying to be an audiologist. How wonderful life is with him in the world! We have been married 3 years. I grew up in California and moved to Utah to go to school. I finished my Master of Accounting degree in 2005. I work as an accountant... for just a little while longer. I am expecting my first child in March. I look forward to the adventure and the change in lifestyle!

I like to garden, read, play games, sew, (almost) anything do-it-yourself, spend time with the hubby, cook (mostly desserts lately... how long post-partum can I use that excuse???), and challenge myself to do new things. I look forward to getting to you all!

Books, books, books!

I need suggestions for good books to read. My husband is extremely busy in med school and studies quite a bit. I'm much happier in the evening if I have a good book to curl up with while he continues to study. If you know any books worth recommending I would appreciate it!

Be Mine

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I was wondering if anyone has any great gift/romantic ideas to celebrate the occasion. I'm at a loss, and this is NOT a good sign since this is only our 4th Valentine's Day together! Yikes!

Jumpers

Does anyone have a recommendation for a brand of a jumper for a baby (those things that hang in a doorway that the baby can jump in?)?

Welcome Hayden and Mason!

For those of you that know Katie Roll, one of the blog contributers, I thought I'd give you an update. She gave birth to TWO beautiful boys on Monday. Hayden was 5 lb 11 oz, and Mason was 4 lb 15 oz. I'm not positive, but I think Hayden was the one on the left in this picture! The babies are doing great. Everyone that examines them at the hospital comments on how great they are doing for being only 36 weeks. Katie had a pretty rough delivery, but is doing better now. She is excited to be a Mommy! I thought it might be a while before she had time to write a post, so I thought I'd do one for her in the meantime. Yay Katie!!!!!

One More Katie...

Why did I name my daughter Reagan? Well growing up with the name Katie really made me like the less-common names. Don't get me wrong, I like the name Katie - but being in a class with 5 other Katies wasn't the easiest when the professor just called on "Katie." So here is my 4 1/2 month old, Reagan Mackenzie.

How did I end up on this blog? Well, I too got to know the wonderful Lindsay while attending MSU. I also worked with her equally wonderful husband, Nate, at the Physical Plant on campus. I met my husband, Rick, in the University Ward, and we were married in May of 2004. I finished school just in time to have my first child, and graduated with my BS in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Resources. My husband will be graduating in May with his Masters in Accounting.

Reagan was born September 12th, had surgery at 3 days old, and was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in less than two weeks. Although her first month here was the hardest time in my life, she is more then worth it. And lucky for me, Stephanie took care of her in the NICU, up until Steph had her baby girl. Reagan is so much fun, and has such a personality. Her expressions are endless, and she always makes me laugh.

I think this blog was a great idea. It is so nice to be able to talk to women who value their role as mothers so much. I look forward to sharing and learning from all of you.

Introduction

Hi, girls! My name is Katie Earp (said Arp) and I know both linzerdoodle and stacibee from Naperville. Right now I live in Ann Arbor, MI with my adorable 17 month old daughter, Marissa, and my husband of three years, Ryan. Marissa thinks she runs the show (which isn't far from the truth) and copies almost everything we say. She is such a kick in the pants and I love being her mom! My husband is in his second year of medical school at the U of M and is still in the process of deciding what kind of doctor he wants to be. In the meantime I am excited to exchange tips and recipes with all of you!

Aloha!

My name is Missy Fuluvaka. I met Lindsay here in Minnesota, in the Minnetonka Ward. She is a wonderful person, as I'm sure you all know. She is an example to me.

I'm originally from Hawaii. I was raised in Washington state. I went to BYU Hawaii, where I met my husband. I graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelors in IAS. My husband and I have three girls who are very close in age (3 yrs, 18 mos., 4 mos.). It keeps me busy, but I love it. I've always really looked forward to being a mother and a homemaker. I'm really excited about this blog because I love exchanging ideas and recipes. I love cooking, crocheting, sewing and making cards. I don't know what else to write. Lindsay, I will really miss you, but look forward to keeping in touch with you through this blog.

Dry Skin

Tis' the season for dry skin, I suppose. My poor son was destined to be cursed with eczema since both my husband and I have it running through our families. I can handle the dry, chapped skin during the summer months and control it fairly well, but this freezing cold, dry winter season in Utah is about to do me in!
When we asked the pediatrician about it originally, he recommended hydrocordizone ointment, which has seemed to work fairly well. I also happened upon a miracle treatment called "Aloe Gold" which is aloe in a liquid form. I put about a teaspoon of the liquid in his bottle every morning, which seems to help as well. We hurry and apply heavy duty lotion over his whole body every time he takes a bath to try and seal all that moisture in his cute lil' skin.
Am I forgetting anything or not doing something that might help? If you've got any suggestions, please share. I'm just praying the poor kid will grow out of it sooner than later!

The Flakes

Hi, my name is Bethany and I met Lindsay when we were both freshmen at Michigan State. After one great year at MSU, I transferred to BYU to finish my degree. The summer before my last semester, I did an internship in San Francisco and met my future husband in the Berkeley singles ward. He was also doing an internship for the summer and just happened to be a law student at the University of Michigan. I had one semester left at BYU so I finished up my degree in Microbiology and moved back to Michigan (my home) where we dated for a short time and then got married. We lived in Ann Arbor, MI for a year while Dallan finished law school and I worked in a food microbiology lab. Dallan got a job at a law firm in Dallas so we moved here in September and welcomed the cutest little girl in Texas to our family in November. Her name is Claire and she's a happy, sweet, good little baby - the picture is deceiving. Her dad's convinced she just hates it when her BYU Cougars lose...and so the brainwashing begins. We love it here in Texas and will be taking a family picture soon since I just realized that we haven't taken one since we were in the hospital.

Kristi

My name is Kristi and I also met Lindsay at MSU. I had the privilege of being her roommate for a semester. Well, I have been married to an absolutely wonderful man named Les for the last 5 1/2 years whom I also met at MSU. We currently live in Wayne, but do not know where we will end up. We have 3 of the greatest little boys in the world. Bradyn is 4 1/2, Parker turned 3 today and Logan is 16 months. I love being their mom and they are VERY active. It is so nice that they love playing together, even though they also love to fight with each other. My husband just graduated with his teaching degree, so we are anxiously waiting for him to find his first teaching job. I am very excited to be part of this group and look forward to getting to know all of you a little better.

Ever Wonder What Your Baby's REALLY Saying????

I was showing Lindsay and Laura some of Megan's new tricks on Saturday night. I taught her to sign and she's finally starting to do it on her own! She can ask for "more", "milk", "all done", and "eat". I want to teach her more signs and it's fun now because she'll actually imitate them! I signed off and on to her the same three basic signs-more, milk and all done-from the time she was born but was never diligent until about six months old. At about Thanksgiving, around 9 months, she started imitating them and then at Christmas, she started signing spontaneously! Now, as soon as I lift her out of the crib, she signing for "milk" and in between bites she's asking for "more"! One website that was recommended to me is www.signingbaby.com

Ashley

Hey everyone!

My name is Ashley and the handsome fella in this picture is my hubby Tim. We live in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I am currently working for National City Bank as a manager.

I'm originally from Sandy, Utah. When I was 18 I moved to Michigan with the original plan of attending U of M. During my first year in Michigan I met Nate, who then introduced me to Tim. Tim was studying at Michigan State University at the time. While Tim and I were dating I decided to change plans and attend MSU. While we studied at MSU we got married and I established my roots in Michigan. So, I also know Lindsay from MSU. Lindsay let me stay many weekends with her while Tim and I were dating long distance. She's the best!

Tim and I are expecting our first son at the end of March. We can't wait until he arrives. Right now we're busy getting prepared for his entrance into the world. I'm definitely new to the whole mom thing, but can't wait to learn all I can about raising a child.

This blog was a great idea and I can't wait to get to know you all better! Thanks for putting this together Linz. :)

Natalie...

Here I am ladies. My name is Natalie I'm from Centerville, Utah, but now claim Logan my home. I am married to Mark and have a little blonde chatter-box Caden, who joined our lives in November...these boys are my life.

I can't wait to get to know you all better and have fun sharing and talking about our live experiences as women and mothers. We have lots to get to know about eachother it sounds like!

Thanks to Staci--she's my best buddy here in Logan. Thanks for inviting me to be a part of this blogger....

Microwave Cleaning made easy

In a medium bowl, combine 2 c. water, 2 T. baking soda, and 2 T. lemon juice. Heat on HIGH power for 10 minutes. Wipe down with wet cloth. It works great!!

GTKY-Liz&Meg

Hi Everybody!
I'm Liz and I live in Eden Prairie (Minneapolis) Minnesota! I met Lindsay in my last ward where she and I and two other girlfriends were all pregnant at almost the same time! (our husbands have put up with a lot of "baby talk" between all of us!) "Meg" is my sweet girl Megan aka "Meggie"! She turns one this Friday!!!!! I'm still amazed that I was very pregnant and about to have a baby a year ago! She is happy, smiley, solemn, a yeller, a growler, a talker, and just about everything else sweet and soft you can think of! ...and her hair is finally long enough for pigtails!!!!

Anyway... I grew up moving around between Minnesota, Arkansas, California and Utah. The rest of my immediate family lives in Arkansas now. I went to Utah State and loved it there but when I was done, I felt I needed to move somewhere new. I moved here four and a half years ago for grad school, met the sweetest man I ever met, married him and I'm still here! I work part time as a speech therapist working with kids and adults and geriatrics. I love what I do but someday I hope to devote all of me to being a Mom.

I look forward to meeting everyone else!!!

GTKY--Linz

Hi everyone! I loved Staci's idea for getting to know each other. I really hope you'll do the same!! I live in Minneapolis and I'm moving to San Antonio, Texas this weekend! Before I had this cute baby, I taught elementary music in the schools and early childhood music at a community school. I've been married about 4 1/2 years. The people I've invited to this website are friends from Michigan, Minnesota, and Chicago (where I spent most of my life).

Check out my profile for more info. or go to my blog: www.littlevandcompany.blogspot.com.

Ladies--I'm excited for you to make a post about yourself and also for you to fill out your profile! Thanks again Stac!

Mary jane socks

Have you seen these? I received my set from my hip older sister. And I mean that, just about everything cool that I have is from her. Most of you have probably already seen them, but seriously I have had zillions of comments on these baby girls socks. They look so cute and you don't have to worry about shoes coming off.

Getting to know you...

So, with that I guess I'll start. My name is Staci and I'm the mom of the cutest lil' boy ever. (Of course I'm extremely biased.) I live in Logan, Utah with my fantastic husband of almost 3 years and we're currently awaiting word about acceptance from pharmacy schools. Right now I work at the University as a conference coordinator and enjoy it, but not as much as I'll love being home with my baby in the very near future. I know Linzerdoodle, the creative mind behind this awesome blog, from good ole' Neuqua Valley High School. We go way back and share lots of the same interests. I just love her!

So...now it's your turn. Tell us who you are and what makes you tick!

Calling all Moms!

Does anyone have advice on how to make the transition from bassinet to crib successful? My daughter is 4 1/2 months old, and I have been trying to get her to sleep in her crib for a month now. Normally I give up after 2-3 tries each night, and I only try on the weekends (for my husband's sake). She will sleep for 10-20 minutes then puts her arms out to feel the sides of her bassinet and wakes up immediately when she can't feel them. Then she cries and cries. She will not fall asleep while crying - no matter what - she just works herself up into hysterics! Just hoping for any tips or secrets that other mothers have found to be helpful. Thanks!

Let's get this blog rolling!

Alright ladies, post your first comment today by answering this question:
If you could be the host or judge of any reality TV show, which one would you choose?

Bread and Butter

When I was in high school I was concerned with what I ate and thought that the way to go was low-fat. So everyday lunch was a bagel (with nothing on it), pretzels, applesauce, and a granola bar. I now know that that was a carb-tastic lunch! These days my lunch usually consists of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain bread. It seems like we've learned a lot in the past couple of years particularly about whole grains, trans fats, hydrogenated oils, and the like. At least I'm learning before feeding solids to the baby! Here are a few products that I buy regularly (and that even my hubby enjoys).

Smart Balance Buttery Spread

Barilla Plus Pasta

Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter


Do you have any recommendations?

Maternity Clothes

I hope it doesn't seem as though all I think about is clothing, because I promise, it's not. But...my husband and I were talking the other day about maternity clothing and my very own collection. This last pregnancy I had a couple really gracious friends who were so great and let me borrow most of their maternity clothes. Because I was able to do that, I've found that I'm missing some of the basics in my "collection." While we were discussing it, my husband made this really great statement that I was SO thrilled about, "Well hun, why don't you invest in some of those basic clothes now while we have dual incomes, versus the next time you're actually pregnant and we only have one." So...I'm coming to you ladies asking for the best deals and places that you found maternity clothes. I don't like to spend lots of money on stuff like that, I'm all about sales and discounts. Please post what you've found through your experience. Thanks!!

Strawberry Romaine Salad

This is my favorite green salad recipe! I only know how to make two green salads--so if you have one, post it!

Dressing:
1 c. mayonnaise
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
1/2 c. milk
1 T. poppy seeds

Wisk together and refrigerate.

Salad:
1 head iceberg, romaine, or spinach
sliced red onion pieces
1 lb. crumbled bacon
fresh sliced strawberries
grilled teriyaki chicken breasts-sliced

Toss salad.
Pour dressing over salad before serving.

LD's notes: I've never made this salad with the chicken but I've tasted it. It's delicious both ways depending on if you want it to be a side dish or a meal! Yummy.

You gotta see these clothes!

Hey girls,

I just thought I'd share this new find that someone shared with me yesterday. I promise you will absolutely love it. It's this website called, http://modbeclothing.com/ and there are tons of cute, modest, stylish clothes. They're having a special "Blow Out - End of Season Sale" right now to empty the warehouse for their spring line. If nothing else, just check out the belts and flip flops that are only $1! You seriously can't beat that.
It's one of those companies that you have to know a "consultant" in order to purchase anything...so just let me know if you're interested and I'll totally hook you up.

Welcome to Sugar and Spice

Welcome to Sugar and Spice-The Domestic Dish! My dream is for this to be a forum for asking questions, sharing ideas, and telling stories about babies, beauty, breakfast, "buys", and more! I hope that it will be fun and helpful for those of us who want to make our lives more fun and enjoyable!

As a new mom, I find myself frequently having questions about raising my baby. I also like to try new recipes but I've found that the best ones are those that have been tested by people who are like you! And who doesn't like an idea for saving a buck? I love a good deal! So bring on the questions and ideas! And if you have a story to share that would be fantastic too. Thanks and enjoy!