culture & a second language

When I was growing up, I had a childhood that was filled with love and parents that did the best they could do for me and my brother.  We were in sports {me: competitive gymnastics}, my brother was in Scouts {and my dad was a Scout leader!}, and our mother helped out at various activities at our elementary school.  Now, looking back, the only thing that was missing was the awareness of our culture.

Both of my parents are full Chinese.  Both were born in Canada.  Both spoke a dialect of Cantonese but they both decided not to pass a second language down to their children.  Why?  Maybe they wanted to fit into the Canadian culture and shy away from how they were raised.

Now that I have kids, and a son that is half Chinese, I want him to know both of his cultures.  He already has a strong Jamaican background being around my husband's family.  The kids are trying to teach him how to speak Patois, or Jamaican - his favourite saying is "Cho mon"!  My grandmother speaks Chinese to him although, sadly, I can't understand her.  Which brings me to an item on my {swank}list:  learn Chinese {see right-hand sidebar on my blog!}.

I really, really want Lil J to start learning Chinese {Mandarin} in a year or so but it would be difficult for him to keep it up if no one at home spoke Chinese.  So, I should take Chinese lessons right?!  I'm going to drag my brother along and possibly my husband who said he'd be up to it.  Maybe Miss S too!  We could make it a family affair!

This should be interesting......

out of the mouth of: Miss S

Daddy G and I were joking around this evening..all to Miss S's amusement...like always {hey, at least she's not embarrassed by us yet}!  He playfully hit me with a rolled-up newspaper and I hollered, "Owwwww!!", even though it didn't hurt in the least.  Daddy G gave me the newspaper and told me to whack him back.  We joked around...I tried folding it more and he grabbed the paper and ran to the washroom, so I whacked him on the arm with an empty Sprite bottle.  We burst out into laughter and from her room, Miss S is cracking up:

Miss S:  "Now all I need is popcorn!!"

Me:  "For what?"

Miss S {with a smile}:  "To watch your guys' show!"

the journey 2.0: congratulations are in order!

We learned over the weekend that my husband's cousin's wife is pregnant with their second child!  What an exciting time for them and Lil J gets another little playmate.  I have to admit, thought, that I couldn't help but be a teensy bit jealous that it wasn't me making the announcement.  Hopefully I will be soon, if all goes well.

It looks like we're going into month #3 of the journey.  I am disappointed but I did promise myself that I would let nature take it's course this time around and not stress about it.  But now I kind of am stressing.  And hoping.  Maybe a bit too much!  And they say, when you start stressing about it, it won't happen.  Breathe, breathe.

So here we are.  It looks like we're in for another few, long months again.  Hopefully not as long as the first time {10 months}.  In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the blessings I have now.....

out of the mouth of: Miss S

While giving Lil J a bath yesterday, I burst out into laughter.  Miss S came into the bathroom to ask me what was so funny.  I pointed to Lil J and said, "I think he's getting ready to go pee because his pee-pee is getting big."  She looks at me with her eyes rolled up and says:

"Well you know it's only going to get bigger."

{swank}review & giveaway: Teddy Needs a Bath!

 

CONTEST CLOSED!  Congratulations to #15 - Lee-Anne Gin!  You've won a Teddy Needs a Bath!  laundry bag with a special surprise inside!!

It's the one thing you think about doing but hardly get around to because either you don't want to wreck them or the tag says "surface wash only".  I hadn't really thought of a good solution on how to wash my kids' treasured and much-loved teddy bears and stuffed animals until I came across a company called Teddy Needs a Bath!

Teddy Needs a Bath! is a high-quality, eco-friendly laundry bag specialized to wash your children's little critters {aka: stuffed animals}.  It was invented by mompreneur Nicole Townend after she found the need to wash her old stuffed animals to pass onto her young daughter that were labeled "surface wash only".  She conducted endless research and tested four different versions of Teddy Needs a Bath! for over a year until it resulted in her final product.

I used a Teddy Needs a Bath! laundry bag to wash most of Miss S's old teddy bears and stuffed toys, and a couple of Lil J's from when he was a baby {and which I am sure is full of baby slobber}.

There was also a random, well-loved stuffed elephant that was left behind at Lil J's first birthday party that got his {maybe} first bath.

I first put in a few stuffed animals {above} thinking that the Teddy Needs a Bath! laundry bag would be too full.  Instead, I was surprised to find that it was only a quarter full!  So off I went to find some more stuffed animals to clean.  This pink bunny was in desperate need of a bath and I used her as my "test" bunny to see if the crusty, brown mark {I know, gross right?}, that has been there for however many years, would come off.

More "stuffies"

The laundry bag is made of thick, 100% cotton  material and measures 20" x 30", which probably explains why I was able to fit so many "stuffies" inside!  The size is wonderful because who really wants to do more than one load of laundry to wash stuffed animals?  Plus it can fit up to one huge Teddy or a dozen {or more} small stuffed animals.

Love the strong zipper

I used our regular washing machine even though the company's website recommended to use a front loading washer, and found that it worked just fine!

And the best part about Teddy Needs a Bath?

It can go directly in the dryer!!  How convenient for busy, multi-tasking mommies who do not have the time to read every label of every one of their children's "stuffies" clan to see whether or not they are dryer safe, etc.  I set the dryer for 90 minutes on high heat {even though the company recommended low heat} and the stuffed animals came out dry and better than ever!  Even the crusty mark on the pink bunny was nowhere in sight!  It was all but a distant memory.

Teddy Needs a Bath! is giving away one of their laundry bags with a surprise inside!  To enter, follow the directions below.

This Just In....

Nicole has just advised me that Teddy Needs a Bath! will be available in Sears Canada stores very soon.  Stay tuned for more details!  In the meantime, you can browse online stores that carry Teddy Needs a Bath! on their website.

How to Win!

The mandatory entry must be done before any other entries will be considered.  Please leave a comment below with your email address for EACH entry.  If we cannot verify your email address, another winner will be chosen.  Winner will be picked via random.org.

MANDATORY 1st Entry

Go to Teddy Needs a Bath!'s homepage and name one of the fantastic features of the laundry bag.

Extra Entries

• “Like” {swank}mama on Facebook {1 entry}
• “Like” Teddy Needs a Bath! on Facebook and say "hi" to them if you'd like {1 entry}
• Follow {swank}mama on Twitter {1 entry}
• Follow Teddy Needs a Bath! on Twitter{1 entry}
• Tweet (up to 3x a day, 2 hours apart) “#Win a @TeddyNeedsaBath laundry bag from @SwankMama http://bit.ly/n8ufW3 #giveaway #contest #swankreview"  {1 entry each, up to 3 entries per day}
• Follow {swank}mama via GFC {Google Friend Connect} and be sure to leave your user name in your comment {2 entries}
• Vote for {swank}mama on Picket Fence Blogs {see button on right-hand sidebar on my blog} {1 entry}

You can enter this contest until August 15, 2011 at 9:00pm PST.  You must respond by email within 48 hours of being notified by us.  If you do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.  This giveaway is open to all US/Canadian residents over the age of 18 years old.

The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of Teddy Needs a Bath!.  Note that {swank}mama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.

welcome home

Miss S is coming home tomorrow and we are so excited!  This year is the first year Lil J has noticed that his sister has been gone for a while {she spends three weeks in the summer with her mother - the longest stretch all year} and has been repeatedly "calling" her on his fake phone and asking "where is Miss S {replaced with her real name of course!}?".  The first thing she's going to get from us are a million hugs and kisses and 'I miss you's' from all of us {me, Daddy G, Lil J, grandma, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.} :)  The thought of it just makes me smile.

We will be heading down to the Caribbean Festival this weekend to celebrate my husband and our kid's culture and soak in some rays - something that we haven't seen much of this summer in Vancouver.  It's always a fun event because we bump into old friends that we haven't seen ....well..since the last festival, and there is good food, wonderful music, and lots of entertainment!

I also have lots of other fun things planned for the rest of the summer and can't wait to share pictures!

when friends drift away....

A longtime friend of mine from high school is marrying her fiancé this November at a resort in the Mayan Rivera.  Many congrats to them on their upcoming marriage and future together!  However, that is not why I am writing this post.


I had considered this girl a very close friend of mine but we seem to drift apart every time she starts dating a guy.  I don't hear from her and I never hear about the guy.  I'll take some responsibility at the lack of communication and contact, as work and family life takes up most of my time nowadays.  It takes two to tango, right?!


Anyways, my friend started dating this guy {her now fiancé} last year.  I have yet to meet him and don't really know anything about him except that he's marrying my friend!  How did I find out she was engaged?  Through the social media darling otherwise known as FACEBOOK!  Seriously!  Once I found out, I quickly telephoned my friend to congratulate her but all I got was her voicemail.  So I sent her a note on her Facebook page and a couple hours later, she issued her rebuttal:  the standard "I was just about to call you because I wanted you to hear about it in person!".  I was slightly hurt that I didn't hear it from her personally before I saw her Facebook post, but I then reminded myself that we had fallen out of touch recently and hardly saw each other.


I also remember her saying that I would be one of her bridesmaids but that decision changed, I'm guessing, when I started a family.  You might be reading this post and thinking "what is she talking about?" but I do know my friend.  She can be a bit snobbish, in the most discrete way, with her snide comments.


I didn't get an invitation to the wedding until I had dinner with her one night and, more than halfway though the dinner, after I expressed interest in the resort she was staying at, she said, "Oh and of course you are invited.  Your family too, if you can afford it".


Excuse me?  Only if I can afford it?  


I was furious but could only smile at her and say, "Thanks for the invite!".  Then, just last week, I finally received her formal invitation in the mail {Canada Post was on strike for a couple of weeks, resulting in a back-log of mail}.  I took my time at responding and she emailed me yesterday to ask if I had received it and that she "really hopes" I can come.


Not after that comment.

the journey 2.0: a mother's intuition

Yesterday, unbeknownst to my husband and I at first, my mother-in-law made reference to Lil J's "other" sister.  We were happily discussing how Lil J has been "calling" Miss S on his fake phone every day and calling her name out and asking where she is {she has been with her mother for summer holidays for three weeks now - the longest stretch she ever goes without seeing us.  She comes back Friday!!}.  My mother-in-law responded, "Well, maybe {Lil J} is talking about his other sister".  My husband's cousin got it right away and just shook her head and laughed.  My husband looked at his mom blankly and was like "I don't get it.".  I, on the other hand, didn't even hear what she had said.

Finally, a light bulb switched on in my husband's crowded brain and he was like "Oh, Mom!  Now I get it".  Now I wanted to get in on the inside joke.  So my mother-in-law repeated what she had said and, me being completely exhausted after a long day at work, still didn't get it.  Then she pointed down to my stomach and then I understood.

Is it mother's intuition or what?  I had just posted a journey 2.0 post yesterday and it has been on my mind a lot lately.  I swear, this woman has a radar for babies - and kids in general.  She loves to surround herself with love and family, and sometimes I think that she wants 500 grandkids. 

At least we have the support from one parent.  I know my dad will be fine with another grandchild because he figures he can't stop me from having more children anyways, but my own mother would probably faint and then wake up and express her "happiness" through tears of fear and sadness.  Sounds weird I know, but we all have weird families right?

Back to my saint...I mean mother-in-law...she'll probably know I'm pregnant even before I do.  She has crazy intuitions.  For now, we will leave the decision up to the stars...

the journey 2.0: happy and relaxed

We're into month #2 of my journey and I have to say that I'm much more relaxed this time around.  Trying to get pregnant the first time was such a long wait, with disappointment month after month for about ten months.  I remember reading somewhere that it can, on average, take up to a year or two to get pregnant!  Those statistics baffle me especially when I hear of couples who get pregnant on their first "try" or when I see shows like Teen Mom, etc.

I often wonder how long it will take to conceive.  Even if it happens now, Lil J will still be almost three years older than his soon-to-be sibling.  I think that's a good age difference.  At least Lil J will understand more when he's three and it won't be such a challenge having a two-year old toddler {boy!} plus a newborn.  Miss S is older and very self-sufficient - so much so that she often loves to help out with Lil J.

A part of me would like it to happen right away, but the other part of me is enjoying the moment and enjoying the two beautiful kids that we have right now.

dear lil j: my crush

Dear Lil J,

I'm sorry if I got frustrated with you easily tonight.  It seems that after a long week of work, my sleep deprived mind only shuts on the "adult" part of my brain and I forget that you are just a kid trying to figure things out.  It must be frustrating for you when you're trying to tell me something and I don't quite understand what you're saying, and can't help you right away.  I always kick myself {not literally!} when I realize how silly I'm acting in the moment.  And, I always feel guilty in the few seconds after I get frustrated.

Take tonight for instance.  Mommy was super tired {and still am} and all she wanted to do was sleep.  All you wanted to do was talk and jump around the bed.  When I turned off the light, you got mad.  When I turned it on, you wanted your milk.  When I gave you your milk, you started bawling and screaming some incomprehensive word over and over again.  I couldn't understand you so I turned off the lights.  Then we went through the cycle again and I still couldn't understand you.  Finally, I listened harder as you gestured to your sippy cup that you wanted me to unscrew the lid or "open" it.  But why didn't you just tell me "open" in the first place?  It's one of the words you use frequently and you know the meaning of it.  Then I looked at the time and realized that it was way past your bedtime and you were probably just as overtired as I was.

When you were done your milk, you told me "light off".  I turned the light off and you crawled on top of me and we hugged and kissed {with sound effects}.  This made you giggle {and made Mommy feel so guilty for being frustrated} so I did it again.  Then you joined in with your own sound effects as we both squeezed each other and yelled "Mmmmmmmmmm".  Every time we squeezed each other, we burst out in crazy giggles and laughter.  It was so contagious.  You made me feel like a kid again.  Then I told you I loved you.  And you said:

"Luhl luu too too Mama nigh nigh"

Which means "Love you too too Mama.  Night night!".  And I got soooooo giddy like a first crush.  You totally made my night and the bedtime struggle was all worth it.

And to top it off, I decided to put you in your crib while you were still awake and you put yourself to sleep with no screaming, no crying.  Yay baby!!

Sweet dreams babydoll.

Love you lots,
Mommy

birth of The {swank} List

Over the past couple months I have become extremely motivated.  Motivated to do things that I have been procrastinating over for days, months, and even years.  I'm not sure what sparked this sudden change but I have found that it has been definitely for the better.  It could have been my intense desire to create a privileged life for my kids.  It could have been the networking with other motivated moms and local personalities via Twitter and Facebook, seeing my brother positively change his life after a surprising breakup, or just me wanting to change.  It is probably all of the above.

Some say married life or being in a long-term relationship can make you become one.  You sort of lose yourself with the other person and adapt to what you know life is with that person.  Goals change, many forgotten.  Life takes another direction and you ultimately forget what you were trying to achieve in your previous life.  Kids may come and take up an insane amount of your time.  And then one day, you look at yourself and scream, "How the heck did I get here?!".

Yes, I can admit that all of the above has happened to me.  When Lil J was born, I never lost my sense of style {mostly because of Miss S.  She loves to make sure she matches her outfit with mine.  Coming from an 11 year old, that's a huge compliment}, but I lost my sense of self.  It was hard to admit at first and it took me two years to realize it.  Sure, I'm a Mommy of two now.  But I am also a {swank}mommy and I was determined to prove it far past my style {note:  I haven't had a haircut in over six months.  That's about to change today...}.

So I've decided to make a list for myself to follow.  Mainly so I won't forget my goals {short-term and long-term}, and also so I can complete them. You can find the list on my blog's right-hand sidebar.

Luckily, I have very positive people around me that support the things that I do.  I've found various local deals on daily deal websites that have encouraged me to try new things.  I have family that are willing to look after my kids.  I have a husband that is hands-on and very supportive in everything that I do.  I have friends that I can gossip to.  I am healthy.  I am able.  There is nothing stopping me from accomplishing the things I want to do in life, the goals I have.  They just might be set-back a little bit as my main goal is to spend as much time with my kids as possible.



wordless wednesday: kind of!

A couple nights ago Lil J refused to go to sleep right away so we staged an impromptu photo shoot!  I know this should be a Wordless Wednesday post but I just can't help but put my two cents in {for what it's worth}....

All smiles :) {and that lamp has got to go!}

is my child really a genius?

I've come to discover some interesting things about Lil J in the past while.  Ever since he was born, people have been telling me that he was a smart kid and that he was very aware for his "age".  Even as a newborn, you could tell he was busy studying something - with a look so intense - trying to figure out what was going on.  I brushed off their comments while hiding how {secretly} proud I was.  After all Lil J is my first child and I just assumed everything he did was what ever other baby did.  Eat, sleep and poop!

But on the weekend, it occurred to me that Lil J sees things a little differently than most kids.  He was playing on a golf cart at Vancouver's 125 birthday celebration at Stanley Park {under my watchful eye} and as he was turning the wheel back and forth, I realized as he was busy studying the wheel, looking it up, down and around, that he wasn't thinking "yay, the wheel is turning" but "why is the wheel turning and what makes it turn?".  Watching him in amazement trying to discover the latter was a very proud mommy moment.  It then got me thinking to other instances in the past two years where Lil J was busy discovering something new, such as:

• Why the glass cabinet door closes with a magnet and how the magnet works.  He also likes to take it out and put it back in repeatedly {typical boy}.
• How he knew how to turn all of his toys on and off {long before Mommy!} before he was one, as well as every feature of every toy within a couple minutes of opening them.  This includes kitchen appliances and anything with a plug.
• My iPhone and, more recently, my iPad.  He knew how to use my iPhone around his first birthday and now he has his favourite games.  He knows certain features that even I couldn't figure out and he is always discovering something new on both.  He also says "off" when I've either been on them for too long or if he wants attention, and then he turns it off for me.  How convenient for him.
• Remote controls!  This was Lil J's first love when he discovered them at probably around six months.  It only took him a couple of days and he already knew how to turn the TVs off and on and which remote was for the satellite and which one was for the TV.  Smart but annoying when you're trying to watch something!
• His fascination with anything electronic!  TVs, remote controls, computers, printers, electric pianos, motherboards.  He has been obsessed with electronics since he was old enough to play with toys.  In fact, there is no use buying him any toys as he would rather play and figure out how electronics work.
• He knew how to "play" an electric piano shortly after his first birthday and he shows kids as old as five how to turn it on and what all the buttons do.

The list could seriously go on and on forever!  I still don't know if what Lil J is doing is "normal" for kids his age or if he really carries a super smart gene {everyone tries to convince me he does...seriously!}.  I'm sure this sounds like a bragging post but I can't help but be proud of my Lil J!  And I'm also wondering what your little ones are up to.....

{swank} review & giveaway: Baby Bahoonie

UPDATED:  Congratulations to #45 Christina Brundick!  She has won an Elegant Baby feeding set in her choice of colour from Baby Bahoonie!!

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I am a huge supporter of local companies and mompreneurs so I was very delighted to come across a new Vancouver company called Baby Bahoonie.

Baby Bahoonie is an online baby boutique specializing in products and companies that promote fair-trade, respect human rights, sustain our environment, are green, and that can be reused, reduced or recycled. In addition to their regular brands, Baby Bahoonie also features 20 carefully selected lines featuring organic cotton, modal and bamboo.

I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of Baby Bahoonie, Cinnamon, first through Twitter and then in person. She was a delight and willing to answer any questions I had.  Her company was launched approximately two months ago but has been a work in progress for much longer. The name "Bahoonie" is a cute version of her family's last name Bhayani. Her "Bahoonies" include Cinnamon and her husband, their Jack Russell terrier and, of course, their Baby Bahoonie!

Review

Lil J was given the opportunity to test out Elegant Baby's green bowl feeding set, complete with a suction cup based bowl and silicone spoon.

We loved the vibrant, bright green and orange colours of the bowl and the bendy action of the spoon {which Miss S discovered}.  At first, I was afraid the spoon would be too flimsy but it is actually very sturdy and won't bend back unless it is forced.  The strong suction cup base on the bowl is a fabulous feature to help keep the bowl in place and from falling over {even though Lil J figured out how to get around the suction but that's a whole other story}, and the suction base separates from the bowl itself allowing it to graduate from baby bowl to toddler bowl.  The bowl is also microwave and dishwasher safe making it mommy {and daddy} friendly!

Lil J's porridge

Lil J telling me how much he likes his Elegant Baby Feeding Set!

The spoon has an adorable cow head on the tip and spots covering the handle of the spoon, making meal time fun for kids {I think Miss S liked it as much as Lil J!}.  This is now Lil J's favourite spoon and he won't give it up!  It's made of soft, bendable, heat-resistant, non-stick silicone that is gentle on babies' gums and entertaining for toddlers to use.  The heat-resistant feature is a relief for Mommy as I am constantly checking the temperature of the spoon to make sure hot foods don't burn Lil J's mouth.  You may also sterilize the spoon up to 316 degrees Celsius {600 degrees Fahrenheit} and it will not discolour or absorb flavours.

Baby Bahoonie offers Elegant Baby's feeding sets in both green and pink, as well as the spoon in a variety of colours {purple, pink, orange, green and blue}.

I would definitely recommend Elegant Baby's green bowl feeding set to all {swank}babies {and their mommies}!  Luckily for you, Baby Bahoonie is offering one lucky reader a chance to win an Elegant Baby bowl feeding set in their choice of colour!!

Baby Bahoonie has also kindly agreed to offer a discount code for {swank}mama readers!  Use code SWANKMAMA10 for 10% off your entire purchase until July 26, 2011.

How to Win!

The mandatory entry must be done first before any other entries will be considered.  Please leave a comment below with your email for each entry.  If we cannot verify your email address, another winner will be chosen.  Winner will be picked via random.org.

MANDATORY 1st Entry

Go to Baby Bahoonie’s website and tell us what your favourite product is {and don't forget to use {swank}mama’s 10% off coupon code}!

Extra Entries

• “Like” {swank}mama on Facebook {1 entry}
• “Like” Baby Bahoonie on Facebook and say "hi" to them if you'd like {1 entry}
• Follow {swank}mama on Twitter {1 entry}
• Follow Baby Bahoonie on Twitter{1 entry}
• Tweet (up to 3x a day, 2 hours apart) “Enter to win an @elegantbaby feeding set from @bahoonie & @SwankMama http://bit.ly/o1b8Iy #giveaway #contest #swankreview  {1 entry each, up to 3 entries per day}
• Follow {swank}mama via GFC (Google Friend Connect) and be sure to leave your user name in your comment {2 entries}
• Subscribe to Baby Bahoonie’s newsletter – bottom left-hand corner of homepage {2 entries}
• Subscribe to Baby Bahoonie’s RSS feed {1 entry}

You can enter this contest until July 26, 2011 at 9:00pm PST.  You must respond by email within 48 hours of being notified by us.  If you do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.  This giveaway is open to all US/Canadian residents over the age of 18 years old.

The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of Baby Bahoonie.  Note that {swank}mama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.

dear lil j: photo booth time!

To My Funny Son,

Tonight we spent 15-20 minutes before your bedtime {and it was already past your bedtime} taking silly photos via Photo Both on my iPad.  Here are some of them:

square head

stretched faces

Some are creepier than others:

posers

And we were having so much fun, Mommy didn't realize that you were super tired.  I even forgot to ask Grandma if you napped today.  So we kept taking pictures:

just the...four?...of us!

11 Lil J's!!

x-ray vision

Finally the fun ended and we decided it was time to go to bed.  You head-butted me so hard on my eye that I seriously wanted to cry.  Then you punched me twice {I didn't see any of this coming - it was pitch black - but apparently you could see exactly where Mommy was} and when I told you that it wasn't nice {in a "mean" Mommy voice}, you knew it was wrong and you cuddled up beside me in an effort to say "I'm sorry".

Then two seconds later, you were out like a light..and snoring!  It looked a little something like this:

sleepy Lil J

Thanks so much for making the rest of Mommy's night so fun!  Love you sooooo much!!

Love,

Mommy

beds and monsters

As Lil J is getting "older", I have more and more things to think about.  One being when he will graduate from his crib to his "big boy" bed.  My plan was to move him to his bed once he started trying to climb out of his crib.  But for some odd reason - and this boy is a climber - he hasn't mastered that yet.  So when exactly do you put your toddler in a "big kid" bed?

I have no idea but I've already started planning out his "big boy" room.  My package from Australia finally came from sweetpeas for kids and inside was Lil J's monster bedding set.  Miss S and I picked it out after endlessly searching online for the perfect monster pattern bedding.  There weren't very many options, or maybe I just wasn't searching properly.  Anyways, we finally settled on this amazing bedding set that was visually appealing as well as eco-friendly {it's organic!!}.  I haven't opened the actual package yet but I'm going to tonight - so excited {over bedding?  Yes, it's a mom thing}!

We still need to get a mattress which we will hopefully buy this weekend.  Then we need to set up his bed {which was thankfully handed down from his older cousin} and let him know that he has a "big boy" bed!  But first we need to figure out what to do with my husbands clothes and that ugly drawer chest we have in Lil J's room.  That thing has got to go!

Project Monster, here we come!!