This Oz Life

I can't believe it will only be 8 short weeks until Larkyn is one. All I want to do is plan her party, but there's that little thing called work. Oh yeah, and mothering. So, spring break will be a whirlwind of ordering and traveling the city for things that go along with her "twinkle twinkle little star" theme. Any great ideas for first birthday presents?  I would rather get a few great gifts than several smaller toys that have no room at the inn. This week, Larkyn h… Read more

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Happy birthday to MY mama today! I dedicate this post to her for all she has done for me and now for all she has done for Larkyn. Time for a little list-making before I get too wordy and everyone stops reading. Reasons why we love Nana She rearranged her entire work schedule and life to watch Larkyn every Thursday.  On that magical day, I come home to 7 clean bottles and a bathed baby. Yahoo! She will make the things that I say "I want to make that but don't have the time or … Read more

We are marking 2 important milestones in baby's life this week. First, we got to go out on our first dinner date since Larkyn was born! Sounds crazy, right? We just always bring her with us or we stay in for carry-out and Netflix almost every weekend. We had a lovely little V-day dinner at Moretti's and DQ dessert (a nostalgic favorite from our old neighborhood in Grandview). We got quality adult time and Nana & Paw Paw got quality baby time. Win win. Next, I picked her up… Read more

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It's official. The bathroom renovation is ON. As Larkyn's first birthday draws closer, the natural thing for any mom-of-one to start thinking is "When do we have another?" Not that I am in a rush, but you know I am a planner and these thoughts just happen. So, the next stream of thoughts goes like this: "OK, if we want them three years apart then we would *maybe* have another in 2 years...and we only have 2 bedrooms, so we'd *probably* need to move in less t… Read more

I wanted a simple, large batch of sweets to give as Valentine treats this year, and saltine toffee seemed perfect. Just sprinkle on the colors of your choice, and you have the perfect holiday gift! Saltine Toffee compilation of many recipes found online 2 sleeves of salted saltine crackers (store brand is fine) 2 sticks of butter 1 cup of brown sugar 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips sprinkles of your choice (optional) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with foil. Line the p… Read more

Well, we made it over yesterday's trauma and life is back to normal. Dad is just sore and no one else was injured, thank God. The car is another story. Anyway, these are the times when we count our blessings and celebrate the little things! Like holding a bottle by herself! I cannot tell you how long we have been working on this, but it has finally clicked. The new bedtime routine is going well and we are all a little less frazzled thanks to the earlier bedtime/more mama-daddy han… Read more

Sorry, I have words. Too many. They are all caught in my throat somewhere and are threatening to come out in screams. So I will reign them in and allow tears and typeface. Hmm, perhaps the title of my emo alter ego? Anyway, do you know this book? I didn't really like it as a kid (or any book that didn't feature a girl or cute animal as the main character). Alexander was on to something. Some days just suck. It's not one "horrible" thing after another, but its just… Read more