Night time zoo

Did you hear the news ? It's Night Time Zoo time again. It's hard for me to take Liam to the Zoo. If I don't make it in the morning it's pretty much done for the day. The young mister goes down for a beauty nap between midday and 1 pm and doesn't wake up until around 3:30 pm. Yes, perfect when I need some kid free time but very, very horrible when I actually want to get out of the house. Well, back to the good news. Night-Time-Zoo ! So the best thing is the extended opening hours. Instead of closing the doors at 5 pm we'll now be able to enjoy the Zoo until 9 pm. 4 extra day saving hours. But that's not it. Enjoy a many activities. Dance to a variety of music, be astonished by a acrobatic trampoline show and watch the brand new 4D movie "Ice Age: No time for nuts". Check out the Happy Happens Happy Hour at Albert's and hop on the bus for a evening bus tour around the Zoo. Don't forget to watch the spectacular music, light and video show at the remodeled Wegeforth Bowl before you end your day/night at the Zoo. Sounds like so much fun, huh !?
It indeed is and I promise we'll be back to the Zoo for more. Check out our pictures to see how our day was and go to the San Diego Zoo website to get more information on this summer long event.

Bis bald,

Michelle

Bilingual

 

Liam's shoes are obviously Nike's. He is wearing GAP shorts, a JCP tank top and a Epic Threads shirt. You can't see them but his socks are super cute Mickey Mouse socks. I love them !

Doesn't life get so much easier once they are able to respond to what you are saying ? Once they are old enough to decide if they want/like something or not ? Once they are able to actually say yes or no ? Ha ! I finally see light at the end of the tunnel. I'd rather argue with him and know that he understands what I'm saying than possibly talk to a brick wall.
Liam needed a little more time to start talking than some other kids I know. He was always on the louder side but didn't actually build words. The reason could be that Liam is learning 2 languages at the same time. German and English. He hears everybody at home speak German and is used to hearing English on TV, the radio and everywhere else. I must say that the longer I am living in this country the more I mix up my German and English and I can totally hear Liam speak Genglish. Liam is going to have to understand that he is really learning 2 separate languages. We'll see how that goes and I really hope it's not going to be to hard on him.
If anyone has experience with bilingual children feel free to share your story. It would be a huge help for me and other mommas going through this.

Bis bald,

Michelle

On a budget

I feel like as a single mom budgeting is a constant topic. Although I try to lower the price tags on both mine and Liam's stuff I must admit that I more often turn the dime twice when it comes to things I buy for myself. I'm very lucky that I know my way around when it comes to saving on name brand articles. Especially because I really want us to look fashionable and up to date. Also I must admit that budgeting is somehow fun and in the end I'm always very proud that I could save on pieces others paid double for or that my money bought more than others could. Whichever way you want to put it. I just ordered this beautiful pair of Andrew Stevens shoes for only $5. Feels great to know that the original price tag says $149 and I know I'm getting a quality shoe. Here are some tips for a full and stylish closet (or toy box) and wallet.

1) Retailmenot. This app for your phone is wonderful. It alerts you about coupons as soon as you enter a mall or store (or even just get close to one). Open the app, choose a store and select/open the coupon. Show it to the cashier and... you are very welcome !

2) Groupon. I use Groupon for many things: clothing, shoes, toys or even hotels and activities around the city.

3) Don't be so set on one specific item (when it comes to fashion). I often see things I fall in love with but if I can't afford it, I'm not going to try and cut back on other more important things. What I do is, I just check all my discounted sources (Groupon, Ebay, Nordstrom Rack etc.) for similar pieces. I usually find something similar that I can love just as much.

4) Oh and of course.. DIY. If you are creative and are a crafty person don't be lazy. You can safe so much money by using scissors and your hot glue machine to decorate a party or even your kids' bed/play rooms.

Try it ! By the end of the month you will definitely see a change on your bank statements.

Bis bald,

Michelle

Share

I am wearing a H&M shirt and anklet, Charlotte Russe shorts and Sociology sandals. Liam is wearing Old Navy shoes, H&M shorts and a LRG shirt. I ordered his cap on Ebay.

Did you read the blog post about the movie ticket for Liam yesterday. Well, I guess activities are not the only thing Liam is going to need "his own" (ticket) for. A couple of weeks ago I started getting him his own Frozen Yoghurt, Frappuccino and food. Before we would always share because I just had to sacrifice my things a little bit since he really didn't eat much. I just noticed I was getting less to nothing anymore. So I decided to let his be his and mine be mine. He is still getting used to it - he would rather eat from my plate and drink out of my cup - but I'm loving it. Ha !

 

 

 

By the way.. this is a reminder not to leave our phones anywhere near a mad toddler. Yes, Liam is very strong.

Not considered a baby anymore

Mommy is wearing a top she ordered from Ebay, a skirt she got at a little boutique she doesn't remember the name of, shoes from Deichmann (Germany), a H&M belt and a Zara purse. Liam is looking stylish in a The Childrens Place Shirt, GAP shorts and Old Navy shoes. Look at that Thor hammer from Target.


I've been so busy recently without even really doing anything. But I sure wasn't working on this baby here. Obviously! I must say that it's not just a time factor though. Especially outfit posts have been a huge problem lately. My little man started "running away" from the camera and my photo guy (my brother) is insured which makes it hard for him to take a good picture with his camera. On our way to the movies this morning he snapped a quick picture of both me and Liam with his I phone. The quality isn't to bad, huh !? Still better than my 6 years old Nikon D90. Ha !

So we went to the movies this morning to see Inside Out. A great movie that I could enjoy just as much as Liam did. How do I know that he enjoyed it ? He sat still for the entire movie. 1 hour and 45 minutes. Wow ! I was very surprised and - of course - happy. One thing I did not like was the fact that I have to pay for Liam to see a movie now. I did not expect this but I guess he's not considered a baby anymore. They grow up to fast. Way to fast.

Bis bald,

Michelle

The Y - Child Watch #1

Today was a big day. We are just using our 5 day trial at the YMCA to see if it is worth a membership. So I decided to try the Cardio Kick Boxing class this late afternoon which means I also got to try and see how the Child Watch would work out for us. Liam is not used to being away from me. At least not with anybody he doesn't know. He never went to any sort of daycare or spent time with any babysitter that's not actually related to him. Seeing the play area of the Child Watch Liam couldn't wait to get in and it seemed like he had immediately forgotten about me the second he walked in and started playing with the little wooden train station. So I left to change into my yoga pants and sneakers and I must admit that It was really hard not to check on him after I left the ladies locker room on the way to the studio. But (!!!) I stayed strong. I really enjoyed the cardio kick boxing session. It is so much more fun working out in a group and definitely going to motivate me to work out more in the future. After sweating out all that mommy stress I got my stuff out of the locker and was very excited to pick up Liam. Since nobody came to get me I was assuming everything went great. Well, when I arrived at the Child Watch front desk I was told that Liam cried off and on throughout the hour I was gone. He cried and ran straight to me when he saw me. I was so touched and sorry at the same time. But I guess he has to learn it eventually, right !? I see it as a great opportunity for him to prepare for preschool. To learn how to listen to authorities that are not related to him and get used to all those things that are important in larger groups. Like sharing, team work, compromising.  I'm planning a second try on Thursday and hope it goes better this time. I wonder how long it will take him to learn that I'll never really leave him and always come back.

Bis bald,

Michelle