Favorite Things Friday: Happy Halloween!

When it comes to Halloween decor, I'm not one for cheesy stuff, and I'm not one for over the top scary stuff either.  I like subtle ideas that you almost have to do a double-take before you realize it's Halloween.

I also have to be able to do them, so they have to be fairly simple.  Now, did I do any of these this year?  Ummm... no.  I handed my trick-or-treaters fruit snacks, granola bars and bags of chips last night because i forgot candy for that whole day-before thing is our small towns.

So, here goes....

1. Window Spider Web

...that's electrical tape...awesome. 

2. "Watch your back..."

...now I just think this is funny! 

3. Swarm of Bats

I think this just looks brilliant.  Construction paper and tape. 

4. Aged/Bloody Mirror

I would probably avoid the blood.  That's saran wrap and black paint. 

5. Pumpkin Mouse House

Now, If I saw this, I would probably need to go change my pants.  Thus the reason I feel it would be an ideal Halloween Pumpkin on my porch. 

6. Mummy Door

4 rolls of crepe paper.  Easy Peezy...

7. Patterned Pumpkins

Yup, you guessed it...those are knee highs.

8. Painted Pumpkins

I like the idea of getting those fake pumpkins and painting them.
That way you have them every year. 

9. Snake Wreath

I'm a big fan of this one too.  You dont really realize that it's snakes until you look at if for a while.  

10. Witches Parking

AND you can get those cinnamon brooms and it can SMELL good too! 

InstaFunday Sunday

Nothin' too crazy this week...

InstaFunday Sunday is just a way I post my past week at a glance...and to motivate myself to take more pictures.

A new fav picture of Ruthie...sooo happy.

Tessa Faces...She's a talking fool.  

APPLESAUCE!  So yummy...yummy in my belly.

Mommy's quiet time yesterday afternoon.  

The Blog o' Lists

My To- DONE List

• All the old carpet is out of the house!  (I’m going to get some before/after pictures up soon)
• Laminate floors in the kitchen and the dining room
• Moved the washer & dryer down to the basement
• Created a pantry in the kitchen
• Sorted all of Ruthie’s clothes and organized them by size
• Set up Ruthie’s big girl bed
• Finished TONS of little projects around the house
• Threw a successful baby shower this last weekend
• Made some awesome animal hats for this year’s VBS
• Finished sewing/hanging curtains in the living room

The To- Do List (get done before TL arrives)

• Finish painting Ruthie’s dresser for her room (then Rue’s room will be READY!)
• Get another Baby Monitor
• Pay off Ruthie’s medical Bills (argh)
• Wire lights and fans in rooms upstairs
• Get AC officially working in the house (don’t worry…we aren’t HOT by any means!  But it would be nice if the central air was working)
• Finish Ruthie’s One Year Photo Book
• Deep Clean my car and the car seats
• Finish Banister at the top of the stairs
• Mount the baby gate at the top of the steps
• Sew throw pillows
• Hang pictures- pretty up the house
• Fix Dryer….yea. It broke last night. 
• Yeah…I still have some work to do at School.  Secretary how-tos for my sub and final bank statements for the fiscal year.

The Tessa Leigh Count Down

• 2 Days- Last weekend home by myself with Rue.  Nate’s on a fishing trip
• 4 Days- Last Public Outing.  Troy & Rachael’s wedding (Last time I have to look good J)
• 11 Days- Ruthie leaves for her first trip w/o her parents.  Nathan’s parents are taking her on the family mission trip to Alabama. 
• 19 Days- Tessa’s Due date…Now, Sunday, July 13 at 12noon.  I’ve learned my lesson to see that she’s going to arrive on that date.  She’ll prove me wrong. 

19 DAYS!! Holy Cow!  I look it though.  Nathan let me go get a pedicure the other day.  I haven’t been able to touch my feet in like…a week and a half, so it was much needed.  Ruthie and I have been enjoying our days off of school.  Lots of bubbles, and blueberries…we went to the pool, we watch thousands of episodes of Mickey Mouse Club House. 

Her new thing…singing.  All the time. To Mickey…Lots of Jesus Loves Me… ABCs…Caillou.  EVERYTHING!  We have also hit the stage where we are concerned about what things look like.  We have to have a particular juice glass.  She will bring me things to put in her hair…”Pretty,” she says and hands me a rubber band.  Food has to look good now or else she won’t eat it. 

I’m anxious/nervous for TL’s arrival and what Rue will do.  She will be excited with baby at the beginning, but then I think she’ll be like, “Ok mommy.  Take her back to where she came from so it’s just me again.” 

Oh the power of BUBBLES!

Playing with Uncle Jake's Helmet.  Those would be hands holding her up, b/c every time she moved, it was so heavy, she would fall over.  

I am Becoming a Royal Red Eaglebird...

Holy cow, do I feel like the world is flying by!  I have a 2 mo old AND a husband again (aka football is over on Monday). The Princes weren't so charming this year so I think Nathan's secretly glad to be done. But I guess I just gave his secret away... Ruthie's better than ever.  We're getting a few smiles out of her here and there.  Now over 6 lb, she looks like a normal baby...not a 2 mo old, but people aren't commenting on her size as much.  And for the record, she is a farting machine!  We have her on gas medicine to make it easier on her, but it makes her even more musical. She will appreciate me blogging about that later on in life. I just know it. (Picture was taken yesterday night...that's a 6 mo. onsie, but had to put it on for support and a picture:)


The house is just about the same. I could use a day or 2 to decorate and rearrange. I still have to finish the nursery...argh.  There's no excuse now though because she would have totally been here more than a week. I also have kids from a choir staying at the house next weekend, so hopefully that will motivate me to finish the guest room. WEEKEND PROJECT!  

In other news I got a new job!  It's bittersweet really.  I had no real desire to leave my current job, but I just couldn't pass up the offer.  I will be that admin assistant to the athletic director at Dunlap high school.  I applied because it was a little better pay and I got full benefits for the family.  But, when D. Joseph heard, they matched it...yet another reason making it hard to leave.  It was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but the main reasons I switched with because of the benefits and vacation days and holidays.  It will help us save tons of money in the long run by not having to pay for childcare in the summers.  And come on!  Who doesn't want a summer break. I mean really!  This will also make it possible for Nathan and I to go on family mission trip every year. And that's something that we both decided is going to be priority in our family.  

So I'm pretty excited but I have a lot of work in store for me.  The director hasn't had an assistant yet since he took the position a year ago July and the previous person had the position for over 20 years with a pretty extensive paper system. We've got to make that athletic department computerized!  Not to mention the massive amounts of sports Dunlap has...football, volleyball, girl's track, boy's track, girl's tennis, boy's tennis, softball, baseball, girl's soccer, boy's soccer, swimming, diving, and I'm sure I missing something...ohh cross country. I think that's it.  So, I guess this makes me a Royal Red Eaglebird.  i.e. I hold true to my Metamora Redbird roots, I married a Prince, and my daughter will be a Princeville Lady Prince (why not a Princess, no one knows...), and now I am an Eagle.  I'm picturing an all red eagle with a crown on it's head...it's in the same animal kingdom as Napolian Dynamite's liger...pretty much my favorite animal, ever!  

I am pretty excited to be working at Dunlap though.  For those of you not from Ptown, Dunlap is the closest city to Peoria that isn't apart of the Peoria school district, which is currently less than desirable   And most of the families that go there just happened to be loaded!  I'm not knocking them at all! I've had many friends from Dunlap. But it's encouraging to know that the district is doing well and will continue to do well.  There are lots of teachers on my mom's side of the family, and I decided that if I were to ever be a teacher I'd always want to be a high school teacher.  I feel like you could have way more fun with the kids.  And the passion of a teenager is just immeasurable. Even if they say they don't care.  They just have to focus their passion off of parties and booze and each other... yet another reason why I'm pretty pumped about working at the high school.  This is the long term now. I thought last time was a long term but it wasn't. Now that I have a kid, this job is perfect. Well, I'll let all ya'll know a week from now how things are going with a new job and a new niece.  It's crazy how much life changes soooo quickly...Blows my mind sometimes.  

Brittany is days away from baby #2.  Layla Anne Marie almost came today, but the doctor wanted to give her a little bit more time. I think she'll definitely be here by Wednesday. She's going to be a pretty large and in charge baby.  This is going to be interesting. Bella's 13.5 months and a very jealous little girl.  She does love Ruthie though. She reaches out and pets her head as if she were petting Jack the cat...soft and sweet and she whispers so she "doesn't wake the baby" Brittany says. She whispers gibberish, but still very quietly.  Andy was holding Ruthie once and not paying attention to Bella, and that wasn't to pretty.  Only time will tell really.  

The Wineinger Calendar Countdown

• 56 days until Ruthie’s due date (10/3) 
• But of course there is that chance that she could come before or after that…I also haven’t had a shower yet so I’m slightly freaking out about what I still need. - 
•  31 days until my sweet cousin, Kelsey’s wedding (9/8) 
• Slightly humorous happening…my sister who will be 8 mo preg and myself who will be 9 mo preg are cutting the cake. Good luck on getting your hands on a slice! Hehehe 
• 29 days until Bella’s 1st birthday! (9/6) 
• Her b-day party is hot pink and zebra! Pretty much the cutest thing ever! 
• 24 days until we move into our house (9/1) 
• I can’t write too much about this yet, b/c I don’t want to jinx it, but don’t worry! I will fill you all in with pictures very soon! 
• Take note: we have to DEEP CLEAN, de-nail, clean the carpets, paint, and install a fence before this day, too. AHHH!
• 16 days until Princeville’s first football game. (8/26) 
• Against Stark County…their biggest rivals. They are nervous but they are high school big boys so they won’t lead you to believe they’re nervous. So they’re tough and they’re gonna do great and this coach’s wife will hoot and howler for them! 
• 10 days until the weekend of showers (Kelsey’s bridal- 8/18, My baby- 8/19) 
• Super excited to celebrate with Kels! I’m in charge of games which is one of my favorite parts! And my shower… I will finally have a little peace of mind once I have some baby items. 
• 1 day until Pville football HELL WEEK! (Tomorrow) 
• I have already become somewhat of what we call a “coach’s widow” what with weight lifting and some practices. But come tomorrow, the next time I will see my husband will be…well…not sure…maybe the day Ruthie’s born???