Giveaway: Baby Monitor - CLOSED

Today's giveaway is from Next Step Baby Monitors, a kick ace company that is dedicated to bringing you the latest in video baby monitoring technology (say that 3 times fast!). Adam, the owner, and I have teamed up to offer one lucky Brock Paper Scissors reader a NextStepIP System (shown above) in your choice of black or pearl white. This consists of a high-end internet camera that you can view/control from any PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or Android with a real-time camera pan & tilt controls (valued at $129.99). Sweet deal, right?

When I was first contacted to try out this monitor, I was a little skeptical as to whether we'd actually use it. I mean, we already had a monitor for Lola, and it seemed to work just fine. Why did we need another? But then I was reminded of the little ish I've been having with Nico lately. See, ever since I broke my ankle, and am no longer able to climb the stairs to make sure he's napping, homeboy's decided there's no need to take naps, or even stay in bed for that matter. "Why nap when I can play?" seemed to be his new motto. Smart kid, that one.

Since I wasn't going to drag myself upstairs every time I suspected he was playing, I really had no way of proving he was fibbing to me. That is until I was offered a NextStepIP System. Could this be the solution to the month long problem of my child not napping? The answer is yes, yes it was. Not only does it video my child, but I'm able to view him from both my smart phone and computer, as well as speak to him through the monitor and tell him to get his booty back in bed! It's worked like a charm since day one.

Here are some other things I love about this product:

• you can control it and view your child from anywhere in the world (it's like magic!)
• the camera connects wirelessly to your router, so there's no annoying cords to deal with
• you can position the camera via your phone/computer or with the pre-sets you create
• the night vision allows you to see in the dark without shining any sort of light out of the camera

Because of all this awesomeness, it's almost guaranteed that we'll be tossing our old monitor and using this one in Lola's room once I'm mobile again! Seriously, it's that good.

Something else I really love about Next Step Baby Monitors is that it's a family run business. The company was founded in 2005, and is primarily owned and operated by Adam (who fights fires in his downtown...no, really!) and his wife, Larissa. You'll even find their cute-as-a-button daughter, Sierra, starring in their popular YouTube videos! Could they be any more charming?!

Now that we've established just how great of a company this is, let's get to the fun part - the giveaway! To enter, just choose from the options below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can't wait to purchase your own NextStepIP System? Use the code BROCK for 10% off your next order. Plus, for a limited time, when you purchase a NextStepIP System, they'll throw in an extra-long 13" wi-fi boosting antenna at no additional cost!

Friday Favorites {7.27.12}

It's Friday! Yip! Anyone have anything fun planned over the weekend? It's supposed to be raining out here again this weekend (boo!), but I'm hoping the sun comes out, at least for a little bit, so the kids can take a dip in their new pool. They're seriously so excited to going swimming, but with my limited mobility right now, I don't feel comfortable with them doing so without Dan here. This, unfortunately, limits us to weekend swims, and last weekend it was too cold and rainy for any of that. Hopefully, it's not a bunch of the same this weekend.

I have an appointment with Orthopedics this morning, but other than that, we just plan on swimming (fingers crossed) and taking it easy. I feel like we have no real plans more often than not these days, but it's hard to commit to much with my still-mending ankle + the kids and their nap schedule (yes, they both still take naps). It's not all bad, though. We've spent a ton of time together, just the four of us. And I can't think of 3 other people I'd rather spend so much time with.

Have a great weekend! I'll be back next week with a giveaway you won't wanna miss!!

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1. Pretty, pretty crocheted blanket. I really should learn how to do this.

2. One of my favorite books growing up is now being turned into a movie. Can't wait to see it!

3. Vanessa's latest post is spot on with how I've been feeling lately. Sad, but true.

4. Method and Orla Kiely are teaming up to make cleaning perfection.

5. A collection of 50+ DIY knockoffs from places like Anthropologie and Pottery Barn.

6. Speaking of knockoffs, check out this copycat Chipotle guac recipe! YUM.

7. Probably the funniest internet kid around (excluding my own, of course).

8. A beautifully written post that I think most of us parents (and non-parents) can relate to.

9. The cutest little cards I ever did see!

10. I'm fairly certain if the hubs had a mission statement, this would be it. That man loves his cheese.

Caffeine Withdrawal: I Haz It

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About a week and a half ago, I decided to drop caffeine like a bad habit (which it sort of is, right?). I wish I could say this was my choice, but it's actually a prereq for surgery. I must be free of all the caffeines a month beforehand. And while I actually have a little over a month and a half until my surgery date (yes, I finally got a date), I figured I'd get a jump start on it.

All I can say is wow. To be honest, I didn't even know how much my body depended on caffeine. I had my one coffee drink first thing in the morning, and that was basically it. I'm not a big soda or tea drinker, so I was really surprised by how much I was affected by nixing the caffeine.

Not gonna lie, the first week of this so-called "detox", I was a flat out mess. I was tired, irritable, my emotions all over the place, just a real treat to be around. Strangely enough, though, I didn't get the notorious headaches. And for that, I'm grateful. Cuz I've heard some horror stories about the hurting of the head parts.

Thankfully, now that I am about 10 days "clean", these side effects have pretty much all but subsided. Except for the sleepy part, that is. I'm still totally dragging ass, and just can't seem to get motivated. Like, AT ALL (hence the lack of blogging).

My question for you guys is: how do I get my energy/motivation back sans the caffeine? I won't be able to have it post-surgery, so this is obviously something I'm going to have to learn to deal with. Will this tiredness go away with time, or do I need to do/take something (and if so, what?) to get my energy level back to normal?

HALP ME!!

Dirty Thirty Birthday Wish List

Welp, despite my best efforts, the time has finally come...I'm turning 30. To tell you the truth, it doesn't seem nearly as scary as it once did. Maybe it's because I'm finally starting to accept (and embrace) the fact that I'm no longer a kid. Or, perhaps, it's because I'm coming to realize that with age comes wisdom, and that's not such a bad trade off. Whatever the reason, it's a good thing I'm finally coming to terms with it, because it's happening, and there's not a damn thing I can do to stop it. Can't stop, won't stop...

Anyway, so yeah, being that it's about 2 point 5 weeks away from the big day, I thought I'd put together a little birthday wish list, if you will. You know, so people (ahem, Dan) will know what to get me, if they should be so inclined. It wouldn't totally suck if I got some of this stuff on mah dirty 30 is all I'm sayin'.

1. Deer Antlers Camera Strap by Couchguitarstraps

2. Chloé Eau de Parfum by Chloé

3. Viscid Watch in Sky from Anthropologie
4. Classic Q Natasha Bag in Coral by Marc by Marc Jacobs
5. Tahitian Vine Table Cloth from Anthropologie
6. Nova Trio Tiny Gold Stud Earrings by Elephantine
7. Geometric Hand Carved Rubber Stamp Set by Talktothesun
8. Geometry is Fun Necklace by Depeapa

So there you have it - the things I'm lusting after right now. To see more of my wish list, you can visit my Pinterest board here.

Friday Favorites {7.20.12}

Happy Friday! The days has finally come where I have my much anticipated pre-op appointment for surgery! From what I've been told, I won't be getting my actual surgery date today (womp), as the schedule hasn't yet opened up for September. BUT, as soon as it does, they'll be giving me a date! Just keeping my fingers crossed that I make it onto the Sept. schedule and don't have to wait till October. I guess if I do, though, I'll deal.

As far as the weekend goes, the pool we ordered finally arrived, so hopefully the kids can get some swim time in. We just need to get a pump to blow it up and we'll be golden. Also, we told Nico he could pick out something indoors (it be hot, yo!) to do (within reason) and we'd do it. So far, Chuck E. Cheese (what is it with that place?) and the arcade/movie theater are in the running. The kid's pretty easy to please, so I can't complain.

Hope you guys have a fantastic weekend!

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1. OMGEE! This video? There may have been cry-laughing involved. Watch it. Seriously, just do it.

2. A great article on why it's hard to make friends over 30.

3. One of my most favorite birth announcement videos ever!

4. No Doubt's new song/video, "Settle Down"? Uh-mazing.

5. I'll definitely be ordering this wrapping paper/print for my living room.

6. Obsessed with this chevron trellis DIY.

7. Love this post! Melissa is such an incredible writer!

8. The coolest clothespin doll I ever did see!

9. Cheesy chili lime popcorn, get in mah belly!

10. Yup, this is me...every. single. time.

Downtime (& a Winner!)

While my ankle mends, we're spending quite a bit pretty much all of our time indoors (on the the first floor of our two story house, for that matter), which leaves us with a lot of downtime. At first it wasn't so bad, probably because Dan was home with us and then we had family here. However, it's now been a month since they left, and the past couple of weeks have been rather frustrating.

The kids are pretty much bored out of their minds, and I can't say I blame 'em. We've done pretty much any and everything we can within the confines of our home over and over and over again. It's beginning to take it's toll on everyone. The kids are fighting more than usual, and my patience is wearing thin. Most days, by the time Dan gets home, I'm about ready to run for the hills (you know, if I could run).

But, this morning? This morning was glorious! I got a good night's sleep, the kids played nice, and it was just all around good stuff! After breakfast, they spent close to an hour building with blocks and, more importantly, didn't rip each other's hair out in the process. Of course I had to snap some pics, because they sure are cute when they're not whining slash trying to kill each other.

If only we could have more mornings like today, this being stuck at home stuff would be a little more tolerable. Here's to hoping!

And now for the Shabby Apple giveaway winner...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations, Amy! I hope you enjoy your gift card. Thanks to everyone who entered, and a big thank you to Shabby Apple for offering such a great giveaway!

If you didn't win, don't fret - you can use the code brockpaperscissors10off for 10% off your next order, now through August 12th.

Insta-life {July 2012}

If you follow me on Instagram (username: brockpaperscissors), then you'll probably wanna skip over this here post. But if not, then here's what we've been up to lately, according to my iPhone.

from left to right:

feeling crumby | hangin' w/ "Mamo" (Elmo) | baby feet | sib luv | cookie face

hotel swimming | learnin' | new boot | more cookies | peek-a-boo!

sit 'n spin | his & hers Yo Gabs shirts | thumbs up | sup? | baby shoes

cartoons from her perch | wheelchair hangs | OUT | curbside service | @ Costco

fun w/ Daddy | fighting fires | new hairs | posing | Nico in the box!

Friday Favorites {7.13.12}

Eeep! It's Friday the 13th! I've never been that superstitious or anything (mainly just OCD, lol), but I can't say it's my favorite day ever. Oh, well. Hopefully, nothing creepy happens!

The past few days have been...trying, so I'm gonna keep this short and sweet. If you haven't already, be sure to enter our giveaway, you know, if you like free stuffs!

Have a great weekend, guys!

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1. My kids have watched this video no less than 54326 times over the past couple days. Is it bad that I kind of love it?

2. Love Janel's playroom makeover! Perfect in ever way.

3. Drea's put together a great list of blogs (some I already read & several I can't wait to read more of).

4. Right now (ahem, broken ankle), dinner has to be easy, and it doesn't get much easier than this.

5. I recently discovered Barnes and Noble has online story time. How did I not know about this before?!

6. Maryam's put together a lovely DIY on dip-dyeing a tee!

7. Some of the cutest babies in the blogosphere!

8. A pretty sweet list of handmade gifts for boys.

9. I'm far too scared to wear big shoes again, but these are pretty amazing!

10. This e-card? The BEST.

Giveaway: Shabby Apple - CLOSED

In honor of my one year blogiversary (this past June), I have a great giveaway for you guys! 

In case you don't know (but you do, right?), Shabby Apple is a boutique filled with cute, vintage-inspired clothing. They pride themselves on making modest yet feminine clothing that'll make you feel like a million bucks without having to let it all hang out. They're a company for women, by women, and I think that's pretty neat!

Shabby Apple and I have teamed up and they are generously offering one Brock Paper Scissors reader a $50 gift card to their online shop! Sweet, right? I wish I could win this one myself!

Giveaway: Just choose from the options below for a chance to win ("mandatory entry" is required, obvi). And be sure to tweet daily for additional entries. Good luck!

Discount: Want to start shopping now? Enter the code brockpaperscissors10off for 10% off your next purchase, now through August 12th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Currently...

Inspired by: Pinterest. Being at home so much has really got me itching to work on the things I've been wanting/meaning to do since we moved in here (over a year ago). For the most part, I'm pretty happy with our living space, but there are quite a few DIYs I'd like to do to spruce up the place a bit. Recently, I went through my Pinterest folders (seriously, so much inspiration!) and chose a few of these projects I could do sans a sewing machine (since it's my right ankle that's broken). Now I just need Dan to take me to the crafts store so I can get started!

Devouring: Any and everything from Trader Joe's! Until this past weekend, we hadn't been for a couple months (a crime, I know), and I forgot just how much I love their food! Current faves: this and this (pretty sure my dietician is going to flip when she sees "cookie butter" on my food log, though).

Thankful for: My sweet husband. Since I broke my ankle, he's had to take on a lot more responsibility than he's used to. He has really stepped up and been more helpful than I ever could've imagined. I am so, so thankful to have this man in my life. I love him to pieces!

Watching: We recently started Sons of Anarchy on Netflix and are hooked! We don't watch a lot of TV when the kids are up (and certainly not shows like this), so it's taken us a while to get through Season 1. We're finally almost finished, though, and I can't wait to see what happens next! Also, Breaking Bad (one of my favorite shows ever!) is starting this Sunday, which I'm all kinds of excited about!

Starting: Besides the projects I mentioned above, I guess I'd have to say that I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was back in May that I broke my ankle, and this recovery process has been dragging on for, what feels like, forever. After my last appointment (July 3rd), I was told that at my next appointment (Aug 7th) I'd be given the okay to start physical therapy/bear weight on my ankle.  To finally have an "end date" (or start date, depending on how you look at it) in sight is such a relief. I am literally counting down the days till this is all over (it's 27, btw).

What are you currently up to?

A little late, but I'm linking up with...

Mixtape Vol. 3 - Just Cuz, Just for Scuzz

{source}

It's been a hot minute since I put together a new mixed tape, and I've had some quite a bit of free time lately, so I thought, what the hey!

I'm not exactly sure what happened to Playlist.com, but for some reason, it no longer lets you embed playlists. Apparently, the only way you can share 'em now is via Facebook? Something I (unfortunately) didn't discover until after I spent more time than I'd like to admit putting this little gem together. Sigh. Not cool, Playlist, not cool.

So yeah, if you wanna hear the latest mix I made, you'll have to go here (if you don't have an account/want to sign up, you'll have to log in through Facebook). And if anyone knows of a site where I can embed to Blogger? Please, do tell!

I didn't really have a theme in mind with this one. It's basically just a bunch of shiz I'm listening to right now. A good mix of both old and new. 

If you dig it, you can check out my other mixed tapes here: vol. 1 & vol. 2.

Enjoy!

Footnote: If you know what movie "just cuz, just for scuzz" is from, then there's a good chance we'd be pals in real life. ;)

Friday Favorites {7.6.12}

Is it really already Friday? With the 4th of July jammed right in the middle of the week, and Dan having Tues, Wed and part of yesterday off work, it doesn't feel like a Friday. Not that I'm complaining or anything, cuz that'd just be rude. Lol. But yeah, it definitely doesn't seem like it's time for the weekend. Since it is, though, I'm pretty excited cuz that means we can get out and do stuff!

I have to admit, this whole not being able to drive thing is really starting to get to me. The kids and I have all got a bad case of cabin fever. Which is rather unfortunate, because since Dan works all week (well, usually), by the time the weekend rolls around, he just wants to relax. I can't say I blame him, but that doesn't stop me from having a laundry list of places I want him to take us the minute he walks through the door on Friday. This doesn't annoy him at all or anything (enter sarcasm here). At this point, I'm sure he's just as ready for me to be walking again as I am.

Thankfully, I did get a boot on Tuesday. No, I'm not allowed to bear weight on it, BUT, I am one step closer to being through with all of this. The doc's instructed me to remain non-weight bearing for a month, but after that? I'll begin physical therapy, and then hopefully walking again. So, right now we're just playing the waiting game. Not my favorite thing to do, considering I'm probably the most impatient person ever.

Anyway, this weekend will be spent running errands, mostly. After swimming in our friend's pool the other day, Nico's been begging me for one of our own, so I think we'll have to make a trip to Target for that (darn!). Plus, as I mentioned here, the majority of our food spoiled during the power outage last weekend, so we'll need to go grocery shopping. This typically requires a trip to Costco, the Commissary and/or Trader Joe's. Fun times, I tell ya. Other than that, I'm hoping we can do something indoors, since it's so flippin' hot out. I know Dan wants to go to The Smithsonian, so maybe that? Or, perhaps, we'll visit the distillery & gristmill down the road? Though I'm not sure that's completely indoors. I guess we'll see. Definitely wanna do something fun, though. I hate to waste the weekend just on errands, you know?

Have a great weekend, everyone!

P.S. I'll have a rad giveaway up next week, so be on the lookout for that!

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1. Just one of the many gorgeous images from Ruche's new baby collection, Itsy Bitsy. I want it all!

2. Totes wanna do this on a wall in Lola's room! So fun!

3. Love this idea for asking your kid the same three questions every few months to see how their answers change!

4. Pretty sure I need these Toms, like yesterday.

5. Ordered this cute camera strap the other day. I especially love the lens cap pocket!

6. Jordan's put together a great list of housewarming gifts.

7. A site where you enter your zip code and it tells you what you should be planting? Amazing.

8. How pretty are these necklaces? Obsessed.

9. I'll definitely be doing this little trick next time I paint my toes. So clever!

10. A helpful list of blog layout tips.

Our 4th of July

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July yesterday! I know we sure did. We were home by 10pm, but for some reason, I'm still feeling exhausted. An indication of a good time, right?

With the weather so hot (and humid) out, we stayed inside for most of the early part of the day. Then after nap time, we put together the water table we picked up last week, and let the kids go to town. I attempted to get some pictures of the 'em, but besides these couple of Nico, it was pretty much a bust (homegirl just wasn't having it).

At around 6pm, we headed to a friend's to celebrate. We ate, drank and ate some more. The kids swam, played, and had an all around good time. To keep it safe, they had glow sticks and other various glowing objects instead of fireworks, which I thought was a great idea. Then we watched the base's firework show from their front porch. A perfect end to a pretty fantastic day.

A Weight-Loss Update

I've been meaning to do an update on my dieting progress for awhile now, but things kept coming up, so here we are. As I mentioned way back when (here and here), one of the pre-reqs before they'll sign off on the weight loss surgery I'm attempting to have (new readers can read about here) is to lose 10 pounds. I'm not sure why they want us to do this exactly, but I'm guessing it's probably to prove we're serious about it, and to get us on the path of eating right, since it'll be necessary to do so afterwards.

Anyway, as many of you know, I had been struggling with this quite a bit (even after joining a gym). This became even more frustrating when I broke my ankle, as I didn't know how they would weigh me with a cast, or even if they would weigh me. Welp, it turns out they could and did, and I had my final weigh-in last Tuesday. Drumroll...I am happy to report that I did it! Even with mah cast on! Truth be told, I actually lost 9 pounds, but the dietician said the cast weighed at least a pound, so I passed! I'll still need to do another weigh-in next time (at the beginning of Aug), with my cast off, but I've been ok-ed to schedule surgery!

At this point, I'm just playing the waiting game. Last Thursday, I met with the "gatekeeper", so to speak, to basically go over all my paperwork and make sure I had everything completed. While there, they scheduled my appointment with the surgeon (it's on the 20th, I believe), where I'll go in to get my surgery date. Yes, the surgery date. As of now, it looks like the earliest they're scheduling appointments is September. I know this seems far out, but since it's going to be another month before I can start physical therapy and bear weight on my ankle, this timeframe actually works out pretty darn well. It'll hopefully give me time to be walking again, which is great because I really don't think I'd be comfortable having another surgery (especially a stomach surgery) before I can do so.

So, yeah, if you've been wondering what's been going on with all of this, now you know! I'm still using My Fitness Pal to track what I eat, but being that I can't walk or drive, I've had to put my gym membership on hold. Believe me when I say, though, that I'm still getting a work-out. Crutching around isn't a joke. I've discovered muscles I never knew existed. In fact, my arms and thighs are actually starting to look pretty buff, lol.

I have to admit, getting to this place has been quite the journey. But now that I've got this first hurdle behind me? I'm excited for what's next. Currently, I'm just taking it day by day. I've been told I'll lose between 5-10 additional pounds during my 2-wk liquid diet prior to surgery, which would be nice. For now, though, I'm just focused on keeping the weight I've already lost off until my next appointment with the dietician. If I can do that, I'll be happy. Then, once this is behind me, I'll go from there.

Here's a little something I try to remind myself when I'm feeling impatient/frustrated with this whole process (because I'd be lying if I didn't admit it happens):

{source}

An Unexpected Storm

Photos snapped from the car (w/ my phone) the morning after the storm

So, if you've been watching the news recently, then you probably heard about the storm that hit the Northern VA area this past weekend. You know, the one that left more than 2 million people without electricity during the middle of an extreme heat wave? Yep, that's the one.

For those of you who don't know, we're currently stationed in this area, and, like many others, were without power for the last couple days. Thankfully, this was the worst of it for us. After witnessing the storm (from inside of course) and seeing the aftermath, we feel extremely lucky that this was the only way in which we were affected.

Our power went out Friday night around 10:45pm, and we woke up Saturday morning to find out it was still out. We thought, well, this sucks but we'll just get breakfast and run our errands, and it should hopefully be on when we get back. We hopped in the car and drove the 5 or so miles down the street to IHOP to find it, too, was without power. Whaa?? We soon realized many people had the same idea as us, only there wasn't anywhere to go...because nothing was open. It was then that we decided to drive to a different area of town (about 15 minutes or so in the opposite direction), where we were lucky enough to find an open Starbucks and movie theater. We planned on taking the kids to see Brave anyway, so why not? Our electricity should most def be back on once we get out...or so we thought. When we got out of the movie, I quickly skimmed through the military base's Facebook pages to see if there was any news, which is when I discovered that not only was the power not on, but it was reported to be out for at least another 24-48 hours. Sigh.

At this point, we decided to go ahead and book a hotel because I just don't do heat well. The hubs even said something along the lines of, "The kids and I could be okay staying at home, but I don't wanna have to listen to you bitch about how hot it is all night!" Yep, sounds about right, lol. So yeah, we ended up staying at a hotel both Saturday and Sunday night. We did some shopping, went swimming at the hotel's indoor pool (well, Dan + the kids did), and ate a bunch of naughty food. All in all, it wasn't too bad of a time. Especially since we found out we have renter's insurance we didn't know about (it's apparently rolled into our rent) that's going to reimburse us for all of our out-of-pocket expenses. This includes our hotel stay, eating out and, most importantly, the cost of our spoiled food. Thank goodness, cuz we were pretty bummed to find out that all the refrigerated food we just purchased at Costco on Friday went bad. This definitely made the whole weekend much better. Well, this, and finding out late Sunday afternoon that our power was back on. But since it was already paid for, we went ahead and stayed the night at the hotel anyway. Then Dan brought us home early this morning before driving in to work.

So yeah, we're back home now and I'm feeling oh so grateful for the way things worked out for us. Especially because I know a lot of people haven't been as lucky (I think somewhere around 500k are still without power). The electric companies seem to be working hard to do everything they can, though, so hopefully everyone gets their power back soon. Fingers crossed!