Read to me

One of my favorite things to do with little babe is to read with him. It gives me so much joy seeing him look at the pictures and now he even recognizes pictures and points to them. He will say dog and show me the dog. It's crazy how quickly it happens.
When we brought him home from the hospital he had a full library waiting for him. I love books (not a huge adult book reader but I could find hundreds of kids books I love) so every time I saw one that looked good when I was pregnant I had to get it. He also has a lot of family members who know how important reading is. Especially Grannys and Grammys. So needless to say he had his choice.
He and I have really got into a reading routine. He grabs a book he wants to read and he will bring it over to me and then I will grab him give him a big kiss and we start reading. He likes to sit right next to me or on my lap. It just depends. I love this time we have together. He is such a busy guy that when he does want to read (and be still and snuggling) I gladly read! He has his favorites as I am sure most little ones do but I actually really like his favorites too. It may be because they were the ones I read him the most when he was just a little babe. I am not sure.
It doesn't matter to me I just like to spend the time with him. Sometimes like in the picture above you need an extra friend to read to. That is Eiddith she likes to listen. We read to the dogs too!
When I do Sulliven's list of favorite things I will include his reading list.
Have a great night and don't forget to read a bedtime story to your little one or your dog or just to yourself.

-until our next adventure
cassandsully

Snow day

Well today we did not do much of anything! We stayed in our pjs and took a nap around lunch time. The snow was coming down today until about then. Not much to do. We played and read books and hung out. It was nice to all be together.
We had chipotle for dinner which is Dane and little babes favorite. Then played some more. We really got nothing accomplished today and I am ok with that.


-until our next adventure
cassandsully

The Ned and Ted relocation project

Today Ned and Ted moved into a new home. It's been about a two day moving process. Lots of nail biting and water testing.
I have had Ned and Ted since before I even knew Dane. That is why this relocation project is so scary for me. I love them and I am hopeful that they will like the new home. The old home had become infested with snails and algae.



It was horrible. I could hardly tell where they were. Not a good fishie home at all. Thus started the relocation.
Lots of testing and water regulation had to be done for a smooth move.


As well as moving slowly into the new water. They had to hang out for 15 minutes in a bag in the new water to make sure not to shock them with temperature changes.


Then adding a little water to the bag every 5 minutes or so. I have been very careful to do everything I can to make it a safe move.
Now comes the hard part... the waiting. It's always very hard to do a fishie transfer. It's very stressful on them (and me) they have to be taken from one place by net to a bag then a net again then into unfamiliar territory. Very nerve wracking. They seem to be happy though. This is them in the new place. They are very close. They never leave each others side. They have been together now for more than 6 1/2 to 7 years. They have seen lots of fish come and go and have made it through so much like a power outage and a move (our new house move). They are a huge part of me. I know crazy right, but they are. I love all my babies!


Anyway ...New rocks, new water and new things to swim around. I just hope that they like it and all goes well tonight. I pray Ned and Ted made a healthy relocation. Please be thinking of us and send some good vibes to Ned and Ted.

-until our next adventure
cassandsully

Blizzard, full tummys and happy hearts

This is a scene from today. The blizzard is over and the sun is out. We are staying warm inside together.
It is still so nice to have a snow day as an adult! I have had lots of quality time with my little babe and have been cooking a lot. I decided that today I would share our recipe for dinner.


Tonight I made crock pot chicken. So yummy and tender. I decided to put it on baked potatoes and then topped them with a little shredded cheese.



So simple to make here is the recipe
-two chicken breasts
-1 can of rotel
-1 can of black beans
- a little salsa of your choice

That is it! Put it in the crock pot together for 5 hours on low. When done you can eat it like that or put it on baked potatoes like we did. It would make a great filling for burritos or enchiladas as well.
Even though its cold outside our tummys are full and......the doctor called today and said the ol' ticker is healthy!!! He said I have a small abnormality but that lots of people have it and it is nothing to worry about. Now our tummys and our hearts are full!


-until our next adventure
cassandsully

The old ticker

So about two weeks ago my doc suggested that I needed a stress test. I had had a little scare about two months ago. So he scheduled it and I went. Reluctantly I went. I am not a big work out fan and the idea of running on a treadmill for any amount of time is not my idea of a good time. However I love my boys and I know I needed to do it.
Well I went and two days later my doc called me back...I thought he would tell me I was fine and I just needed to work out a little more. That's not what he said! He told me that it was abnormal and that I needed another test an echocardiogram.
So this Tuesday I went to the heart center and put on a gown got hooked up to a million wires and oh by the way with no sports bra because It would get in the way.
There I was full gown slit down the front and wires everywhere. The guy who was doing the echo came in and I laid down on the table (you have to lay on your side facing them and its kinda like a sono when your pregnant) he did the first part and then I was off to the treadmill.
Not before i made a dumb comment though. I told the guy...take your time ...I ment because I did not want to get on the treadmill... But I am afraid he thought I was getting fresh with him. Ughhhh! I felt like such a ding dong. I even said that I ment because I hated working out. Ugggh! Moving on.
After 11 grueling minutes I did the second echo portion. They rush you off the treadmill and onto the table where its boob out goop on. Yuck. That's the beauty of being a woman. It's just not convenient to an echo. Boobs tend to get in the way a bit.
Then I was done. Sent off to wait god knows how long to get results back. I will keep you posted but I am confident it's nothing a little Sulliven time can't help.


I love this boy!

-until our next adventure
cassandsully

Weekend fun

Today as many of our days go (if not working) we can never figure out what were going to do or eat or anything that has to do with making a decision. We are pros at "what do you want?" "I don't know what do you want." "I don't know, you decide!" This goes on for more than a few rounds. Today however little babe and I decided on something fun to do. A new adventure! We decided to tackle the park by our house.
It turned out to be a wonderful decision. We made new friends ...dog and human. A lovely little girl and her papa and her pup max. Max came running up to us and Sulliven seemed more interested in him for awhile than park activities.
We went on the swings and played in the tire pieces (the play area is covered in recycled tire bits that act as mulch under the toys). Such a great way to use old tires. Very squishy and fun to walk on. Equally fun to sift through and play with. I recommend every play area gets this. So cool!



Then we decided to go down the slides. Oh man was that a great idea. Sulliven loved it! I asked him if he wanted to go again and he grabbed on to me and smiled a huge smile. He really liked it. If memory serves me right this was his first official park/slide adventure. First of many. We had tons of fun and when it gets warmer we will for sure be doing a lot of park adventures!


-until our next adventure
cassandsully

V-day

Happy V Day all from our family to yours!


No Dating! That is for a much later adventure.

-until our next adventure
cassandsully

Big boy bed

If any of you know me you know that Sulliven sleeps with us. Thats how we like it.
Lately he has been very restless at night though. So I got to thinking maybe he just needs a little of his own space. I made my husband move his baby bed into our room and convert it to a toddler bed of sorts. We cramed it up against our bed and are praying for the best! I love him sleeping with us it makes me feel good knowing he's close. Maybe this way he will have a little space if he wants it.



We tried nap in it and it went good. So I am hopeful we are on our way to more sleep soon. I will for sure keep you all posted! Wish us luck and sweet dreams to all.


-until our next adventure
cassandsully

Monday Funday

The wind blew us to Kansas City today for an adventure. The weather here has been so crazy. That's definitely Kansas for you though. Yesterday was so windy I did not even want to go outside. Today on the other hand ...beautiful.
Sort of over the river and through the woods we found ourselves going to visit Granny. We had such a nice visit.
We did some shopping and some eating. Oh the eating!



We ate at Kona the best place hands down to get sushi. (I had not had sushi for about 2 years because of pregnancy and what not) the last time we went to Kona I was very pregnant and as a matter of fact gave birth the next night.
(I did not have sushi that trip) it was also one for the books because little babe had sushi for the first time. He loved it! A very proud moment for a sushi loving mom and dad.


Monday funday also had new shoes in store for all of us today. Sulliven got two pairs! Thanks Granny. Little babe also got some great socks or yocks as he calls them and a fun book with Dino tails not actual stories but actual tails. Shiny ones, soft ones and all kinds of tails. He likes books of any kind but especially books with actions.
We had a ton of fun and I finally made it back to an H&M! The first trip to one was the Paris H&M. Love the deals hate the loud music. Haha I guess I am just getting old.
So in the words of Ice Cube (because i feel it only fitting) .....Today was a good day.


-until our next adventure
cassandsully

The show must go on

Life and adventures of a Midwest mama entail many things. What you may ask well first and foremost I am a mama and a wife (those two are obviously my favorite) then I am also a cosmetologist, artist and a Stella and dot stylist.
Tomorrow one of my adventures will be hosting a trunk show as a stylist. I have had an amazing time being a stylist for Stella and Dot! I have been doing it now for almost two years. I love to help people find that one great piece of jewelry.


I also like helping people find the right outfit to pair with each look. I have done a few house calls to pair just the right thing with an outfit. One example is I have a client who was going on a cruise and wanted to make sure each outfit had something Stella and Dot paired with it. So I ran over with my bag of jewels and helped her pick things for each outfit. It is for sure a fun adventure.
So tonight that is what's on the brain. My adventure tomorrow in Stella and Dot land! I have a link on Facebook to the show or you can check it out via my web site. www.stelladot.com/cassandracohen The show must go on and so shall bath time. Sulliven and I are off to go do bath time.
As always if you have questions feel free to ask.
Sulliven's favorite products will be coming up soon. He is still trying to narrow down his favorites. He of course will not be talking beauty products. Instead he will have picked toys, clothes and maybe a few other little goodies that are great for little guys or gals.



-until our next adventure
cassandsully

What's in your bag?

Lately I have had a lot of my clients asking me what my favorite products are right now...so here are a few of my favorite things. I will talk about them from left to right.
First my two favorite choices for hair oil would be Marrakech oil by Earthly Body. It smells very natural and is made with hemp-seed oil its great for straightening hair. It also cuts blow drying time way down. I also like the Moroccan argan oil by Organix. This can be found at CVS. It also has a very nice smell. I am really big on a products smell. If it smells to girly I can't do it! It's great for a heat protectant but allows for you to style your hair curly too.
Next I am just trying out dry shampoos and I found that I like Clean Freak by Not Your Mothers. It has a cool feel when it goes on that is very refreshing. So far I am pleased with it. However the only downside is it does kinda smell like a deodorant. Its not bad though.


Moving along for the days of curly hair I like Redken ringlet 07. It smells pleasant and actually makes my supper straight hair have a little wave to it! So I am sure for all you curly hair ladies this would be great! With the curl/beach waves in mind I am really loving Not Your Mothers beach babe and Healthy Sexy Hairs soy beach spray. Beach Babe smells kinda like a vacation with a hint of coconut. It works well and definitely has a little salt in it that helps with texture. I got a strand of hair in my mouth and thought I drank ocean water! The healthy Sexy spray is leaning towards my favorite. It smells more like what I like. Earthy and kind of boyish. It has argan oil in it so it smells similar to the Marrakech oil. It works very similar to Beach Babe. I like both of them quite well. Next for lashes I LOVE the new falsies volume express by Mabeline. It really works! I think I finally found my true favorite mascara.
Back to the lefthand products... I have very dry cracked lips and can never find anything that works to help my pore lips. However Vaseline has a lip therapy you can get that is great. I use it everyday. When I use it regularly it helps drastically with my lips. So it is one product I never leave home without. Next my Germ X single use soft wipes. Great for cleaning the cart at Target or the grocery store. You have to keep those flu germs away. I got those in a huge quantity at SAMs.
The next product I like right now is Nivea cream an old favorite it is really thick and creamy. It has paraffin in it which also helps with exceptionally dry skin. Also pictured is the Essie sleek stick gel polish. Previously blogged about. So that is what's in my bag or rather cabinet.
Now that I am really winded and I am sure your head is spinning. It's your time to digest everything. I would love to here what your favorite products are. Feel free to let me know and leave some comments!


Sulliven wanted me to add that his favorite products may show up on our next blog! So stay tuned for some great products for the little ones in your life.

-until our next adventure
cassandsully

The vote

Please vote for us over at Apartment Therapy for one of the best new blogs! Family and children category. It's called the homie awards and Sulliven and I would love for you to give us a vote. It's very simple and takes only seconds. Thank you for your vote. We are listed as life and adventures of a Midwest mama http://www.cassandsully.blogspot.com

www.apartmenttherapy.com


-until our next adventure
cassandsully

...in my white T and dinosaurs

When I was like say 7 my family went to Washington DC. Who knew years down the line I would be planing my outfit of the day around it. Vintage T's are all the rage now and I am a firm believer in saving a few key pieces from every season or year. So glad I was savvy enough to save this gem of of T!


Other key components to this outfit include skinnys and sweater from Target and boots by Frye I love Target most of my outfits include at least something from that wonderland of a store.



This is little mans OOTD. Gap grandpa sweater paired with more Target finds. Oshkosh skinnys and his take on vintage T. We are loving our Paul Frank shoes as well. They are so easy to get on and off. Which is very important when having a busy toddler. You may all have seen my posts about Shwings ...the wings on his shoes are Shwings. I LOVE them soo much so I got myself some.

So to recap a good staple to have is for sure a vintage T and Shwings. Have some fun with it and dig out your own gem of a T. It may be as close as a storage box.

-until our next adventure
cassandsully

Game what game?

Today we all were preparing for this football game I keep hearing about. Really to me it means food and moderately funny commercials. My men folk don't get into football as much as some do. Sulliven thinks we just came over to grandmas to play and eat. Well didn't we? I would say yes.

Besides two of the men playing football today being from my own graduating college (insert the Bods or Washburn University) not a lot of excitement comes from this game.

Our Target run was quite the highlight. Considering our home had been plagued by the flu and our outings had been cut short of fun. Today was the first time we had really felt 100%. So outside we went and to target we drove.
Game what game?

Hunter and don't cheetah on me

All business today! Hunter is one of our 3 dogs. He's a rescue dog that I have had now for 6 years. He has quite possibly been one of the best dogs I have ever had. He loves swimming and obviously shopping at Target where his cool shades are from. He shares my snarky sense of humor and Hunter was one of Sullivens first words. In the morning the first thing he says when he wakes up is Hunter. So when I asked Sulliven today what we should blog about the first thing he said was Hunter.

In other news the new Essie polish gel stickers are my new favorite quick nail application. They are called sleek stick and go on very simply. So nice for a special lunch date or a night on the town. My favorite one right now is don't cheetah on me.


They work relatively easy and have lasted me now for about 4 days. Check them out!

First of many

Today it was decided that I start a blog! I am just an average Midwest mom who is a sucker for fashion find, an adventure with my little guy, and so much more. In my blogs you will find life activities of a Midwest mama and outfit selections. I am also a stylist for Stella and Dot so you will find lots of jewel pairings to go with any adventure. My son is my light and the force that drives me. He makes everyday an adventure. This blog is very much driven by my love for him. I want him to know all you have to do is start something...it may be small but one day it will grow to be something bigger than you could have ever dreamt of.