Friday Faves!

1. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!!!! I could definitely do without the "made for TV" wack-jobs they have to throw in there, but I LOVE watching the good dancers. AMAZING. Really makes me miss dancing...

2. Opening Carson a 529 College Savings Plan! Even just starting at a low $50/month investment will add up over 18 years! For all you Finance majors out there, here's a quick little time value of money illustration for you... N = 216 (18 years x 12 months), I = 8%/12 (just assuming an average 8% return), PV = $650 (gifts Carson has already received), PMT = $50 (current monthly investment), Solve for FV = $26,735. So, assuming he receives no other gifts, and we don't up the monthly investment, in 18 years we should have ~$26,735. Let's just hope the economy doesn't tank again...

3. A new baby GIRL in the family! Congrats to Blake and Garrett on their precious little angel, Charlotte James. We can't wait to meet you!!!


4. Not losing it while trying to plan Andrew's big 30th birthday party. (I am NOT a planner.)

5. Carson saying "Mom Mom" again... he kind of stopped for a while, but it's back. LOVE. IT.

6. Iron-on t-shirt transfers! It was SO easy to make this cute little shirt for Carson to wear on Andrew's birthday. I haven't washed it yet, so I can't speak for the quality yet. We'll see!


7. Realizing that our Internet was NOT broken. It wasn't working because I had forgot to plug the power back into the modem when I reset it. Duh.

8. The smell of bleach. Is that weird? I love walking past the washing machine when I'm washing the white towels and socks in hot water with bleach. I hate the smell in cleaning products, but in the washing machine it is fabulous! Pretty much any "clean" smell is refreshing to me. We have two dogs. 'Nuff said. Oh, and I love "carpet sprinkles"!!!

9. Checking more things off the home to do list - Painted another dresser, rehung some metal art I repainted, planted some flower in the front and actually got the mulch in there too, and some other little stuff.

10. Resisting temptation - I like to just put cute things from Zulily or Totsy in my "shopping cart", but then just never check-out (well, sometimes). I'm trying to reduce clutter and really ask myself if it's something we really need. I'm good about doing it for myself, but for little C, it's another story!

11. Watching Carson explore (often into things he shouldn't)!

12. Lots of loving and snuggles that come after he explores where he shouldn't (i.e. getting fingers smashed in the Tupperware drawer).