Down Here it is Hot Hot Hot

I blinked and now Violet is 20 months old. Things have never been better around the house. V was not an easy baby so now that she can do some things on her own there seems to be more of a calm around the house. On the weekends we spend a lot of time in the water. We have been in the pool more times than I can count and we have been to the beach and boating on multiple occasions. Violet has started up her swim lessons again through Infant Swimming Resource. She is doing so well! Learning to swim to the wall to get herself out all on her own in case she ever fell in the pool. She does not even cry during lessons anymore although there is many "out" and "wall" being said so she can go to the wall and get out. ISR has taught over a hundred thousand swimmers and there have been no documented drownings from a student who graduated from their swim lessons. This is the number one reason I suggest them to anyone I know with a baby or toddler. Life saving skills are so important...especially here in Florida where there is water everywhere. I am an ISR swimming graduate from when I was a toddler and I feel right at home in the water. Even though Violet does not look forward to lessons each day I sure do. She also looks super cute in her little swimsuits.



Mommy blogging in the giveaway/freebie/coupon world has been going really well the last few months. Multiple $100 value wins and even a few gift certificates. I even got a shutterfly order of $116 for a penny, because apparently they tax you on $0. I had collected multiple freebie coupons, including a few giveaway win coupons and bravo, 5 packages of picture awesomeness. I even got Violet's 2nd Birthday invitations done because they were free....doesn't matter that they are done over 4 months early as long as it saves me some money. I just won a giveaway of a $60 giveaway to CSN stores and I am going to use it towards a super cute play kitchen for Violet for Christmas. I also won her a video game bike and she will be getting that for Christmas too. Combined with over 2 huge buckets worth of free stuff, including books, clothes, hats, toy blocks and more, that I have won her for when she gets a little older. Even my husband has been getting to reap my rewards since I won him a History Channel duffel bag full of history channel swag. He graduated from college with a degree and History and he just loves the History Channel. Which on a side note is the only channel that is not working on our TV right now.

Matt and I are currently trying to finish our planning for our big trip to Oktoberfest in September. Seriously how cool is it that we will be at the 200th anniversary of one of the most famous festivals in the world. We are planning on visiting another country besides Germany we just have to decide which one. The only thing booked is the hotel in Munich since you have to book practically a year in advance.

Looks like next year we will be doing a family vacation to Stone Mountain. It was always one of my favorite places to go as a kid and it is a fairly easy and cheap vacation. We try and do some planning in advance but next summer seams so far away.


My child fears no wave. Even after a huge wave knocked her over she just jumped up for more. She especially enjoyed jumping into the waves when they came up on the beach.

For her second birthday her Daddy and I will be taking her to her very first concert, Yo Gabba Gabba! She really loves it since there is a lot of singing and dancing. Daddy even splurged and we will be going VIP style so we get to meet the characters. It's Dancey Dance Time!