Green Spaces, Growing Minds: The Power of Outdoor Play

Introduction: The Necessity of Green Spaces in a Digital Age

With urban sprawls and screens vying for our attention, nature's lush expanses offer a refreshing respite and an educative platform. Stepping into the green is not just a break from monotony but an entry into a holistic classroom that teaches, inspires, and rejuvenates.

How Farmers Know When Corn Is Ready to Harvest

Corn, a staple crop in the United States, is harvested when it reaches its optimal maturity. The process of determining when corn is ready for harvest involves a combination of visual checks, touch, and an understanding of the specific corn variety's growth cycle.

How Farmers Know When Corn Is Ready to Harvest

The Most Creative Ways To Document Your Child's Growth

Being a parent is very strange. You’re always full of mixed emotions, as so many situations demand different responses. For example, one of the joys of being a parent is watching your child grow up. You see them go from a tiny newborn into a toddler, then into a full-on child with a schoolbag on their back! Equally, this is also the worst thing about being a parent. You don’t want your child to grow up as you wish they could stay small and be your baby forever. You see, contrasting emotions! 




Realistically, you have to accept that your child will grow up, and you should embrace this. Tracking the growth of your child is a brilliant way to do just that. So, here are some creative ways you can document your child’s growth: 

Happy 10 Months, Peanut!

Time seriously can not be going by this fast. You can not almost be a year old.


The likeliness of getting you to take your monthly picture while smiling, laying flat, and not trying to crawl away are slim to none. You are into EVERYTHING these days. I can't keep my eyes off you for one minute. You are a lot braver than your sissy was at this age, which I read is normal for boys. I see a broken something in our future....

22 months old...and 2 days

A little late on this entry. And no it didn't slip my mind, I had no time on Tuesday. :/

But as of Tuesday, October 9, my daughter turned 22 months old. I can't believe how fast time has flown by. Not including going through her clothes to officially move her up two sizes, she is growing in more ways than one. She can recognize about half the alphabet including say their sounds. She knows almost all of her body parts. She is stubborn and bullheaded and independent and snugly and sweet. She is this awesome little toddler package all rolled up into one.

She runs and dances and doesn't have a picky bone in her body.

*****EDIT:*****

When I originally started this post, it was Thursday. :/ Knowing this fact just makes me feel more terrible.

I know every parent says this, but my child is seriously amazing. She is this little sweet ball of energy. She plays and laughs all the time. She helps me with the laundry and the dishes. She gets to be more of a handful but more fun everyday.

Taken 10/12. Being silly with Mommy's new iPad.


This picture was taken Saturday at the Perry Fair. 10/13. She was feeding a goat.


The main reason for this continually late post? I was having too much fun with my daughter. She will only be this age once and although I want to write down the memories, the blog can fall by the wayside as long as we are having fun.


Hello, My Name is Diana and I'm a Baby Clothes Hoarder

Okay not literally, but let me show you what I mean. I would never have been able to afford all the clothes that come with having a little one if it wasn't for all the hand-me-downs others have given to me. My mother-in-law is a huge help and so is my mom. But there are still things that we just needed and I would feel bad for asking, couldn't wait until Birthday/Christmas, but really didn't have the extra money at the time to buy.

At the beginning of the summer, my in-laws took us to Stride Rite and paid half for my daughter two pairs of new shoes. They were having a BOGO sale so we got an awesome deal and they are quality shoes but with that they were still pricey so them chipping in really helped. We were hoping they would last until we at least went on our vacation. But they didn't make it. A week before we left, we needed new shoes for her. She went through a crazy growth spurt and we were scrambling trying to figure out how we would pay for them. My Hubby's bonus hadn't come in yet and we were thinking we were just going to have to bite the bullet and charge them.



I was randomly going through a box of clothes my sister gave me. And when I say random, I really thought there was no reason to be going through that box. In the bottom were size 6, girl, tennis shoes. Exactly what she needed. I almost cried.

Yesterday, going through the massive amount of hand-me-downs my former boss gave us, I was searching and hoping I would find some 24 month winter items. I had gone through the only 18-24 month bag of clothing in there previously. I only saw 18 month but thought she would be in that size anyway. She had been on the same growth curve since she was born, so why would that change. But that crazy growth spurt completely skipped her into a size up. And struggling to go through the closet, just searching and complaining to myself that I wasn't better organized, I found a whole other bag FILLED with 24 month clothing. Some isn't proper season but there was enough to last until her Birthday and Christmas.



With so many wonderful people in my life, who generously gave us hand-me-downs, we don't have to break the bank buying clothes for Sweet Pea. I feel so blessed.

My friend also gives her clothes too. She gets her nieces hand-me-downs and anything that she has two of (they wore the same size at the same time), she gives to us. So Sweet Pea and her best friend get to match. :)

So I guess I am using this post to say, thank you. Without you all we would go broke. I am not against shopping consignment shops or yard sales or using ThredUp, but I didn't have to. And I feel truly blessed.

Now, to just go through these clothes and reminisce without crying...

Side Note: These pictures were taken before our yard sale. Instead of the huge amount of clothes spread out over our spare bedroom, they are now shoved into closets.