Amy Butler Rugs

I have to have one!

Virtual Shopping

I've been shopping, well wishful shopping.

Dressy by j.moments featuring Lilly Pulitzer

There is a new dog in town

No not really, but Tucker thinks so. Baby C has an activity blanket with a mirror and at some point Tucker saw himself in it and ever since, he thinks there is another dog in the house....that looks exactly like him. Ah, Tucker makes me laugh. He's not the smartest dog in the world, but he's really cute. He's been worried about the other dog for days and keeps a close eye on him.

Baby C is 6 Months

It's hard to believe, 6 months has already passed! They went by so fast like everyone told us they would. He is starting to sit up and getting his legs in position to start crawling! Crazy, right?


This weekend we dedicated Baby C to the Lord in our church's baby dedication. It was such a special day and one that I've been looking forward to for a long time.



We've also been spending a lot of our summer at the pool. I grew up at my parents country club pool, so it's only natural to show Baby C my love for the pool. He's taken to it very naturally as you can see!

Making Baby Food

Baby C has officially started to eat solids! Fortunately for us, he loves them. So far we've had rice cereal, apples, pears but his favorite is homegrown zucchini from my parents house (Pops & Cranberry). I bought the book from Williams-Sonoma that many of my friends recommended, Cooking for Baby. Right now I'm making some apple sauce for Baby C. I love making it and already had all the equipment I needed. All you need is a big pot, steamer basket and a Cuisinart. You could buy the Beaba Babycook but living in Chicago, I really don't have space for one more contraption, and why buy it when I have a really nice Cuisinart that does the same thing? I feel so wholesome making our own baby food, but I've also been buying Earths Best jarred food too for convenience and when looking at the ingredients, they aren't bad. It's just organic carrots and water for example. I think the real advantage to making your own is the money you save. Each jar is .70 where as I'm making 4 cups of Apple Sauce out of $6 worth of apples. I'll let you know how well they go over...

Color of Change

Two weeks ago outside Philadelphia, sixty-five children from a summer camp tried to go swimming at a club their camp had a contract to use. Evidently, the club didn't know the kids were largely Black.

When the campers entered the pool, White parents took their kids out of the water, and the swimming club's staff asked the campers to leave. The next day, the club told the summer camp that their membership would be canceled and that they would refund their money. When asked why, the club's leader said the "kids would change the complexion ... and the atmosphere of the club."

A "Whites only" pool in 2009 should not be tolerated. The club's actions appear to be a violation of section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act. Whether or not any laws were violated, a "Whites only" pool should be something every American condemns.

I've just joined ColorOfChange.org in doing exactly that -- will you join me, and email your friends and family asking them to do the same? We're also calling on the Department of Justice to evaluate suing the facility under federal law. It takes just a moment to do both, here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=2102-907887

Obama is President but that doesn't mean that suddenly all is fine when it comes to race in America. This is a vivid reminder of what we know still lies beneath the surface.

We all know stories like this one -- similar incidents play out quietly every day in different communities across the country. The difference in this case is that folks got caught and there was a contract in place that makes for a potentially illegal act.

Standing up now isn't just about making things right for these kids in Philadelphia or bringing consequences to this swim club (called the Valley Swim Club). It's about creating a climate of accountability everywhere. If we can publicly shame the Valley Swim Club and hold them accountable for this incident, it will make others think twice before engaging in this kind of discrimination.

Please join me in condemning the Valley Swim Club's blatant discrimination and calling on the Justice Department to investigate whether they violated civil rights laws. And please ask your friends and family to do the same.

http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=2102-907887

Thanks.

Here are some links to more info:

"Pool Boots Kids Who Might 'Change the Complexion,'" NBC Philadelphia, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/90Zyr

"60 Black Kids Booted from Philly Pool For Being Black -- Speak Out," Jill Tubman at Jack and Jill Politics, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/GkJTs

"Valley Swim Club: Day Two," Adam B at Daily Kos, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/qbpSA

"Section 1981 Summary," Employment Law Information Network
http://www.elinfonet.com/1981sum.php

Life is good

My husband graduated from Grad school a few weeks ago but doesn't start his new job until August 3rd so we have taken 3 weeks to go out to Colorado. My parents have a house out here so we packed up the car and looked like "that" family driving from Chicago to Frisco, Colorado. We had all of Baby C's things including the stroller and pack-and-play, Tucker, a bike and our luggage. We looked ridiculous. We left at 7:30 at night so we wouldn't need to stop every 3 hours to feed and change Baby C. It was the best decision ever to leave at night and worked really well for us.

Since we've been out here my brother and sister-in-law and their 2 girls have been here. They live in Denver so it's only an hour and a half away. My parents and my other brother and their kids are coming out for the 4th so it should be a full house with lots of kids. Can't wait.

Yesterday we packed up the car again and went to Aspen. It's only 2 hours away and the drive there is gorgeous! It was such a fun day trip. I'm so glad we can take this time to relax together as a family before my husband starts his new job. Who knows when we'll ever have 3 weeks like this together again?

Etsy Site

I found this adorable Etsy site called SWAG - Southern Wares and Goods. What she posts on her Etsy site is just a sampling of what she can do. If you have an idea, I bet she would put it together for you.

How cute is this dog bowl for Tucker. She has a ton of other designs, but I love the lobster.
And isn't this sail boat adorable. She can print it on a t-shirt or onesie. It would be perfect for Baby C this summer.
I think these might be my favorite. A monogrammed onesie for Baby C. I love the white onesie with the blue and green monogram!

Rue La La

I recently learned about a website called Rue La La. It's a website that highlights high end boutiques for two days and sells things at phenomenal prices - and that's coming from a girl who shops at TJ Maxx!

So for example, last week they had Kate Spade and Vineyard Vines open at 10 a.m. I logged on at that time and found a men's button down normally $135 for $35. But the catch is that things sell out pretty quickly so you need to log on when the boutique opens. They always have different boutiques opening, so I'm waiting for Tory Burch to come!!! You can see what boutiques are coming and set reminders for yourself so you know when you want to come back and see what they have.

You have to have an invitation in order to login, so here is an invitation from me.

http://www.ruelala.com/invite/jcousino01

Happy shopping :-)

Just an update

Sorry for the lack of posts but we've been having a bit of fun around here. We went down to Cincinnati for Easter and since Baby C is nearly 3 months old, I'm really feeling good about getting out of the house and doing things with him. I've joined a Mom's group with my church and a MOPS group too. Both are wonderful and I really enjoy being around other moms. I've also scheduled lots of playdates which I've learned is so important for me. I'm such a people person that if I don't have at least one thing scheduled a day, you'll find me drooling in the corner by the end of the day due to lack of adult conversation. Ha!

I love being a mom and find that I think about Baby C day and night. The last few nights while we're sleeping I've grabbed my husband in a bear hug and started "shushing" him like I do to sooth Baby C. My husband laughs and tells me about it in the morning since I have no idea I'm doing it and must be dreaming about Baby C. I can't believe it! I told him that's why I'm so tired. I'm working all day AND night.