What Holidays are all About

This post is being brought to you by the number 2012.

Since I was a young child, we've had the best collection of holiday pictures gone awry.  Crying kids, terrible outfits (no joke, there was one year I was wearing a head to toe sweatsuit outfit with a big Garfield eating cookies, with the slogan "I love Girl Scout Cookies!" emblazoned on my chest), terrible Santas, terrible Bunny's, etc.  And I'm happy to announce that my children are keeping the tradition alive and well- only they have impeccable style.

Happy Easter 2012 to all!  

May you have good food and good memories where ever and however you may be celebrating!

What's This?- Update

This post is being brought to you by the number 349.

Thank you everyone for your votes today!  

I've gone from 407 to 349, which means that y'all are amazing!

What's This?

Today's post is being brought to you by the number 407.

There's something new here, it's a button (internet lingo for a picture that when clicked on sends you to that website) on the right hand side of the page.  In case you don't know what I'm talking about, here it is:

What's the reason I started cisforcullen?
Shortly after I had Cullen, I realized that motherhood can be lonely.  I felt that I didn't have enough connection to other mothers and motherhood in general- I wanted to hear about things first hand from other women, but I wanted those women to be real.  Reading blogs has always been my jam I find other people's lives fascinating and reading these blogs when I was a novice mother brought me comfort.  In December of 2009, I put my knowledge as a mom to key pad and wha-lah: cisforcullen.  Cisforcullen is my attempt to share my experience, connect with other women and mothers and share updates and pictures with friends and family.

What is Top Baby Blogs (TBB)?
Top Baby Blogs is a website that showcases awesome blogs that are primarily focused on motherhood, babies and families of all sort.

Why is there a button on your blog?
Recently, I decided that I wanted to be affliated with TBB.  I requested to be a member- they did not solicit me, and have my blog listed.  I wanted to be a part of this site because when I was a new mother, I really needed to have a way to help me get through this crazy journey.  Once I realized that blogs would be a great way to learn about parenting and read other mothers' stories, googled "top baby blogs," and low-and-behold I found TBB.  Since finding this site 2+ years ago, I've read through so many blogs- rejoicing when people get pregnant, laughing when I can relate to some ridiculous experience and anonymously enjoying being a guest in other peoples' lives.  So, cisforcullen just seems like a natural fit.

How does TBB work?
It simple.  All you have to do is click on the button and then click on the owl the indicates that you think this blog is awesome!

I hope that you will take the time to click the button and then vote for me and my little blog, I'm currently ranked #407.  It means a lot to me, so thank you, thank you, thank you!

Yes, It Has

This post is being brought to you by the number 365.

365 is significant because it's the number of days in a year.  (Except for this year because it's a leap year and that is just very confusing/annoying.)  This year, I've been doing some cleaning; cleaning house, cleaning up my personal life, cleaning out my closet, cleaning out my desk, etc. and it feels good.  I can breathe a little easier knowing that things in my life appear to be, and are: tidier.

One thing that I've never touched and never will touch in any cleaning frenzy that I work myself into are pictures.  It would pain me to throw away a picture- even the ones of me from middle school where I have so much blush on it looks like I have scarlet fever.  This is also probably why I have 1192 pictures on my phone, most of which are of my kids, epic-craft-fails, or of me posing in front of mirrors; and I cannot for the life of me delete a single one.

I'm totally serious; I feel guilty and have anxiety about deleting a single picture and in a nonsensical way, I fear that they will think it indicates that I don't care enough about them to keep that blurry/bad picture.  Therefore, I suffer with a phone that constantly alerts me that my memory is getting full and that I should probably give some things the heave.  It's easy for the "android man" to say that, but explain it to the little kid who was forced to stay still for 5 seconds because the camera is so. damn. slow.  The effort put into taking the photos should be considered when deleting them- or at least that's what I tell myself to justify not deleting anything.

Well, since yesterday was the first day that Instagram was available to us android-eys, I went buck wil' and was uploading pictures from my phone like crazy.  (More to come on this later.)  While doing so, I came across a picture of Arden sleeping, very clearly he was in my arms and it was dated 4/5/11.  Wouldn't you know it, today happens to be 4/5/12 (Ladies and gentlemen, that's what I like to call- blog magic.  Making something seem like it was done or discovered "organically," but really it was masterly crafted by the blog author.  Please, hold your applause.), making it a year to the day that the picture was taken.  So, I asked myself, has it really been a year?  All I can think is, yes, yes it has.

So, when Arden fell asleep on the couch this morning, because he got up at 4:15am!, I decided to take a picture of him as way of bringing things full circle, if you will.  It's sort of amazing how far we've all come in a year, but still experience little moments like this throughout the day that make us stop and think of memories from one, ten, twenty years ago...  not to mention, it also serves as an intermittent, positive reinforcer, which are the worst kind.

Look at my Baby Arden, then and now:

Advanced Style

Today's post is being brought to you by the number 90.  

If I ever have half the style and grace as Ilona Smithkin- who is actually 90 years old, I will consider myself very, very lucky.  Besides that, her message is fierce, surround yourself with positive, colorful people- preach it, Ilona, preach it!  (Also, I'm unclear as to where she actually is- it looks like a studio of some sort, but when I'm 90, I hope I have a room filled with treasures just like this one seems to be.)





Please take a moment to also look at the entire Advanced Style blog as it serves as a reminder that beauty is timeless and looking chic should always be a girls main prerogative, no matter her age.

These 5 Things

Today's post is presented by the number 5.  Here are 5 things that I totally want.  That's right, I don't need them, but I really, really want them.  

Uhm, a lamb planter is just what I need.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that I had one of these as a kid; if my mother knew that she could sell this for $28.00 on Etsy, it'd be game over for little lamby.

via: Rhett Didnt Give A Damn

Most people all people are not grasping my need to totally over due it for Arden's golden birthday- and I get that, it is an odd tradition.  For those of you who are not familiar, please, let me explain.  One's golden birthday occurs when a person turns the same age as the day of they were born.  For example, someone born 10/7/12 would have a golden birthday when they turn 7.  I have decided to make it pirate themed since all good pirates are in search of gold, alah a golden birthday in the truest sense.  This is something that I'm going to need to buy  in order to make Arden's special day extra special.

via: Target

If you don't know who Super Mario is and why this is incredibly amazeballs, it's a real shame and you probably need to educate yourself- right. now. Seriously, go do it.

via: ink affliction

Because what girls' moto isn't: I Don't Drink Cheap Wine- except for in college, when all girls drink cheap wine and mostly from a box.  (Woah, true story- just learned that it's packaged in a box to leave less of a carbon footprint.  And here, I thought it was because binge drinkers were less likely to shatter cardboard boxes than they are glass wine bottles.  Who knew?!)

via: CVS

I want an iPhone.  4, 4s, 5, it doesn't f'ing matter.  I'll take what I can get- that is, when my current phone upgrade is available.  Boo!

via: Digital Trends

**Actually, I liked this post and concept so much that I'm creating a new series of posts called "These (however many) Things," which will be filled with delightful finds from the interweb and I why I love them so much.**

Attention

In the interest of keeping things lively all up in this joint, the month of April will be brought to you by numbers, Sesame Street style.  Meaning, that the numbers may be arbitrary- but they may not and that they may have relevance to the day- but they may not.  Please stay tuned for more to come!

via: vintage me oh my