still no pictures, but looky: a list!

happy monday morning! i'm back in the office after a lovely - though short - weekend adventure with the rest of the posse.

saturday we packed up the car and headed up north for my good friend's wedding. the morning was a little insane with packing, trips to the dump, dropping cabot off at his overnight accomodations, and an intensely cranky little miss. oh yes, and the arrival of 16 baby chickens, that we are minding over the next week while our friends are on vacation. more on the chickens later.

by noon, we were on our way. we made it up to stowe (where we were staying) in a timely fashion, all things considered. we checked into our hotel (kind of a crappy place, considering how much it cost...we won't be staying there again), got dressed, and headed up to hyde park for the wedding.

which was lovely, despite the downpour in the middle of the (outdoor) ceremony. very laid back, on a really neat farm on the top of a hill. the reception (and second half of the ceremony) took place in a big barn with stained glass windows. neat, eh? the food was good, the band was great, and there was a cool windmill outside the barn that aubrey was fascinated with. we had to leave before dessert and dancing (it was late and missy needed to go to bed) but had fun, nonetheless.

the next day we had breakfast at a favorite little b&b and then spent the better part of the day exploring the stowe bike path, shopping along the way. we had fun at the farmer's market...aubrey loved the live music, and crawling around in the grass. she also discovered the joys of a bendy straw. : )

we made our way back to town and had a late lunch at the "malt shoppe" before heading back home.

so anyhoo, on to the list...

seeing as how aubrey is a year old, i thought it might be nifty (and perhaps useful) to compile a list of things/products that have been invaluable over the last twelve months. so, in no particular order, here are a few things that have made life a bit more pleasant over the last year:

seventh generation diapers and wipes - cloth diapering wasn't really an option with aubrey (although i am definitely contemplating it for # 2, now that we have a house with a washer and dryer and plenty of space) and these disposables really rock. you can purchase them on the cheap through amazon.com.

medela harmony hand pump - i LOVE this little hand pump. i kept the electric guns at work and used this one at home, and i have to say...though it was a bit slower than the electric pump, it sure was a lot more comfortable. and really easy to use. can't recommend enough.

the hooter hider - i love the whimsical prints of these simple but useful gizmos. i always kept mine in my purse for those occasions where i simply had to breastfeed aubrey RIGHT NOW no matter where we were. i have one in this print. so fun.

my fantastic baby carriers - i have already sung the praises of my ergo baby carrier, but i have to give a shout out to the baby bjorn...which was beyond helpful for the first 5 months. when aubrey wouldn't nap for me, carrying her around in the bjorn bought me some relief from her colicy crying.

zutano fleece booties - these babies were the only thing that kept socks on my little girl's feet all winter long. they are easy to put on and they stay on. plus, they are cute and warm. i think i want some adult sized ones. really.

the bundle me - can you tell that i live in a place where it gets freaky cold during the winter? this thing rocked...it kept missy warm and snuggly in her car seat, and eliminated the need for bulky snowsuits and layering when traveling to and fro.

all things haba - i think pete and i like the haba toys more than aubrey does, but seriously, what's not to like? cute, colorful, and nontoxic. we especially like these soft blocks.

wooden spoons and plastic cups - sometimes we drag out our box of tupperware and just let aubrey pull out whatever cups or containers she wants. then we give her a wooden spoon, and voila: we have a happy, entertained baby.

the skip hop diaper bag - i love skip hop. i love this bag. i love that pete isn't skiddish about carrying it around. 'nuf said.

tubby time - not really a product, but definitely deserving of a mention. aubrey has, from the very beginning, always loved bath time. it never fails in relaxing her. so we give her a bath almost every night...even if we don't scrub her, we let her splash around a play with her toys. i am a big fan of tubby time.

those plain old pre-fold cloth diapers - which you can use for just about a million different purposes. i always have a stack ready juuuuuuuust in case.

weleda diaper cream - this stuff is wonderful...it has a non-offensive odor and a reassuring list of ingredients. we are fortunate that we can buy it at a great price though our little cooperative buying club.

california baby everything - we love the lotion, cream, shampoo and body wash and natural bug repellant. love love love their products. great for sensitive skin! and we can get it cheap through the cooperative.

the putamayo kids collections - aubrey loves music, and we love these CDs, which are appropriate for children, but tolerable to adult ears. we have the world playground collection, the reggae playground collection, and the latin playground collection. good stuff. we keep at least one CD in the car to pop in when aubrey is fussy and bored. usually it works like a charm.

bagels - good for cranky, hungry teethers. i give aubrey a hunk of bagel (usually plain...sometimes cinnamon raisin) when we are grocery shopping and she is happy as a clam.

hand-me-downs - we have been lucky to receive heaps of hand-me-down toys, gadgets and clothing. in fact, we have a large tupperware bin filled with yet unseen/unused toys that i think i must raid tonight, to swap out a few toys that have been hanging around for a while. i am a big fan of recycling.

i may have to add more to this list, as i think of more things, which i am sure i will.

and i WILL post those pictures soon.