Baby Wearing

(Before our long walk today!)
So here is a subject I whole heartedly 'get' baby wearing! What could be better than holding your baby while you do the dishes, fold laundry, or wash the car? lol. Today I decided to take the baby swimming. Only problem was that DH had my car, the car seat, and both strollers- so what is a desperate mama to do? Pull the out the handy Mei Tai! Oh man I love that thing!! On my back she went and off we were to the pool! No wiggling and trying to get down, no smacking me in the face, no crying0 just happy and content to see the world from my back! If you have never seen or heard of a Mei Tai before- or would like to learn a little more about those or any kind of baby wearing devices- here are a few websites.... http://www.thebabywearer.com/ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4724232950157367732 - this is a video of how to operate a Mei Tai! SO here are a few fun pictures of the baby and I on some of our fun 'baby wearing' excursions!Isnt this just a cool picture!When we first got our carrier and were introduced to the art of the Mei Tai! (About 4 1/2 months old)Being silly mowing the lawn (About 5 months old)Mowing the lawnCamping in style! (about 5 1/2 months)Trying out a carrier I made for a friend (about 6 months)
Yes you CAN even haul hay with a baby on your back!! (about 8 months)

ANd just in case you were wondering- yes I can make them, and yes I will make one for you! lol- just contact me with any questions or to order one!


And this is a picture of a little swap package I put together- I though they were cute!
And just because you havnt already seen enough pictures of the bub- heres another! :)

Do you eat to live or live to eat?

Question to start off the week-(New Sunday segment!) If you take the time to read this post, PLEASE leave a comment! This way I can get to know you and it will be fun to read everyones response!

It is as simple as the title states- do you live to eat or eat to live?

I am sitting here pondering what to eat. Dh? You guessed it, studying. Baby? She ate her cottage cheese and peanut butter toast and went to bed. Me? Well I have eaten 2 cupcakes and 1/2 an orange today..... I am SOOOOO in the eat to live category! I cant say I really have a favorate food that I could eat very day. I do very much enjoy the Oriental Chicken roll up at Applebees (We dont have one withing an hour's drive), and I enjoy my MIL's friend chicken and her mac and cheese. I make a pretty mean Alfredo pasta- but I couldnt even eat THAT every day! UG- it is a total fight to get me to eat each day! Here is what a typical day looks like-
Breakfast- A large glass of Carnation chocolate breakfast milk.
Lunch- Kraft Mac and cheese, a yogurt or some random fruit or handful of crackers I grab when hunger turns to starvation.
Dinner- Whatever I make for the family- but it is when DH is gone that it becomes a problem. Usually I have a banana, some ore milk or even a PB&J. I do not know what is wrong with me! I need some help in the food department! Nothing ever sounds good to me! ( I am NOT anorexic! I promise!!!! I just cant find food I like!)

So now tell me- do you eat to live or live to eat? Also just for fun, let me know what your favorate food you make and your fav from the restraunt is!!

Tip for the weekend #4

Does your baby/ kid have a hard time brushing their teeth? I have the perfect little game that might just make them open up! When you are brushing, ask them to open up so you can tickle their tongue! Even 1 year olds get the concept and find it pretty funny! Works every time at our house, try it at yours and let me know what you think!

Durh

I am sure at least a few of you are wondering where casserole week went.... Well it will officially kick off NEXT Monday! lol. DH forgot to tell me that he had a big test next Monday and would be at the school the entire week- meaning no dinners as a fam :( But oh well- we will kick it off Monday and it will all be good! Now you just all have an excuse to send over some more recipe's! There is a prize involved remember!

Wordless Wednesday

(They know more than you think....)

A full 24 hours

(Look at those REAL pigtails!!! Whoohoo! What a big girl I have!!)

I finally finished all my homework for Moduel 1!!! (Now I just need to sell $250 worth of stuff to pay for the next part of tuition....) Anyway- I decided to celebrate by finally sewing some stuff I have been putting off for a while! I think it was quite a productive 24 hours- what do you think??

I bought this pattern from http://hyenacart.com/FishsticksDesigns and it is the cutest and easiest pattern ever! These babies take less than 15 minutes from cut out to sewn up and ready to wear! Plus arnt they darling!!! Bonnie is great and the instructions are wonderful! I suggest getting this pattern whether you are new to sewing or an advanced seamstress!


And now for your viewing pleasure..... The model!!

The "no no no" hand waves- she was done taking pictures!Isnt she just the cutest!

10% off or free shipping at oh baby boutique!

Since it is springtime, I need to do a little bit of spring cleaning in my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6925240 I am offering 10% off the entire purchase, or free shipping with any order when you mention my blog at checkout! Please take a chance and look at all the stuff I have for sale on there! Everything made by me, in a pet and smoke free home! Please tell your friends and family! Thanks for looking, and hopefully you find something you like!! (Each purchase also comes with a freebie!!)

Day 1 of the casserole week (Pizza Pasta)

Was a major bust- but only because I told my Dh on our way home from school that I was making a casserole tonight. He said he was "starving" and promptly made a frozen pizza upon arrival home! Grsh I was mad but oh well!

I was saving this casserole for a day when I didnt want to cook, but oh well, I will post it tonight because it was SOOOOOO yummy!

Pizza casserole (by Selissa from Forever and a day http://www.forevrandaday.blogspot.com)
1 box of small shell noodles
1 lb. of beef
sliced olives
1 can of tibit pineapple
1 cup Shredded cheese
spaghetti sauce
and anything else you would use for pizza toppings.

Brown Beef, salt and pepper
Cook the noodles for about 1-2 min less than the box says.

Mix all the ingredients together. This usually makes about 2 9x13 pans for us. Yummy leftovers! Sprinkle cheese on top and cover with foil. Cook in oven on 350 for about 15-20 min. For the last 5 min take the foil off and let the cheese melt. Take out an enjoy. If it gets a little dry you can pour some more warmed up spaghetti sauce on top.

I made a few modifications- I didnt have shells, so I just used the curly noodles. I put in olives, pineapple and pepperoni! It was super yummy! DH ate it for 3 meals straight and Bailey loved it too!! Thanks Selissa it was delicious!!

Tip for the weekend #3

I know the weekend is almost over- but I needed to type this out before I forgot! lol. My LO loves to eat pureed baby food, and loves to eat finger foods, but she absolutely refuses to eat any baby food with chunks in it! It drives me nuts! (She actually will fish the chunks out with her hand!!) Anyway, I came up with a clever way to get her to learn to chew up those chunks!

Baby loves yogurt mixed with applesauce. She also LOVES graham crackers! I take the crackers and crunch them up into smallish pieces and mix them in with the treat. She will make a face at first, but once she gets started she loves it! It is a great idea to get new eaters in to eating bigger peices, because the crackers dissolve on their own!

week of casseroles!

I have officially christened next week casserole a day week! I have received MANY great recipe's that I cant wait to try out! Any other ones would be so much appreciated! I will make a casserole every day next week and let you guys know what I think- along with the recipe! Feel free to play along- or to send over as many yummy recipe's as you can come up with! I have a feeling it may be a long week.... hahaha!

Tip for the weekend #2

Ever opened your gas bill and gasped at the cost of hot water? Here is a great money saving solution to help cut a little bit of money off of it every month! You do NOT need to have the fancy 'cold water' detergent to wash your clothes in cold water! Not only does the regular stuff and cold water do just fine- it also will save you hundreds of dollars a year, just because you arnt using warm water to wash the clothes! Whites and diapers/rags are an exception, but a wash in just warm water will do the trick just fine! Try it for a month and see the difference it can make!

Terrible mommy moment

Ever have one of those moments as a mom that will stick in your mind forever and make you cringe every time you think about it? Oh I did yesterday!
We were at my dad's farm looking at the new baby calf's that were just born. SO we were walking down the gravel road to get into the field. I was holding the baby, but my back was hurting, so I went to swing her over my shoulder. Well I missed. I swung her and somehow she ended up on her back on the gravel! It was so sad and so scary! I coudlnt believe I had done something so terrible! She is totally fine- doesnt even have a scratch on her and was acting fine less than 5 minutes later- but still it was terrible!! SO to make me feel better, please share one of your terrible mommy moments!

Wordless Wednesday

my excuse

On Friday I got a nice call from my teacher telling me that I have 4 whole sections (ie entire books) that I have to read and do tests on by March 30..... so if you dont hear or see much of me in a few days- you will know why! It also doesnt help that I dont have one of the books- for some reason I only have the workbook! Luckily the girl next door just finished my program and will let me borrow it! In the meantime- I will get a tutorial going to post as soon as I think of what to do! ANyone have any ideas or suggestions of something they would love to make but dont know how to?

Too true not to share

* WHY I LOVE MUM *
Mum and Dad were watching TV when Mum said, 'I'm tired, and it's getting late I
think I'll go to bed'
She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches.
Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for dinner the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container and put
spoons and bowls on the table.
She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button.
She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk
and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for an excursion, and
pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair.

She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and
wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.

Mum then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night solution &
age fighting moisturiser, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

Dad called out, 'I thought you were going to bed.'
'I'm on my way,' she said.

She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure
the doors were locked.

She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV's,
hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the basket, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.
In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up
the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. 'I'm going to bed.'

And he did...without another thought.

Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live
longer...?



CAUSE WE ARE MADE FOR THE LONG HAUL..... (and we can't die sooner, we still have things
to do!!!!)

A helpful tip for the weekend #1

Ever get tired of getting your baby (or little one) the cutest pair of socks, only to have them eaten by the washing machine? Well here is a tip I learned before my DD was born that has proven to be a real lifesaver!
Invest in a mesh laundry bag (one you put your delicates in). You can get one of these at Walmart for about $2, and it is a well worth it, sanity saver!! Every time you take off a sock, just throw it in the bag. When you go to do wash, you just chuck the whole bag in the washer and dryer and wallah- you get freshly washed, matching socks every time!

(My DD loves to take her socks, shoes, hairbow and anything else she can get off in the car, and throw them. So this technique works much better for me when she is not allowed to ride in the car lol! )

Towel bib tutorial

My most favorate thing to put on my babe at meal time is a towel bib. She has been known to tip her sippy cup completely upside down and try to drink it, not to mention she is a messy (pre) toddler. There are many options out there when it comes to bibs- the small flannel ones, the wipe clean plastic ones (I hate those, who wants to have to wipe it every time! Bring on the washing machine!) but anyway, Towel bibs are the best in my opinion. There are few things easier to make than a towel bib- seriously! I will tell you the simplest way there is!
I made all these last year for ChirstmasRay sporting hers on her birthday!

1. Get a towel. I like to use kitchen towels with cute charectors and sayings on them. Some are absorbant, some, not so much! The best absorbent towel you can find is a terry hand towel- they are big and hold in anything!(This is a towel I made for a special order- but it didn't turn out right so I had to make new ones....)
2. get an old t shirt and cut the stretchy neck band off of it. (Mens white t shirts work best- something that is an actual tshirt, not just a knit shirt. ( I cut it a little below the band onto the knit- it gives you a little extra space!
3. Now fold the towel in half mark where the half would be (with pins) Mark also the half lengthwise so you have a middle point.
4. Grab a kitchen bowl and place it over the center mark. Trace around it and then cut the circle out. (I severely hurt my ankle last night and it is swollen double its size, so I just opted to use a CD rom I had nearby instead of running downstairs to get a bowl....)
5. Next, cut the t shirt neck off the shirt. You will want to measure about 15 inches off of the t shirt neck piece. Now sew the ends together to make the neck of the towel.
6. Now comes the part that is a little tricky. Fold your towel in half and half again so you have the front back and both side middles. Also do this to the t shirt neck. (so that both the neck peice and the towel are divided into 4 sections with pins.) Now you place the pins together- meaning your towel will be pinned to the neck part in 4 places. Now that it is pinned in the 4 places, put more pins in it stretching it just right so it fits perfectly between pins. (if you have a towel with something on the front but not on the back, make sure you are putting the raw edge of the neck part on the side that does not have the pattern.(Sorry my flash is so bright. In tis picture the 'good' edge of the neck peice is facing toward the cealing and the raw edge is toward the floor.)
7. Now it is as simple as sewing it together. Make a straight stitch all the way around, stretching in between pins to make it fit around perfectly. Make sure you are catching the towel in the stitch or you will be mad at yourself! lol I usually do a big zigzag at the end just because towel's fray a little but.
8. Try it out on your little model! Email me some pictures if you try this out and let me see what you come up with!!

I tried to resist....

But I couldnt....... I made Ray Ray this swimsuit yesterday- isnt it the cutest thing ever!!! It is a swim diaper! I will be making a bunch these next few weeks and putting them on Etsy- if you want one shoot me an email and we can work something out! (I have 3 other colors too!)