The poor college students guide to raising a baby

The best sugar cookies!

2011-09-21T10:04:00.001-07:00

The best sugar cookies!

2011-09-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Long time no talk!

2010-11-21T14:43:00.000-08:00

Wow, anyone still out there? I really had no idea how much time and effort having 2 kids would take! Not to mention having a business! But I am back, and I will try to do better! :)

I ran across a promotion the other day for shutterfly where bloggers get 50 free cards! How awesome is that?!? Now if I can only get some nice pictures to add to ours, but that is besides the point! I love shutterfly for their great customer service, large selection and quick turn around! I have ordered Christmas cards in the past as well as photo books, mousepads and birthday cards and prints and they always turn our great! They have such an awesome selection that anyone can find something they love! My husband also loves Shutterfly because of their great prices! My mom also recently made my dad a book with all the pictures from their African safari in them for Christmas! Best of all is the great coupon codes that are always out there- that really helps make the things from Shutterfly affordable! I hope you will all go look at their selection of Christmas cards!

Choose something you love and go enter here to get your own 50 free cards today!

Have you seen this?

2010-06-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

Having toddlers is like being at a frat party.....

This is too cute! Add your own in my comments section!

Wordless Wed

2010-06-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wed

2010-06-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is what I have been working on for a while now! :) Lol Our new little girl was born May 28 at 5:11 (15 days early) and weighed in at 8 pounds 8 ounces and 20 inches long! So 19 days earlier than her sister and a whole pound bigger! She is a little sweetheart and doing great! (Besides the fact she will be attached to billirubin lights for a few days :( )

Locks for Love

2010-05-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

So on Wednesday I did something that I have been promising myself I would do for over a year now. Last year when we were at the Relay For Life fund raiser to benefit the American Cancer Society they had "locks for love" there to cut and collect hair for wigs for cancer patients. I had mentioned before that I wanted to do this, but I didnt have enough time to think it over and decided to pass then and promised I would do it this year!

SO as the year went on I thought about it a little bit, but never too seriosly. When I found out my baby would only be a month old, not to mention that we would not be living in the same town this summer, and that my family wanted to do an every-other-year relay I decided I better get serious and keep my promise. After being bugged and bugged by my sister and mom I finally decided to go ahead and do it. I was ready for a change, ready for summer, and my neice is in the "pull any hair near my hand" phase that I am so not looking forward to again....

So I walked in and my sister chopped off 13 inches of my hair! 13!!! Do you have any idea HOW MUCH hair that is?!?! It is alot! I am still not sure I am happy with my new do, I havnt had my hair this short since I was in 8th grade! But I am glad I can do my part to help someone in need!

Here are some much anticipated pictures.... please excuse the 36 1/2 week pregnant frumpy mom look! :)

BEFORE:
AFTER:

Car seat cover tutorial

2010-05-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

I figured what better way to jump back into blogging than with a tutorial! I am doing a "mom and baby needs" swap on my diaper forum and was paired with a sweet mama expecting a new baby girl! I have been wanting to make myself a new carseat cover as well as a new tenty blanket thing like I have seen all the babes around town sporting on their car seats. So i figured I would try it out- cant be THAT hard right? RIGHT!

First I wanted to know how much fabric I would need- because my car seat is locked in the trailer and DH has the key! SO I found a couple of great tutorials and somewhat followed them. Car seat cover from receiving blanket
Detailed instructions

So I had pulled a couple of cute cuts out of my flannel stash and went right to work! I beleive these were both just 1 yard cuts- the tutorials I read said cut it 37 by 43 inches, and that is basically what I measured (even though a yard would be 36 by 42.... lol)

I put both my fabrics right sides together and folded it in half so I could round the corners. Cut the first 2 corners and then take the fabric you cut from that and place it over on the other side and cut it the same- This is my trick for getting the same curve, because I SUCK at cutting corners straight! Make sure to straighten up the cuts as you go so you dont have to "think" so much as you are sewing. (And to cut any salvages off)
Now you are ready to sew! Stitch all the way around the blanket- leaving at least 6 inches so you can turn it inside out! Now turn it inside out and you can iron it if you want to. (Im too lazy! :) ) Then you will want to top stitch. (Close the part where you turned it inside out first and make sure to catch all the pieces!) I just put my foot down against the edge and get a nice straight sewing line!
Now for the part that holds it on to the car seat! You can use fabric pieces with velcro, buttons or snaps, but if you are like me- you only got enough fabric to make the actual blanket! lol So I just used ribbon and will tie it in a bow onto the car seat handle! (perfect for a baby girl anyway!) I cut two pieces of ribbon each 22 inches long and I made sure to put fray check on the ends! (You can burn them!) I then measured 9 inches in and 17 inches from the top of my blanket and pinned the ribbon right there. I liked the tutorial that said to sew a rectangle- genious because then it has less stress on the ribbon! SO I did that!

Wallah! There you have it- the perfect car seat tent/cover! If DH comes home sometimes today I will try to get a picture of it on my seat! I hope the mama it is for loves it as much as I do! I think it turned out super fun!!

Wordless Wed

2010-04-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Yep, she thinks shes the boss! :)

blogging

2010-04-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why it has become so hard for me to blog lately- could be the mountain of orders I am peeking out under, the 2 year old who always wants to "dance" and play "pwincess", the husband who needs rides to and from school because the $120 parking pass we bought only gives you 2 hours of parking at a time, or the fact that I am now 33 weeks pregnant and starting to freak out a bit about not getting anything done....

So is anyone still out there? I hope so! Sorry if I lost your interest, I promise I will try harder! :)

Not wordless Wed....

2010-04-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

I love having a "pwincess!"

I am severely sorry for being so scarce. I have been SWAMPED! Every time I think I am almost caught up, I get another order! I LOVE it, but it makes things like blogging a little difficult. The main reason blogging is taking me more than a few seconds a day is because our internet is currently running at 2% capacity.... Yeah.... I finally got so fed up with the YEAR my computer will randomly go offline and need to be restarted and made DH call the provider. "Oh, looks like you are paying for the middle service and receiving 2% of your connection, you need a new modem box, but you have to pay for it." WHAT THE HECK?!?! You are telling me that being a customer for 3 years entitles us to a big. fat. nothing. Heck, dont you find it a bit ridiculous you are charging us full price for 2%? We should be paying for 2%... YUCK!

SO hopefully this will be fixed ASAP as apparently threatening to cancel may get you a new modem, but will NOT get you a discount because "you didnt call a year ago" Well, that is DH's fault, I asked him to! :) lol

Diapers, diapers, diapers....

2010-04-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

This morning I sat down to work on an order for swim diapers, and I figured that since I would have my serger and machine out anyway I might as well get to work on making the new baby some more diapers (or have 15 when the baby comes... I dont think so!) So I already had diapers on my mind and was thinking about how happy I am that I hope to not buy a single disposable diaper for this new kid, and how much better cloth diapering is for the enviroment AND for the baby and the pocketbook!

SO when I sat down to check my facebook page I saw that someone had posted this article Pampers new dry max causes severe rashes I was a little bit intrigued because pampers were always the brand I bought when I would buy diapers, so I read it. WOW- I cannot even begin to tell you how sad I am for these babies and moms who are having to deal with incredible diaper rash problems just because the company changed the chemicals they use in creating the diapers. Yes, ChEmIcAlS... YUCK! Just another reason I am happy we use cloth and will be 100% exclusivley cloth with the new little one.

After I read this post I saw links for some more posts on Pampers on her site and this one caught my eye- Absurd Claims made by pampers another WOW....

So if you use disposables and ever want to take the plunge into cloth and see how amazing it can be for your baby, you, the enviroment and your pocket, please feel free to email me and I can help lead you in the right direction! I started using cloth because of monitary concerns, but I must say I will NEVER go back, no matter how much money we have! There are already enough chemicals out there getting on and into baby, there is no way I want to help that process along just so I dont have to change a diaper as often....

Cant catch a break...

2010-04-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Ever had an idea in your mind and then somehow, some way it could become a reality, but then it really cant? Yes, this is how I have felt both times I have done nursery's for my little ones. The first time around I spotted "baby ballerina by Daisy Kingdom" and I HAD to have it... but nope- it had been discontinued for years and people wanted $20 for a 6x6 inch square! So that was thrown out and I settled on something I never really liked.

This time around I had the perfect idea in my mind. I saw the "wanna be a cowboy" line by Riley Blake designs and I HAD to have it! PERFECT, could not have hand designed something better! But, I didnt have the cash on hand, so I waited until I did. I went to the store on Thursday and low and behold- the main fabric is sold out. So I buy 18 yards of cordinating fabrics and figure I can buy the main ones online. And I did! I was very excited! Until I got it, and it was cotton while all the rest of the fabric is flannel.... :( And guess what, Cant find it online! One of the fabrics is even discontinued for good! AHHHHHH!!!!

So I emailed every etsy shop that has even fat quarters of the line and tell them what I need in flannel. One by one they each emailed me back and let me know all they had was cotton. So at this point I am FREAKING OUT. I get online this afternoon just to check and I have an email from Kortnie of Quilt a Treasure . This SWEET and amazing shop owner told me she ewas sorry that she only had cottons, but she had seen the flannel's in the local quilt shop and would go over herself, purchase it for me, and mail it to me! Can you beleive it?!?!?! I cant! She may never know how much her kindness means to me and how many tears she stopped! Please go check out Kortnie's etsy shop, she has some darling things, and someone this amazing deserves to make some extra sales!!

Thoughtful Thursday

2010-04-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

What did you want to be when you were growing up? How different is it from what you ARE doing?

I always wanted to be either a pediatrician or a veterinarian. The ped because I have ALWAYS loved little kids and babies. The vet, well im not really so sure! I have always liked animals, but I dont know why I wanted to be one!

Now I am just mommy and I love it! Obviously I have a few side businesses that I LOVE and as I got a bit older and more into the crafty part of life I knew I wanted to have my own store, either with fabrics and such or with baby items. Im well on my way! :)

Funny side note is that DH always wanted to be a pro football player or something- but dont all men! lol Now he is going to school to be a veterinarian! Funny how life turns out isnt it! Looks like I will end up having plenty of vet experience after all! :)

The joys....

2010-04-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

Remember how I was complining the other day about having a tummy bug? Well I was certain my little one passed it on to me, that is until she woke up crying at 1 this morning and ran into my room yelling "potty, potty!" She smelled terrible and was very upset that she had had an accident. I changed my first messy diaper in 4 months and put her back to bed. She threw up about 20 minutes later and had also messed again.... poor little thing! I feel so bad for her! She ended up sleeping the rest of the night and is still in bed, I really hope she feels better today!

And as for me, I get to go to the dentist and get my cavities filled today- oh happy day.... NOT!

I guess on the bright side it can only really go up from there! lol

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Wishing you and your families all a very happy Easter! I hope the Easter bunny found you, but I also hope you take a few minutes to remember to true meaning of Easter and the sacrifices made for each of us!

I will be spending my day with family, hunting eggs, eating and watching our churches "general conference" on tv. I hope you all have a wonderful day and get to spend it with those you love!

Yuck!

2010-04-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ever had the tummy bug while pregnant? If not think of how much it hurts when someone is in bed rolling around and you are close to vomiting.... now put that person inside your stomach LOL So not fun! At least I got a day to lay around in bed....

Wordless Wed

2010-03-31T07:13:00.000-07:00

The life of a farm kid...

Gosh guys, im sorry!

2010-03-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Life around here has been NUTS! It seems like I barely sit down and get something finished and I check my site and have another order to get done! :) I am LOVING this and having the time of my life making money doing what I love! Doesnt leave me much time for being online, blogging, or much else- but it gives me plenty of time to rest and put my feet up and lets face it, that seems to be my favorite hobby right now as I feel the new little one is completely taking over! :)

I debuted the gummy monster and the sock monkey the first of this month, and it is safe to say they are A HIT! And luckily I get better each pair I make, so that makes it even better! I love when people have their own ideas of how they want things to look, and I have made quite a few different colors of monsters in the past couple of weeks! If you are ever interested in seeing what I have gotten done and in the mail for the week you can go to payleyknitsandcrochet.blogspot.com and I am trying my best to keep up posting what I have sent out on there!

Another exciting thing happened this month business wise- I was accepted to Team EtsyKids as well as the Etsy Cloth Diaper team and have been busy trying to get in with the crowd! I am hoping this will become a little bit easier as I have also been appointed the membership review leader for Etsy Kids and will be getting a sneak peak at stores before they become members! So that is fun!

Ray Ray is getting SO big! She has recently discovered a love for all things "Pwincess" and loves to read princess stories and do her "princess dance" she is such a joy and I love every second I have with her! It helps she hasnt worn a diaper for 3 months now and is rocking the potty training thing! (She hasnt had a single accident for over 10 days!)

So that is what is going on here- sorry I havnt been around much, I hope to change that soon!

Wordless Wed

2010-03-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Simple pleasures of childhood! A rock and a plastic glove can keep them entertained for hours! :)

A reason I love spring!

2010-03-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Today I made the most wonderful fruit salad! Grapes, bananas, strawberries, oranges and pineapples! YUM! What do you like most about spring?

What did you do to celebrate spring?

2010-03-21T17:20:00.001-07:00

We had such a fun weekend! We just hung around the house, watched movies, visited family and went for walks! The weather is finally SO nice, I LOVE it! So what did you do this weekend? Anything exciting and fun?

Here are some requested pictures of the swimsuit I made Ray Ray for our trip- I love how it turned out, and it fit her so cute!

See... I told you! :)

2010-03-18T08:07:00.001-07:00

I told you I was just partially back.... We have been on spring break all week and without computer access for most of it. We went on a mini vacation and had a blast! Now DH is working and so is my MIL so here I sit... lol. I have LOTS of work to do this week, so im not complaining! And the weather?!?! My car said 82 when I got in yesterday! Now I know it was more like 68, but STILL! I am loving it!

My little one is having a ball playing outside and at the park and recently discovered she is terrified of ants.... Yep, she and daddy were laying in the dirt watching an ant hill and she got scared, stomped in the hill, climbed onto his back and refused to get down! Silly little girl!

Hope you are all enjoying the first signs of spring! :) I will be back home on Saturday or Monday and back to boring business as usual! Can you believe there are only 7 weeks left of the semester?!?! Summer here we come! :)

Im back... partially...

2010-03-12T06:21:00.001-08:00

Well that giveaway was LOTS of fun! They have the cutest stuff! I missed blogging though! Not much has happened around here this week. It is midterm week at the school and DH has been there from 7 am (or earlier) until midnight every night this week! Then DD has been waking up around 6-6:30 each morning (usually she sleeps until 7:30 but with the morning getting light sooner she is all messed up!) So I have been getting less sleep than usual lol.

Tomorrow is an exciting day though, because it signals the first day of SPRING BREAK!!! WAHOO! We plan on heading to the zoo and then going to stay in a hotel for a couple of nights and then going to the inlaws for the rest of the week! To say DD is excited to go is an understatement. All I have heard all week, every time we get in the car is "zoo, monkeys, birds, turtles? Swimming?" lol, she knows we will be having fun! :)

So what have you guys been up to? Anything exciting? I hope to get a tutorial up soon, as soon as I come up with something LOL! I have been busy making DD swim suits like crazy! I have made her a 2 piece with a skirt and 3 little 1 pieces this week! SO much cuter and SOOOO much less expensive than buying them!

Hope you have a great weekend! Hope to see you all around soon! :)

Mika Rose winner!

2010-03-11T05:53:00.000-08:00

I know you are all dying to know who won the Mika Rose dress giveaway, so without further wait.....

With 61 entries, Random.org chose #15

Mandy said...: I'd get the Eva . . . mandjean@gmail.com; March 4, 2010 9:07 PM

Congrats Mandy! Thanks to everyone who entered! If you havnt checked out their website yet be sure to do that!!

Worldless Wed

2010-03-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs a twirly dress! Now make sure to enter the Mika Rose Giveaway! A winner will be drawn tomorrow so spread the word!

Dont miss the giveaway! Come sign up!!

2010-03-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

The Mika Rose dress giveaway has been a big hit so far, but I know there are a lot of people who would still gladly like to sign up but have not yet! So here is your reminder- scroll down to the next post down and get your entry in!!

Dress giveaway from Mika Rose!

2010-03-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to open my email inbox and see that I had an email asking me if I would want to give away a $60 gift card to Mika Rose good to use on any dress in their store! Of course I want to do that!

Mika Rose is a clothing company whos mission is to provide stylish and modest dresses that grown women would be excited to wear! They have some DARLING styles, and I know when I get rid of this baby bump, I would love to try a couple of them on! To make things even better, they have decided to donate 15% of all sales to the Hati relief efforts!
Here is what they have to say about themselves....
Mika Rose is a clothing company that specializes in modest, elegant and fashionable dresses. Our company's idea evolved when the owners realized how difficult it was to find modest dresses in today's market. We are sure you have had similar experiences when looking for a modest dress. After many frustrating outings, we formed Mikarose. Our goal is to provide an extensive line of modest dresses, without having to sacrifice style. You will be able to wear our line to a broad range of functions: from everyday events to corporate parties. We hope to not only meet the needs of women looking for modest wear, but all those who are seeking elegant dresses.

Mika Rose Has also generously offered a 15% discount on anything you purchase by using the coupon code RBC15 at checkout!

Want you chance to win one of their dresses?!? All you have to do is go to the Mikarose.com website and come back here and tell me which dress you would pick if you won and why! Please also leave your email address so I can contact you!

Want extra entries?!? Sure you do! (Please comment for each entry!)
* become a fan of Mika Rose on facebook
* Become a fan of Raising baby cheap on facebook (link on the sidebar)
* Become a fan of Oh baby boutique on facebook (link on sidebar)
* Purchase something from Mikarose.com (must be confirmed) 3 entries!!
* Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link 2 entries
* tweet or facebook about this giveaway

A winner will be chosen on Thursday March 11 in the morning, so check back then! Good luck!!

Wordless Wed

2010-03-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this kid!

Tragic Tuesday

2010-03-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

DH has a good friend who's wife found out they were pregnant with twins about 3-4 weeks ago. She was about 13 weeks along and also found out one of the twins had a bladder obstruction. They sceduled an apointment with a specialist, but it was about 2 weeks out. They finally went in for their appointment last week. When they did the ultrasound they found out both of the twins had no heartbeats- she was about 15-16 weeks. They did another ultrasound a few days later and decided both twins had passed away.

So if you have a spare prayer or good thought to send up today, I know this couple could really use it! These were their first babies and I cant even imagine how they must feel!

In other news....

I bet everyone knows a baby who needs a pair of these! :)http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41814946
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=41766649

Im borring I know!

2010-03-01T12:42:00.000-08:00

I always seem to come up with the greatest topics to blog about when I am just falling asleep or just waking up- so needless to say I cant ever remember them when it comes time to write! lol.

This week was a HUGE week for our little miss! She didnt have a single potty accident the entire week! (Saturday-Saturday) She also went binki free AND got a big girl bed, and she is doing amazing with both! She had a TERRIBLE cold, still has symptoms of it, but is feeling better, so to have all these changes AND be sick was not easy, but she is such a trooper and did GREAT!

I am super excited to start making her big girl bedding and new bedding for the baby- I just have to make some funds and go shopping, I already have it all picked out! :)

So that was how our week went last week- how was yours?

Wordless Wed

2010-02-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

Is she not just the sweetest kid ever?!?! She finally got over the cough she had for 8 months straight and we went to babysit for the weekend and all the kids were sick and now guess what- cough is back..... poor little girl!

Help me get some facebook fans!

2010-02-23T20:47:00.000-08:00

You may or may not have seen my sidebar buttons for my facebook pages both for this blog and for my etsy sites. I am now running a contest and the 125th fan to my etsy site page will win a hat of their choice from my store or a $20 gift certificate to either of my stores for the person who referred them! So PLEASE go and become a fan! You can stay up to date with the new things I make every week and when there is a deal going on! Go HERE and become a fan and then go suggest the page to all your friends! the 150th fan will win something too! :)

Tv Tuesday- my confession...

2010-02-23T06:45:00.000-08:00

My sister in law over at The Buzz WAS doing a thing called Tv Tuesday. Im not sure if she is anymore, but I have a confession to make regardless.....

Here is the back story.
When DH and I first got married we stumbled upon a show called grays anatomy. We watched every episode together and even got the season we had missed on DVD for Christmas and watched the entire thing in about 3 days! Then came the episode where Burk leaves Christina at the alter... not cool. You see, Burk was my husbands favorite character. Once he realized he wasnt coming back he refused to watch it anymore. Im still not sure if he liked him because of all the controversy or what it was!

So there it was- I watched the whole next season by myself! he REFUSED to watch with me. Then after a full season it was time for the next season to come and he said maybe he would watch, but didnt want to.

So I came up with the brilliant idea of telling him Burk was coming back sometime this season. And I know he is watching just for that! I mean he likes the show too, but I know that is what he is really waiting for each episode! And then last week, when they showed flashbacks of Burk (maybe it was 2 weeks ago) he got SO excited and said- "oh, thats it, he is finally coming back!"

Hunny- he isnt coming back.....

Things I learned this weekend....

2010-02-22T06:38:00.000-08:00

Last night was the night- the night to take away all the binki's for good! My little one has been very attached since she was still in the hospital, and I was ok with that because she needed the extra oral stimulation. The past 2 weeks I have watched her hide it, wrap it in a blanket and put it to sleep, and chuck it into the back seat of the car- that was when I realized it was no longer a total comfort and necessity, but a toy. So last night was the night, and binki is now gone at our house!

We did bedtime like usual and right before putting her down I gave her a talk about how she is such a big girl and can do this and this and this, so she doesnt need a binki anymore- binki's are for babies. She was fine with that. Then I told her we would go to the store tomorrow and she could pick out any blanket fabric she wanted- she instantly said "horses?!?" and I said yes.

So the time comes to put her in her bed. She never said the word, but instantly started screaming like a mad woman. This went on about half an hour. Finally I went in and she wanted me to rock and sing to her, so I did. She fell asleep and of course as soon as I moved she wanted me to lay in her bed by her....

She had started escaping the confines of her crib at 18 months or younger, and when we put her in a toddler bed she did great to sleep, but it took like 4 hours for her to stop playing long enough to do it! So one night I was SO frustrated I put the crib back together- she hasnt scaled it yet since! (Once and she hurt her neck and never tried again!) So you can see how laying in her bed with her was not happening....

So I tried to rub her back and she went to sleep- then I told her I needed to go potty and would be right back. it worked for a full minute until she realized I wasnt coming back! She started howling and screaming my name. I tried the whole "poke holes in the binki" thing but it didnt seem to work- too much suction still. So I cut part of the tip off one of them. I went in and handed it to her. She popped it into her mouth rolled over and then grabbed the thing out, yelled at it, yelled at me and the threw it down- she was NOT buying it!

So i went back in after a little while and held her and sang to her again. She fell asleep even easier this time- I knew she was exhausted which is why I chose last night! As soon as the singing and rocking stopped and she was still sleeping I knew I would make it- until I set her down and she once again patted her bed for me to lay down....

I comprimised by rubbing her back and still singing the same song over and over again- she kept saying "more", "more"! So once she was finally almost asleep I couldnt stand any longer so I told her I would hold her hand. Now any mom knows this is just a bad move all together... How int he world would I get away from this one?!? So I sat there 10 minutes or what felt like 2 hours... Finally she was sound asleep and snoring, so I tried to wrap her hand around the bar of her bed.... Nope, she instantly thrust her hand back at me. This happened at least 4 times.

Finally I figured she would be ok either way, she had been asleep long enough she wouldnt remember me leaving. She instantly woke up and looked at me and said "hand!" To which I replied- "hold Mickey Mouse's hand!" Somehow this worked! I couldnt beleive it! lol. She whined and whimpered about 2 minutes after that and promptly fell to sleep- for the ENTIRE NIGHT! She didnt wake up once!

When she did wake up this morning the first thing she said to me was- "Blankie, horses! Big girl!" hahaha i guess she gets it after all!

And she never did ask for one- last night or now!

So today one of my goals is to de-toy the room and take down the crib, then maybe I can actually lay next to her! hehe.

Hurray for big girls!

Crazy little thing....

2010-02-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we tried something new- im not quite sure how you pronounce it, but I think it is spelled e-x-e-r-c-i-s-e......

DH has been complaining that his wedding ring doesnt fit, and his shirts and pants are getting tight. (for some reason he wouldnt wear his ring because it HURT, but never asked for a new pair of slacks or a new suit.... HAHAHAHA thats got to hurt...)

So I asked around and I got some advice about trying Jillian Micheal's the 30 day shred. (I bought it at Walmart for $9!)

We all got dressed in our work out clothes and went to work (Notice you will not be seeing ME in my work out clothes....)

The baby wanted in on the action too!
She helped dad do jumping jacks
This picture makes me CRACK UP- she is SUCH a good stretcher HAHAHA I love her face!
And stretching....

We only had one problem... Our living room is VERY small, and even after moving the couch out we only had a 7 by 7 foot space, so we did what we could! We used cans for weights (hey, it is how my mom ALWAYS taught aeorobics!) And DH was using jars of spagetti sauce....
You can only imagine what happened. This is the stain- I scooped up the whole jar and it actually came out of the carpet pretty well! I guess DH got tired and sweaty hands and the jar slipped out, hit the fish tank and... well you get the idea!

So if you want to try this video out I highly recomend it- but I also recomend making sure all your weights are in can and not glass jars!

All in all we thought it was great, it was fun, and it was challenging! Now ask me again how we like it in 29 more days! :P

oh 12 year olds....

2010-02-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid camping in the fifth wheel was considered a "vacation". My little sister is 12, almost 13, and she has been on over 7 cruises, to Alaska twice, Hawaii twice, Mexico at least 4 times and will be headed to Africa in June.

This week my parents decided to go sport fishing in Mexico. They also decided to leave my sister home for the week while they were gone. But not at their house. They left her at mine!

Now my sister isnt your normal 12 year old. She is the 4th of 4 girls, me at 23 being the oldest, so she basically has grown up an only child- especially the last year since she is the one and only one left at home. She still gets tucked in each night and has to be woken up in the morning ect.

So when she arrived on Tuesday night we had to literally PEAL her off of my mom so that she could take off. She continued to cry for over an hour after that. Then she had to call my mom 3 times before bed. She was fine Wed morning and went off to school. We picked her up and she played with the baby and went to dancing. She seemed fine when we picked her up from Dancing but cried the entire way through dinner. :(

So this is how it is going to be until next Wed.... I hope I can make it though! A crying 12 year old coupled with a 2 year old and a pregnant lady dont make for a very happy house- my nerves are about fried....

SO wish me luck- im going to need it!

Wordless Wed

2010-02-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

My little potty princess!

The sign of a long weekend....

2010-02-16T07:07:00.001-08:00

The back seat in the car is folded down, the laundry is still in the washing machine, the power on the DVR is off, and for some reason the bed is unmade..... Sure signs of a long weekend!

We headed to the in-laws house this weekend. I had a blast, even though we didnt do anything! I LOVE my MIL, she is the best! We even went fabric shopping, something I havnt done in a LONG time- but hey, the kids need new bedding, so off we went to see what they had! You know when you have something in your head that would be perfect, then nothing quite matches that image... oh well, I still have 4-10 months to look.....

Why so long you might ask- well my husband will be moving back 'home' 3 1/2 hours away (Our normal Summer residence) to work this summer. Why do I say HE is moving? Well because I will be exactly 9 months pregnant and im honestly not sure how I feel about that.... The hospital up here is awesome. I also have my own bed and own house up here- I dont have a house down there, but I do have a slightly crappier version of my own bed... (although the sheets have needed washing for a LONG time now...) So I guess I have a lot of thinking ahead of me..... I know in the end I will most likely end up down there, im just not sure what I think about it all- what would you do?

How is it Thursday night already?!?

2010-02-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

I honestly keep thinking it is Monday! Weird I know, especially because with a birthday on Monday we had a long weekend! So I missed Wordless Wed....

Yes I permed her hair- can you blame me? It was SUCH a mess before, and it is super easy now- and I think she looks darling!

Also, this is how the birthday cake went down this year- much different than last year... lol

I didnt know some of you didnt know I was expecting... must not have visited for a while huh? lol I will be 23 weeks along on Saturday! I feel great, minus a sinus infection right now... Im measuring 23 weeks, so that is good! We decided not to tell the gender this time around- so you will all have to wait patiently until the middle of June to find out!
Anything I am forgetting? Any questions? hm.... Im not sure! But if you have one you just let me know- if not, I will be back in the morning! Have a great night!

Cravings....

2010-02-10T16:15:00.001-08:00

I HATE hot dogs. Like havnt touched one since I was maybe..8? yeah they are disgusting! So why was it the only thing I could think about eating over Christmas break.... and tonight? Gross! I guess pregnancy will do that to you!

I think I have eaten about 4 chocolate bars this week too.... I have never had a weird craving for things together like pickles and ice cream, but hot dogs are one thing I never thought I would 'want' to eat!

SO tell me- what did you crave when you were pregnant? What did you eat a lot of?

my new favorate hobby

2010-02-09T07:25:00.001-08:00

Anyone who knows me, or really knows a lot about me knows that I would much rather do things for myself. I see something I want- I dont buy it, I make it! So when I started knitting last year (can you believe it has been a year?!? I cant!) I was always on the lookout for the cutest yarns out there. (When you have a little girl it is all about cute right?) Well thats the big problem- they dont sell 'cute' yarns that dont cost $18 a skeen...

So here comes the solution- dye your own yarn! This way you get exactly the color combos you like and it turns out MUCH much MuCh cuter!

A couple of days ago I went to Micheals and bought a skeen of natural colored patons wool on sale for about $4.

I came home, unwound it and wound it around the bottom of my laundry basket so that it could be dyed. Once it is all wound you need to tie it in 4 places so it doesnt get tangeled!

Next you need to put newspaper down to protect your counter. On top of the newspaper you need to lay down seran wrap.

Now you fill your sink or a bowl with some lukewarm water and put your yarn into the water to soak while you get ready.

There are a couple of things you can use for dye. Obviosly you can buy expensive acid dyes, but no thanks! I use Koolaid, food coloring, Wiltons cake dyes and easter egg colors. The easter egg dyes are much lighter and give more of a pastel coloring, while the Wiltons and koolaid can be VERY bright and fun! I usually just substitute the food coloring when my color isnt quite what I want it to be, but you can dye exclusively with it if you want to! You will need about 1/4-1/2 cup hot water and 2 cups of vinager per color you want to try also.

What I do is pour in about 1/4 cup boiling hot water into the bottom of my glass and mix in my coloring. (Either 1 tablet of easter egg dye, about 20-30 drops of food coloring, a 1/2 teapoon of wiltons cake dye or a package of koolaid) Once your dye is completely mixed up, fill the cup the rest of the way up with Vinager. (The acid is what makes the color stick to the yarn!)Now pull your yarn out of the water and squeeze it gently- you dont want it dripping wet, but it needs to be damp so that you need less water to saturate it with your dye! Set it nicley on your newspaper and seran wrap like shown above.

Now you are ready to dye! I have tried lots and lots of meathods, but my favorate lately is the tablespoon meathod! I just take a tablespoon measuring spoon and scoop big spoonfuls of dye out and put it on my yarn. You want to make sure you are saturating it all the way through or the bottom half will not be colored! If you get big puddles wipe them up! I use an old prefold baby diaper, because honestly, they look better tie dyed than stained! hehe. Before you start dying you might want to think about how you want your pattern. Bigger sections of dye will make the verigation longer and may result in pooling when you knit. I like to do more smaller sections! The sky is the limit- it is pretty hard to mess up! 1 huge tip I do have though is to put complimentry colors next to each other or you might get some muddy weird colors when they dye together!

Once all your yarn is colored and you make sure it is saturated all the way through you put a piece of seran wrap on the top middle across and fold up the corners that are under your yarn. You want to make a sealed pouch so all your dye and liquid doesnt escape! Now find a pie pan or caserole dish. I have found out the hard way more than once that the deeper the pan, the easier it works- then your microwave wont be covered in blue green water..... Carefully fold your colors over and place in bottom of dish and pop into microwave for 10 minutes.Now your husband will start complaining because the vinager is.... well.... sometimes more than overwelming! As the dye 'cooks' into your yarn it will leave the vinager clear again! It really is VERY cool! While you are patiently waiting the 10 minutes you can fill your sink up with hot water and a little bit of dish soap. Once the time is up you will carefully take the pot out of the microwave, carefully flip over the packet and let it sit for a few minutes (I like to do 2 skeens because it gives me enough time to dye another skeen while I wait the 10 minutes and then it can rest 10 while the new one is in there cooking and then I switch.)

Now you can rinse it out- but I like to do 10 more minutes just to make certain the colors are VERY dark and set!

Once your time is done you can carefully take the packet out and gently pour out the vinager down your sink and then place the dyed yarn into the sink of hot soapy water.

Let the yarn sit in this water for about 5-10 minutes. You dont want to shock your wool, which is why you want the water HOT, and then you can turn the faucet on as warm as you can stand it and gently wash the soap out of the yarn by squeezing small sections. Now gently squeeze out all the excess water and admire your work!

Now I like to throw mine into the spin cycle of my washing machine. watch SO carefully because if the actual wash cycle comes on, well your work is as good as ruined! Now once it has spun some of the water out you can go ahead and hang it up to dry overnight!

After waiting all night and wondering what it will look like you can run downstairs and admire your work! I like to roll mine into a ball right away because that is how I like to work with it, but you can leave it skeened like this or wrap it around something smaller so you can see all the colors together!

Now you are ready to make something amazing!

Have any of your tried this, want to try this, interested at all?

success

2010-02-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

The birthday party was a success! I think we have around 100 people there total! pretty impressive for a 2 year old's birthday party! She had lots of her friends from dancing and church there as well as LOTS of cousins. Today is her actual birthday and we have already made 24 cupcakes, made a birthday cake, taken a bath, washed her birthday outfit and gotten dressed for the day. Next comes dance class and then a nap!

This morning my parents and sister called to wish her a happy birthday and sing to her and you have never seen a smile so big before! She just thought that was the neatest thing ever that they would call her and not even ask to talk to mommy!

We will see how the endless supply of candies and cupcakes goes over for her when she isnt allowed to eat any of it tomorrow- But mommy is happy to report she ate 1/4 a piece of birthday cake so far this weekend and that is it! lol

Tonight we will probably get Chinese food for dinner since it is her favorate!

What do you do special for birthdays at your house?

Big steps

2010-02-05T08:04:00.001-08:00

I have decided this blog needs a change. I have been hoping every post would be something fun and helpful, but then it just goes a week without getting posted to- so now I am going to just go with the flow and hope that every so often I can sneak something good in there.....

This week is a busy week at our house! Little Bailey is turning 2 on Monday! I cannot believe she is 2 already! This past week I have been reflecting on the time we have had together so far and I honestly cant imagine where this kind, loving, beautiful little girl came from!
Last year at her party-She dug right into that cake!

Every morning she wakes up yelling "mom! pee pee!" She promptly goes in and goes potty and is then ready for her snuggles! Her day can not start without about 35 HUGE hugs, kisses and I love you's! She never needs prompting and makes sure that the hugs and kisses are evenly spread between mommy and daddy! Next comes breakfast- a HEAPING bowl of whatever cereal daddy is having. She also drinks every last drop of milk out of the bowl!

She is such a funny kid! She loves to play, dance and sing! She loves to help do the laundry and wipe things up! She loves to make people smile and knows how to express herself! This past week she has learned how to wimper and say "daddy bye bye. I sad!" Breaks my heart and makes me laugh at the same time! Yesterday she started saying the phrase "where are we?" We were watching brother bear the movie and I think she picked it up from there!

I love this little girl and couldnt be more excited to be her mom! I hope you had a great year Bailey- here is to another wonderful year to come!

Worldless Wed

2010-02-03T06:35:00.000-08:00

Her birthday party this weekend is going to be a blast! :) Cant believe she is 2 already!!!

Im going to have weird kids....

2010-01-31T06:57:00.000-08:00

Whose mom sews their undies.... LOL But honestly,how could I not continue to do so when they turn out looking like this-( dont know why it is flipping, it wasnt taken that way...)

Pretty sure you cant buy something like this at the store!And my big girl was so excited she wanted 2 pairs on this morning, and even put the 2nd pair on by herself!
The pattern for these is the steller transitions patter from little comet tails. You can find the pattern HERE

Too cute for sure!

2010-01-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

First off, a big thanks to everyone who checked out my husbands fish blog !
He gets so excited every time he sees new places on his feed! For some reason the comments were not working, but I MAY have gotten that fixed- so comment away! He is taking 18 credits plus he is a teaching assistant and works- so he doesnt get much time to write, but he checks it every night and gets sad because there are no comments! LOL

In other news- want to see the newest addition to my boutique?Twirl skirts! Can be made in ANY color combo and ANY size! Plus im going to sell them for $20- a steal of a deal! Want one? ohbabyboutique.etsy.com!

These ones come with custom legwarmers for a limited time!

Wordless Wed

2010-01-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

Dont you ask your friends for a high 5 after you finish your dance?!?

a NEW tutorial will be coming either today or tomorrow! Be on the look out!

My husbands new fish blog

2010-01-24T07:35:00.000-08:00

I have sewing, knitting, crocheting ect ect..... And he has his fish tank-so I convinced him to start a fish tank blog! You can find it here- http://nemoanddorysnewhome.blogspot.com/

He would love some comments and even some followers! Go check out how cool his tank is!

Helping in my own little way....

2010-01-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I decided we were DONE with diapers. My washing routine failed me about 6 months ago and I have had a problem with my diapers smelling like ammonia ever since. I wash and wash and wash, but still- they smell and it drives a pregnant nose crazy! DD has been toying around with the whole potty thing for months now, but we figured we were in trouble when she would sit on the toilet, pee and not know it until we told her! But, the past couple of weeks she has been doing AMAZING! No accidents for 4 days and she has woken up dry 3 days in a row! Pretty amazing for a 23 month old! Obviously I made my own trainers and LOVE them, and since I can make my own diapers for the next time around again (I have learned a LOT since I started making diapers 3 years ago!) I decided to start completely over. (Most of my smell issue comes from having over 60 diapers and only washing 1-2 times a week!)

So now came the task of figuring out what to do with the diapers I had. None had holes, none had stains, they all have snaps and great elastic and have had NO problems other than the smell, which I know someone with ambition can get out easily! SO I offered up a post on my cloth diapering community and hoped someone would take them! I was surprised at the offers I received.

We dont have money, we live very frugally and survive off of little, but honestly, it broke my heart to hear of people who have 3-5 kids and cannot afford to diaper their own children! I have enough diaper making supplies (minus enough snaps) to diaper probably 10 babies comfortably in all 4 diaper sizes! I have been gifted LOADS of fabrics as well as the boxes and boxes I have collected, and I have the time and energy. It made me so sad to think these people were using worn and ratty prefolds and pins and wondering how they would continue- because to a lot of people disposable is NOT an option.

So I sent off 2 HUGE flat rate boxes stuffed so full I could hardly close them up. One was the most gender nutral box I could make, and it went to a family with 2 little boys. The other, all the cute girly things that went to a well desirving family of 2 girls. Now I sit here and wonder how many diapers I can get done this weekend and send off to some of the other needy moms out there in my own little online community....

It is just amazing to think you have little and realise that you have SO much! The comic in the paper the other day summed it up pretty good. It was a man and a woman saying they had just been layed off, no savings, no job, no retirement, house needed fixing up, but when they saw the images of Hati on the tv they realize just how lucky they are!

So please take a little time this weekend to help someone else. It can be as small as taking cookies over to a sick or afflicted neighbor or as big as purchasing the items to make some humanitarian kits for the LDS church. Whatever it is please leave a comment and share what you have done- we all need a feel good story now and then!

I am off to make diapers- wish me luck and speedy turn around!! Have a great weekend!

Wordless Wed

2010-01-20T07:03:00.000-08:00

Caught red handed!

p.s.- can I just say that is NOT my favorite smile... 2 year olds have funny ideas of what is cute! lol

Easy tutorial you can do in 10 minutes!

2010-01-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

As one of my new year resolutions I have vowed that I am going to try to have at least a tutorial for you every other week- so since I am late already, here goes #1 lol

This tutorial is for a quick and easy personalized note pad that would make a perfect thank you gift, newly pregnant friend gift, gift for a young kind who is getting baptized or something like that, for any teenage girl, or a great mothers day idea! All you need is this-A pair of scissors, a ruler, a pencil, a 5X8 legal notepad (you could really do any size you want), a 5X12 piece of heavy cardboard scrapbook paper, embellishments and a hot glue gun.
*I bought my notepads for 3 for $1 at the local dollar tree- GREAT price for making 3 gifts for $1!

Measure your paper to be the width of the notebook. If you are doing the 5X8 notebooks it will obviously be 5 inches, but do not cut off the length, leave it 12 inches! This way you will get 2 piece out of 1 piece of paper.

Now take the piece of paper and lay it on top of the notebook so that the bottom edge is completely flush with the bottom end of the notebook. Now you will carefully but completely fold the excess over the binding of the notebook and to the back.
Make sure you crease the part that will be on the binding the best you can! Now apply liberally your hot glue right onto the binding of your notebook. Press with your fingers, the edge of the table, anything to get it to be tight on the binding.

Now you will put a little bit of hot glue down each side of the back cardboard part of the notebook as well as a couple of strips of hot glue in the middle and on the bottom so that your paper is held completely onto the back cardboard piece of the book!
Now turn it over and admire your work!
Now you get to embelish it! You can use paper, flowers, die cuts, stickers, ribbon, anything you want! (I am sure you are all better scrapbookers that I am!)
If you choose to do ribbon make it longer than the notebook so you can tuck the edges into the inside edge of the book and glue them down!
Wallah! Now go ahead and write or type up something for the front for example "gratitude journal" or "Pregnancy journal" or anything you want for the occasion! I am making these for a big swap I am doing and I dont know who will get them, so I am leaving that part out- but I hope they enjoy them!
Make sure to leave me a link or email me pictures of your finished product! Hope you enjoy making a whole bunch!!

The drab

2010-01-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

School is back in session, I am back to watching the kid who comes to our house and screams the entire time, and we are back to the daily grind. Some days all I want is to leave the house- even to go the block to the post office! But if you were to look out my window right now, you would barely be able to see..... I dont know if any of you have heard of the word inversion? well that is my world right now- you cant see the sky, all you can see is thick, dirty fog. I live in a fairly decent sized town, but no city. The air is not neccesarily bad from smog, but because it gets so cold and traps it all in the valley. SO here we are stuck for most of the winter under this thick blanket of YUCK and red air days... Not really my idea of a winter wonderland!

How is your winter going for you?

Wordless Wed

2010-01-13T09:40:00.000-08:00

High 5 meme

2010-01-11T17:57:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by destiny in the High meme

The question is what are your top 5's of 2009

1. Finding out we are going to have another little one! Ray Ray is SO excited! She loves baby's and im sure she will be super excited when the baby is here!

2. DH got 2 4.0's in his super hard college classes! (think organic chemistry, biochemistry and 18 credits a semester I cant think of!) He was awarded the colleges dean scholarship because of his grades and course load which in turn means extra money for us! (YES!) as well as awesome credentials to put on his vet school application!

3. I learned how to both knit and crochet this year which made for some awesome gifts, great additions to the kids wardrobes and a buisness that isnt doing half bad! (Payley.etsy.com if you were wondering...)

4. I took and completed an entire course in medical transcripting and now how my certificate. (Well actually I am still waiting for it to come, but technically it is mine!) Now once I get word I passed, take the big test to get the letters behind my name and make myself a new resume (my computer has crashed twice now....) I can start looking for a job!

5. Everyone in my family has been healthy all year long! No accidents, no medical problems, nothing big! My extended family was not so lucky this year so I count my blessings that I, my husband and daughter are well!

Now here are my 5 blogs I tag!
Queen of the Clan
The Brocks
Keeping up with the Schultz family
Too many hats
The Daily Dakin
-

Why oh why....

2010-01-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

As you can see from the last post we are potty training. She is doing awesome by the way! But why is it that every time I set her on the potty and turn on the sink water it rarely makes her pee, but has me RUNNING to the potty every time.... hahahaha Oh the joys! :)

Wordless Wed

2010-01-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

Crunchy Tuesday

2010-01-05T12:35:00.000-08:00

Man I have been slacking on these lately!
Today I am going to do a review of some products I got from eco store usa. Their moto of "no nasty chemicals- healthier products for you and the enviroment" really called out to me! I was sent the laundry powder as well as the citrus cleaner.

I must say I was very impressed! I was curious if the laundry powder was cloth diaper safe. I read all the ingredients and about it and it seemed like it should be safe to me. I tried it and was excited to smell my diapers and not get the amonia smell I have been having so many problems with! Not to mention even though the laundry detergent is non scented it smelled much better than some I have used! This seems to me like it would be a great alternative to Dreft or other baby soaps as it has no fragrence and works in hot or cold water!I must say I am in LOVE with the spray cleaner! It smells SO yummy and really works on the tuff grime my kitchen collects from a 2 year old learning how to use her utinsels! After spraying it on I waited less than a minute and it all wiped right up! I love the fact that it is plant based and not chemical based and it is said to be safe to use on crayon marks even on your walls! (Luckily we have not had to deal with that in quite some time!)

All in all I love this company! I will be coming back to them over and over again! They are priced right and even their packaging is recycled! This is a company worth looking at!

I give eco store USA a big thumbs up!

Wordless weekend

2010-01-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

Im slow- but these pictures are just too cute to miss! I have the best husband and daughter in the world!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T19:35:00.000-08:00

Im still not ready to come back from my vacation yet! But I did want to pop in and say Happy New Year to you all! I started this website a little less than a year ago and have had a blast meeting 136 new followers as well as many new friends who may or may not be followers (hint hint LOL) I look forward to popping in on each of you and getting to know you all better in the new year! Thanks for making this blog what it is and for always lifiting my spirits!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Feeling Fabulous Challenge!

2009-12-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

I was tipped off on this fun website with this awesome challenge! Everyone can take some time to feel fabulous! So check out the site and join us in the fun!

Christmas is over- now lets get on with our life!

2009-12-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Christmas! So much fun, and I am glad it is strung out an entire month, but this year I am TOTALLY worn out! I have been making Christmas gifts for MONTHS it seems, but the month of December it seemed non stop almost! I was busy busy, but it was fun! So here are some pictures of just a few of the things I made this December- not including the things in my shops!
A couple Ipod holders,
2 skeens of handspun wool
2 complete sets of yo gabba gabba dolls + Kilan
Stockings
Elmo (he was made Christmas eve! lol)49'ers pillow case.
This list does not include multiple dresses, booties, 12+ pairs of earings, 11 crochet hats for ladies and 2 pairs of longies!

So I need a break! lol So what did I do? I made myself a hat- boy oh boy do I know how to relax! :)

Our Christmas

2009-12-26T12:56:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas was WONDERFUL! I hope yours was too! DH got callogne, a belt buckle and his much wanted 49'ers pillow case. Ray Ray get spoiled, but the couch and the sit and spin rank on the top of her list! I got a fondue pot! Im so excited! I also got a spinning wheel from my husband and wonderful mother in law, but I wont get to play with it until we pick it up on Wed... hehe, but you bet there will soon be oodles of gorgeous hand dyed and spun yarn at my house!

So what did you get? Leave me links to your Christmas posts so I can come "visit" and see what you got!

Wordless Wed

2009-12-23T05:51:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all happy holidays!!

Sorry for being MIA

2009-12-18T06:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry for being gone all week. I had my exit interview with my school on Monday afternoon and I am SOOOOO glad to say I am DONE done DoNe!!!!!n It feels so great! Now to find a job once the holidays are over.... lol.

Then on Tuesday I got to go to my first dr. apointment! (Yes, this one was scheduled in October, it really took THAT long to get in... kind of scary!) I had gone there for all my blood work before thanksgiving and for a nurse consult, but this was an actual APPOINTMENT and they did an ultrasound to see how big the baby was measuring and calculate and estimated due date. Well I was late with my DD, so I was calculating a little late, but I was surprised when the Dr. said I was a WHOLE week more than I thought! SO tomorrow I will be 15 weeks! How cool is that! SO I am now officially due on June 12! It is a good thing they moved up my due date, because my parents will be leaving for a month long trip to Africa on June 13..... Good planning! hahaha! SO we will see what happens....

As soon as the hour long appointment to see the dr. for 5 minutes was over we packed up the car and headed straight down to my mother in law's for some much needed relaxation! So far not much relaxing going on with all the projects that need to be done before Christmas, but that is how I like it- BUSY! Im just excited to be able to spend a few days with the people I love! DH has even been around all week so far, so that makes it even better!

I will be headed home on Sunday for all our family parties and to be home for Christmas! Hope you are all doing great, and I am hoping to find some time to make it around bloggyland and start commenting more again!

Happy holidays!!

Think about it Sunday- fav holiday food

2009-12-13T13:59:00.000-08:00

What is your favorite food of the holidays? I think I would pretty much have to say those wonderfully soft sugar cookies! I love all the yummy hams and mashed potatos too! YUM! So what is your favorite food of the holidays?

Going ons around here

2009-12-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

Just in case anyone was wondering and wanted a follow up of my friend Callie who was in the running for a free lap band surgery- SHE WON! So thanks to all of you who took the time to vote!

It is SOOOOO cold! Like -12 last night and when he babe and I went out to get some milk this morning it was 11 degrees and it was 9:30 a.m! Thank you to my wonderful cousin I will be warm this winter- or at least warmer! When we were ordering Christmas clothing for my grandma to give to the great grandkids she suggested I get a wool pea coat. I have wanted one MY ENTIRE LIFE- ok since I was in high school! I have tried on probably hundreds! ANy color, any style I didn care, I just wanted one! Problem was they all had sleves that went to the top pf my wrist bone- or shorter! SO when she suggested I get one from Old Navy I hessitated. They had a "tall" size, bu really, most stores talls should really just be normal! She insisted though! I gave in and when she asked what size I said "large or xtra large." She looked at me like I was nuts and said "how about a small". I said "no, they are NEVER long enough! I need a XL to get the length! (This is how I think and it sucks! lol) SO we finally settled on a Medium- me fully intending to have to take it back for lack of fitting.

SO the coat came yesterday. The prettiest black wool thigh length coat! I was in love with it but scared to try it on! She said she wanted to see how it fit. SO I pulled it out of the package and slipped it on one arm at a time. IT FITS! I could yell it from the rooftops! It fits and it is beautiful and warm and I LOVE IT! So thank you to my special cousin who knew better than I did and TOTALLY made my Christmas! (dont tell DH....) Now I am going to go look for some perfect yarn to make myself a scarf and mittens to match! This coat is going to last me until they have to pry it off of me! I LOVE IT!!!!

So what is the best Christmas present you have ever gotten?!? I am usually kind of hard to please. I like everything, but rarely do I LOVE something or have a prefrence.... Im telling you- this is like the best thing ever though! lol (And I think it only cost $40 cause we got it on black Friday!!!)

Wordless Wed

2009-12-09T07:15:00.001-08:00

Wordless Wed (I couldnt wait!)

2009-12-08T15:11:00.001-08:00

What im stuffing stockings with this year....

2009-12-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

Enough said right? When I was a little girl we always got oranges for Christmas in the toe part of our stockings. Well my family has recently rediscovered Cuties and we LOVE them! The baby could eat 10 a day if I would let her! (She loved oranges last year too though!) SO these little yummies will for sure be a big part of stockings this year.

Other than that I do toothbrushes, body washes/lotion/cologne, candy, little trinkets and toys including stickers, and im not sure what else right now... We didn't do stockings last year cause we were at disneyland...

SO what are you Christmas stocking staples? And while we are at it- do you have a limit on how many gifts your kids get from Santa? If so what is it?

Piggy paint review and special discount!

2009-12-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

I came across the Piggy Paint company a while back and have been LUSTING over all of their products for quite some time now! They make nail polishes and removers that are non toxic, odorless and kid friendly! This caught my eye immediately! Even though I am the 1st born in a family of 4 daughters, my nails were painted from the time I was born! In fact, my dad, who is a many construction guy, hunter, farmer macho man had the job of painting the nails before church each Sunday! SO when my baby was born it was only natural that he take his job back over and painted her nails as soon as we brought her home from the hospital!
(my mom and sisters holding her toes while they dry! lol) So naturally hearing about non toxic, non toxic smelling nail polish instantly caught my eye! I contacted Piggy paint and they offered to let me review their polish in girls rule! I was so excited and couldnt wait to get it and try it out!

I was also sent a bottle of their non toxic nail polish remover, which I am VERY excited about! This stuff doesnt smell bad AT ALL and it works wonders! I have never used polish remover on Ray Ray because it smells TERRIBLE! Plus, when I was 2 I drank an entire bottle of it.... so I figure better safe than sorry, we will just keep it out of the house!

As for the polish- I am VERY impressed! I wondered how it was going to work, and after ready you should put 3 coats on I was a bit skeptical, but I used 1 coat and it covered GREAT! Plus, I sniffed the bottle and it smelled good! No like most polish that can clear out a room just by opening the bottle! Also it dried in a flash! The baby was SO excited! She gets her nails painted a lot and is never this excited about it......
Showing me her pretties!
Big grins
Look mom!
Then she started dancing and running around the house like a mad woman!

Here is a little bit about piggy paint the company!

Why is Piggy Paint™ Nail Polish the safe nail polish choice for children?

Non-toxic
Low Odor
Water-based formula
Hypoallergenic
Fun, vibrant colors
Dries to a hard, durable finish

Piggy Paint™ is specially formulated from God’s natural ingredients and dries to a hard, durable finish. There are no toxic chemicals; it’s free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, Bisphenol A, ethyl acetate and acetone. Click here to see how our polish compares!

Say good-bye to harsh, smelly chemicals and hello to Piggy Paint™…it’s as Natural as Mud!

Piggy Paint™ Ingredients

Water, water-miscible acrylic resins and thickeners (well below 100 parts per million), glycol ethers. May contain mica, D&C red lake, ultramarine blue, iron and titanium oxide pigments.

Piggy Paint™ Nail Polish Remover

Why is Piggy Paint™ Nail Polish Remover the best choice for your little girl?

Low Odor
Made from natural ingredients
No Acetone
Hypoallergenic
Biodegradable

Put harmful, smelly polish removers behind you with Piggy Paint™ Nail Polish Remover, a remover that works quickly on all polishes, especially Piggy Paint™ Nail Polish. Our remover is safe to use and contains none of the solvents that could offend your nose or harm our atmosphere. Aloe Vera and Vitamin E are added to supplement the natural oils that protect little one’s nails and cuticles.

Ingredients - Corn alcohol, butyl diglycol, Aloe Vera extract, Vitamin E, embittering agent.

Warning: Because Piggy Paint™ Nail Polish Remover is flammable when heated, do not use or store near heat or an ignition source. Keep out of reach of children, and always have an adult supervising while using this product.

SO do you want some piggy paint of your own? They have kindly offered a coupon code for all of my readers to receive 15% off of any order! Plus you get free shipping on orders of $25 or more! The coupon code is RAISE15L and is valid until January 31 2010! They have some seriosly great products and these things would make a GREAT stocking stuffer for those little girls in your life!

Follow them on twitter.com/piggypaint & Facebook for secret sales and special offers! And go to their web site @ piggypaint.com to check out what they have to offer!

WAHOOOO!

2009-12-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

Im at 302 post now! wahoo! I promise that review I mentioned will be posted tomarrow- but for today, I have something even COOLER to tell you about! Yesterday I saw a post on freebies 4 mom (GREAT website by the way!) about how it is LEE brand jeans 120 anniversary! How cool is that? Well to celebrate they are offering up 120 pairs of their new style of Jeans FOR FREE EVERY DAY in December! Woot Woot! Thats a LOT of jeans! All you have to do to enter to win is go here and become a fan on facebook of lee jeans. That page should take you straight though if you find the link that says "win free jeans" you just go and fill out your size and your address and you are automatically entered to win! and guess what?

I WON I WON I WON!!!!!!!!!

So in 4-6 weeks a brand new pair of LEE brand jeans will be waiting for me on my doorstep! :) Im excited! (especially because they come in long!) DOnt tell, but im totally signing DH up tomorrow!

Worldless Wed

2009-12-02T08:41:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Stocking Tutorial

2009-12-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

The time has come- no more slacking! My weekly tutorials start NOW- so come back next week for an Advent calender tutorial!

First you need to pick out some cute fabric! I chose a flannel. This is a cute choice, but the edges all need to be zig zagged because if you ever wash them they will fray like crazy! A cute cotton woven would be super cute too! 1 yard of fabric can make 3 stockings for sure, but most likely 4! So get at least enough of the main sock fabric and then get half that much of the top cuff fabric. Make sure if you ever plan to expand your family that you buy extra fabric- that would be sad for a future child not to have one! (Or you could just make new ones every couple years!)

First off- find a stocking that you think is the perfect size. Dont have one? If you want it bigger, decide how much bigger and divide it by 2 and cut that much extra all the way around. Want it smaller, do the same thing but cut inside the pattern. (Who would want a SMALLER stocking though?!?) If you dont have a stocking you think will work, go check out my friend Bonnie's awesome tutorial- she has a GREAT template that is perfect size! (All of her patterns are fabulous and she is a total doll! I would recomend anything she sells!)

This is the absolute hardest part! You need to cut a cuff piece that is approximately 1/2 inch larger than the top of your stocking. You want to measure how thick you might want the cuff part and then double it plus about 1/2 inch also so that when you fold it in half so the raw edges are hidden it will be perfect! You also want to have a fold so that there is only 1 seam in the top cuff part. Hopefully you can sort of see how I cut- mine was about 1 inch too big! Better safe than sorry because you can trim it down before you sew, but it gets kind of confusing and scary! lol. its ok though, you use so little fabric that if you screw up it is ok!
Now you are ready to sew! Be SEW excited! :)
fold your 6 inches of ribbon in half and place it about 1 inch above the bottom of the seam of the cuff part. This will be your hook part and you dont want it to catch in your seam, so make sure it is at least 1/3 inch above the raw edge. Now you will sew a straight seam and a zig zag edge making sure to catch both piece of the raw edge of ribbon in the seam so it is secure to hang!Sew a straight line and then zig zag the edges around the whole sock piece of the stocking, obviosly you will not sew the straight opening end.....

Now to put on the top trim. You want to fold it in half and mark the half point with a pin, as well as the seam side. These will match up with the seams of the sock. Make sure the seam part of the top (the side with the ribbon) is on the straighter edge of the stocking because it will hang weird if you put it on the foot part side. Make sure the ribbon piece of the top is also touching the right side of the fabric so that when you fold it out it will be showing and not tucked inside! Pin the pinned sides to the side seams of the sock. Now sew a straight line being sure not to catch the ribbon in your seam! Zig zag the edge.

You are done! Make sure to zig zag all your seams if you havnt already! Turn it right side out and admire your work! You can iron the seams down if you want, or not- it is up to you!
Here they are! Arnt they cute?
Now all you need is to embroider some names on there! I always drawn on the names in White crayon and then trace them with the embroidery thread- easiest way!

Wallah! I set them on the counter and im waiting for DH to say something about them... we will see how long it takes! :)

TV Tuesday

2009-12-01T15:20:00.000-08:00

Brandy over at THE BUZZ hosts a blog hop on Tuesdays called "TV Tuesday". She had a long week last week and hasnt had time to watch tv yet this week, so I figured I would give this my first try and share my TV Tuesday with you! Although it is MUCH different than hers and probably some of yours, I would love to hear what you think about some of the shows I watch!

All My Children
Oh MY GOSH! Amanda- what the crap were you thinking?!? So you have to live in Davids house another month- you do NOT sleep with him just to conceive his baby... yikes! And Jakes reaction when she told him utoh! (I havnt watched yet today, I have to wait until the baby goes to bed, but let me tell you- I am excited!) Do you think David will tell her he isnt Trevors dad? I really hope he does! I love Jake and Amanda's relationship!
I also totally think Brock and Natalia need to be together too!
As for Kendyl and Zach.... Utoh! I hope Zach gets over himself and decides to go after her! They are such a cute family! And I DO NOT like Adin!
I am not going to lie to you- I was kind of hoping Annie was going to die..... I am so over the Annie and Adam thing- and Scott makes me want to hurl!

GENERAL HOSPITAL
Let me just tell you- I LOVE this show! I am SOOOO glad that Jacks and Carli are back together! That was kind of weird when they broke up.... I have decided I dont like their oldest son though- he is kind of a spaz!
I loved how the girls tried to set their mom up with Max! hehe
This whole Franko thing is freakin me out a little bit.... Tortured artist? Understatement of the year? And I cant beleive Maxi slept with him!
I love the whole Sam and Jason bit! But I cannot stand the Elisabeth and Lucky saga or the
I am on the edge of my seat wondering when Christina's boyfriend is going to find her wanting an older naughty boy.... He is a nut job!

Ugly Betty
This season has been a bit strange! Im not sure about the toned down Betty... I sure am gald that Daniel is over that whole "pheonix" thing- that was creapy! DH and I thought they were going to make them commit suicide with that tea! I am also glad that Neiko is gone- that whole bit was weird from the start! Like she hates her mom one year and is best friends with her the next- we smelt something fishy! And Justin isnt gay huh..... RiGhT.....

Im excited to watch the biggest looser tonight! I LOVED the "where are they now": special! I love to watch the finale just to see what people from old seasons look like! DH and I am rooting for Danny!

What shows are you watching? Go to the BUZZ and link up and see what others are watching!

Think about it Sunday- 2 year olds....

2009-11-29T17:36:00.000-08:00

See that sweet face? Well I know it is hard to believe but there are *many* times each day when she is just a bit more than I can handle! Terrible two's have been with us since she turned 1 or before, but they seem to be getting much worse! She has a VERY short attention span. She loved to color and is into a real stacking kick right now. I need some ideas on good ways to distract her... I mean keep her entertained! Things she can do on the floor, quietly.... Since it is also Christmas time I figure now is the time to ask what your kids fav toys were when they were 2. Lets get some ideas!

Also, this is post 297! I have a really cool review post coming for 300 that includes and awesome discount code for a great product! So be on the lookout for that most likely Tuesday or Wed!

Im so thankful!

2009-11-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

We had a great thanksgiving and I hope you did too! We just ate with my parents and family and then stopped by the big family party on our way home. We ate too much and had a great time! Best of all, we came home and put up our Christmas! This is BY FAR my favorite thing about the day after Thanksgiving! DH and I bought a tree and all the lights the year before we got married and I am SO thankful we did, because we have pretty much been broke ever since! HAHA. Its just a fairly barren fake tree that we spend hours wrapping lights around and some silver balls and all the ornaments are hand made! Most are wooden and painted by me, some are made by friends and a few extra special ones we bought! Each year I try to get a special orniment for each of us- some times it works, some times not so much! (They are SO expensive!) But one of our favorate parts that makes our tree special is the awesome, working steam train that runs around the track around our tree, tooting and blowing toxic smoke into the air! SO fun and the baby LOVES it! She didnt get a nap last night so she got put to bed before we even started putting up the tree. We thought- "hey, she will LOVE this, lets go wake her up and show her!" NOT a good idea! She hated it and screamed until she was back in bed, where she instantly fell back to sleep..... But she loved it this morning when she woke up! :)

We dont do black Friday- too many people, too much camotion and it just doesnt even sound fun! So today we have been putting up more Christmas and relaxing as a family! Pandora sure makes a great "Country Christmas" station! :)

Heres hopeing you and yours had a great Thanksgiving and that you are getting ready for the holidays to come!

Wordless Wed

2009-11-25T06:41:00.000-08:00

Big Sale from Black Wedenszday until Monday!

2009-11-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to announce that I am having a HUGE sale at both my etsy sites! BUY 1 GET 1 FREE!!! This is a KILLER deal! (2 hats for $15?!?) This sale is going on at both of my stores Oh baby boutique and Payley . Make sure you take advantage of this sale! And if you have a custom request please let me know! If you buy, please buy the item of greater value and then in the message to seller please let me know what you want your free item to be! Make sure you include colors and sizes too!

Also, have you see this list of stores offering huge deals tomarrow? well go check it out and be sure to support moms trying to make some extra money this Holiday season by making you one of a kind products!!

LIST FOR BLACK WEDENSDAY

My friend Callie could use your help!

2009-11-23T11:10:00.000-08:00

My friend Callie Robbins has been giving the AMAZING chance of a lifetime to win a FREE lapband surgery from the surgical weight loss center of Utah. She is a young mother of an almost 1 year old little girl and she knows how much this will change her life! I told her I would pass some info on to you and ask you for your help in helping cast your vote for her win! She is in the lead right now, but every single vote counts! Can you even imagine what winning something like this could do for someones life?!?!? Here is a word from Callie so you can read a little about her! There is also a little bio about her on the website! VOTE NOW You can vote every day!

From Callie-

First of all, I'm going to throw my pride out the window and ask you to throw your judgements out as well. I am in need of your help to try and win a contest of great importance to me.

About 2 weeks ago I entered a contest online for a Free Lap Band Surgery from the Weight Loss Center of Utah. I have been selected from over a thousand applicants as a finalist.

I have struggled with my weight for the last 10 years and took this opportunity to hopefully have an aid for a permanent solution. I know that not everyone agrees with the use of surgery as a "solution" to weight problems. I however, know myself well enough that I need something to somewhat FORCE me to get my weight under control.

I don't need this surgery to be happy, because I'm a very blessed person and already have joy in my life. The choices that got me where I am today are my own and are my responsibility. I don't see this as an easy way out, but something that is going to give me determination and dedication to get healthy, for me and for my family.

I'm asking for your support and petitioning your votes. I would greatly appreciate it. You can vote once a day. Please vote EVERY DAY!!!

http://www.freelapbandcontest.com/vote.html

Thanks!!

Callie Robbins

Free Lap-Band Contest | Surgical Weight Loss Center of Utah

Source: www.freelapbandcontest.com

My silly girl HATES chickens!

2009-11-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

We are pet/ house sitting all week for a family with LOTS of pets.... 4 chickens, 6 fish, 2 cats, 2 dogs, 1 horse, 2 rabbits, 1 sheep..... Ray Ray LOVES animals and has been having a blast! She does NOT like the super friendly chickens who love kids and want to peck the button on her pants.... She is quite amusing to watch lecture them! If you need a good laugh this is a great one I think! So what animals do your kids not like?

It sucks to be poor!

2009-11-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

Seriously.... I hate it! Christmas is going to be such a bust this year- but that is ok- we will make it work! I have some awesome things in the works for hand made gifts, but time, time, time..... I have finished my homework and I am now working on an externship and then I will be able to move onto employment! Only problem is that I have to do 100 hours of work by December 15... that is A LOT, especially with a husband, daughter, 2 buisnesses, orders, demands, house work, visiting, driving DH to and from..... yikes- it is going to be quite the complicated process! Not to mention one of the main things I need to make my externship easier is NOT working and it is driving me NUTS and making everything at least 200% harder... so lets hope I figure it out soon! And we just found out that not only do we have to house sit for DH's boss's animals for the next 9 days, (driving 5 miles there and back twice a day) we are also not getting paid for this AT ALL.... uh..... who does THAT? Also, DH was told her got Thanksgiving because he has to work Halloween, Christmas AND Newyears- well he found out this morning they lied! So he is NOT happy, and there goes my babysitter! :(

So on to the fun stuff- I am going to do a stocking tutorial as well as a advent callender tutorial this weekend, so be on the look out for that! As for now, I am going to try to come up with a list of things I am going to make this year for our homemade Christmas-
DD- Alphabet magnets, Doll, crochet stuffies, crochet play food, new dress, new quilt for bed, chalkboard mat.
DH- New scrubs? Pillow case, remote control caddy, And now I will be looking online the rest of the day because that is a pretty pitiful list for him! HAHAHAHA

SO what are you making or getting the fam this year. I expecially need ideas for DH!

Wordless Wed

2009-11-18T07:06:00.000-08:00

Check out My STORE for more info!

Mom contest #2

2009-11-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

The winner of mom contest #1 was Brandy at The Buzz . So now we are on to the next mom contest. This contest is called- "How fast can you change a diaper"? SO here are the rules- (I need to explain a bit better so no one gets confused....)
#1. This contest is to see who can change a baby the fastest. Dont have a baby, well you can practice on someone elses baby, a doll, or wait until next week! :)
#2. You will need a stop watch or clock of some sort- we want accuracy here people!
#3. Diaper change must start with pants on and end with pants on. meaning you take pants completely off, take off old diaper, put on new diaper and put pants back on. Once pants are back on you stop your time!

Lets see who can do this the fastest! Make sure to leave a comment and your post link in McKlinky so we can all come see how you did! Contest ends at 12 midnight next Tuesday night!

I got tagged

2009-11-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Brandy over at the buzz tagged me in a photo tag. The point is to go to the 1st folder on your computer and post the 10th picture in that folder. Well, since my computer just lost ALL my pictures AgAiN all I have is what is on my camera card, and here is the 10th picture.....

I dont know what these pictures are.... I can see she is eating string cheese and is in the backyard playing, but that is about it hehe! Crazy how much they change in 6 months isnt it! I do know that I got that dress at Walmart for $2 and was pretty proud of it! hehe I tag
Jackie
Too many hats
Amy

Think about it Sunday- whats for dinner?

2009-11-15T16:19:00.000-08:00

As a little girl we had a roast for Sunday dinner EVERY week. Each week the same, roast, carrots and some kind of potatos. I switched from liking carrots to hating them, and the same with the other components of the meal- it gets kind of old EVERY Sunday. Then when I got older we would rotate between Turkey Breast, Turkey Steak ( anyone had one of THOSE before?!?) And roast. I pretty much swore I wouldnt make my family eat roast on Sundays, but I have come to the conclusion that it is the quickest and best meal to pop into the crock pot in the morning and be ready to eat when we get home from church- so this is what we eat most Sundays! hehe, or else it isnt anything special! I like having a good meal for my family, and I like having meat for sandwiches for DH's lunch for the rest of the week too! Today I made roast with carrots drenched in season salt and splashed with orange juice. Then I made twice baked potatos too. DD liked them out of the bowl, which is SO weird because she has not liked potatos one time in her life that I have tried to feed them to her! But DH refused to eat them once they were done because "they smell weird". It makes me mad I try sometimes! lol
I was suprised and happy to see that the baby ate EVERYTHING (ok, not the potato on her plate, but in the bowl!) She ate all the meat and all the carrots on her plate! YIPEE!

So what do you have for Sunday dinner at your house? What did you eat when you were growing up for Sunday dinner? Have any big family traditions that involve Sunday's or Sunday dinner? Lets hear them! Make a seperate blog post and link up, or just leave me a comment!

Treats the kids can help with!

2009-11-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the serious lack in posting. It started with my computer cord going out last weekend, and then when I turned on my computer on Thursday it crashed.... Awesome! So anyway, I am back now with a new computer cord and im ready to get back at it!

So last night we were board around here, and "I hungy" so we made some pizza! Boo Boo had a TON of fun and I am convinced this is one of those meals any aged kid would love to help with!

Ingredients:
1 tube Pillsbury pizza dough
1 jar pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce
pizza toppings (we used pepperoni)

So all you do is spread out the dough on a grease pan. Pop open the sauce and give your kid a spoon. Show them how to spoon and spread it on and let them go to town. Mine was pounding the spoon onto the dough because she thought that was what I was doing... made some fun holes in the dough lol!
Then let them spread out the cheese
Then we put our toppings on and cover with another layer of cheese.
(Mine wanted to see how it tasted I guess.... She took a big handful out lol!)
Cook as directions say and make sure to praise your kid about being the chef for the night! No brain activity that can save your sanity and make your kids super proud of themselves for "making dinner!"

Completely free Christmas cards!!!

2009-11-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like me- poor- well then you will really appreciate the deal that they have going on over at seehere photo sharing. Freebies 4 mom has teamed up with the company and they are offering 50 FREE photo cards plus completely FREE shipping! I ordered mine this morning because it has been quite slow lately with everyone trying to take advantage of the deal! The price went from $39.50 down to $0.00 with the coupon code freebies4mom-1109 at checkout. They have close to 40 cute designs and this deal can be used on ANY of their cards, not just Christmas cards! So head on over there now and dont forget to tell all your friends!!! This offer lasts until November 30 so there is still plenty of time!

Sorry for the lack of posts....

2009-11-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

Things have been a little crazy around here lately.... I finally finished my homework and am moving on to my externship- well that is once I get a new plug for my laptop... also a reason for the lack of posting! As soon as I finished my homework and was getting excited for a weekend away from home, of CoUrSe the baby gets sick, which all you moms out there know what that means- yep, now im sick too! I can handle the runny nose and fever, but coughs drive me NUTS! Poor baby was coughing every 3-5 seconds last night without stop! I had taken her to the dr. earlier in the day in hopes of geting some medicine, but he was more concerned with the lingering cough she has had for over 3 months.... So he sent us for chest x-rays.... Raise your hand if you have had to sit through one of these watching your child in the plastic torture be- NOT my idea of fun.

Everything turned out fine and he gave her some meds to try to make the cough go away. Good for the long term, BAD for the short term. She has been coughing so hard tonight that she just puked ALL down my shirt- this is what being a mom is all about.....

If you dont have kids yet- look what you get to look forward to!

Awards time!

2009-11-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

I want to start off by saying that I love each and every one of my followers and commenters! When I started this blog last year I didnt know if anyone was even going to care what I have to say, but you guys have proved me wrong and stuck by me weather I have something good going on or not! I am sorry I have been slacking lately- we are sick and I have been working my bum off trying to finish up my schooling! Also, my computer cord completely pooped out on me (3rd one in 3 years!) and now I cant even turn my computer on to finish my last bit of homework! But I will be getting better as things start to slow down, and I will be coming back with lots of fun Christmas crafts and recipes! If you are a new follower please leave me a comment so I can come check out your blog and say hello! I love to get to know my readers!
This week I received lots of awards! I got the one lovely blog award from Lady Laduke .
The requirements to receive this award say that I should pass it along to 15 blogs I think are lovely!
Beth @ Laugh until you cry
Apples at the chapel
Creatively crafty baby
Natalie @ No sex and the city
Olga @ Twinsprational runner
Joy @ not quite newlyweds anymore
Shana @ Blaze 'n' crochet
Daddy's chicks
Christina @ Little BGCG
3 peas in a pod
A pocket full of posies
Christy @ A lil dash of diva
Trisha @ lived to blog about it
Kari @ p.s. love. love
A little piece of heaven

I received both the Honest Scrap award and the friendly blogger award from Amy over at Keeping up with the Schultz family . She has such a fun blog and always has the best comments! If you have not met her yet I encourage you to stop by her blog and say hello! The rules of this award are-

Honest Scrap Award Rules:

Requires that I write 10 honest things about me, and then I have to pass it on to 7 people with blogs “I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.”

1. My bed has to be made first thing every morning for my day to be a good one.
2. I must have cold water by my bed in order to sleep.
3. I use nap time to watch soap opera's.
4. My family eats veggies VERY rarely.
5. My daughter is exclusively cloth diapered and I have made 95% of them.
6. I drink Nestle breakfast mix for breakfast every morning.
7. I have a VERY hard time folding and putting away laundry.
8. I drive my husband to and from school multiple times EVERY day.
9. I think handmade gifts are the best kind and will be doing a 95% handmade Christmas.
10. I HATE it when people bring their kids to your house or the park or anywhere and dont tell you they are sick, or brag about how they were sick all morning but when you told them you were going to the park they perked right up. (True story that has resulted in us being sick now.... :( )

Now for my 7 bloggers
Jen at Baby Makin Machine - If you didnt know yet she is finally pregnant and I couldnt be more happy for her! She is such a great blogger and a great friend! I have really enjoyed getting to know her! Plus she always has GREAT giveaways!

Sarah @ Minnesota Mama's must haves- She has the best giveaways and her blog is lots of fun!

Danyelle @ Queen of the clan- She has a great blog and I always learn lots from her!

Katz @ My endless day of diaper changes always has a funny story!

My life or is it SHe is a great inspiration to us all!

Too many hats Love this blog! And I love when she shares her meal plans!

Heather@ A day with Jake I love to read about what her little guy is up to this week!

Jackie @ House of sarager She always has a new idea or project and I love reading about them!

Wordless wed

2009-11-04T10:22:00.000-08:00

Enjoying her first tuna sandwich- she LOVED it!

Crunchy Tuesday and randomness

2009-11-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry I have been slow lately, I havnt had the motivation to do much of anything lately haha- So today I was thinking for Crunchy Tuesday we should do a recipe swap that involves fall veggies. Squash, pumpkins, carrots and onions are just a few of the very plentiful veggies in season right now and everyone could use a few new ideas- so leave one if you have one!

On a side note- if you want to enter your kids/self/SO in the halloween costume contest send me an email to ohbabyboutique@live.com and I will get them up after I get a few more!

So as I was thinking about the fall veggies I decided to chuck our carved pumpkins. We have one each that DH and I carved and then there was one he stuck a big pumpkin welcoming sign lawn thing into, and it was looking a little wet where it was sitting. So I grabbed the top of that one and one of the carved ones and headed to the garbage. I made it to the 2nd apartment past ours in our 6plex and what do you know, the bottom fell out of the stick one. I frantically tried to scoop the contents back in because it was right on said apartment's front step! As I am doing so about 10 HUGE and very scary looking spiders came running out AGH! The mold, the hotness of the rot and the nastyness.... oh my goodness, I am sure you can only imagine! SO happy late Halloween neighbors... uh, Sorry bout that!

Think about it Sunday

2009-11-01T13:54:00.001-08:00

Since we are all still thinking Halloween, I will ask-
What was the best costume you ever dressed up in?
I have never had a hugly elaborate costume, in fact, mine were bought from the store every year- so nothing too exciting! I do remember being a genie once lol

And what do you think about daylight savings time? I think it sucks that it is only 3 and feels like 6:30... Plus baby woke up at 6 and took a 45 minute nap.... (usually 2-3 hours) so it is going to be a long night! Plus im not sure if I put her to bed early, same time or late tonight lol

A giveaway

2009-10-31T18:15:00.001-07:00

Been wondering how you can get your hands on something perticular from my shop? Well now is your chance! Minnesota Mama is having a big baby shower bash and she is giving away a hat set! Plus a special discount to her readers (hint hint) so pop on over there and enter and see the cute things I made for her! Dont forget to email me your Halloween pictures for the costume contest!!

Costume Contest

2009-10-30T08:14:00.001-07:00

I am going to have a costume contest on THIS blog! SO snap some cute pictures tonight and tomorrow and send them my way! Send all costume pictures to ohbabyboutique@live.com and I will put them all up on Monday morning with a poll and we will have a week to vote! The winner of the contest gets bragging rights, as well as their choice of anything they want me to make them! :) SO hurry, get me some cute pictures of your kids!!!

Things im working on Thursday

2009-10-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

As the weather has been turning colder my crafts have switched to cold weather musts! I have made a lot of warm hats including a special one for DH- he was pretty excited!

Also lots of pairs of warm longies! I am working on 4 pairs right now... I know, if I worked on 1 at a time I could finish them, but having 2 crocheted and 2 knit projects means when I loose my crochet hook (like when DH finds it in his backpack LOL) or when I run out of yarn, then I can go onto another project! hehe. Pix of those when they are finished!

I have also been making lots of sets of warm jammies! I have a few more to make and a bunch for CHristmas, but I am waiting until the big $2 flannel sale on black Friday- which I am going to have to brave myself this year because DH has to work! :(

ALso how could I forget Minnie's costume! I just think she looks SOOO cute in it! Her most favorate things to do right now is the "hot dog dance" (if you have seen Micky Mouse CLub house you know what I mean! ) It is SOOOO funny!

SO what have you been working on this week?

You can make this!

2009-10-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

I came across this FABULOUS website a couple of months ago. It is called You Can Make This They have some of the most darling patterns I have ever seen, and patterns for everything! For the rest of this week they are offering free downloads of a couple of their patterns, including a to die for cute "recipe" for filled tutu's! SO head on over there before Halloween and pick up your free copy!! Let me know what you think!

Wordless Wed

2009-10-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

bLOG HOP- FAMILY FUN

2009-10-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

Today's blog hop is all about family fun, and since this fits into the theme of my blog I have decided to give you a few ideas I have on how to have family fun for cheap or free!

**The first thing is an idea I talked about HERE and I am VERY sad to say that in my neighborhood I must have picked 2 dud families because it just completely stopped- yes, I was hoping for every door in the complex to be complete with a darling little ghost and have the pride to think I started the whole thing- but no, the people I took them to didnt even put the ghosts in their windows, let alone pass it along- SAD!

**This costs a little bit of money but is SOOO fun! When my DH was growing up his mom owned a day care. Every Halloween they would go trick or treating on a big trailer and then they would come back to the house and have crumb donuts and "Witches Brew". He was kind enough to share the recipe with us! 1 bottle of apple cider, 1 pound of dry ice. Make sure your container is big enough and put the dry ice in the bottom of it and pour the cider on top. It will bubble and smoke and make the cider carbonated and SO yummy! Kids think this is GREAT! Try it, I promise your kids will love it!

** Carving pumpklins is a no brainer- but everything is more fun with a contest involved! (This works with costumes too!) Go to the dollar store and buy each of your kids a small treat or toy then tell them you are going to have a contest for best family pumpkin or best costume and let them go to town with their creativity. Once they are ready to be judged hand them all out a special prize! It is also a blast to have your kids come up with their own costumes that just come from random pieces around the house!

**Going apple or pumpkin picking is always a favorate activity! Get your kids involved in the process from harvesting to preserving (or whatever you happen to do with your harvests!) Most towns have orchards and patches that will let you pick your own stuff and pay buy the pound, check around because it is MUCH more fun that getting things at the store!

Those are just a few of my ideas! Cant wait to hear what you have to say! Make sure you sign up and leave me a link to where I can find your ideas! And if you are new- dont forget to become a follower and say hello!

Think about it Sunday

2009-10-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

Todays topic- How did you meet your husband?

I met my husband when I was in Southern Utah going to college. We were in the same institute (religious study) class, but we never talked. He sat in front of my friend and I, and we just figured they were stuck up guys who were always talking about Vollyball! hehe. So the summer came and went and we found ourselves back at school but in a different apartment complex.

My BFF Brandi were sitting on the porch in my porch swing ( yes, we were THAT cool that we had a porch swing on our balcony! lol) And we were being silly and eating Rhodes dinner rolls. (She is extremely picky and only eats about 10 foods...) It was the week before school started I think, maybe the weekend before- anyway, we were hollaring and being idiots at the people walking by. SO we are yelling and being dumb and these boys walk up the stairs and come and sit in front of us and start talking to us. The one is saying things like- "I know you guys" and we were all creaped out and wondering how in the world.... But if you know my husband (which 99.9% of you DONT) You would know that he looks 100% different when his hair is long and when his hair is short! (His hair had been neck long in class and was now VERY short) So anyway, we decided that maybe he was the same guy (after he had told us over 10 times!) My friend decided that she would just start hanging out with him because he asked her for her # so they could study for their sign languadge class.... Turns out she was NOT happy when she thought she had a date with him and it turned out he set her up with a friend and wanted to hang out with me!

She is over it now though- I hope... hey- some things are just ment to be!

I cant wait to read all the stories about how you met YOUR husbands!