Vacation!

We are headed to the beach this afternoon. I am in serious need of a vacation, but have my doubts on whether this will even be the relaxing week I need. What is it about getting ready for a vacation that stresses me out beyond belief? I have to get all the laundry done so that everyone has clean clothes and diapers (yeah, cloth diapers- more on that later). Then I have to make sure the dishes are done because I don't want dirty dishes sitting in the dishwasher for a week growing who knows what kind of science experiment in there. Then there is the packing for me and the girls. I should do Trenton's packing because he always forgets something important like boxers if I leave it up to him.

Let's not forget the mountain of baby gear that has to go too- stroller, pack and play with changing table attachment, exersaucer (ie- most likely cause of ADD in babies), floor blanket, assortment of toys, and don't forget the baby swing because Georgie refuses to nap anywhere else. I'm pretty sure we need a car three times the size of our current one just to fit the baby stuff. I'm glad Josie has outgrown the baby stuff. I just need to pack some books, some craft supplies like markers and stickers, and her blanket.

So here it is, 10:15 and I've only managed to pack my clothes and Georgie's clothes. Trenton is at work without having picked out a single thing to bring. The next few hours are going to raise my blood pressure I'm sure. Getting in the car won't be any better. Georgie isn't fond of doing anything that we want her to do unless it involves eating. The last 3.5 hour drive to the beach we made took 6 hours and 4 of those involved a screaming baby. Hopefully this trip will be easier.

When I get back, I'm sure I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation.

Coming Soon!

I'm excited to announce that I will be opening an Etsy shop soon! My fabric scraps and glue gun have taken over the kitchen counter and dining room table much to Trenton's dismay, but it's allowed me to get some of my projects complete. As soon as I get all the last details over shipping preferences settled, I'll be up and running. I'll be offering travel wipes cases, monogrammed hairbow holders, and embellished onesies so far. I'm really looking forward to having an outlet for my creativity.

Finishing touches

Josie has been in her big girl room for about 7 months now. I had her decor picked out for several months before then, but of course it took a while to get it painted and set up. Her bedding is purposefully mismatched with black, bright pink, and bright green, and Westies. We have a Westie, and Josie has always loved dogs so it was perfect for her! I was never able to find wall decor that I was happy with the style or the cost. I had given up until the most recent Pottery Barn Kids catalog came out. They had some adorable pictures on the wall in their nursery set ups that weren't for sale. They didn't even match Josie's room, but it gave me an idea. From the tiny picture, it looked as if it was a shape cut out of scrapbook paper and framed. Simple! I can totally do that.

Luckily my favorite craft store was having a sale on scrapbook paper and picture frames this week. I love Hobby Lobby! I pick up a few sheets of some black and white houndstooth print paper and a few sheets of bright pink with a textured look. Head over to the frame section and grab a plain black 18" x 24" frame. It took me just a few short hours (with a few nursing sessions and play time with Josie in between) to get it all finished.

I matched up my houndstooth papers to look completely seamless and fill the frame. Then I sketched out the Westie shape onto the pink paper. Because of the size picture I wanted, I had to seperate the head and body. To cover that seam, I used some ribbon I already had to make it look like a collar. Tape or glue the dog onto the background, load in frame, and voila! I am so pleased with how it turned out and for less than $25.

Arts and Crafts

I've always been a sucker for crafts. Maybe it goes back to the days in grade school where I had projects for book reports or science class, or the "craft nights" my girl friends and I had in high school. My mom was always able to figure out how to make my project ideas come to life. Luckily I've inherited that trait from her. I always have some sort of vision of perfection when it comes to craft projects. Some turn out better than others. For example, my mom and sister learned that making beaded votive holders are a lot harder than it looks. No one wants bead shrapnel flying every which way when you light the candle!


During my nesting phase while pregnant with Georgie, I was coming up with all sorts of projects to tackle. I wanted to redecorate the nursery on a tight budget, but I also wanted to keep myself busy so I wouldn't be counting down the minutes until she was born. I managed to sew up a crib dust ruffle, three curtains, and a pillow for the rocking chair. All those turned out relatively good. My sewing skills are fairly good as long as it's a simple pattern. I also tried my hand at modpodging some decorative paper onto name letters and a DIY mobile. Letters- perfect, mobile- I could use a little more practice on that one but not bad.

My most favorite creation so far has been the hairbow holder. I've made one for Josie and another for a friend. I love how they have turned out. I have a few others in the works for my nieces. Here is an example:

I've also started embellishing onesies. Babies with little ruffles on the butt are the cutest thing to me. Since I know how to gather and had some non-fraying material around, it was so easy to just whip one up. It's too cute on Miss Georgie!

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

I breastfed Josie for about 5 months, and have been breastfeeding Georgie for just over 3 months. It has been so much easier the second time around even though she wants to constantly nurse some days. I wish I had gone longer with Josie. The benefits of breastfeeding to mother and child are awesome! I'm looking forward to many more months of nursing Georgie.

Check out this link from Ameda to read about and listen to some inspiring reasons why women choose to breastfeed their children.
http://www.ibreastfeedbecause.ameda.com/



Regardless of your political affiliation, I think we can all agree that the new health legislation is making great strides for breastfeeding women (http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/07/20100730b.html):

"The Affordable Care Act that was enacted earlier this year takes some significant strides in support of breastfeeding. The new law requires employers to provide time and a safe space for women employees who want to express their milk. It also requires health plans to offer certain preventative services without cost-sharing requirements, including counseling and support for mothers who want to breastfeed and for nursing mothers."