Monday, May 30, 2011

43rd Mommy Mondays

Happy Memorial Day! Any fun plans you had this past weekend or for today?

Today my son is 2 1/2 years old! It's amazing how fast time flies! He has really grown in the last 6 months especially with his vocabulary. He speaks mostly in sentences now and shares what he's thinking. It's fun, but challenging. With all of his new words, it's actually harder to understand him because some of his words sound like more than one thing so I've had to guess what he's saying sometimes. Of course I'm better at it than my husand is since I'm home more.
He has done wonderfully with his baby sister. He doesn't seem jealous of her at all. He has seemed more emotional lately though and sometimes more defiant. We try to do special things with him though to make sure he still knows he's loved and special.
What things have you done to help your older one feel loved and special after having another baby? How did you tranisition from having 1-2 kids?

Since I've been posting "sadder" Mommy Moments, here's a funny one and hopefully not gross. When wearing my maternity pants and bending over, my pants would go down too far showing my bottom crack. My lovely husband taught our son, to stick his finger in my pants and tickle me to let me know my bottom was showing. Thanks!
What funny things have your kids done that might also be embarassing!?



Today will be the start of our first Mommy Mondays Linky Party! I've been wanting to do this for a while, but wanted to create a button for it. Well my site is going to have a new design, and then I'll create a button then.
You can link up any of your mom related stories for the past week: happy, sad, tough, silly, etc. I want to create a little support group of moms to share experiences.

Only Rule - Comment on the blog before yours, at least.

eFoods Global

eFoods Global is a premier food reserves company in Sandy, Utah. Our primary objective of "serve, save, share" is simple. SERVE eFoods' great products to friends and family, SAVE for the future and times of necessity, and SHARE with others through and Act of Kindness (AoK) to help them prepare.
Unlike other companies offering food storage that you put away for decades and never use, eFoods Global offers delicious food packaged in ways that is as practical to serve tonight as it is to save for years. This food is AWESOME! The texture is amazing and the flavor is out of this world! This is serious gourmet food, only for long term and short term reserves.
The objective of this campaign is to get people to take the "FOOD FREEDOM TOUR" by going to http://prepareandprosper.myefoodsglobal.com/. We want new prospects to try our food for FREE after watching a few short videos on why we should ALL be prepared with food storage for our families.


Wow this sounds awesome especially for Moms with New babies! It would be great for moms overall especially when you have sick kids. Hey both apply to me this past month! It would really be great to have these on hand also to help friends or family who are sick and have new babies. Sometimes you need something in a pinch to bring over to someone.
I wish I could be better with Food Storage! I'm going on the tour now!

Read more about them over here at Once Upon a Penguin, Avery Good Life,  The Post-It Place, and Momma D Jane


KidSwitch - The Glow-in-the-Dark Light Switch Extender for Kids!

KidSwitch is a glow-in-the-dark light switch extender, that can be used with either toggle or decora style light switches. KidSwitch can be installed and used on any single, double, triple, or more toggle or decora style switch plate. Right now, Kid Switch is offering a "Buy Two Get One Free"!

Check out more about this cool invention, KidSwitch, to help kids with the light switches over at Dandy Giveaway.

Friday, May 27, 2011

49th Fashionable Fridays

I designed these monthly "signs" for my daughter's onesies in Photoshop. Then I printed them onto Iron-on Transfer paper that you can buy at Wal-mart. Lastly I ironed it onto her onesie. Cute huh!!!


I still haven't been very fashionable lately do to all the sickness in my house. My baby girl and probably my husband (since he has to go to work) are the most fashionable in the house. But next month, I'll do a post with me wearing my first thrifted item!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

This is the first time I'm having a linky for Fashionable Fridays. I've been wanting to do this for sometime, but wanted to have a button. Since my blog will be going through a new design soon, I'll create a button then.
Share your fashion, family's fashion, make-up, hair, etc.

Only Rule - comment on the link before you!

Monday, May 23, 2011

42nd Mommy Mondays

I wanted to share with you our experiences with having croup and RSV in our home the past 3 weeks. It's a lot to read, but hopefully it can be informative. It has been tough dealing with such scary sicknesses in our young children all while I'm still recovering from having my baby and my husband being a little sick with a sore throat.

Croup
Three weeks ago, my husband and I woke up to scary noise this morning - the sound of our son "choking" coughing. It sounded like something was stuck in his throat. I pounded his back just in case and my husband got him to calm down so he would stop crying and coughing. We call his doctor's office. She said we could take him to the emergency room or wait to get an appt. We decided to wait since my husband got him to calm down. I called back when they were "open" to get an appt. We got the first appointment of 8:40am. What a long 2 hours to wait for that appt. My husband looked stuff up online, and we think it's croup....great!
We all pack up and go since I had my doctor appt. at 9am too. Our son got in pretty quickly so I was able to talk to the nurse too since my husband feels like he doesn't know what to say. The nurse think it's croup too and gives us ideas to help: steamy showers and then sitting outside wrapped up. I then take baby girl to my appt. while my husband waits to talk to the doctor. Yup Croup....
We then went to Walgreens to pick up a prescription for our son. We didn't have to get it, but figured anything to help us through the week, we'd try. They gave hims a cough depressant with some codeine in it to help him sleep. We gave some to him right before nap and got him to go to sleep. We didn't hear what we heard early this morning, but you could tell he sounded congested or something while he slept.
Before bedtime, my husband took a shower with him. Then we wrapped him up with a blanket and hat and my husband sat with him outside for a few minutes. We then gave him another dose of medicine before bed.
My husband slept in the room with our son. I woke up at least 3-5x to check to see if he was still breathing. A couple times, he woke up "barking" again. My husband and I both sat with him for a while. I tried not to cry since he sounded so bad. My husband had to yell at James to get him to calm down so that he would stop coughing. My husband then explained to him why he had to stop crying and then soothed him back to sleep.
What a great way to start off my 2nd week being along....a lot more tears and wishing family was around to help us.
I later learned from a friend that with croup, their throat swells up and they could turn blue and stop breathing..it happened to her sister several times when she was little. Scary! Luckily that never happened with James, but that sure made us more worried. He sounded perfectly fine during the day, but when he was asleep he sounded bad and then at night it was worse! Luckily it went away after about 4 days. We did our best to keep our son away from our newborn too - her doctor said she should be okay since she was nursing and there wasn't much we could do because she was already exposed.

RSV
A little over 2 weeks ago on a Friday night, my baby girl started having a little bit of a stuffy nose. By Sunday, she was starting to sound really bad, and we couldn't get anything out with the nose sucker/bulb syringe....thinking maybe it was because her nose is too tiny.

On Monday, I decided to call the doctor's office to ask for any tips to help get stuff out of her nose. If we hadn't switched to the family doctor and were still with the pediatricians, I wouldn't have called them because the pediatricians make me feel like I can only call in dire emergencies. With the family doctor, I didn't feel dumb for calling about a stuffed up nose. Well a nurse called me back and I asked about what tricks to help my baby girl, and she just said bring her in just in case it's RSV. Not what I expected to hear, but glad that I didn't have to fight to get an appointment. I took her at 4:15. The nurse shows me some tricks to get her nose cleared up. Use saline drops or water in her nose. Wait a little and suck it out with the bulb syringe.  The nurse then took a snot sample to test it for RSV. The doctor then checked her out. He also said I could use a wet Q-tip and showed me how to stick it in. He said her lungs sounded good. The nurse comes back in saying she is positive for RSV. I just took a deep breath, trying not cry there. The doctor said he wouldn't have guessed she had RSV because her lungs sounded good. He then tells me signs to look for to bring her to the hospital. So if she sounds like she's panting, call him and then we could take her to the hospital to get oxygen, and they'd watch her and clean our her nose. He said that days 2-3 were the worse so technically we should have been through it already since she's been stuffed up since Friday night. He said he couldn't give her any medicine that he usually gives for RSV since she's so little still. Then just to call him if I had any questions or concerns. I left and of course started bawling, driving while trying to soothe baby with a pacifier. (We started giving her a pacifier Sunday because it seemed to help her focus and stay calm so she could breathe a little better).

she now uses a Nuk pacifier which she seems to keep in better

I kept thinking how did she get this. She hasn't been to church or play group. Wal-mart? My older son and I going to church? My husband being sick with sore throat, etc? I feel like I'm to blame. Then I try to think from Heavenly Father's perspective. We must be pretty strong parents to receive the trial of my son having croup last week and now baby girl having RSV...right. Trying not to think about what others will think - like she should have stayed home....she must have brought her out a lot, etc. She wasn't even 3 weeks old yet.

A couple days after her first appointment, she sounded worse and was holding her breath a lot more when she was asleep or when she started crying. We took her in again. the doctor gave us a nebulizer with a prescription for albuterol. That really helped to get more stuff out of her.



We used that for a couple days, but then she one day she wouldn't go to sleep from 10pm to 5am and her breathing sounded accelerated as if she was hyperventilating. We ended up calling her doctor at 4am and he said that we shouldn't worry because she was awake...if she'd been sleepy and sounded like that then we should bring her in. Later my friend with Cystic Fibrosis explained that the albuterol sometimes makes you feel like that....so scary when you hear it in a baby! For now we've stopped the breathing treatments and if she starts sounding bad again, we'll give it to her during the day. She had 3 nights where she didn't sleep for 5+ hours.
Also we heard that our city (20,000 people) had the 2nd amount or largest cases of RSV this year.

Our baby girl is now a month old. She still has RSV which basically is a really bad cold, but with new babies, it's serious because they can't get the stuff out. She's not stuffed up anymore, but still has some congestion in her and just coughs badly time to time trying to get stuff out so much easier to deal with. We had to work a lot to get snot out of her nose. You never thought you'd be so excited to see so much snot, but we were when we got a lot out of her nose.

I designed her onesie and printed it using Iron-on Transfer Paper.

Overall though, we're doing a lot better in our home. I was getting pretty depressed with everything, but one my baby got RSV that depression went away. Not sure why it didn't go away when my son got croup...maybe because my baby was so new, it was a lot scarier having her sick.
Now that our baby girl is better, our son has been able to get close to her now. He seems much more at ease to be around her and touch her now. Before he'd just watch and look at her. He's such a big helper: giving her a pacifier, telling me when she was crying, talking to her, etc. I love watching them interact!


Me with my beautiful children
My hair is extra messy since my son likes to play with it...

Saturday, May 21, 2011

48th Fashionable Fridays - Paint that Nail

Happy Friday!! Today I will be doing this design. Its just a lot of glitter and a flower. You can use any colors you want too just have fun! 


2 coats of an OPI color but the name came off.

Paint your nails with a base coat to make your nails stronger, keep them from staining, chipping and breaking. Then paint your nail any color of your choice. 

1 coat of Milani Jewel FX gold  
Then do a diagonal line across your nail and then fill it in. It may need a couple coats to get even coverage. 

3 coats


The pink is OPI la paz-itively hot
In the center of your nail or where ever you chose make five dots with a bobby pin or a tooth pick.


Once it gets tacky which is when basically when you finish making the five dots on your one hand. Drag it with a tooth pick just poke it in the center and then pull the tooth pick outward. 
The center dot color is OPI purple with a purpose 
Just dot the middle of your flower add a topcoat and your done good luck!! 

Thank you so much Maryanne for letting me once again do an extra post!

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That gold polish is cool looking and I love flowers. Thanks Kristyn!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Guest Post - Memories by Christine

Hello! Christine from MBC Scrapbooking here with an easy paper craft that will make a fabulous gift and/or make your own life a lot easier:)

I found this grocery list idea over at Infarrantly Creative last winter, but as I'm strictly a paper crafting gal and not so much a "tools and drill bits" kind of gal, I fashioned my own clipboard- no tools needed!
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I embellished a magnetic chip clip (so it will stick on the fridge;) with two types of ribbon and some paper cutouts.
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The base of the clipboard is part of a cereal box covered in scrapbooking paper.
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A few extra flower cutouts finish out the back of the clipboard.
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Remember, just print out 26 copies of the file- there are two on each page so you'll have a year's worth of premade grocery lists!
If you like this concept, I have a free printable for household chores- print out 26 and you are set for the year as well! Check it out here:)
Thank you, Maryanne, and congratulations on your beautiful new addition to your family. I hope you guys are getting some rest and lots of snuggles in.
Love,
C:)

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Thanks so much Christine! Love that you just used a chip clip and some cereal box cardboard! How inexpensive and super cute!!

Monday, May 16, 2011

41st Mommy Mondays - Guest Post Top Etsy Shops for Baby Gear

Top Etsy Shops for Baby Gear
Baby toys, blankets, outfits and accessories offer limitless options for the creative crafter. But if you’ve just had a new baby, or if you’re a working mom, you just might not have the time to make your own. There are a wealth of options through Etsy, and we’ve rounded up some of our favorite shops for unique and creative baby gear. Here are our picks:

Mi Cielo (http://www.etsy.com/shop/micielomicielo?ref=seller_info)
We love the Star Wars-inspired onesies from this shop. You can choose from a range of classic characters on a variety of colored onesies, and can often opt to include a corresponding rattle. In addition to Star Wars characters, this shop carries other pop culture icons such as Mr. T and Elmo, as well as fun, cute animals.


Red and Company (http://www.etsy.com/shop/RedandCompany?ref=seller_info)
Only natural fibers (cotton, wool and bamboo) are used to create these organic and eco-friendly baby quilts and blankets. Quilts are available in a variety of colors and patterns, and custom orders are available. Onesies with matching bibs are also available.



Drops of Color (http://www.etsy.com/shop/dropsofcolorshop?ref=seller_info)
These adorable baby mobiles are available in custom colors to match your nursery or your décor. Help your little one drift off to sleep with these five little owls at bedtime, watched over by the stars and the clouds.


Surface Inspired (http://www.etsy.com/shop/surfaceinspired?ref=seller_info)
This Vancouver shop provides adorable decals for your nursery or child’s bedroom. Mischievous monkeys, wise owls, and playful elephants are waiting to bring color and life to your nursery. The decals stick on and can be removed.



Ruffled Bella Bums (http://www.etsy.com/shop/ruffledbellabums?ref=seller_info)
Who says diapers have to be frumpy? These cute diaper covers let your baby show off a little sass. Pick from a variety of colors and patterns or place a custom order.



Baby Blush Boutique (http://www.etsy.com/shop/babyblushboutique?ref=seller_info)
Find adorable shoes and booties for your little girl, with delicate flowers, feminine prints, and pretty ribbons. If you’re feeling more adventurous, the shop also sells sassy tutus in a variety of colors.



Pretty Baby Bowtique (http://www.etsy.com/shop/PrettyBabyBowtique?ref=seller_info)
This shop offers dainty headbands for your little girl, featuring beautiful flowers, delicate laces, and a whole palette of colors. Great for everyday wear or that special occasion!



Galerie Anais (http://www.etsy.com/shop/GalerieAnais?ref=seller_info)
These unique acrylic and cotton prints from France are paired with a loveable plushie for your little ones. Owls, giraffes, elephants, birds, monkeys, pirates and more are all available.



Lil’ Bundle of Joy (http://www.etsy.com/shop/LilBundleOfJoy?ref=seller_info)
Get a lil’ bundle of joy for your lil’ bundle of joy. This shop offers brightly colored plush toys and crinkle toys to stimulate your baby’s senses.



Loveable Baby Boutique (http://www.etsy.com/shop/loveablebabyboutique?ref=seller_info)
Get wild and sassy head pieces for your special little girl. These bold statement pieces can be worn every day or can be used to dress up an outfit for special occasions or pictures.



Bio: Born and raised in North Carolina, Heather Green has worked as a fashion and beauty consultant as well as freelancing for various wedding, fashion, and health publications. She currently acts as the resident blogger for Online Nursing Degrees where she’s been researching cardiac care nursing programs as well as home health nursing degrees.












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Thanks so much Heather! I have a lot more Etsy Shops to check out now! I especially love the mobiles, the ruffled bums, and head pieces.

Friday, May 13, 2011

47th Fashionable Fridays - Olivia

 Welcome my fashionable sweet friend, Olivia today!
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Ever get tired of reaching into the closet and pulling out the same old thing? wishing you had a little more pop in your wardrobe? Well I'm here to show you a few quick and easy tips to get more use out of accessories that you already have!

*For the first look, all you will need is some ribbon and a brooch or pin of your choice (You could even make one- There are tutorials for flower pins all over the internet).
 First, pin together so the cardigan meets in the middle, then tie a ribbon around your waist and let the knot sit on the top of the pin. Easy as that and spruces up your look for a feminine touch.


*Grab a light weight scarf-any color or fabric- and tie it to the handle of your favorite purse. Gives a great pop of color and visual interest to an otherwise very basic purse.

*Belt it! This is a sure way to have a pulled together look. Experiment and set the belt at different spots on your waist. Cinch it up a little higher for a great hourglass look, or wear it slung low on your hips for a more casual look.










Be creative and most importantly, be YOU!
Fashion is meant to be fun!


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Olivia also has a friend, that just re-opened her online clothing site, OnlineDiva. Check it out!
Thanks for those fun, creative ideas! I had never heard of the first two. The scarf on the purse pretty sweet idea.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

46th Fashionable Fridays

Sorry this is late. My son had croup last week and I just found out yesterday, my baby girl has RSV. = (
So things will be going a lot slower over here.

Here's Kristyn from Paint that Nail with som super fashionable nails!
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Its Fashionable Friday again! Today I will be showing how to do leopard and zebra print. 
First you're going to paint your nails a gold... in my case I did one coat of Klean color- cafe au lait and then one coat of Piggy Polish- glod for it!. 


Then once that is dry you're going to want to paint half your nail diagonally white, first I used Rimmel London French Tip PRO to make and out line. 


Then I filled it in with Sinful Colors- snow me white.


Now I took my dotting tool or a bobby pin/tooth pick and made random dots I used Klean Color- dark brown.

I took my small detail brush with acrylic paint, but any paint would work and at the end I have a video showing how to cut a regular paint brush into a detail/striping brush and I outlined the spots randomly but not all the way around. Then in empty spaces I just added little back lines or spots.
I realized the brown inside the dots were to dark so I lightened it up with Avon nail wear pro- sheer french pink and just dotted over the spots after I mixed the two colors together.


Now on to how to do the zebra print!


I took my black Stripe Rite and just made a line in the middle of my nail.

Then I made another line coming off that to make the letter Y. As if you were making a tree branch.


I put a line inside the Y.

Then I made a line just to make it even across my nail and continued the same process through out my nail(s) with doing the Y's.

That;s how you can get leopard and zebra print! At first its easier to do this to your whole nail and this takes practice so if you dont get it right the first time just keep trying! If you do decide to do this you can continue and add some glitter....


I hope you like this nail art and try it out if you do!! Heres the tutorial on how to make a detail brush out of a regular brush... but you can find striping nail polish at any beauty supply store.

 
Thank you Maryanne for letting me do these posts!
 
 
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Aren't those super sweet! High fashion and fun there!

Monday, May 2, 2011

40th Mommy Mondays

Christina Jenkins is a stay at home mom who is blogging her way into sanity in this new time of her life. You can follow her on Twitter if you like, Twitter.com/OhJenkies.



How to Create Unique Infant Art Like an Anne Geddes



When you think of gorgeous photography and adorable babies, you’re most likely picturing the work of Anne Geddes. Since she began her career, baby-loving Geddes has captured the hearts of millions of people with her trademark photographs of teeny infants surrounded by flowers or sporting butterfly wings.

While booking Ms. Geddes to photograph your new addition may be an impossibility, that doesn’t mean you can’t recreate her beautiful style at home.


A Darling of a Photoshoot

You don’t need to have been a child photographer for twenty-five years to create gorgeous photos of your own baby, and you don’t need to be a master of lighting, flashes, or even film. If you own a good digital camera and have basic photo-editing software on your computer, no further special equipment is necessary. You just need some angel wings and a happy little angel.



Bedeck Your Baby

Anne Geddes uses enchanting themes in her artwork, from piles of fluffy flowers to tiny wings to adorable infant costumes. You can use your favorite Anne Geddes images for inspiration, or take to a costume store for ideas. Upcoming holidays are also great for photo themes; a fluffy bunny baby fast asleep would be a charming Easter greeting for friends and family.



Pick Up Some Props

Color baby photos are ultra adorable when you put in a few matching props. Gardens and flowers are popular themes Ms Geddes uses in her work, and pots and fake flowers are easy and inexpensively acquired. Use your infant costumes for inspiration when considering the theme; a piece of pressed pastel fabric or a basket full of flowers are charming options that can accommodate most costumes. If you want your images to be black and white, a pair of fluffy, feathered wings are the only prop you’ll need.



Add Magic with Special Effects

Many of Anne Geddes’ artwork utilizes image editing to add special effects. You can make your baby sport tiny wings or appear asleep atop the petals of a flower with the help of computer software. Advanced programs like Photoshop can easily make magic of your pictures. If you’re unsure of how to create special effects, online video tutorials make learning super easy, or ask an experienced friend or family member for a little help. The results will be Anne Geddes-like breathtaking.



Working with Your Little Angel

Babies can be challenging subjects to photograph; their attention spans are ultra short, and sometimes, they’re just not in the mood for their close up. For ease with the photo process, have all props and equipment set up in advance. A well rested and fed baby will keep fussing at bay, so plan on taking your pictures in the morning or after a nap. An assistant such as a spouse, family member, or friend can help keep the baby happy or draw its attention as you attempt to take shots.

Don’t be discouraged if your first shots aren’t what you wanted or if it takes several days of brief sessions to get good pictures. Your efforts will be well worth it when your friends spot your framed pics and ask, “Is this an Anne Geddes?”


Thanks,
C. Jenkins
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Thanks so much Christina! I was supposed to get newborn pictures this past weekend, but the photographer had an emergency, and we had to reschedule. This week I plan on trying to take some cute pictures of my baby girl before she gets too big so these are great tips!