Catholic Wife and Mother

I Lined My Cabinets

2012-01-28T13:38:00.003-07:00

...but didn't take pictures, because I didn't think you'd care to see. :) Why I didn't do that sooner, I'll never know. I just kept replacing the paper towels I had lined in there, and they just kept getting bunched up when things were moved around. Plus they did nothing for the aesthetic appearance of the inside of my cabinets. Not that you care about my cabinets; not that anyone visiting probably even notices my cabinets. But I notice them and it's been driving me crazy for months.

$5. That's it. That's all a roll of contact paper with a pretty design on it costs. That's all it took to ease some of the chaos of my home. $5. That's cheaper than a therapist! :) I LOVE easy projects like this. Have you done anything easy lately that gave you a profound sense of accomplishment?

Test

2012-01-28T13:32:00.002-07:00

Here's a cute face just because.

I'm linking up my blog to my facebook page again. Just a test to see if this is working.

Bye-Bye Paci!

2012-01-18T13:25:00.002-07:00

This morning Ladybug decided all by herself that she was done with her pacifier. So we put it in an envelope and "mailed" it to her baby cousin in Louisiana. And I just lay her down for her nap. There have been a few tears, but I've reminded her of how generous she was to think of her cousin, and what a big girl she is becoming. We'll see how this goes. :)

The big girl riding her bike.

Being Craftsy

2012-01-18T11:11:00.001-07:00

I want to show you my most recent (finished!) projects. The first took a matter of two hours one evening, but has become super handy.

Ladybug is still in a crib (I know, bad mom, right?), which means Sunflower sleeps in the playpen. But those playpen mattresses are hard. It wouldn't be bad if she only slept in it once in a while, but she sleeps in it all.the.time. and I felt a little sorry for her. I made a slide over sheet for it sometime ago, but it didn't provide much padding. So I thought, and thought, and this is what I came up with.

I have many cozy baby blankets lying around, and I thought, why buy something when I could use what I have? So, I picked two of the softer ones that I thought would be easiest to work with and lay them on top of the other. That would be enough padding, but the second blanket was much smaller than the other, and if I left it at that, her head would inevitably always end up where the second blanket wasn't, you know? So I found one of the smaller receiving blankets, folded it on itself, and it fit beautifully.

Stitching all these materials together wasn't easy, and the pink blanket especially was not easy to work with. So it didn't turn out perfectly, but no one is going to see the inside (except, I guess for all of you :), and it provides the padding I wanted it to.

I wanted the blanket/pad to slide over the mattress just like the other one did, and so for the back part I used yet another baby blanket I had lying around. I stitched it all around the top layer, leaving one side open.

Here you can see all three layers, top, padding, and bottom.

It fit just wonderfully, and is so cozy, I wish I could sleep in there. I might eventually add snaps or Velcro or something to the top to keep it tucked just right, but it works for now.

Sunflower is especially thrilled and has been sleeping like a...baby. :)

On to the next projects, my dear mother has kindly sent me pictures of the towels I embroidered for her for Christmas. (Thanks Mom!) I followed a pattern, so the idea wasn't all mine, but it was my first venture into the embroidering world. So fun!

Fritterism

2012-01-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

This morning Fritter was talking to me about his excitement to start "real" school in the fall.

Fritter: ...and then I'm going to do homeschool, and you're going to be my teacher, and I'm going to go to Olive Garden!

Me: Olive Garden?

Fritter: Yes! I start Olive Garden soon!

Me: Oh! You mean you start Kindergarten soon?

Fritter: Yes! Kindergarten!

To which we both broke into giggling fits. Maybe we'll have breadsticks on our first day of school, just because. :)

The Long Day

2012-01-11T20:02:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure where today went, but I am sure that I can feel every moment of it in my body. The kids aren't quite asleep yet, but soon. And then shower, and blessed sleep for this tired mama.

I feel like Fritter when this picture was taken. Like I could fall asleep on the hard floor. :)

Feeling tired

By the fire

The long day is over

The wind is gone

Asleep at dawn

The embers burn on

With no reprise

The sun will rise

The long day is over

~Norah Jones

Pillows!

2012-01-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

But first a picture of a very cute (very dirty) little boy. The garbage truck broke down right in front of our house this morning. Our garbage can was left dangling in the air for over an hour. But then a Mr. Fixit truck came to the rescue and Fritter absorbed every ounce of truck drama he could.

In the picture above do you see the two pillows, one on either side of Fritter? I have disliked the pattern and texture of the one on the left, and the one on the right is one I made and stuffed, but didn't stuff enough, obviously. That has now been remedied.

Ta-da! Each brown pillow is now covered by a case, finished this morning, and each green pillow is now fully stuffed and cozy. I know it clashes with the southwest style couch (not my choice!). But that is temporary. It takes time to make a home right? A home is a work in progress, or at least that's what I tell myself. This year, we have put into the budget good covers (I'm looking at the Surefit ones) for both sofas. Soon, these pillows will no longer clash, but fit perfectly.

I did finish one other project over our Christmas vacation. My towel embroidery. Finally! BUT, I gave them to my mom for a Christmas present and forgot to take a picture of them. She has been emailed and harassed, and I'm sure soon enough I'll have a picture for you.

Merry Christmas

2012-01-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year and Happy (almost) Feast of the Epiphany! We are home from the north and had a wonderful Christmas. I hope yours was blessed as well!

Note To Self

2011-12-20T13:43:00.001-07:00

If the three year old happens to use red permanent marker on your bedspread again, rubbing alcohol does the trick. Mostly. :(

The Healthy Living Lifestyle

2011-12-16T13:17:00.001-07:00

Awhile back, while dealing with a minor health issue, I began researching healthy eating habits and exercise routines to help me. Before long, I was overwhelmed with the amount of information available, and became almost paralyzed to start. So many conflicting ideas! So-and-so says eat this much protein and you will be able to jump higher and run faster. But blah-blah says too much protein is bad for you, go vegan, and don't run ever or you'll live to regret it (maybe).

Soon enough, my health issue was resolved, but the information overload had taken its toll. I left all "advice" behind and just continued on my merry way, doing my best to do what I thought was right. But then I was given a copy of Amy Culver's The Healthy Living Lifestyle. Amy was once "tipping the scales" at 300 pounds. Through incorporating a series of healthy choices into her life, she was able to lose 165 pounds. She shares her choices and so much more in this wonderful, easy to read, book.

Amy's book is much more than just a "do this, lose weight, look fabulous" type of book. It is called the Healthy Living Lifestyle for a reason. As women, we often feel as if we have to look like we could be on the cover of Vogue to be pretty. That's the goal, we think, and we won't be happy until we get there. But, as most of us know (at least in the back of our heads), we won't be happy if we ever do get there. Because that's not health. That's vanity. So Amy shows us how to make small changes to lead to healthier lives.

That's the second half of the book. The first half is Amy's story. How she came to be 300 pounds. How she struggled with food addiction. How she struggled with eating disorders in the name of being thin. And how, through the grace of God, she began to heal. It's a story of hope and faith, that will encourage you to make small choices to become a healthy person. I highly recommend this book if you have ever struggled with loosing large amounts of weight, but also for those of us who really just want to lead healthier lives without getting caught up in the supermodel mindset.

*Note: Amy is a friend of mine and I received a copy of her book as a gift with no obligations. I am writing this review purely because I honestly think her book is a valuable resource.*

Magic Cabin

2011-12-16T10:17:00.002-07:00

On Monday I finished up my Christmas shopping, but while I was in the process finding that perfect something for a certain three year old girl, I stumbled upon a little store called Magic Cabin. Can I just say, adorable? Fairies and Gnomes and Rope Ladders, Oh My!

How I wish I were a kid again and magically could get whatever I want from this store. They have toy kitchen stuff, ride on toys, houses and tree forts, capes and robes and wands and...I could go on and on.

We got Ladybug this little wash day set for her dolly clothes, and we got Sunflowers these little baby toys. So if you are in the market for a little special something, check out Magic Cabin. And right now you can get free shipping on order over $50.

Note: I am getting nothing for my little swoon here. As long as my order arrives in time for Christmas, you are just hearing from a very pleased momma. :)

Getting Old(er)

2011-12-13T10:42:00.002-07:00

:) Today is my birthday. My *ahem* th...th...thirtieth birthday. There. I said it. I'm 30. This morning I looked in the mirror. I didn't really look any older. I don't have any grey hairs (yet), and only one wrinkle on the top of my forehead, put there as a result of having a three year old. I'm half way to 60, but 30 years is a long time still before I get there. And you know? I'm becoming ok with the fact that I'm th...th...thirty. (Although it is still kind of hard to say.)

Want to know a random thing that I think is weird? My husband is 33, I'm 30, Ladybug is 3, and we have 3 kids. Maybe this is our family's golden year. Or not. Either way, we've been richly blessed.

This morning I asked my husband to pretend he didn't know me. And that he saw me walking in the grocery store with three kids in tow (here I did the little shopping cart dance. Know the one I mean, or does that age me?). Would he think, "Wow! That woman is 30 for sure!" Of course he was smart and said no, he would think I was maybe 27? (He phrased it just like that. I totally put him on the spot.) "Really?", I said. "You wouldn't think 26?" :) To be smart, he told me I looked not a day over 18. Let's just say, that I do look over 18, and I'm actually happy about that.

So. I'm 30. And I'm ok with that. Now I just have to change my sidebar. What should it say? A thirty something wife and mother....? Nah. Maybe we'll just leave age out of it. :)

Advent Traditions

2011-12-10T10:41:00.001-07:00

Advent is probably my favorite season in the Church calendar. I love the emphasis on waiting. I love the idea of adding a new little tradition each year. I love the excitement that builds, and the planning, and the cleaning....

I wanted to share the things that we are doing this year, noting that most of these have been built up from the very beginning of our marriage.

I made this Advent calendar last year. It's a little plain right now, but I'm ok with that. Each year I plan on adding a little something to it. Last year we put those little candy bars in each pocket and the kids got to share it each morning after breakfast. This year I wanted to de-emphasize the treats during Advent so the treats during Christmas would have a bit more meaning. So I scoured the internet looking for bible verses on the prophesies of the coming Messiah, along with Gospel verses leading up to the Birth. I found this article, and tweaked it a little to suit my purposes. The candy is saved for special feast days and the Sundays of Advent. See the pink bits of paper for the third week in Advent? Next year I'm thinking of making little Jesse tree style ornaments to hide in the pockets, but we'll see.

Another thing we do is decorate the tree slowly. We each pick one ornament a night to add to our little tree.

Even the baby gets to pick.

Most of our ornaments are special. We let each kid pick out one special one from the store each year and write their names on them. My goal is to have a set of ornaments for each kid after to move out of the house. We have yet to do it this year, it's on the to do list. :)

This year we went to a Christ the King celebration at a friends house. She had made these little mangers for each kid and gave us each a bag of straw with a baby Jesus hidden inside. For each good thing I catch the kids doing, they get a piece of straw to add to the manger. They are working on making a very soft bed for baby Jesus. (And if you look closely at the Advent calendar, the two baby Jesus' are hidden in the pocket of the 25th).

Our first married Christmas together, we made a simple Advent wreath together. And we did the same on our second Christmas too. So this one is the first one we made, and we hung the other one on the front door. I didn't make it in time to find Advent candles this year, but had some left over from last year. We light the candles at dinner, and after prayers Dan reads from the little book while the kids eat.

Throughout the house are little touches, little reminders of what we are preparing for. My husband's parents sent this little nativity to him while he spending his first Christmas away from home stationed in the Middle East while in the Navy.

We have a couple of children's nativity sets. This one is the most little kid friendly one we have. Certain figures are put away still, again because we are waiting.

These are the other two nativity sets we have. All were given to us, not bought. The playmobil one is great, but has lots of small pieces so we don't get it out often. Maybe when the kids are older. The top one I think I am going to bring with us to Wyoming when we go for Christmas. It's a hands on one and is small enough for travel.

The baby Jesus' are hidden on the shelf.

Last year I scored some great Christmas books, most of them from Tomie dePaola. I have the idea to wrap them and open one a night, but maybe we'll do that next year. A little at a time.

It's almost the third Sunday in Advent. The anticipation is building.

Ladybug's Cake

2011-12-08T15:24:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the light blogging lately. Things have been crazy around here recently. I did want to post a picture of Laybug's cake. It was a strawberry cake made from strawberries bought on sale and frozen this summer. The frosting is cream cheese frosting, and I mixed some of the strawberry puree into the frosting for the strawberry on top. The greens are romaine lettuce. :) Here is a link to the recipe. It was AMAZING.

Ladybug was very pleased with her cake. And even though it was two days after Thanksgiving, and we were all stuffed and by that point sick of sweets, this cake was a hit.

Waiting For St. Nicholas

2011-12-05T22:05:00.001-07:00

The little ones tried very hard to be good tonight in anticipation of St. Nicholas filling our shoes with goodies. Love the tiny baby shoes next to the great big daddy boots.

Happy Birthday Ladybug!

2011-11-26T17:21:00.001-07:00

Ladybug, hours old. We were enamored with you from the start.

We soon realized you would permeate our lives with little girl sweetness.

Even at two years old you were a joy to be around. Your sweet smile was impossible to return.

Now at three, your independence is shining through. Your smile is still ready to share, and your laugh is contagious.

Happy birthday my dear Ladybug! God smiled on us when he created you. You are a blessing to us in so many ways.

Preparing

2011-11-22T18:59:00.001-07:00

Almighty Father,

you are lavish in bestowing all your gifts,

and we give you thanks for the favors you have given to us.

In your goodness you have favored us and kept us safe in the past.

We ask that you continue to protect us and to shelter us in the shadow of your wings.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Pondering This Today

2011-11-18T09:12:00.001-07:00

One thing is certain: When the time has come, nothing which is man-made will subsist. One day, all human accomplishments will be reduced to a pile of ashes. But every single child to whom a woman has given birth will live forever, for he has been given an immortal soul made to God's image and likeness. In this light, the assertion of de Beauvoir [a feminist from the early-mid 1900s] that "women produce nothing" becomes particularly ludicrous." -Alice von Hildebrand, The Privilege of Being a Woman

Making Bread

2011-11-17T16:48:00.001-07:00

Even the baby got flour on her. :)

Fall Breakfast

2011-11-17T10:19:00.001-07:00

Mmm...pumpkin muffins with struesal topping, bacon, milk, and coffee for breakfast. The pumpkin is from a fresh pumpkin, not canned. So good!

Birthday Weekend Recap

2011-11-15T13:46:00.001-07:00

We had a visit from my mom this past weekend who came out to celebrate Fritter and Ladybug's birthdays with us. The weather was great, the visit was nice, and the kids got totally spoiled by grandma.

Fritter's homemade dinosaur birthday cake. I found a great video tutorial on how to make it here.

Grandma got Ladybug a dollhouse for her birthday. I'm just a little excited about it. :)

Fritter got his first remote control car. His dad is more than just a little excited.

I'm not sure if any other weekend will ever compare to this past one. I feel like I need to sleep 12 hours just to make up for all the excitement. We invited a few friends to celebrate with us. The kids had so much fun. I'm very thankful to have such good friends around us.

Ladybug looking for dinosaur eggs.

Batter up! Remind me the next time I need a pinata to just make one instead of buying it.

Picking out which dinosaur would be his.

This is a store bought cake. I had planned on cupcakes, but in the end decided less stress was better.

Sunflower enjoyed watching the festivities.

I don't think I'll be wanting birthday cake again anytime soon. Do you think Ladybug would settle for, say, quiche on her birthday?

Wisdom Tested

2011-11-13T19:57:00.001-07:00

Fritter: Grandma, do you know everything?

Grandma: Well, I do know a lot.

Fritter: Do you know where Little Foot is?

Happy Birthday Fritter!

2011-11-08T07:42:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe my big boy is five years old today! Where has the time gone?

Newborn Fritter 7lbs. 1oz. This one made me a Mommy.

My big 1 year old boy always had a smile for everyone.

2 year old thy name is Mischief.

3 year old Fritter, becoming a real boy.

4 year old Fritter, full of fun, smiles and imagination.

My 5 year old boy is helpful, outgoing, fun, and has a sense of humor we all can appreciate.

Happy, happy birthday Fritter! God smiled on us when he sent you. You are such a blessing.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T16:05:00.000-07:00

This was the third picture taken and the first one all three were looking at the camera. I think Fritter has run out of smiles. How did anyone survive without a digital camera way back in the day? :)

Happy Birthday To My Dear Husband!

2011-10-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful God blessed us with you.