Mommy In Suburbia

Snow Play

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Our Little Girl's Nursery Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:53:00 +0000

Katelyn's nursery is done! Well, for the most part. I still need to find a fluffy white rug, a K initial for her wall, and maybe another little thing or two. I'm constantly changing up rooms as I go, but I have to say that her nursery is my favorite room in our house.

It's light, bright, and very pink. It's also come a long way from the mess we started with.

This is what her room looked like to begin with, after we moved Logan out and were rearranging various parts of the house.

Note that the walls are covered in a hideous vinyl wallpaper that is impossible to remove without damaging the underlying drywall. And I am so not putting up new drywall in a home we don't own.

So, I found a fantastic primer, "Zinsser Bullseye 123 Plus Primer for All Projects." This stuff is like the duct tape of painting. It's water based and sticks to everything, and has made it possible for me to paint the walls of our house and laminate furniture without sanding. *insert hallelujah chorus here*

Here's the room with the primer done, and ready to paint. We did all of the painting work at night and during naptimes, with fan going to keep the fumes minimal. I did use low-voc paint, but I like to be extra careful.

My mom and dad purchased her crib as a baby gift for us, and we love it. It's perfectly girly and sweet.

I made scrapbook paper flowers to hang above her crib. They're very quick and easy to make, and lightweight enough to hang up with tape.

She still sleeps in her swing in our room at night because of reflux, but these are her nap time buddies.

A stuffed bunny and a ceramic train nightlight that I picked up at a flea market last year. I originally got it for Alexis, but her and her brother are so rambunctious that it's not safe in her room.

Oh, the difficulty I had finding something I liked for this window. I tried light-blocking drapes first, but the did not block the light the way they advertised, and I accidently bought two different length panels.

Back to the store they went, and I eventually got white wide slat faux wood blinds and a butterfly curtain rod. I used some geometric sheers I already had, and I love how it looks now.

Here's her bow holder on one side of the window. She has a small collection now, but I'm working on it! On the other side will go the initial letter once I get it made.

Her dresser used to be in our bedroom, and does double duty as a changing table.

I love her little lamp, the pink shade is great for diffusing the light and making her room feel cozy at night.

The art above her dresser is just scrapbook paper set in 12 by 12 inch clear acrylic frames. It's great because I can change it out anytime, and I can put photos in them as well, or even full scrapbook pages.

I jsut love her nursery, and am looking forward to adding in cute little details as she grows! If you have any questions about where I got things or how to do something, feel free to ask!

Bissell Perfect Sweep Turbo Review

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:31:00 +0000

I was recently given the chance to try out the Bissell Perfect Sweep Turbo, a rechargable cordless sweeper for quick pick ups.

This sweeper picks up hot dog bits, stickers, cheerios, legos, and basically any debris that two hyper toddlers can create. The electric rotating brush just flicks whatever you're cleaning up into the debris tray.

My absolute favorite thing it can do is sweep up fresh play dough that your kids have picked into tiny bits and strategically flung en masse onto your kitchen floor. Without smushing it into the floor or the bristles.

Because of this superhero like ability alone that no broom or vacuum in my house has yet been able to achieve, this has earned a permanent home in my cleaning closet. Also, my kids get to play with play dough a lot more now, which is good because thanks to generous family, we have enough to fully stock every preschool in the state... for a decade.

The Perfect Sweep Turbo comes with a small DC adapter for charging it, and it can run up to 60 minutes on a single charge. I keep the charger on a cup hook next to an outlet in my laundry room for easy access, and with daily use I only need to charge it about once a week.

It has brushes on the corners to clean along baseboards, and a removable handle for cleaning stairs. The crumb tray pops right out for easy emptying, and can be rinsed out if you're as obsessed with clean cleaning supplies as I am. It works wonderfully on carpet and linoleum, and I'd love to test it out on hardwood if I had some!

It's quiet enough not to wake my baby, and it doesn't freak out my toddlers. In fact, my daughter who is almost 3 loves to clean, and keeps trying to take it away from me.

This is a fantastic cleaning tool in addition to a good vacuum and broom. It wont get every tiny crumb out of your corners, and it doesn't have any suction, which is necessary for getting ground in dirt and dust out of carpets and rugs. However, it does what it is meant to do beautifully, and makes it possible for my kitchen to not look like the floor of a movie theater after every meal. And that is success in my book.

Right now Bissell is offering our readers $5 off a Perfect Sweep Turbo using the code "perfectsweep"!

You can also keep up with Bissell on Facebook and Twitter!

Disclosure: I was provided with a Bissell Perfect Sweep Turbo in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received, and as always, all opinions are my own.

Katelyn at 2 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:21:00 +0000

Our sweet baby Katelyn turned two months today! She's sleeping through the night most of the time, and today she graced us with her very first smile. Granted, it was just a little tiny baby smile, not a full blown grin, but I'll take what I can get!

She loves sitting up in her Bumbo seat, and her favorite way to be cuddled is upright against Mommy or Daddy's chest. She's wearing both 3-6 and 6-9 month clothes right now, and she's lost a little bit of her hair which is giving her a semi GI Jane look.

I still can't believe how big she's getting already! I keep trying to convince her to slow down and stay little for a while, but she isn't listening to me.

She loves this little travel sleep sheep that Grandma S got her for Christmas. The whale and rain sounds are great for getting her to take a nap.

She's such a sweet little cutie pie!

These Boots...

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:33:00 +0000

These boots have an interesting story to tell. Six years ago, I was on a date with my husband (then boyfriend) and we went out to dinner and a movie. This was when I dressed in whatever looked pretty, regardless of the weather.

That was how I found myself wearing high heeled sandals in the middle of a sleeting storm. Oh, and it was 35 degrees out. My toes were soaked, and quickly turning purple. I didn't own any closed-toe shoes other than some ancient sneakers, and there was no way I was wearing those on a date.

In one of his, "You're being stubborn, so we're doing this anyway," moments, my husband pulled me into Walmart (icky) where I grabbed a pair of the only boots that looked halfway decent. They had 2 inch heels, only cost $15, and served their purpose.

For 6 years. The "buying these so my toes don't fall off" boots became my only pair of winter/ rain/ "wear them all the time because they're so comfy for heels" boots.

I hate looking for a good pair of boots, because I'm unbelievably picky about them. Shoe shopping with me can be a two-day affair, and there's only a 30% chance I'll find something I want. I love shoes, but they have to be the "right" shoes.

Last winter the sole began to separate from the upper, and would let water in. I found a temporary fix via the use of a hot glue gun and a sharpie. Yes, I hot glued my shoe together and tried to hide it with marker because I couldn't find another pair I liked. The sole is nearly worn through on the bottom. It looked awful, but I said I'd get a new pair this winter.

Earlier this fall, I thought I had found the boots I wanted. They were 5 inch stiletto lace up fuzzy designer boots. I was in lust. Until I bought them and walked in them for more than 5 minutes. The shoes were improperly constructed, and the heel wasn't centered. I returned hem, and tried on every pair of that type to see if it was just a one-off factory mistake.

It wasn't. My dream boots were poorly made, and I couldn't wear them without my left ankle hurting. Bye bye boots. I went back to my old faithful pair (water leakage and all) until I could find a replacement.

Two days ago, my feet soaking wet in my old boots, I went into the shoe section at Target and within 2 minutes of looking, I met these. They have 3 inch heels, heavy tread on the bottoms to get me through the icy winters here, look great with jeans and skirts, were my size, and were $20 on clearance.

Hello ladies. Here's to the next 6 years together.

Does the Walgreens and Express Scripts Split Affect You?

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:01:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

This year Walgreens and Express Scripts have been unable to negotiate a new contract, and as of January 1, 2012, Walgreens is no longer part of Express Scripts' pharmacy provider network. Check the back of your insurance card, and if it says Express Scripts, you will no longer be able to use Walgreens for your prescriptions. Military members and their families families who are covered by Tricare will be affected as well.

I would encourage you to check out the details of the Walgreens and Express Script split to see if you may be affected.

Many customers have become familiar over the years with their local Walgreens pharmacist, and the convenience that Walgreens offers. It's never an easy thing to have to change a comfortable routine because of something that is out of your control.

Walgreens is trying to help ease the burden by offering a special January discount on its Walgreens Prescription Savings Club.

You can get a family membership for $10 a year that covers everyone in your immediate family, including your spouse, children, and even your pets. Individuals can join for only $5. You'll receive discount prices on your prescriptions, as well as savings on pet prescriptions, flu shots, and diabetic supplies.

You can keep updated with what's new at Walgreens by following Walgreens on Twitter and Walgreens on Facebook.

Playroom Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:56:00 +0000

Our playroom is located in the most awkward room of the house. It's strangely placed in between the entry to our house and our bedrooms and bathrooms.

We have to keep the center of the floor clear because it functions like a very wide hallway, but we are also storing my mother in law's china cabinet in there, as well as our piano, a treadmill, and the 8 kajillion toys my children have.

We need a house with a finished basement for storage and a gym room, but until that happens we're trying to make the best use possible of the extra space. I do apologize to my children that occasionally their playroom smells like a sweat sock.

Here's what I started with:

It was an absolute disaster. Don't be fooled by only seeing megabloks, all the kids' toys were in their bedroom closet, and their new Christmas toys - still in the packages - were taking up half of the nursery.

Here's what we came up with using four 9-cube storage systems and fabric baskets. We keep Alexis and Logan's changing table in the playroom because she would climb it at night if it was in the bedroom.

I made labels for the bins in Photoshop Elements, backed them with heavy card stock, and laminated them with clear duct tape. Clear duct tape is great for labels and repairing books that fall into toddler hands. I then used self-stick velcro to attach them to the bins, so the labels can easily be switched out or moved around if necessary.

The top of the bins is the perfect spot for large play sets, and eventually we're going to add a large shelf that stretches across the tops of both cubes to add even more space.

The play kitchen lives on the short wall. The little desk is going to be moved to another spot, and replaced with a large 2 door cabinet that will hold art supplies, play dough, and other messy toys.

This is an Ikea Lack coffee table that we found when some college students got evicted from their apartment. Rather than move all their stuff, they put brand new (still in the packages) furniture in the dumpster. Since the closest Ikea to us is 5 hours away, I was joyous.

It makes for a great play table, and will eventually get painted white to match the rest of the room.

I love the clean, modular look of it. Sure, I would love to have one of those playrooms that looks straight out of Pottery Barn Kids, but goodness knows my kids would destroy it in two minutes flat. Maybe when they're older than toddlers and have a bit more... restraint.

In the interest of full disclosure, here's the ugly corner. There is nothing I can do about this right now, as my husband needs the treadmill and we promised my mother in law that we'd take care of her cabinet that is too heavy to be moved.

I just thought I'd share the ugly corner, because we all one.

January Organizing

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

I used to think it was just me who, come January, got the overwhelming need to organize. I fill up bags and bags of items to sell and donate, and throw out a bunch more. Then I have to scrub everything down and air out the house, and the unusually warm weather is making this easier than ever.

It's not just me, it actually looks like everyone is doing this. Even my sister in law called today to ask if we wanted a Stratego game that she was getting rid of. Nope, we have one of our own that we never play.

Mostly because my husband beat me every time we played it.

So I am in the midst of organizing madness. I think today I'm going to tackle the million little samples of things I've hoarded in the bathrooms, and maybe even the pantry if I'm feeling brave.

I'm also going to be organizing some things around here. You'll notice some ads going up, and I'm also going to start accepting sponsors if anyone is interested. I'm planning a move to self-hosted Wordpress. This is due to a recurring problem I've been having with Blogger that is affecting my ability to write posts at all. And that's just not any good.

However, I want this blog to be self-sustaining, and not break into our family income to facilitate the move, which means the addition of ads.

I hope you don't mind?

Our Christmas 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:49:00 +0000

First of all, I want to say that I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We had a busy week leading up to the holiday, with tons of last minute baking and shopping to do. It took 3 full days to get all our shopping done for everyone. We didn't go crazy on presents - except for the kids - but it took another two afternoons to wrap everything.

Luckily, my husband had quite a few rain days off from work, so he helped wrangle the little ones while I made 3 dozen sugar cookies, tons of peppermint bark, and 6 pounds of fudge. I managed to get everything done by 12:30 am Christmas Eve morning. Good thing too, because our Christmas events started just 9 hours later!

We spent Christmas Eve morning with my husband's parents and grandparents at their house, and our kids' pile of presents was taller than they were! Alexis received a dollhouse, toy keyboards, and a Madame Alexander doll. Logan received a car hauler and a stuffed rocking horse.

Katelyn got several baby toys and a gorgeous blanket from her aunt. They also got about 5 more things each that I can't even list off the top of my head right now. My husband received a Kindle touch, and I was given a new purse and a crystal dessert tray. My husband's brother again rocked the gift giving with a Cuisinart Griddler for both of us.

(By the way, just had to share that the Griddler is being used even more than my Kitchen Aid mixer.)

We went home - thankfully we live 2 minutes away - and put the kids down for a quick nap before going back over for the big Christmas Eve event. Everyone on my husband's side of the family shows up, so you have about 40 people squished into the living room and kitchen. We arrived a little late, so we missed the food but it was nice that we got to see some of the family that we only get to see at holidays.

It was great that both of my husband's brothers were able to be home for Christmas. His younger brother travels for work as a underwater diver and welder, and his older brother is being deployed to Afghanistan soon. I personally was amazed that the whole day went off without any problems, and my little ones were exceptionally behaved.

We went home, hung our 2011 ornaments on the tree, and got the babies and ourselves off to bed so Santa Claus could come.

And Santa did in fact spoil the daylights out of our kids. Not us. We would never do that ;)

I don't have a lot of photos from Christmas morning. These kids move so fast that it would just be a blur, and I wanted to be in the thick of it, not standing back with my trusty Canon.

So, I set it up on a tripod on my desk and made a video of Christmas morning. But here are the few photos I did get of the aftermath.

We got Alexis the set of 7 Disney Princesses from Target on a great sale, and they were her favorite present.

The carnage. Logan got quite a few trucks and balls, and even a Batcycle.

And this little cutie got spoiled with several super fluffy blankies and infant toys. And of course a bow on her head.

Doesn't she look like she's thinking, "What do you think you're doing putting this bow on my head? Do I look like a box? Is this what I have to put up with?"

Yes sweetie. Until you're old enough to take it off yourself (before I can get a picture), I hold full rights to put things on your head and photograph it at will.

Daddy made everyone snowman pancakes for breakfast after all the gifts were opened, and we let them know that after all that we still had one more Christmas to go, and it was at Grandma S's house!

Alexis always gets crazy excited when we tell her we're going to Grandma S's, so we usually wait until we are ready to leave.

We ate a ton of great food and the kids very so happy to find out that Santa makes a special stop at Grandma S's house each year too. Logan got a bunch of megabloks and a chair of his own, and Alexis got a princess Tiana toddler doll and Disney Princess cd's that were autographed by the producer.

My mom/Santa also brought my husband some tools he wanted, and for me...

A Kindle Fire. Thank you Mom!!!

• • •

We had a fantastic Christmas all around, but I'm glad it's life back to normal around here.

7 Weeks Old

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:01:00 +0000

I can't believe that this little tiny infant...

Is already 7 weeks old.

And she's getting big much, much faster than her Daddy and I gave her permission to. At her doctor's appointment this week, she is already 22 1/2 inches long, and 10 lbs, 10 oz.

This little girl gained 3 lbs, 5 oz in one month, and grew by 2 inches. That's an incredible growth rate. Normally my babies grow slowly, and stay in newborn clothes until they're 3 months old. Katelyn is already stretching her 3-6 month outfits.

She's going to be a tall little girl. And especially cute.

She's a cuddler too.

The poor little thing was diagnosed with reflux like her older brother during a stat care visit on New Year's Eve, and her doctor increased her dose during her last appointment.

It takes about a week for the medication to fully kick in, and we're doing everything we can to keep her from hurting in the meantime. I'm just relieved we knew what to look for and caught it quick this time.

Happy New Year!!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas season with your families! We had a fantastic Christmas, in fact we're still cleaning up the aftermath. I have lots of photos and stories to share about it this week. I'm still nursing winter allergies/ a wicked sinus infection and adjusting to life with 3 little ones. My sweet husband has taken over most of the night feedings, because we've realized that I am a bear when I don't sleep! I hope you have a wonderful new year and enjoy the day with your family!!

Christmas Slacker... That's Me

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:03:00 +0000

There are two weekends before Christmas, and as much as I hate to admit it, I have to tell you the truth. I'm a total Christmas slacker this year.

Oh, don't worry, the tree is up. But other than bead and ribbon garland, it's bare. I have the fake pine strung around the kitchen window, without any lights or seasonal flowers. The lovely wreath for the front door is sitting dejectedly on top of my printer, while the Halloween wreath is wondering how it got so lucky as to still be on the door in December.

Don't ask about the outside of my house. Apparently, petunias are stubborn, and won't die with the first frost. Or the 10th. They're not pretty, but they're still alive... and mocking me. I'm hoping it snows soon just to cover up the sad looking pink and purple blossoms that I don't have the time to pull up.

I remember writing last year about how I had all the Christmas presents purchased, wrapped, and stored in the closet... before Thanksgiving.

This year - I haven't started shopping yet. I don't even have a list of what I want to get the kids. Yearly ornaments and special outfits have not been chosen, I have no Christmas crafts to share with you, and this is the 3rd year in which my Christmas quilt will not be finished.

It's even looking unlikely that I will be able to make my decorated sugar cookies this year, which may cause a riot at the family Christmas Eve party.

• • •

Tonight I'll be making a trip to Target to start getting gifts. I'll finish doing the wreath during nap time, and we'll put the ornaments on the tree tonight when we get home. But only if we have the time, energy, and desire to do so.

I'm not letting myself get stressed about it this year. Some things may not get done, but the sanity of the people living in this house is more important than everything getting accomplished. And Mommy not going to the psych ward is more important than making sure everyone else is happy with our family's choices.

This year, my focus is on our children and enjoying the season, everything else is secondary.

I'll be Martha again next year.

Adjusting to Life with a Newborn

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:32:00 +0000

Little Miss Katelyn is just over 2 weeks old now, and we're all still adjusting to daily life with a newborn. She's such a sweet, cuddly little girl that I wish I could create more hours in a day just to snuggle.

She's also the first of my babies that I've been able to successfully breastfeed! This is a huge accomplishment, as with the other two we had issues with thrush, reflux, and pain.

We did have a few setbacks in the hospital, as her suck reflex wasn't well developed. We had to introduce bottles and pacifiers immediately to teach her to latch onto and suck on anything, let alone nurse. I had to mainly pump the first week, but this week she's nursed all day, and taken bottles as night. She also lost a good amount of weight initially, but as she gained 1.5 inches in height between her one and two week checkups, her pediatrician isn't concerned.

She's sleeping pretty well for only being two weeks. She'll sleep in 3-5 hour stretches at night, although it takes quite a bit of eating and cuddling before she's ready to sleep.

As for everything else, it's taking me copious amounts of coffee and patience to get through the day. Alexis (Pumpkin) and Logan (Little Man) are definitely feeling the difference in the house, and the shift in attention. We're doing what we can to keep them involved and occupied, but I'm finding it difficult to find activities that they can do at their ages that don't require constant help. And of course, they're acting up in reaction to all the changes.

Thankfully, all three of them are taking an afternoon nap at the same time, and my husband is giving Katelyn a bottle during one of her night feeds, so I've been able to get a little sleep and keep the dishes and laundry from taking over the entire house.

Even though it took me three days to write this, I acutally got a shower yesterday.

And that is a win.

Beauty Mint Review

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Today I want to introduce you to a new skincare line from celebrity Jessica Simpson and skincare expert Nerida Joy.

Beauty Mint is a skincare system personalized for you that arrives at your door every month. It's customized to meet your specific skincare problems and goals, with a free and simple online consultation.

Beauty Mint uses the latest technologies along with natural ingredients to create products that address a variety of issues, including fine lines and uneven skin tone.

I was given the opportunity to test out the Essential Cleanser with Aloe and the Ultra-Replenishing Serum with Marine Collagen.

Essential Cleanser with Aloe

The Essential Cleanser with Aloe was surprisingly gentle and effective. It did a great job of removing my makeup, and I like that it doesn't get bubbly and foamy. I also noticed that it doesn't leave that tight or dry feeling that a lot of cleansers do, didn't create any irritation, and rinsed away quickly and cleanly.

Ultra Replenishing Serum

My mother used a lotion with collagen all the years I was growing up, and the benefits of collagen in skincare are obvious. As in, my nearly 60 year old mom has the skin of a 35 year old. So I was very excited to find out that the Ultra Replenishing Serum contained 50% marine collagen, because most products on the market only contain 3-5% collagen.

I have dry skin, and was impressed with the results from using this 2 times a day. My skin was smoother and the lines in my forehead were less noticeable, and my makeup went on without creasing issues. I also liked that the serum absorbed quickly and left my face feeling hydrated, not sticky or heavy.

• • •

Perhaps I'm a bit odd, but I also liked that the product containers were short enough to fit in my medicine cabinet.

Beauty Mint is a personalized skincare system with monthly home delivery. This does mean it is going to cost more than your average drug store brand, so I would keep that in mind if you decide to order.

However, I would recommend these, especially if your skin tends to react negatively to harsh cleansers or heavy creams. These are lightweight, and worked beautifully for my skin type.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned Beauty Mint products to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are, as always, my own.

Our Newest Baby Has Arrived!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:49:00 +0000

We are so happy to introduce the newest addition to our family!

Katelyn

7 lbs, 12.5 oz

20.5 inches long

Our new little girl arrived last Saturday, and hasn't let me put her down long enough to let you know! She is an absolute joy, and loves being cuddled. I'll be sharing her birth story soon with many more pictures of our sweet little girl.

10 Signs You're at the End of Your Pregnancy

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

The cashier at the grocery store says "You look like your due date was yesterday," and instead of being mad, you just look at her defeated and reply, "Yes, and I feel like it too."
You'd much prefer being spit up on than have another episode of feeling baby's hiccups... in your bottom.
You're looking forward to sleeping in 2 to 3 hour stretches rather than - sleep 10 minutes, roll over because of hip pain, sleep 10 minutes, roll over because you can't breathe, sleep 10 minutes, sit up because you have sudden acid reflux.
Your 2.5 year old and 19 month old get insanely excited come the weekend... because they know Daddy's going to be home in the morning and they'll get pancakes or eggs for breakfast instead of the Mommy special: cereal.
Your brain is so fried that when you realize it's November 15th, you nearly start crying. Last year at this time you had all your Christmas shopping done and wrapped. This year you didn't realize that it was holiday time until you walked past the Christmas trees at Target yesterday.
All your first trimester symptoms are coming back. Nausea, coffee aversion, headaches, and mood swings that make your husband miss his normal, sweet wife.
Your doctor forgets that at your last appointment, she told you she was going with a due date of the 21st, and now tells you she's going by the 24th. Yes, those three days make that big of a difference.
The closer to your due date you get, the worse your children behave. Apparently this is normal, but it does make you consider taking all of the hospital time you can rather than requesting early discharge like I did with Little Man.
You find yourself hoping that the random cramping and contractions you've been having for the past two weeks turn into the real thing, and you get excited every time one hurts enough to stop you from walking and talking.
I bought a 27 pound turkey to cook up for our quiet family Thanksgiving, the biggest I could find so we have a month of leftovers, and it looks like I'm smuggling it under my shirt.

38 Weeks and I'm 25!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:23:00 +0000

At my doctor's appointment last week, we started talking about how far along I was and how she thought that I would probably go to my due date since I don't have a history of delivering early. She also said that she's going by my original LMP dating of November 21 for our due date, rather than the 12 weeks ultrasound dating of November 24th.

Then she looked at the ultrasound results, and said, "Our ultrasound tech is usually right on, but I don't know if she's right on this one. We'll have to see."

This was followed by her murmuring, "normal gain of 1/2 lb a week, 3 weeks to go, oh my..." And then she set up dates with me for membrane stripping this weekend and induction next weekend if I don't go into labor naturally before then.

Now, why would my doctor suddenly change her mind on due date and be interested in speeding things up?

Oh, probably because the baby's head is measuring two weeks ahead, and her estimated weight (which can be off by 2 pounds) is 6 lbs, 13 oz!

Just for the record, Pumpkin delivered at 6 lbs, 15 oz. Little Man was just over 7 lbs.

I am really, really hoping that the ultrasound tech is wrong, or this little girl decides to make her appearance very soon!

I dragged my poor husband all over creation this weekend, and finally found curtains (and a lamp) for the nursery!! I wanted white curtains, but I just couldn't find anything that wasn't sheer or looked like burlap or a shower curtain. So I went with pink light-blocking curtains.

I still can't find the fluffy white rug I want though. I want one that's machine washable, and as soft as a baby blanket. It has to be out there somewhere!

In other news...

I'm 25 today!

Spending my birthday at home, calm and quiet this year. I've been in pajamas all day, I'm making baked chicken and veggies for dinner, and I plan on talking my husband into a massage tonight. The little ones are behaving pretty well today, which is impressive considering Pumpkin has become more defiant lately. Just a product of seeing all the changes around the house, and knowing that a new little someone will be here soon to have to share mommy's attention with.

I hope you all had a great weekend!

36 Weeks Pregnant!

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We're officially in the home stretch!

This little girl could come any day, and we're hoping she chooses to come early as long as she is fully developed and willing to wait until after Halloween.

Pumpkin and Little Man would not be happy if they had to miss trick or treating this year, and I'm hoping that the little cold Little Man developed last night clears up quickly. And the prince costume I was making for Little Man didn't come out as I had meant for it to, but we found an adorable pirate costume for him instead. So we'll have a princess and a pirate this year.

The new crib finally came in, and we got a new swing too. I just need a few finishing details - mattress, curtains, rug, maybe a better lamp - before I'll be sharing the nursery reveal. I'm really proud of how it's turning out so far!

We have a growth check ultrasound on Monday and an appointment on Wednesday because I'm still measuring small, but that's nothing unusual for me. At least this time I haven't been put on restricted activity yet.

My pregnancy insomnia got better for a few days, but came back with a vengeance this week. I'm lucky if I can fall asleep before 4 am, and I'm up by 8 am usually. I've also had a wicked sweet tooth which has caused me to eat a ton of Halloween candy and bake two pumpkin pies last night. However, none of it seems to be sticking as I'm weighing in at between 132 and 134 lbs, and I delivered both of my other babies at 140 lbs exactly.

I've been keeping busy by doing the last minute cleaning, folding, and sterilizing. I love being able to put everything in a proper nursery this time instead of in our bedroom.

I'll let you know how the ultrasound goes!

Boutique Hair Bow Tutorial ~ Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:53:00 +0000

Hi There! So, I'm sure you've figured out by now that when I say tomorrow, I mean two days from now, right?

We're going to make this cute Halloween bow today, and it's a bit more complicated than some others. However, once you get the technique to making boutique style bows down, they deliver a lot of fluff and cuteness for little time investment.

Supplies:

lined hair clip
13 inches of 3/8" ribbon
3 inches of 3/8" ribbon
22 inches of 7/8" ribbon
needle and thread
hot glue gun

We're going to start by taking our all our ribbon, and heat sealing the ends. I used a 7/8" glitter ribbon and a 3/8" metallic ribbon, so I left the ends raw. You cannot heat seal glittered or metallic ribbon. It will catch on fire.

Take your 22 inch long 7/8" ribbon which will be the base of our bow, fold it in half, and mark the center.

Take one end and bring it to that center mark, making a loop. You want the pretty side of the ribbon to be facing towards you, like an awareness ribbon.

Holding that tight, do the same with the other end, only looping it in the opposite direction. The ribbon ends should overlap each other on top of the center mark.

Now, the narrower your initial loops are, the fluffier your final bow will look. Feel free to experiment by making your loops rounder or thinner, and see what results you get.

While holding the center tightly, grab the top of one of the loops with your other hand, and bring it down and behind the center. This is what the front should look like.

And this is what the back should look like. You can easily adjust this to make sure the little loops this creates are even.

Go ahead and do the same with the other large loop, slight overlapping the middle points. It should look like an X on the front.

And a smushed together = sign on the back.

Take an extra hair clip and slide it over the center to hold the bow together, giving your fingers a needed break, and the opportunity to make sure all your loops are even. This will be your last chance to make adjustments!

Take your needle and thread, and put a large knot in the end of your thread.

And do a running stitch through all the layers right in the center of your bow. You'll only want about 3 or 4 stitches. Go ahead and remove your clip. Now you'll pinch a few pleats into the center of your bow while pulling the thread taut.

Take your thread and wrap around the pinched center of your bow about 4 to 5 times, more if you're using a stiff ribbon.

Pull your needle through the back of your wraps and tie a couple of knots to secure, then clip off your thread.

Here's your boutique bow! That's all there is to making it. Next we're going to make a second one to layer on top, with a knotted center.

Take your 13 inches of 3/8" ribbon, and following the directions above again, make another boutique bow.

Grab your approximately 3 inch section of 3/8" ribbon,

And tie a knot in the center.

Here we have all the parts of our bow ready to assemble.

Take your little boutique bow - make sure the front X side is facing up-, and put a dot of hot glue in the center.

Stick the center of your knotted piece of ribbon - with the pretty side of the knot facing up - down on your dot of glue and hold to secure.

Flip your bow over and glue down one of your tails.

Trim that tail.

And do the same with the other tail.

Now you have a nice and neat center for your bow.

Take your large boutique bow - making sure the front X side is up - and put a big dot of glue in the center.

Stick your little boutique bow down on top of your large one, and hold to secure.

Grab your lined clip, and run a bead of hot glue across the top.

Place your bow on top and hold until glue cools.

You're finished!

If your little one has fine hair, you can add a non-slip grip too.

I know it seems like a lot of steps, but once you get the basic technique down, you can make boutique bows with several layers in a matter of minutes.

And this one is just right for Halloween!

Labor and Delivery Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:21:00 +0000

For some reason, I had deluded myself into thinking that I'd have a bunch of posts pre-written and ready to go for the days this month that I knew were going to be crazy-busy.

Keyword here: deluded, see also: delusional. Use in a sentence: The reason I haven't posted in so long is because I was "delusional" about getting things written at the last minute when I knew we'd be busy.

My dad was here visiting all last week, and we had a great time. I'll be going into more detail on that later this week, but Pumpkin absolutely loved meeting her Grandpa. My husband worked all weekend, and we also went shopping for some more clothes and goodies for the new baby.

Yesterday morning, I woke up in huge amounts of pain, and wound up in labor and delivery being monitored for 4 hours. They said baby is doing just fine, and I wasn't in labor.

Obviously. I told them I wasn't in labor. I just wanted to know what was the excruciating pain in the right side of my stomach was.

The doctors had no clue. "It could be several things, maybe round ligament pain."

I growled at the genius who decided to let that one fly out of her mouth. I know what round ligament pain feels like. It was not round ligament pain. It was 2 hours of stabbing pain so bad I was crying.

They also said I could have passed a gall stone, which seems more likely.

However, since baby was monitoring well, my tests came back normal, and the pain had gone away, they decided to send me home even though they had no solid explanation.

As soon as I got released, we ran two errands that couldn't wait, and finally got home around 7pm.

I actually slept good for once, and was able to get the house cleaned, a cake baked, and a chicken pot pie made because today was my husband's 31st birthday. I'm still fairly tired though, and not feeling up to normal. Thankfully, his idea of a great birthday night was dinner, cake, and a movie at home. I love him so much.

Tomorrow I have an obstetrician appointment, and more errands. Our new crib came in, and we get to pick it up tomorrow! Only a few more things and the nursery will be complete. This baby girl can arrive anytime she'd like, though I wouldn't mind if she decides to come early!

Now I just need to finish some details on Little Man's Halloween costume. He's going as a prince to compliment Pumpkin's princess costume.

Tomorrow I'll have a new hair bow tutorial up that's perfect for Halloween!

Non Slip Grip Tutorial (For Hair Bows and Clips)

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Little girls are often blessed with super soft, fine hair... which can drive their mothers batty when it comes to getting a cute bow to stay in place. I've heard of using silicone strips, clothing tape, and velvet ribbon to keep hair bows in place, but they don't always work on super fine infant hair and can be hard (or expensive) to find.

Luckily, the best fix I've found for this is cheap, quick, and can be found everywhere. In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't have some hiding in your house right now.

Yes, this would be drawer liner. This stuff can be found everywhere, and can be used for so many things it's worth keeping a roll in your house.

Here we're going to use a little bit of drawer liner, and a little bit of hot glue, to make sure these cute bows stay where they're put.

Supplies:

foam non-slip drawer liner (make sure you get adhesive-free!)
hot glue gun
lined hair clip

Start by cutting a piece of the liner to approximately 3/8" wide by 1 1/4" long. I take a few minutes to cut up several strips, that way it's much faster to add a no slip grip when I have the whim to make a new bow.

Open up your lined clip, and run a thin bead of hot glue on the inside ribbon.

Gently set your strip of liner on the hot glue, and release the prongs so they squish down on the liner.

Do not press on the liner with your fingers!

The hot glue will come up through the holes in the liner, as it's supposed to because it adds to the non-slipability. (Yes, I can make up words if I want to) However, it will burn the daylights out of your fingers, so don't touch it. Let the prongs of the clip do the work while the glue cools.

Raise the prongs again, and if any glue sticks to the metal just peel it off.

And... you're done!

Big bows and little bows aren't going anywhere now. They're still easy to put on headbands and in hair because the metal bottom prongs allow the clip to still slide in easily, and then the liner clamps down onto the hair.

Have fun!

34 Weeks Pregnant

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:10:00 +0000

Time seems to be going so fast that I can't keep up with things, so bear with me as I run through a few updates. I turned 34 weeks on Thursday.

My dad is in town this week to visit. He lives across the country, so we see him every few years. He is getting to meet Little Man for the first time, and last saw Pumpkin when she was 6 months old. I do feel bad that he was only able to visit while we're so busy getting ready for the new little one, and our schedules are packed.

We also got our minivan last week, and I love it!!! Even my husband loves it, and he's hard to please when it comes to vehicles. It's so nice to ride in something that doesn't feel like it's going to rattle apart, and that had enough room for everything.

I've been tired and short tempered lately, and we have a feeling this baby is going to come earlier than anticipated. As in, there's a chance my due date could be incorrect by as much as a month. I tend to have little babies, and measure small during my whole pregnancy. During my 30 week ultrasound (told you I'm behind in sharing), the baby was measuring at 31 weeks. Usually they measure a few weeks behind. Also, we can't pin down the conception date like we could with both Pumpkin and Little Man.

Also, I'm huge. And very low.

This was taken at 34 weeks and 4 days. This is not the size my tummy is at 34 weeks.

This was 38 weeks with Pumpkin, a week before I was induced.

And this was almost 40 weeks with Little Man, 2 days before I went into labor.

My husband said he'd be shocked if I made it to November, let alone to my Thanksgiving due date. Needless to say, we have the hospital bags set in place in case we have to pack in a hurry, and we're trying to get the rest of what we want for baby before October is over.

Has anyone had an incorrect due date or an early surprise? I'd love to hear your story!

Baby Hair Bow Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:41:00 +0000

Good Morning! Today I have a quick and easy baby hair bow tutorial for you. This is great for using up scrap ribbon and pinning back those cute little infant bangs.

Supplies:

4-5" length of 3/8" ribbon (heat seal the ends, and the longer the ribbon, the farther the loops will extend past the ends of your clip.)
2-3" of 3/8" ribbon
lined hair clip
hot glue gun

You'll start by taking your 4-5" long ribbon (I used 5" here), finding the center, and putting a dot of hot glue in the middle. If you're using a printed ribbon, you'll be working with the non-printed side facing up.

Take one end, and fold it over onto the dot of hot glue and hold to secure.

Put another dot of glue on top of the ribbon end you just attached.

And fold the opposite end over and press on top of the glue dot to secure.

Guess what? You just finished the main part of your bow. That easy. Set it aside for a second.

Take your 2-3" length of ribbon, and tie a knot in the center.

Grab your bow base, flip it over so the overlapping ends are in the back, and put a dot of hot glue in the center of the front.

Take your knotted ribbon, press down the flat side of your knot onto the dot of glue, and hold to secure.

Flip the whole thing over, and trim the tails of the knotted piece so they're just a little longer than the width of your ribbon.

Put a dot of glue in the center of your bow back, and fold one of the tails over.

Repeat with the other tail, and let the glue cool completely.

Now you're going to run a line of glue along the back of your bow, but don't go all the way to the ends. You want some of your bow to be free from the clip so it can be fluffed up.

Attach the back side of your bow to the top of your lined clip. You'll see here that the loops of the bow extend past the ends of the clip because I used a 5" ribbon. A 4" ribbon will come just to the ends for a less rounded, more classic look.

Take your bow loops and fluff them up, and you're all done!

Cute! And when I say quick, I mean that once you've done a couple, you can whip one of these out in less than 5 minutes. Make a few matching sets, and you have a quick and easy gift that can be finished before nap time is over.

Leave a comment or send me an email if you have any questions!

Hill's Pet Nutrition Healthy Mobility Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 05:01:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hills Pet Nutrition for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Just like humans as they age, dogs lose the ability to move around easily. Decreased mobility can cause pain and a poor standard of life for your pet.

That's where a good diet can make all the difference in the health and comfort of your aging buddy. We don't have any pets due to my allergies, but several of our family member have raised dogs for years and understand the struggles they go through as they age.

If you or a family member has a dog, you should definitely check out the Hill's Healthy Mobility Challenge, which encourages a long life of good health for your pet. When you register, you'll receive $30 in coupon offers (visit Hill's Healthy Mobility Coupon) and you'll be automatically entered in the sweepstakes, where 30 winners will receive FREE pet food for a year!

You can get more information about Hill's Science Diet dog food and the Healthy Mobility Challenge by visiting Hill's Pet Nutrition. I would also suggest taking a few minutes to check out Hill's Pet Nutrition on Facebook! It's a great way to keep up with the challenge and find helpful advice on healthy pet nutrition!

How to Line a Hair Clip Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Joanna) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:58:00 +0000

The beginning step of any hair bow is to have a clip to attach it to. The most popular are alligator clips, and french clips.

I prefer using double prong alligator clips, because they are easy to line, work great for big and little bows, and can be attached to a toddler's hair even while they're running at full speed. They're also inexpensive and durable, attach to headbands easily, and don't snag and tear fine hair like french clips can.

For any bow, you're going to want to line your clip because it makes for a clean, finished appearance. Also, simple lined clips make are great for the days when you just want to keep hair out of a little one's face.

Supplies:

double prong alligator clip
3/8th's inch wide ribbon
hot glue gun

Here I used a pattered ribbon because I'm going to be using the clip as a simple clip. If you're making a bow to go on the clip, I would suggest using a plain colored ribbon because you're not going to see much of it in the finished bow.

We're going to be leaving our ribbon on the spool until the end, so we're not wasting ribbon by cutting too much or too little. Start by sealing the end of the ribbon. I heat seal by using a lighter and holding the flame close to the end of the ribbon until it begins to melt the edge.

This is what a heat sealed ribbon end looks like. Heat sealing is the best method in my opinion because it's fast, clean, and leaves a great looking edge. If you're nervous about using fire, you can also use a product called Fray Check. I'm not a huge fan of it though, mainly because it's messy, takes time to dry, and isn't that effective.

The trick to hot gluing anything and having it stay is using your high temp setting, and working small areas at a time. Get it stuck together before that glue cools, and you're good to go.

Put a small dot of hot glue on the end of your ribbon.

And attach it to the back (flat) side of your alligator clip, above the prongs. We're going to be leaving the back prongs unlined, as it makes it easier to slip your clip in a ponytail and gives a better hold.

Next, run a bead of glue along your ribbon, and fold it up, into, and over the end of the clip. If that didn't make much sense, take a look at the photo below.

See! It makes sense when you look at it!

Lay your ribbon out along the top prongs to the end, and fold it back over to the base of the prongs. This is how to figure out how much more you will need to finish.

And please forgive my dry cuticles. I own more lotion that you can find in a department store, I just forget to use it.

Go ahead and cut your ribbon, and heat seal this end.

Run a bead of glue along the remaining length of your ribbon. Be sparing, you don't want so much glue that it oozes out the sides.

Working quickly, open your clip and line the ribbon along the top of the prongs, then fold it over the bottom of the prongs. Pinch to seal the ribbon together, fully encasing the top prongs of the clip.

Ta Da! You have a lined clip!

Now you can use it as is, or add a pretty bow on top! I'll be sharing how to make many different bow and rosette options over the next several weeks!

If you have any questions feel free to leave them in my comment section or send me an email and I'll get back with you as soon as I can!