Oh, the joys of Motherhood

Back to school time

2012-07-25T10:24:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love this time of the year. Back to school time when the sales are amazing and there is just such a nice change in the air. We all know that fall and the holidays are right around the corner, and summer really starts to slow down. This year I was a little more than excited that Noah will be starting Pre-K. I probably shouldn't be excited, but instead sad, but the fact of the matter is, he needs a school setting. He is a really bright kid, and no i'm not just saying that because he is mine. He absolutely LOVES doing projects and crafts, and reading stories. Pretending he's a cowboy, or a bear, or a ghost. He's just all over the place. He loves going to school, and use to BEG to go when he was in pre-school.

I'm looking forward to a more structured school setting that pre-K has to offer, and of course being that I graduated as a special ed teacher, I am very thrilled there will be some type of curriculum this year. So with that said, I was excited to some what have a purpose this back to school season! My own child would be attending school, for the first time! So of course what do I do, start planning all the shopping I "have" to do. ;)

I got lucky and hit some good sales at Gymboree, Gap, and Marshall's. My kids really don't need any more clothes or shoes, I keep them pretty stocked, even for the next size and season, but there were a few things that I thought Noah should have some extras of, such as t-shirts and what not. The number one item that he for sure needed was a backpack. I've gone back and forth with whether or not we should let him just use his little tiny Thomas one and then get him a big good one for kindergarten next year. But from fear that he will be bringing home papers and notebooks, which won't fit in his Thomas one, I'm thinking I might just have to splurge, buy him a nice backpack, and hope it lasts for kindergarten as well. The 3 sites I was debating on was LLBean, Lands End, and of course Pottery Barn Kids. Well I can't seem to convince myself of any of the prints on the LLBean site. I know they are suppose to have good quality back packs, but I can't stand all the prints. So I've narrowed it down to Lands End and Pottery Barn Kids. I was against PBK at first because some of the things I have ordered from there before weren't good quality, but then I saw a little boy at our gym with the exact PBK back pack Noah wanted and it was amazing! It looked extremely sturdy, and I have no doubt it would last him through kindergarten. So what do you think? Which should I go with? And since lunch is provided for him, he wont be needing a lunch box till next year, which means I wont feel so bad for splurging on a nice back pack :) Score for Mama!

Here is Noah's number one pick! Found HERE, and this is the one I saw in person and it's just as impressive in person as it is on the site.

Or this is the other one I'm looking at on Lands End. Wondering if their backpacks are as sturdy as LL Bean? Found HERE.

Paint and Decisions.

2012-07-23T20:16:00.004-07:00

Everyone has trouble picking out paint colors right? I hope so. I have wanted to paint our kitchen since the day we moved in. I just cannot stand the flat, boring, light brown paint it is painted. I do so much cooking and the kids are always in there, that the flat paint is a recipe for disaster. My real dream is to put a backsplash up after we paint, but again I am getting ahead of myself. Especially because this is not our dream home, and we don't plan on staying in it much longer. Ok back to paint.

I dont know why, but I am so so picky about paint colors in kitchens. I feel like kitchens are so creative and beautiful in magazines and blogs, but whenever people try to re-create that in their own kitchen it turns disastrous. For example, red. The few red kitchens I have seen in person, and no one I know specifically, it's been YEARRRSS since I've seen a red kitchen in person, but they drive me up a wall!!! I'm just not fond of red paint to be honest. But then I see pictures on Pinterest of red done in kitchens so beautifully, and I think, yeah right, that would never happen to me. Then there are blue kitchens. Blue kitchens are getting a little warmer, but I just feel like it has to be the right shade of blue. I think some people must spin the dial, win the paint lottery, and bam get the right blue that happens to be all over Pinterest. Then people like me fall in love with it, paint their kitchen blue and it ends up looking like a daycare center. Same with yellow. I think it has something to do with the tones. Yellow can come out very bright and cartoony, and for fun and funky furniture I love that color, but for kitchen walls, not so much.

So where do i even begin???

From ONE picture, and you will see it soon below, I decided on yellow. I thought it would look great with our dark cabinets. Here is a picture of our kitchen in case you forgot, give or take because this was taken a year ago. Also, I know we need some bar stools, I'm waiting for a specific, unique pair to find me. I'm picky.

Here are the paint swatches I've been eyeing

I still did not know where to begin. I wanted yellow with some brown undertones, because I am afraid it will turn out too bright. So for the first time ever, George and I got 2 samples of 2 that we agreed on and put them on the wall. What do you think?

At first I was dead set on the top one. It's more mustard-y, the look I was going for. But in the evenings, the color really fades into the brown we already have. It's also very dark, which I'm afraid it will make our kitchen feel darker instead of lighter. And with our dark cabinets we don't need that. So then I was telling George I was starting to lean towards the light one, and he broke the news that he thinks we need more samples. UGHHHH seriously?? I wanted to start on this ASAP! Here are some pictures that I can't stop looking at of beautiful kitchens.

Kitchen #1

Here is the forbidden red, looking so absolutely beautiful. Seriously, I wish I had the guts to do a color like this. Isn't this kitchen SO cheerful? I love it. Check it out here.

Kitchen #2

And here is the picture that inspired my yellow phase. The furniture is brown and neutral, so it reminded me alot of our kitchen now.

HERE

Kitchen #3

And lastly, this kitchen is starting to make me think that George and I may need to get some blue swatches and put them on the walls to compare to the yellow. What do you think?? SO serene right?

HERE

And here we go!

2012-07-20T13:22:00.001-07:00

Wow, 7 months since I dusted off this old blog. I feel like I've been to the moon and back since that last one. I went on to complete my student teaching, and final semester of school. With 2 small kids of my own, I really did not know how I was going to finish, but I did! During the time of my last post I was going through some changes within myself as well. I decided to go after a dream and goal of mine that I had for a really long time. I didn't know how it would all pan out with my last semester of school, but I am proud to say that it all somehow fell into place. What is meant to be, will certainly find a way!

In 5 weeks I will be competing in my very figure competition. I started a new blog, more fitness oriented, which details my journey called Mamamuscle.wordpress.com. Check it out if you're interested!

The last month of my training has been extremely hard on me, not physically, but I guess you could say mentally. I hit a wall where I started to look around and felt like I had really lost myself in the weeks and months of training. I was so committed and devoted to this goal of mine, and really motivated to say the least, that I had forgotten about all the other things that made me happy. Once I let myself take a deep breath and realize that it was ok to have many different interests and hobbies, I began my love for crafting, house projects and cooking again!

Cooking is a bit of a challenge right now due to my diet, but I realized that it didn't mean I couldn't cook fun, healthy, homemade meals for my family. If anything it made me feel a little more normal with all the changes that are going on in my body. So with that said, I've decided to bring this old blog back to life. I'm in the process of changing Belle's room over to a big girl room. I have some painting ideas in my head for the house, as well as projects for the laundry room ect ect. I've been experimenting with some fun new recipes, and re-creating old ones by substituting healthier ingredients. And I want to share that all with you!

Also, Noah starts pre-K in 3 weeks! eeeeek! Where has the time gone?? Belle is pretty much a toddler now and acts older than Noah. With a kid in school and one I want to start potty training soon, I will need a mama outlet :) I've been having SO much fun staying home with them and not having to worry about homework or papers. I missed this part of my life, and promise to update alot more! Especially in time for the holidays :) Stay tuned!

Let's get this party started....

2011-12-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

So before the holidays attacks me and the new year begins i need to update with some fairly old things we have done to our abode! I have mentioned before that i was adding a new mirror to our master bath and that we were also installing hardwood in our living room. With 2 kids and 2 dogs, hardwood is a must. Our carpet shampooer actually broke right after we installed the wood lol. So that should tell you how much we used it. Here are some pictures from our projects. If i'm not mistaken both of these projects were done at the end of summer in August.

Bathroom paint drying :)

Belle finding it amusing as i struggle to get the new mirrors hung.

I got these mirrors at Ikea. They came as a pack of 4 and i thought they would look fabulous in our Master bath as one big mirror. I think one pack cost $19.99 so i bought 2 to cover where our old mirror use to be.

I had to tape them as i fastened the hardware to the wall. Each mirror required 4 pieces of hardware on each corner so it took some time. Especially because i was planning on putting all 8 mirrors up but then realized only 6 would fit. So i had to start over.

Here they are all put up before i removed the tape. Will take a better finished pic soon, but i love how unique and different they are. They definitely add a more modern feel to the bathroom.

Now onto our next project which was installing hardwood floor. George started at night after the kids went to bed, and basically just prepped by pulling out all the carpet.

By morning this is what it looked like. He started a small section that night as well, to get a feel for how it would be.

Besides our patio this was George's 2nd big project in our house! He has been learning so much just by looking around online and i couldn't be happier and prouder of the outcome!

The first things we bought was a new vacuum and a shark. Both work GREAT on keeping the floors extra clean from the kids and dogs!

I.Am.Alive

2011-12-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

Yes i am still alive. Barely. The last few months have been a whirlwind. School was my number one priority, i feel awful saying that, but when you're this CLOSE to graduating you gotta start taking things off the plate to make sure you finish! BUT fall semester is NOW over!!!!! Student teaching starts Jan 2 so you will have me for one WHOLE month! :) A lot has happened around here. George put in wood flooring downstairs, like 10 years ago it feels like. And other than decorating for the holidays NOTHING else has happened house wise. BUT, of course i have a few things up my sleeve! So i will take you all along with me in the next few weeks while i get my house, crafting, holiday on!!!

The kids are getting SO SO big. I look at Belle and can literally see her maturing EVERY day. She acts like such a little girl now and runs and plays. It's so sweet to see her and Noah play together and hug. They are VERY wild and rambunctious, but make life SO happy here. I cant believe Christmas is already here. Why does time have to fly by when kids are so little. Makes me sad. Winter time is such a special time to me here in Georgia. It holds so many good memories. Memories of when i first moved here after a long and hard year stationed apart from George. Then the winter that he was in Iraq and i was pregnant with Noah. Then we moved into our first home the winter of 09. And of course my favorite, Belle was born just last winter. As soon as the leaves change colors and the cold crisp airs arrives, the nostalgia hits me and i cant help but walk around in a haze remembering such good memories. With that said, i will update and post some new pics tomorrow!! Eeeeek SO excited to have a month off!

Guestroom/Craftroom!

2011-09-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

Since our entire family has been hit like a plague with stomach bugs, colds, and bronchitis i feel like it has been FOREVER since i've blogged, and even longer since i decorated my guestroom/craftroom. It is still in the works, i need to find some lamps for the nightstands, a work table to replace that black bookshelf, and i think i am going to get the bigger expdit shelf and put this smaller one in the playroom for toy storage. BUT here is is THUS far! In case you didn't know what it looked like before..........let me remind you.

And here is the room now!!!!

I have to say that the curtains are my all time favorite thing about the room. I scored them at Joann's in the clearance section for $3 a yard! I'm kicking myself for not getting more yardage!

Here are 2 mirrors that were left over from my Master bath project that is next on my blogging list :) And this SUPPEERR cute shelf i scored at the Goodwill for $10. Haven't fully decided what i want to do with it yet. I've just been placing jars and other random containers in it to hold craft supplies.

So there you have it, my little cozy sewing haven. I dont know if we will get to the small changes i mentioned i wanted to make, by the end of the year. I have the holidays, my crazy kids, and of course school to focus on till then. But i will be blogging my master bath project, master bedroom alteration, and a big project we did in the living room!

This craftroom is now, by far, one of my favorite places in the house. Since it is upstairs with the kids, it feels so nice to be near them while they play during the day. They lay on the floor and make messes while i sew, and last week i even napped in our guest bed while the kids napped. I've even been known to hide out in that bed with snacks and gossip magazines as well. It's starting to feel more and more like my mom "escape" cave :) Nothing wrong with that.

Recap!

2011-09-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

So i know i have been gone for about 2 weeks now but a lot has been going on over here. For one my computer crashed and shut down completely. so i had to turn it into apple to get fixed. Then i had some medical issues i had to take care of, and then my dad came to visit for a week! So with that said, i will be playing catch up the next few weeks and sharing what little i've done around the house and project wise.

The kids are literally growing like weeds, doing SO much it's amazing. School is going good, it is a pretty easy semester compared to the last 2, and senioritis has set in full force. I need to snap out of it though before my student teaching starts January 3rd, because the Spring is going to be the busiest time of my life. Here are 2 pictures of 2 main projects i was working on before my computer crashed. I will do full posts on these as well as a post on one BIG project George did to the house while i was away as well :)

My new sewing space :)

Our new bathroom mirrors :) Excuse the tape, that's what i used to get them up there perfect. Full post will have the final picture.

ATL!

2011-08-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Last weekend two of my best friends and I traveled to Atlanta to throw one of our dear friends a baby shower. This is the same friend that i took maternity pictures for just a few months ago. Bobbi wanted her baby shower at a tea room and we all thought that would be a great idea since we all LOVE a good excuse to get dolled up! Bobbi chose Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Room in Atlanta, GA and let me tell you, it was one of the best experiences we have all had together. And we have had many!

The place was in the cutest little neighborhood with the Flying Biscuit practically next door. In case you dont know what the Flying Biscuit is (because i didnt either until my girls took me) it is a fab restaurant that has many locations all over Atlanta. The tea room was small, but perfect for what we wanted. I organized a party of 10 to receive high tea with danishes and sandwiches, and then we also had a dozen strawberry cupcakes ordered from the bakery. The food was to die for. Here are a few pictures from our time there, and i can tell you that we will definietely be going back.

And since we're on the topic of Atlanta, let me tell you this........ i had to stop by Ikea on the way home. I have some AMAAZZZIINNNGG posts coming soon of my master bathroom and craftroom/guestroom makeover. Both rooms are coming along SO well :)

Happy dance!!

2011-08-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

I said before that i had been working on the guestroom/craftroom and that i was re-doing my desk. This desk to be exact. I had plans of lightening it up a bit and painting it a pretty pastel yellow with little glass knobs for the hardware. Well my pretty ideas of a more feminine desk vanished when i started sanding all that awful green off and let me tell you this, i NEVER want to see that color green again. At least not in a paint can. It took me FOREVER to get that paint off! I took an hour almost EVERY evening for a month to work on it, since it was cooler in the evenings and when i started school i was also off in the evenings.

BEFORE:

Well yesterday after priming it upside down, i flipped the bad boy over and suddenly had a great idea! I had bought a can of beautiful wood stain to sand and stain the chair that went with the desk (already changed my mind on that one), and instead thought it would be SO pretty to stain the top of the desk and paint the rest.

So that is what i did. I was SO excited once it was done that i rushed to get it in the house, damp and all. I know that was a HUGE risk, especially moving it upstairs on my own. What can i say, i'm super woman. But here it is! These cell phone pics don't do it justice. I need a new memory card for my good camera so tomorrow after i get one i will take some new pics. And i will be working on the curtains i have for the room too! I am SO excited to get them up and then i will only need a few more things that i might be picking up at Ikea this weekend to complete the room!

I don't know why the yellow looks so much brighter in the first pic. It is a VERRRYY light yellow. It was actually called Creme Yellow by Vaspar.

Can't wait to get my sewing machine back up there and start on many awaiting projects!

I'm still alive......barely.

2011-08-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well last week was my first week back to school. Literally back to school. I have to complete a 10 day "August Experience" in order to graduate next year. This is so i can experience "pre-planning" and setting up a classroom in the room where i am going to do my student teaching. I am working with a GREAT special education teacher that i really admire and think i will learn a lot from student teaching with her. So last week was filled with 8 hour days and then i would come home to my 2 adorable kiddos in enough time to cuddle and then dive straight into dinner, bathtime, and then betime. Last week was busy to say the least. And this upcoming week will be a repeat except that friday i will be heading to Atlanta with my girlfriends to throw one of our good friends a baby shower!

Since so much has been going on i haven't had time to work on all the projects i would love to, or to blog, or to even run. Bah humbug! No wonder i've been so cranky! So yesterday my neighbor and i decided to have a yard sale and clean out both our houses and post up out front and see what we could get for random stuff we no longer use. I only made $40 but spent a lot more lol. My neighbor was selling some great stuff, and stuff that we actually need! I scored this BEAUTIFUL solid wood buffet that she doesn't have room for, but looks like it was MADE for my dining room. We also got a Kirby and since her son is a few years older than mine, i got Noah's fall and winter wardrobe taken care of. I was SO excited!

*And how amazing does my old window look on the buffet??? I was working on it and planning on painting it blue and hanging it in our downstairs bathroom, but i set it on here to get a visual and George LOVED it. We are planning on leaving it there and adding a big long shelf higher up across the top of the wall.

Pumped from my goodies yesterday i took today to start organizing a bit since i got rid of some crap and have some space in our home. I cleaned out and swept the garage. *Side note, i have taken about an hour every night this past week to sand my desk and i JUST finished today. So priming and painting is on the agenda and i'm hoping i will have some pics of our guestroom/craftroom this weekend.* I moved a bookshelf from Ikea that we had in the garage into our closet which gave us so much more space and helped me organize our closet a little better. Here are a few pics from my closet work earlier this afternoon.

I know it doesn't look like much, but the shelf adds space for belts, bags, and shoes that otherwise get thrown every where else. There is also space for folded sweaters or winter things that George and I might not use during the spring and summer.

I'm excited to get my desk done this week, FINALLY, and start working on more sewing projects as the fall holidays approach :)

Too good to last

2011-07-31T06:02:00.000-07:00

Although we have had a "jumpin" summer, it is time that all the late nights come to an end. My last and FINAL year of school kicks off tomorrow. I want to give my school work all of my attention and really finish off my senior year with a bang. I'm shooting for straight A's, so we'll see how i do! I hope to keep up my blog, there may be weeks when i keep it up and weeks when i'm nowhere to be found. A lot of that has to do with my projects, crafts, and time with the kids as well.

I'm still patiently working on my desk, i was hoping to have it done by the time i went back to school but it looks like it was a bigger project than i was ready for. I will keep you all updated as i finish it and the craft/guestbedroom throughout the next few weeks.

I also have been wanting to do a running post. A post where i can write about all the things i love and cant live without in my 3 years of running. I cant believe this October 1st will only be 3 years since i took up the sport. It was the best thing i ever did. I hope everyone had a great summer and are ready and re-charged for fall and all the festivites that come during this time of year!

Bobbi Jo and baby Stella Rose

2011-07-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

As if i don't take on enough extracurricular activities, here is my FIRST shot at taking some pictures of my beautiful friend Bobbi Jo who is 8 months pregnant. I've ALWAYS loved pretty pictures, and most my time out is spent looking at different and unique places where a picture could be captured. Don't get me wrong, i am in no shape or form a photographer, i am simply a girl who is having fun with her camera and capturing shots of someone i love and hoping she will look at these pictures and see herself the way i see her, simply beautiful, inside and out.

I've wanted to try something like this for awhile now, i just never had the guts, and someone close enough to me, to actually let me try what i wanted to, in regards to pictures. I have to say i was pretty impressed with myself. I was SO nervous that they would turn out horrible and i would hang my head and walk away with the satisfaction that i at least tried. But instead i was EXCITED, and found myself starring at some of the pictures i took hours after i took them. I am sticking with my major of teaching special ed, but i would love to learn more about photography and hopefully take more pictures of people i love, especially my own 2 kids. So here are some of my favorite pictures i took of my dear friend Bobbi Jo, her husband Gary, and their soon to be baby girl Stella Rose :)

Operation........Guestroom/Craftroom!

2011-07-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

Our 4th room is a rather large room. When we picked the floor plan we had the option to have an additional (4th) room added above the garage for more money. Of course we agreed. This took our house from almost 2300 (i believe), to exactly 2600 sq. ft. This addition room is HUGE, the same size as our Master (minus the bathroom). So i didnt want it to be one of the kids rooms. It wouldn't be fair to whoever got such a large room. So of course it was easy to put the babies in the 2 equal sized rooms, and do something fun with the big one.

At first, this was before i learned to sew, i already had planned to make it a cozy guestroom/office space. I had lots of different visions and ideas, but then as time wore on and Noah got older and started doing crafts with me i decided i need some space. Creative space :) So that was when i decided it will be our guestroom/craftroom. Then soon after i learned to sew and noticed that not only was my fabric stash growing, but i needed A LOT of space for most my projects. Our master bedroom would look like a tornado hit it, and before bed Goerge and i would be cleaning forever. How nice it would be to close a door with all my parts and pieces of a project left EXACTLY where they were, only for me to return to it in the morning completely refreshed.

I have a vision for this room, as i do for most the rooms i take off decorating. Many of the rooms in our homse have waitied to be completely done because i may have a million ideas for it and i NEVER want to commit to something when i have a million different ideas. I'm patient with my designing and decorating, and even then i still change things around. So with this room i have taken my time and it has evolved quite well.

I am re-doing my desk i bought last fall because as one of my very FIRST furniture projects i used the wrong kind of primer. I used latex instead of oil based which caused the oil based paint i used to peel right off. It was a disaster and i didnt even put new hardware on it. YUCK!

It is almost completely painted and i have the fabric waiting and ready to be made into beautiful curtains. This weekend i will hang them and start slowly putting my desk back together upstairs instead of in our Master bedroom downstaris. Here is what the room looks like now. There is a bookshelf, drresser, nightstands, BEAUTIFUL white small cubicle shelf, queen size bed, and my shutter headboard i created from $5 shutters :)

Stay tuned as this room evolves. I will snap a pic once the curtains and desk are set up but then i also need to make an ikea run for a few items and am searhcing for some fun and funky lamps for the nightstands :) I'm TOO excited about all of this.

Here it is: the requested Cloth Diaper post

2011-07-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

**NOTE** This post is what works for me and my kids, and i am very well informed that what may work for one person will not work for another. I'm not claiming to know everything, or telling anyone to do it my way, i am simply stating what i do and what has worked for me and my family. I cloth diapered my son who is 3 and now fully potty trained, and am currently cloth diapering my daughter who is 8 mos. I have tried just about EVERY diaper, and learned many lessons by taking advice from people and the web. Some good, some bad.

I tend to get alot of emails and messages about ALL kinds of things, but the number one subject i get asked about is.........cloth diapers. I don't mind AT ALL, to be honest, i think moms should stick together and i have messaged and emailed moms that i like and respect to ask questions on certain matters myself! So of course my brilliant husband gave me the idea to go ahead and write a blog post about what works for us when it comes to the topic of cloth diapering. I snapped some pics to show you all what they look like, where we store them and what products we love the most. I hope this will be informative and will answer any questions anyone has.

BRAND:
First off, the diapers i use the most often and love the most are none other than Bumgenuis. These are All In One, which means they DO NOT need a waterproof cover. Just think of them as a NORMAL diaper that you throw on and take off. Nothing special needs to be done. They are the easiest and most daddy friendly. You can find the ones i use HERE.

They are one size which means they can grow with your baby. This saves a TON of money! The pound range is 8-35 pounds and the snaps in the front are so the diaper can be snapped down small and undone to make them larger.

STORAGE:
We store our diapers in a dresser that i use as a changing table. This was during laundry day, so the rest of my diapers were hanging in the laundry room. I have about 17-20, not too sure, haven't counted and i have some Grovia AI2's for backup. (All in 2's just means it has a waterproof cover but the inside snaps in and out. So you use the same cover all day, you just replace the inside during every change.)

Now lets talk about the most asked about topic when it comes to cloth diapers......POOP! Newborns who are breastfed do not need to have anything special done to their diapers. Breastfed poo is watery and goes right through their system so it is almost like pee. Those diapers you can just throw in the wash, and i understand some people may think that is gross, but i can think of a million other GROSSER things that have been thrown in a washing machine. Plus, for first time moms, guess what, your kids are going to have blowouts and you are going to have POOP covered clothes at least once a week, so if you're washing those in your washer, diapers should NOT bother you.

So for newborn breastfed poo, you don't have to do anything different. But if your baby drinks formula or eats baby food then that begins the fun stuff lol. You can buy a diaper sprayer which i have NEVER used, but i hear they are EASY to install and work well, OR you can use disposable liners. I use THESE disposable liners. They are very thin and soft and i just lay one in the diaper during EVERY change. If she poos, then i wipe her up, placing the dirty wipes on the liner, and then i grab the edges of the liner and throw everything in the toilet and flush. Then i can throw my diaper in the pail. I NEVER have to deal with poo because i always flush it. For all the liners that she wears that she doesn't poo in i just throw those away. I used these liners with my son and now my daughter, and i just love them. They are SO easy!

I store my diapers in a diaper pail between changes. It is basically a cheapy trashcan from Wal-Mart. The pail liner i use is Wahmies and it is basically a trashbag that has fabric on one side, and lined with waterproof plastic on the inside. I have 2 of these, so that way when one is in the wash, the other i can put in my pail.

These liners come in all different colors and prints. HERE is where i bought mine.

I grab the entire bag by the top, shove the bag inside out into the washing machine, NEVER touching ANY diapers and then throw the bag in there with the diapers. Shut the washer and it's ready to wash!

WASHING:
I have read a million crazy wash routines. You would think you're reading a damn recipe with how many washes and products people use! YES, i bleach my diapers, YES i use dryer balls (similar to dryer sheets), and YES i use fabric softener. In the beginning, i listened to all the crazy things i read and over time i slowly adopted my own method and realized that it DOES not hurt to do things you're own way. So i start off by putting all my diapers in the wash, i wash them every other day. I add a scoop of oxiclean and do a quick cold wash. This just rinses them and helps get any stains out. When i'm done with that i put a small amount of any free and clear detergent. Detergent with scents will build up in your diapers and cause smell issues. I just buy all natural free and clear detergent (any brand) and wash ALL my baby clothes, my clothes, and diapers with it. I don't buy different detergents for different people in this house. We ALL use the sensitive hypoallergenic kind. I cant stand dreft, it's a rip off in my book and any all natural detergent will work just as well if not better.

Here is my detergent i get in bulk at Sam's Club, Ecover (my ALL time favorite all natural fabric softener), oxiclean, and Bac Out which i spray on any stains before throwing the diaper in the pail.

Ok back to washing, so after the first cold wash, i put a little detergent, and a little fabric softener and do a normal hot wash with a extra cold rinse. I do not have any recommendations with fabric softener, i use Ecover which is ALL natural and safe and keeps my diapers VERYYYY soft. Diapers tend to get very hard and almost crunchy if you don't use anything like this, but i'm scared to use other fabric softener because i don't want stink issues. And Ecover just gets all our clothes and diapers SO soft that i LOOVVEE it. About once a month, during the hot wash i will add bleach to it as well and this keeps my diapers SO white and clean and has NEVER hurt or harmed them. If anything, HALF of Belle's diapers were Noah's 3 years ago and they are in PERFECT condition and i've been bleaching them for quite awhile now.

Another topic i wanted to touch on was diaper cream. I also use diaper cream and occasionally baby powder on my kiddos as well. I've NEVER had ANY build up and that might be due to the fact that i bleach them.

I throw my diapers in the dryer for ONE dry cycle, cloth diapers are EXTREMELY absorbent, so they will not get completely dry in one drying cycle. I like to throw them in for one though because again it keeps them soft. I use dryer balls that you can find in the laundry aisle of target and wal mart and i just use these for ALL my clothes. They make our clothes and diapers fluffy and soft and are green since you're not throwing away a million dryer sheets. After the one drying cycle i hang the damp diapers to dry over night and they are ready for Belle in the morning!

I'm sure i left some things out, but i hope that helps anyone considering cloth diapering. Like i said before, not only does it save SO much money, but it is also green and healthy for your kids. I know diapers can take YEARSSS to decompose in dumps and i can also say my kids hardly EVER get diaper rashes because we change them and keep them SO dry. If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me.

And just for you to see how cute, here is my daughter after waking one morning in her yellow Bumgenius. She loves them :)

Goodwill=Heaven!

2011-07-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

A few Monday's ago, George and I had a little "day" date. Noah is now in preschool, so we were left with just Belle. She went along for the ride, and we had such a good time. We stopped to get me some running shoes (more on that later), and then i somehow convinced George to swing by the Goodwill on our way to lunch.

If you don't know George, then you don't know that he isn't the biggest fan of used things. This is extremely hard considering he is married to someone who has been obsessed with the thrift store since Junior High, and has been yard saling since i was a wee little one with my grandma. So what do you know, this was George's FIRST time at the Goodwill!

We walked in, me with a happy grin, George with a apprehensive smile. We plopped Belle down in the basket and i started my journey. I have a particular way i go through our Goodwill, furniture first, then toys, then housewares, then electronics. There was SO much goodness during this visit, but i had to keep it simple since George was so uneasy.

Of course i spotted tons of great furniture items i could spruce up, but didn't want to push my limit. After all, when we walked in George said i could LOOK, but couldn't actually get anything. I knew otherwise. We flew through the toy aisle, because our kids really don't need anymore toys. THEN, i found them. One of the items i have been searching for.....some vintage sheets!

I have been wanting to make Belle some cute summer dresses with some vintage sheets, and i have passed some up in the past, but told myself i would never make that mistake again. There was one that was just a flat sheet, and then an actual Queen set. Our queen bed is in the guestroom since we upgraded to king, and these sheets were just so sweet and cute, i HAD to get them for our guestroom. So in the basket they went.

The other thing i found that i could not pass up were some tea cups and saucers. I have been wanting to start a collection of these for Belle when she gets older. I know that when i was a little girl, one of my ALL time favorite things to do was have tea parties. And they were even better when i could use REAL china. Not to mention, tea cups are just adorable and look so cute throughout houses. I have a few around my house for decoration, and even one on my sewing desk that i use for pins and buttons and what not. So i snatched these up and George with a confused look said LETS GO! Not before i also snatched a glass cake stand. Can never pass up a cake stand :)

I spotted a laminator in the electronic section, and i'm kicking myself for not fighting him on getting it because i have been wanting one with all the crafts and things i do with Noah! The laminator just had to be the item that i let go. I'm keeping my fingers crossed i find one again at the Goodwill, after all that's the best part of thrifting! Finding something you've been DYING for, for cheap and in great condition. Sigh, i love thrifting.

Pre-traveling preparations!

2011-07-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

Before going to Cali there were many things i wanted to get done. Some i did, some i didn't even get close. For sewing i wanted to make a pretty camera strap like THIS for my camera that i was taking. I already made a camera bag that i had made in this POST, so all i needed was a strap! I did it really fast since i needed to get a few other projects knocked out, so it didn't come out perfect, BUT it came out cute enough to take to California!

The next thing i was trying to knock out before California were some crayon rolls! I found this tutorial HERE, and wanted to try some. I had attempted one for Noah awhile ago, and it was simple enough so i made some for a few of my friends kids. Here they are! They turned out great and i will most definitely be making some in the future for gifts!

The blue shark one is Noah's. I decided to make him a new and approved one for his plane ride :)

Shake it like a polariod pictuurree

2011-07-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased the Polaroid Instax Mini camera and it is so darn cute in person, and even more fun to play with.

I would recommend it to anyone looking to have some spontaneous pictures, especially to leave with family and friends. The only downfall is the price for film. At $17.99 a pack on amazon, you get 10 pictures. So you have to be VERY choosey when taking pictures. Here are some we recently took on our California vacation that i loved!

The beginning of our date day. This was in the morning at La Jolla Cove.

Noah wearing his Mickey ears that he got at Disneyland. I was surprised he was wearing them so willingly.

The kiddos watching tv in their Minnie and Mickey ears. This pic melts my heart.

The kids after bath time in the hotel relaxing.

I think my most favorite thing about the Instax, is leaving people with memories. We have gotten so use to everything being digital, that we forgot the simple pleasure in actually holding a picture. And actually seeing it for how it was captured, right then and there. Not erased and taken a ton of times because someone didn't like the way they turned out. These pictures come out natural, because for once, you have only one shot to get the pic. We recently visited an aunt of mine in San Diego on our trip, and she's older so she doesn't have internet or the luxury of seeing photos via email or Facebook. So before we left, i left her a few little surprises. Photos of her and the kids, and of me and George. Little souvenirs for her to look back on from our stay with her. I know she will treasure them, and that's why i love my Instax Mini!

La Jolla Cove

2011-07-13T18:19:00.001-07:00

While in California, George and i spent some time in La Jolla, Ca where one of my aunt's lives. It is located in San Diego county and is a beautiful little town. She told us that we would love to go check out La Jolla Cove and this is what we found one morning. Perfect weather, and breathtaking sites to be seen. Enjoy.

La Jolla Cove

Weather was perfect

This southern boy was amazed

Water was SO clear!

Really makes you wonder about all God's glory. And He created all of this for our pleasure.

4th of July 2011

2011-07-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well we are here in California, relaxing and enjoying our time at my parents. We got in early on Sunday so Monday for 4th of July we pretty much stayed low key and relaxed around the house. The kids swam and my dad bbq'd. It was just nice to spend time with family. The next day we went to Disneyland, so we went to bed fairly early that night.

The kids have JUST started adjusting to the 3 hr time different and today is day 3. By the time they fully adjust it will be time to go home which makes me so sad. George and i are going to San Diego for 3 days tomorrow to have some mom and dad time. Looking forward to laying out on the beach and out by the pool. I'm taking George to Stone Brewery for his bday so i will be sure to post lots of pics when we get back. Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Fourth of July Learning

2011-07-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

Noah just turned 3 in May, and he is it at the perfect age to soak up and learn so many new things. I just recently put him back in preschool, which he LOVES, but i also love to spend time with him and do some crafts and learning on the weekends. I found these CUTE 4th of July printables from HERE and knew he would love them!

We first started about fireworks and that expanded into THIS craft over here. After that we learned about the flag and that's where we started with the "big to small" and "small to large" flags that i printed off.

He caught on real quick!

And loved it!

Next, i printed out this "Which is different" 4th of July sheet. I put a lot of my worksheets in plastic sheet protectors so that way Noah can use a dry erase marker and it comes right off and he can continue to practice.

Loved this one too!

This one was my favorite, it is the alphabet matching firework printable.

So serious.

I think this one was Noah's favorite. He had to match the numbers on the firework cards to the numbers on the clothespins. We love clothespins in our house, we use them for EVERYTHING! I'm thinking about creating something similar to this, but using letter clothespins to help with spelling.

We are in California for the 4th of July visiting my parents so i will be snapping a lot of pictures while we're there. We have a lot of fun things planned, but most all just spending time with the fam!

Calendar Days!

2011-07-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

I guess it's a good thing i'm going to school to be a teacher, because i love ALL things that have to do with kids and teaching! One of my favorite things that kids learn is about the days of the week, months in the year, and the weather. Probably because this includes holidays and i am a SUCKER for anything holiday-ish. I will decorate for just about ANY holiday.

So when George and I were strolling through Target last weekend i was SOOO excited to see these! And for $2.50 you couldn't go wrong! I got the month/day one, and the weather one.

Noah LOOVVEESS predicting the weather because since we've been having so many storms lately he's always asking about the rain, and where does it come from, and where does it go, ect.

And here is where it is living. In the loft/playroom that i currently under construction lol. It's actually almost done, i just need some storage and curtains and then i will give y'all a full post :)

**I have since moved this downstairs and hung it on my chalkboard wall that way i will remember to do the days and the weather with Noah.

I would love to eventually do one of these, but then i think people would start thinking i was crazy if i had this in my home haha

Here it is: My "Not So Proud" Mommy moment

2011-06-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Today while enjoying mine and Belle's nice morning jog something happened that lead me to behave in a not so quite motherly fashion. I am going to use anger as my excuse, although i don't even know if that's a good enough one. As Belle and i were coming to the end of the trail that we run on, there is a stop sign with a road coming out of a nearby neighborhood. At that stop sign is where Belle and i usually turn the stroller around and continue a mile and a half back home. Well today as i was approaching the end, i started to slow down to give myself room to turn the stroller.

It's then i notice them. A truck full of illegals (i say they are illegals because if you don't know me, i am from California, i KNOW what illegals look like). They immediately start smiling and whispering to each other. I've been around guys like this before, they disgust me. Now don't get me wrong, this isn't a post about how beautiful i must have looked and that's why they were starring, NO i JUST rolled out of bed, and for those of you who haven't been around men like this, MOST of them will gawk and stare at just about ANYTHING. They have NO shame and NO class, and certainly NO embarrassment.

I immediately get my, "i'm going to kill you" face on, and my heart starts racing as i grow impatient and pissed off. Now i'm down to a walk and there they are sitting at the stop sign just watching away. Most would think, well you should have just turned around right then and there, and i considered it, BUT i had on some running shorts and didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing my dimply thighs.

So as i come up to the end and start to turn around, it's then they ROLL DOWN their windows and start opening their mouths being COMPLETELY dirty, disrespectful perverts. Around this same time one in the backseat waves for me to come to the window, and that's when i lost it. Not only did i scream NO and then the F bomb about 17 different times. I also called them every SOB name in the book, AND let go of the jogging stroller long enough to give them the bird. They looked kinda shocked and drove off while the one in the backseat kinda chuckled and looked away.

I was SHAKING i was SOOO mad!!!!! Here i am a mother for crying out loud, i'm sure they can see everything else on me BUT my wedding rings, so i wont even say that they should know i'm married. But i was out trying to enjoy a nice day with my DAUGHTER! I know my behavior was not appropriate, BUT i dont want Belle growing up seeing men act like that and think it is ok! She needs to know that she is NOT a piece of meat for some man to cat call and gawk at! So with that said, there you have it. One of my many, "Not so proud" mommy moments.

And just for giggles, here is me and Belle after our run trying to give you our best, "i will kick your ass" face. Belle needs to work on hers. I'm really thinking George Merritt is rubbing off on me.

And if any of this offends you, kiss my ass. I'm on a roll today.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

I've seen so many blogs do this, and thought i would join in. Here is mine for today: baby puffs anyone???

Let there be light!

2011-06-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

Our Master bedroom has SLOWLY been transforming over the past 6 months and i'm sad to say that i scored some nightstands at the Goodwill about 4 months ago. I had been looking for some new ones because i had an idea in my mind i couldn't get out. I wanted nightstands with more character and detail. Ours were SO boring that we had, leave it to good ol Ashley Home Furniture Store. Not that there is anything wrong with that store, it's just so.....boring. So i was eager to get our nightstands out of our bedroom and replace them with some lovely gems.

Well when i brought them home, George did NOT like them. Eventually his dislike with them caused me to leave them abandoned and alone in the garage. He convinced me to keep the nightstands we had in our room because they "matched" (i hate this word) our headboard. He said i should put the old, new ones i bought in the guestroom. I thought this was a pretty good idea. I figured since they would be going into the guestroom i should do something REALLY fun and funky with them.

For weeks i scrolled through Pinterest and blogs trying to decide what color i should paint them. I initially wanted to paint them white when they were heading into our room, but then I decided it would be a toss up between red and yellow for the guestroom. THEN, i saw THIS (cue music). It was everything i had been trying to explain in my mind! It had the same old detail my nightstands had, and i just KNEW i had to try it. I decided that if i absolutely loved it, i would put them in our room and we would decide from there if we liked them or not. If not, they would still look lovely in our guestroom!

Here is the wretched BEFORE

Primed and only had a few coats of paint here. (I used spray paint for this project and it was AMAZING how easy it was)

Here she is, Miss America. I literally couldnt get them into our room fast enough. And i used paint tape to do the stencil on top.

Ok, now here is the winning question......do you like it with the old brown nightstands????

OR with the new "lighter" ones!? I personally LOOOVVEE the lighter ones. YES, i still have to print out our family pics for those frames, and please dont mind the mess. Also, almost all our pillows are on the guestroom bed, we're not pillow people, but after looking at this pic i think we need some for decor.

George absolutely LOOVVEESS these new nightstands, and he told me for about 3 days straight how proud he was of me for doing them. I took this project on all on my own and did not ask his opinion once. After all, he is a straight version of David Bromstad so i try to get his advice on color as much as possible. NOW, i need to tackle my desk. Just wait till you see what i have in store for this :)

Who would have thought?

2011-06-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

Never in a million years did i think that i would learn to sew. i credit Belle to my reason for even trying. If it wasn't for me having an adorable little girl, i dont think i would have ever went out, bought a sewing machine, and taught myself to sew. I am a beginner and teaching myself slowly as i go, learning mostly from asking questions, and mostly from the internet. I've been trying so many fun little projects and i feel SO proud when i complete something that i never thought i could.

My biggest reason for learning to sew was to make Belle cute dresses. I've been slowly collecting fabric, but now i'm realizing how time consuming sewing is! I made this dress almost 2 weeks ago, and since then i have been working on some baby things for some of my pregnant friends. Although i have cut out a few more dresses for Belle, i havent sewed them up. Will post pics when i finally do.

I also made this headband a few months ago to go with another outfit, but i was happy to see it went with this one as well. Pink is such a versatile color :)

This dress is a pattern that a sweet classmate of mine gave me. She gave me some cute little girl patterns, but i've only been comfortable with 2 so far. Hopefully i will venture off to try some of the other ones.

I was so proud of this dress because i added the ruffle on the bottom. It was my first time ever dewing a ruffle to the bottom of a dress.

I have one of the prettiest little models :)