The Subfertile Frugalista

Wren's Bathroom Makeover

2012-01-25T20:17:00.000-05:00

When we moved into this house, Wren's bathroom was all beige with a horrible black and silver striped shower curtain. We knew that we'd want to update the bathroom before she moved from her baby tub (which we kept downstairs in the laundry room for ease of use).

For Wren's Valentine's Day gift last year, my sister asked if she could do the bathroom. I was so excited! We shopped all around and finally settled on this adorable shower curtain from Target, and then my sister spent a whole day painting the entire bathroom.

After she painted, it still took several months to get it all together because I waited for specific things to come together. I found these adorable Children Inspire Design pictures on Zulily for a great price. They went so well with the forest theme on the shower curtain that I just couldn't pass them up.

The shower curtain, striped towels and the bathmats are all from Target, though I'm pretty sure they don't carry the shower curtain anymore.

I found this mirror at a great little thrift store last spring. It was all gold (see below) and I happened to have some paint left over from when we painted our living room, so I used that to spruce up the mirror. Prior to this, there was just a big standard square mirror on the wall...I think the mirror really makes the room!

Love those details:

This cabinet is just a standard cabinet and was hanging in the bathroom when we bought the house. It used to be white, so I just used the same brown to make it go with the colors better.

I added these sweet drawer pulls from Cost Plus World Market.

I love these pictures because whenever we get done with bathtime, Wren and I go through and point to all the different animals on the wall and on the shower curtain. It's really helped her to point out specific animals.

I searched forever trying to find some coordinating sink accessories, but it was nearly impossible. I actually found the brown cup in the back on an endcap at Target for $3. Then I found the toothbrush holder, soap dispenser and trashcan at Kohl's.

These are also from Children Inspire Design and came with a packet that I used in Wren's playroom.

(Click here if you didn't catch that tour.)

Wren loves her bathroom! For the most part, she really likes bathtime. Granted, she doesn't love getting her hair and ears wet, but she thinks splashing is the funnies thing ever.

Check out my little bitty's long locks!:

And I just love this picture too much not to share. Crazy girl with some crazy hair!!

As I mentioned before, I did some work to the mirror and the cabinet. Here's what they looked like before:

Also, for anyone interested, I did a video tour on my vlog...if you want a closer look at things, here's that video:

Hope you enjoyed!!

Sleep Revisited

2012-01-22T20:54:00.000-05:00

I talked a bit about Wren's sleeping in THIS post and then did an update in THIS post.

I am really happy to report that we've really had a great sleep routine ever since. It's such a great thing to have a peaceful, relaxing routine. Wren loves it, she sleeps through the night, and we get to unwind from about 7:30 on every evening.

That is, until about a month ago. Christmas came and went, I was off work for over 2 weeks, and then she got sick, so I was off even more with her. Her daytime routine was off. She was cutting her final 4 teeth (aside from her 2 year molars) and she was sick.

Not to mention, selfishly, I really like these kinds of naps:

So, as expected, we had a bit of a regression with her sleeping through the night. She formed what we think was a bit of separation anxiety at night, after spending so much time with me during the days. And, I think she also really liked those snuggly naps with Momma!

It got to a point of taking over an hour to get her down at night, plus I wasn't comfortable with letting her do the CIO method because she was sick and I really did think she had separation anxiety. I am comfortable letting her cry a bit, but not if she is truly in distress, which seemed to be the case when we'd lay her down. She could be dead asleep and then the second you'd put her in bed, she'd realize you were walking away and she would just break your heart with the cries.

We did a bit of research and learned that there's not a lot you can do when you think it's separation anxiety. I read that it's important to keep their routine, to use key words (ours are "Nigh Night" and "Bye Bye") and to reassure them that you're right there, that you'll be back whenever they wake up. We actually read to use the term "Bye Bye" because they know that term and they can actually equate it to something.

So, instead of crying it out, we did a modified routine for a few days and it worked well...

The greatest part was that we stood by her side and rubbed her face, the bridge of her little nose, her hair. It was a sweet few days. To have her look up at you with those big doe eyes, just checking that you're still there. It's enough to melt your heart.

And even more than that, I hosted a Pinterest Party last Sunday and Josh put Wren down.

I will never, as long as I live, forget the moment when I picked up the monitor to check in on them to catch a glimpse of their sweet relationship. Josh was leaned over her, telling her how much he loved her. He was rubbing her face in the most tender way. He was soothing her in a way that only your Daddy can do. I could tell her eyes were locked on his and I stood in the kitchen and just savored that moment while the party went on around me. I am so grateful for their relationship. I'm so grateful she has the Daddy that she does.

I'm happy to report that after returning to our regular schedule of work/daycare and naptimes, she is 100% back to her easy, happy sleep routine. I thought it was worth documenting this to show that there are regressions with CIO, and you have to know your baby. You have to adjust thing sometimes and that's okay.

Dusting Off This Rickety Old Blog!

2012-01-19T22:00:00.001-05:00

I'll admit it: I haven't devoted enough time or energy to this sweet little old blog.

This blog is my love. It got me through some of the most difficult years of my life. It connected me to an entire world of women who struggled like me. During a time when I couldn't find a single "real life" friend who was struggling with infertility like I was, this is where I turned. This is where I learned about the different meds I would soon be taking, where I prepared for all of my upcoming cycles, where I leaned for support during those devastating days surrounding my miscarriage. It's where I documented my amazing pregnancy and journey to Wren.

I love this blog. And I love the friends I've made through it.

So, with a little prompting from two blog buddies, I have decided the time has come to actually devote a little energy to revitalizing the content.

It's time to dust it off a little bit.
Give it a shot in the booty, so to speak. (A trigger shot?! Okay!! We'll go with that...)

I've decided to take part in The SITS Girls' 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge.

I'm looking forward to challenging myself.
And also, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I might be a little nuts. I am already so crunched for time and I know this is going to be a stretch. But I think it will be worth it.

I hope you'll follow along. I'm looking forward to meeting some new bloggers and hopefully finding some new readers in the process as well!

Wren's First Birthday

2012-01-17T21:35:00.001-05:00

There was such a build-up to Wren's birthday. The weeks before were packed with so much--the pumpkin carving party, trunk or treat, planning her birthday party...it all added up to a LOT.

But it was important to me to put some thought into how we would celebrate her BIG day. I am still working on a few projects that I want to do every year, but for now I will share what we did.

I had seen several pins showing a room full of balloons, but Wren has really high ceilings so I knew that wouldn't work. However, she was so excited about the balloons that I knew I wanted her to wake up to the surprise. (Note that the picture looks a little smokey because we use a humidifier when she's stuffy...so no need to worry, there wasn't a fire!)

I found this cute shirt at Target for like $2 and I thought it would be a perfect pajama shirt for her birthday night:

For some reason, she looks so old in the picture below! Kind of makes me sad!

Here is a video we took of coming in to wish her happy birthday:

We actually haven't been great about taking professional pictures like some people are. We only had some done around the 5 1/2 month mark with her cousins, and then her newborn photo shoot. So I wanted to do a fun shoot for her birthday. Unfortunately, it was drizzling and we didn't get a ton of photos, but this one turned out perfectly:

Then we had a family day. The only downside was that we planned to take her to the Children's Museum (an hour away), only to get there and discover that they had, just that week, begun closing on Mondays. Soooo...we adjusted and just spent the day exploring.

And we got some yummy cupcakes to celebrate the big day!

This cute little shop allowed you to write on their walls, so we wrote her a little message. She was more interested in the stuffed animal. :)

Overall, her birthday was kind of bittersweet. Something about it was so surreal. We actually have a toddler. We have a little lady. A kid.

How did we get so lucky? How did she turn out so cute?
I'm looking forward to birthdays to come, making them more memorable and more special.
Her Daddy and I couldn't be more in love.

A few pics from the Birthday Bash

2012-01-17T21:04:00.000-05:00

I am finally getting around to posting about Wren's birthday party and hopefully yet tonight, her actual birthday. If you remember back to THIS post, I showed all of the details that went into our big Ladybug Birthday Bash, but I also wanted to share a few pics from the party. Unfortunately, our camera was on the fritz, so we don't have a ton of great photos, but Wren had a fabulous time. She liked the attention, though you'd never know based on the lack of smile!

That's just my serious little lady. Always thinkin'.

Here she is with Auntie. This is a good view at her adorable little outfit. I got the skirt at a consignment event for super cheap way before we even planned the ladybug theme. The red sparkly shoes were just too perfect, and the ladybug hairbow didn't last long. :)

And giving momma big ole kisses:

Lots of help from all of her cousins. She got a little overwhelmed because they were all SOOO excited! But she handle it pretty well.

Cake Time! She wasn't sure exactly what to think. This was actually her first taste of sugar ever, so she was a little freaked out by it.

But she soon realized it was soooooo delicious!

She didn't like being messy!

My little sugarbug.

Such a fun party for one perfect little ladybug!

Cloth Diapering at Daycare

2012-01-08T11:15:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged about cloth diapers in a while. However, we're still loving the process and one of my "resolutions" for this year is to switch to cloth wipes. So far, we've just been content using the disposable wipes, but I'm ready to make the switch!

Anyway, whe I did the cloth diaper posts last year, I did have a few people tweet and comment that they'd like to hear how we do cloth at daycare. I put together this video with some of my best tips and suggestions. I know it won't pertain to everyone, but hopefully it will help someone!

Thanksgiving Traditions

2012-01-05T22:12:00.000-05:00

What?! Thanksgiving was almost 2 months ago? What can I say? Better late than never, huh?!

So Thanksgiving is always a really laid back holiday for us. Since Josh works retail, he's usually pretty worn out. Our first tradition is to always start the morning out by watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I love love love it!! This is a super special tradition for me because I was actually IN the parade when I was an allstar dancer in high school. It was such a great experience and I will never forget walking down the middle of the street looking at the different landmarks. Amazing.

So this year, Wren got to experience her first one. (Well, she "watched" it last year, but she was only a few weeks old!) She loved it! She was glued to the TV like this for most of the morning:

Lots of waving going on!:

Since we don't have a really large family, we always have Josh's parents and my sister and her family over. Josh usually does all of the cooking, but this year he had to be at work at 10:00 on Thanksgiving night. So we actually had everyone pitch in and bring some things. It was a feast for sure!! So delicious!

Then we scoped out the deals. Wren was super pumped for SALES!

Later that night, Wren and I went to my family's Thanksgiving, which is really just a big laid back gathering. Wren practiced full on stranger danger and clung to momma, but I can't say I blame her. :)

I did do a smidge of shopping on Black Friday. Here's the haul vlog I did:

I'd like to complete these even though they're late. I think it'll be really fun to look back next year.

My 2012 New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

They're not exactly traditional resolutions, but I'm really excited to get started!

I have them organized by categories.

Experiences:1. Take a thrifting/crafting/inspiration trip through Antique Alley. {A treasure hunter's dreeeaammm!!}

2. Attend more festivals and outdoor events. Like THIS one.

3. Learn to sew.

4. Have a Pinterest Day with real life friends. Gather together for an afternoon of crafting fun!

5. Attend a blogging conference of some sort.

Decor:

1. Decorate our guest room which will also include my crafting space.

2. Decorate our loft area which will be a family game room.

3. Figure out an alternative for my jewelry storage. Get rid of my big jewelry armoire to free up space in our bedroom.

4. Organize our garage for better use of storage space.

5. Paint our kitchen.

6. Add some sort of decoration to our mantle.

Household:1. Switch to cloth wipes.

2. Make the switch to homemade household cleaners and laundry detergent.

3. Put a cleaning routine into place.

4. Be better about meal planning.

Other:1. Place stuff for sale in the Spring consignment event.

2. Have a quilt made with Wren's weekly fabrics.

WHAT ARE YOUR RESOLUTIONS?!

Get PINspired in the New Year! {Pinterest Link-Up Party!}

2012-01-04T10:56:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year, friends!! It's that time again!

It's been two whole months since my last Pinterest Challenge and MAN have I missed it! I've been PINNING up a storm for Valentine's Day and for some house projects that I have coming up, so I thought it would be the perfect motivaction to put some pins into action. I hope you'll join in, and also please spread the word.

There are a few changes this month.

First, I am asking that if you enter (and even if you don't), please "pin" this post on your own Pinterest account. I'd really like some help in spreading the word and the best way to do that is to share it with other pinners.You can easily do this by clicking this button:
Pin It

Second, I am keeping this link-up open through Valentine's Day. Actually, you'll have until February 25th to link up your project(s). I thought it would be great to give everyone lots of notice in case you have some fun projects pinned for the holiday. And then I'm extending it over a week past Valentine's Day so that you have time to recap your projects in case you're a procrastinator like myself.

Finally, I am going to change the option that I previously allowed people to email me their pins. While I really like allowing everyone, even those without a blog, to participate, I have a work trip in February and I don't anticipate having a ton of extra time to do the posts myself. THE GOOD NEWS: You CAN link up through YouTube, through your own Pinterest and obviously through your own blog. So if you are a YouTuber, you can still play along--just do a quick video of what the project is and you can link to the video page. I haven't tried it out, but I think there is a way to upload your own pictures to Pinterest, and you could also use that URL to enter.

OKAY, ONTO THE RULES AND THE PRIZES!!!

What's up for grabs?!?!?

There will be FUN PRIZES up for grabs! There will be a $25 giftcard to the store of winner's choice (they will pick off of a list of about a dozen stores) plus a few more Starbucks giftcards and maybe, just maybe, if we hit more than 50 entries, I will throw in something fun and crafty.

But the biggest prize is your own finished projects, so get to work!!
(*You must be 18 or older to win prizes.*)

1. As always, everyone is invited to enter! The only requirement is that your blog post/video must be posted in the timeframe of the link-up (now through Feb. 25).

**Link up as many times as you wish...the more completed pins you share, the better your chances of winning! Also, remember that you can pin anything from a completed recipe to a craft project, to a house renovation to a decor item. Anything that was inspired from something you saw on Pinterest!**

2. I do ask that you Pin the image above and also link back to this blog post in your blog post/vlog. Since I'm doing a giveaway, I have decided to make this a requirement--you have to do one of the two...either Pin it or link it in your post/vlog...preferrably BOTH! If your name is drawn as a winner and you haven't done one of the two, I will draw a new winner.
Again, here's the quick, easy way to pin on your own boards:
Pin It

Alright...link away!! Click the InLinkz button below!!

End of 2011 Tag Time!

2011-12-29T13:12:00.000-05:00

Jess, from Me Unscripted, tagged me in a fun end of year post. I haven't done a tag post in ages, so I thought this would be a fun one!

I'm sorry I've been so bad about blogging. I had so many intentions of blogging and vlogging the heck out of my vacation but I got really sick on Christmas and spend almost two entire days (including Christmas day...boo!) and that just threw everything off.

I still have a few days left of vacation so hopefully I can get to it! But for now, enjoy this tag and feel free to do it yourself even if I didn't tag you!

Rules:
1. You must post these rules.
2. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
4. You have to choose 11 people to tag and link them on the post.
5. Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her.
6. No tag backs.
7. No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’ You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

11 things about me:

1. I hate feet. (Except Wren's!)

2. We got Kowe from what I now (though not at the time) think might have been a small shop puppy mill. Sad! Today, I would never buy an animal anywhere but from a shelter.

3. I fear public speaking. Presentations, being up in front of a crowd, talking...it's all very overwhelming to me!

4. As much as I hated my curly hair when I was younger, I hope Wren gets it!

5. My kid is the cutest, most perfect human being on Earth to me. But I'll be honest...and I think most moms would agree...there are times when I think, "oh, honey. bless your heart. let's get your hair in piggies." or I look at pictures from when she was a super tiny baby and realize she wasn't QUITE as cute as I might have thought at the time. :) She's still perfect and I tell her she's gorgeous every day!

6. I don't want to be one of those moms who talk about nothing but their kid, their kids' accomplishments, how smart their kid is, how advanced their skills are, etc. I want her to know that I think she's amazing, but I don't think everyone around me cares to hear every time she does something that I think is adorable.

7. I just cleared out my sock drawer and got rid of ALL of my patterned socks. It felt good. I'm over them.

8. I never thought my views on my career would change like they have.

9. I get annoyed when people use ur, u, etc. on status updates and texts.

10. I am having a really difficult time with getting back on track with my diet for baby #2.

11. Post-C-section bellies are not pretty. Trust me.

Questions from Jess:

1. What would be on the menu if you had your favorite dinner? Tacos!

2. What is something that is on your to-do list for 2012? Craft Room!!!!!!

3. Where is your favorite vacation spot? St. Lucia

4. What was the last thing you ate? A Snickers Nutcracker Guy (don't you look at me with those judging eyes!)

5. What cliche(Nerd, Prep, Athlete, Goth, etc.) were you apart of in high school? None really. I guess I was "girl who has a long term boyfriend"

6. Do you collect anything? Not really. Jewelry maybe?

7. What are your favorite youtube channels? Well, Jess of course!! But she doesn't post videos except on her FB wall. To round out my Top 5 would be Carla the Bubblelush, Renae Launderlife, Candid Mommy and Jess P.

8. Are you a morning person? No.

9. Do you have New Year's Eve plans? Yes! I decided to decline the big party that everyone's going to and I'm keeping my nephews. Josh will be home at 10, so I've got some fun activities planned for my nephews!! (Hopefully a blog about that soon.)

10. What is your favorite way to spend a summery day? If it's not too hot, I like to be outside, maybe a picnic and a hike. Or a trip to the zoo.

11. Can you play any instruments? Nope.

Here are the 11 people I tag:
Stef

Ashley

Briana
Jill
Courtney

Katie

Leah

And I second Jess' picks for Shirley, Carla & Renae!! (Okay, so I'm one short...but naptime is almost up!)

And here are the 11 Questions that I'm asking:
1. What was your favorite moment from 2011?
2. What was your favorite Christmas gift?
3. What's on your list to accomplish in 2012?
4. In a pinch, what is your go-to meal to make?
5. What is your guilty-pleasure show?
6. How many children do you want?
7. Flats or heels?
8. Favorite brand of mascara?
9. Your greatest accomplishment?
10. Who inspires you most?
11. Ever met a celebrity?

Happy Tagging!! Thanks for the fun, Jess!

Gift Suggestions for 1 Year Old

2011-12-14T20:32:00.000-05:00

I have done a few vlogs recently that talk about the gifts that Wren is getting or got for her birthday. I thought I would share them on here because I'm always looking for gift ideas that will be fool-proof, so I love hearing other peoples' suggestions.

Here is a video I did after Wren's birthday (complete with an adorable cameo by my little bird!) with some of her favorite birthday gifts:

And here is a video of what will be under the tree for Wren (and in her stocking) this year:

The Soundtrack of Our Lives

2011-12-12T17:02:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love it when music speaks to you?
I'm not all that musical.
Okay...let's face it. I have ZERO musical ability.
But I absolutely love music!

And Wren loves music even more than I do. I swear, she can hear music at the lowest volumes and in the most crowded spaces. She has the sweetest little moves, and she loves to dance and clap and get her little groove on!
(Skip to the very bottom video in this post to see her in action.)
I was reminded the other day of just how much music moves me. Sometimes in the most amazing ways, sometimes it brings back emotions that aren't as easy to bare. For example, I will never ever hear this song again without thinking Mya:

All of this thinking about music came about as I was literally brought to tears as we sang Silent Night at the church jubilee. It hit me hard and it was a fun, lively day. I thought for a minute and realized that I was taken back to Christmas eve, 2009. Six days after we said goodbye to Mya. I don't know how I managed to dress myself and be presentable enough for being in public, but Josh convinced me that we should do our annual tradition of Christmas eve church service.

As is common, we always end the service with Silent Night sang by candlelight. Josh and I somehow held each other tightly, with tears streaming down our faces, through that song, but we made it through.
I guess that song has formed an imprint on my heart forever.

So when all of this rushed back to me this past Saturday, I got to thinking about the other songs that got me through our journey, and the songs that mean the most with Wren and I. I thought I'd share a few.

I posted about it HERE, but "I Can Only Imagine" is a song that got me through so much. I think it is so powerful and to this day I am grateful for the words.

One song that helped me after our loss was "What Faith Can Do" by Kutless.
This song played during the car ride home after we learned that Mya had died. I remember listening to the words as my eyes were closed and it just provided a peace that I couldn't explain.
If you're struggling with infertility, and if you're a faithful/religious person, I highly recommend listening to this song. Hopefully it will offer some comfort and peace to you in the same way it did to me.

A few of my favorite lines are underlined, but here are the lyrics:

Everybody falls sometimes

Gotta find the strength to rise

From the ashes and make a new beginning

Anyone can feel the ache

You think it’s more than you can take

But you're stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now

The sun will soon be shining

You gotta face the clouds

To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn’t ever end

Even when the sky is falling

I’ve seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard

Impossible is not a word

It’s just a reason for someone not to try

Everybody’s scared to death

When they decide to take that step

Out on the water

It’ll be alright
Life is so much more

Than what your eyes are seeing

You will find your way

If you keep believing

Then, as the song lyrics from above say, my broken heart DID become brand new when we conceived Wren. And "our" song during my pregnancy was this:

Again, lyrics with some of my favorites underlined:
I'm not surprised, not everything lasts

I've broken my heart so many times, I stopped keeping track

Talk myself in, I talk myself out

I get all worked up, then I let myself down

I tried so very hard not to lose it

I came up with a million excuses

I thought, I thought of every possibility

And I know someday that it'll all turn out

You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out

And I promise you, kid, that I give so much more than I get

I just haven't met you yet

I might have to wait, I'll never give up

I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck

Wherever you are, whenever it's right

You'll come out of nowhere and into my life

And I know that we can be so amazing

And, baby, your love is gonna change me

And now I can see every possibility

And somehow I know that it'll all turn out

You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out

And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get

I just haven't met you yet

They say all's fair

In love and war

But I won't need to fight it

We'll get it right and we'll be united

And I know that we can be so amazing

And being in your life is gonna change me

And now I can see every single possibility

And now that my sweet, perfect little bird is here, these are some of our alltime favorite songs. I swear she knows the words because we sing them so often.

Just the Way You Are (this is our alltime favorite Go-To-Wren song! I'm not going to post all the lyrics because I love every single line.):

Angel:

So that's just a little snapshot. On any given day, yes, you would hear the Pandora Toddler Radio station, but you'd be much more likely to hear Jack Johnson, OAR or Dave playing. And not too far away, there would most likely be one very adorable little peanut swaying and bobbing her head.
Kind of like this:

Halloween Traditions

2011-11-26T21:46:00.000-05:00

I know this is a bit late, but I thought I'd do a bit of a Halloween Traditions Roundup. I did a pretty good job of posting about the few things that we do. We have SO much packed into those few weeks since Wren's birthday is a week after Halloween. So next year, we decided we're going to start decorating for Halloween/Fall around September 15th. And I'm also going to begin her birthday prep then, if not a bit before. I just feel like it will give me a better handle on things.

But, as promised, I want to share a few of our traditions from Halloween.
1. I'm so sad to say that it didn't happen this year, but I really want to have the tradition of watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown." I want movies to be a huge tradition...we never watched movies as kids. Josh is always amazed when I don't get what people are talking about...I don't know half of the Disney movies, most "classic" holiday movies like National Lampoons and A Christmas Story (I have since watched that one!) So as a kid, I want Wren to look forward to the fun movies that come on around each holiday.

2. We had our First Annual Pumpkin Carving Party and I can't wait to make this an annual tradition!
3. We did our first ever Trunk or Treat and it will also be a fun family tradition. I love that we do this with my sister and her husband and kids. It's fun to get creative and see all of the different trunks and kids costumes!

4. We also failed in this arena for this year, but I really do want Wren to know the importance of also giving out candy to other kids. Our neighborhood is a ZOO during trick-or-treat. It's insane! People drive from all over the city to our neighborhood for some reason, so it will be fun for Wren to give candy to all the other kids.
5. We will always take a trip, or sometimes more than one, to a pumpkin patch. Here is this years' trip. There is something about finally being able to do the pumpkin patch that really kicks off fall. There are some really great corn mazes and hay rides and different activities around here, so that will continue to be a fun tradition.
6. This is more of a fall tradition, but we loved our trip to the apple orchard this year. Next year, we definitely need to go earlier and we'll plan to expand upon what we made with the apples. (I linked to an apple butter recipe in that post and it is SO freaking amazing. DELICIOUS!)

That's really it. Halloween is such a fun, carefree holiday. I love the excitement and there are SO many (overwhelmingly so, in fact!) craft ideas and decor things you can do. Thank goodness for Pinterest!

DIY Christmas Wreath

2011-11-26T21:17:00.000-05:00

I'm really into all of the fun felt and yarn wreaths that are popping up all over Pinterest.
I posted last month with one that I did for Wren's nursery door and one that I did as a birthday gift.
I also made myself a fall one, but I didn't complete it until the week of Thanksgiving, so I'll be happy to pull it back out last week. (See the video below if you'd like to see what it looked with, along with a little sneak peak of our still-in-progress foyer!

But I am spending this whole weekend getting all prepped for Christmas. I am really excited to have all of our decorations out and up. I got some good deals on yarn and the wreath yesterday during Black Friday sales, so I whipped this wreath up while watching Love Actually. (It's our annual tradition--we watch that while putting the tree up, only this year Josh just assembled the tree and we didn't want to decorate til W was up to enjoy.)

Anyway, I was excited to have it completed and hung. I am loving how it turned out.
I was inspired by THIS pin.

It was so easy and really cheap. Here's the breakdown:
Wreath: $4.99, used 40% coupon for a total of $2.99.
Yarn: Each roll was $7.99 (bought 2 rolls), but I only used 1/2 of each roll for a total of $7.99
The sprig of cranberries was $1.27 and 50% off for a total of $.64
I had the felt for the flower on hand for a total of $0.
Final Total: $11.62!

Gotta say, that's a pretty good deal for a unique, personalized welcome into our home for the holidays!

If you'd like to see more, here is the video I made while doing the wreath. They are so easy!!

I plan to link up to A Little Tipsy's DIY Under $5/$15 party:

Ponies and Piggies and Frogs

2011-11-22T21:50:00.001-05:00

Can we talk about how long I've waited to be able to put ponies and piggies in Wren's hair?

It's taken a year for her to grow enough hair, but tell me this isn't the sweetest little sprout you've ever seen:

I picked her up from daycare last week and they had been playing with her hair. I definitely didn't think we were anywhere close to being ready for piggies!!!

Cindy Lou Who, anyone?

And this is what we get when we nap with ponies or piggies in,
Crazy Hair for my Crazy Girl:

And just for fun, we are currently frogsitting for my MIL. Wren pretty much can't see the little guy (he's adorable) but she sure loves "talking" to him with her hands-in a nice pounding fashion:

Ladybug Birthday Party

2011-11-08T21:48:00.002-05:00

Whew!! I'm still amazed that I have a one year old! We had such a great time at her party, and I will post some pictures later of her at the party, but I thought I would share some of the fun details and planning parts of the big Ladybug Bash. I got so many ideas from Pinterest and searching other blogs, so I thought I'd share the sources and websites in case someone stumbles upon this and would like some recommendations.

First, here is the invite. My favorite crafty bloggin' mommy, Stef, was kind enough to make this for us. I love the way it turned out! {If you haven't checked out Stef's blog yet, definitely head over and introduce yourself, she's incredible!} The invite says,

"Come for the cake

stay for the fun

our little lady is turning

1."

Next, since Wren doesn't have many "baby" friends, most of the kids coming to the party were between 3 and 7. Realizing that, I wanted to be sure to have some fun stuff for them. I thought it would be fun to have a candy bar, and they LOVED it! I went with a red/black/aqua color scheme and I think it turned out pretty cute.

Here's the whole table:

I was inspired by THIS pin and just bought 2 yards of the fabric and I used it again for Wren's final weekly picture. (::tear::) The ribbon was all purchased during a 1/2 off sale at Hobby Lobby.

I bought these little white picket fences from Michaels for $1-$1.50 each and just hot glued them together to make the holder. The wooden ladybug is also from Michaels.

The ladybug suckers are from The Ladybug Gift Store. There were tons of great things at this little store, and they shipped the SAME day! I was so impressed! The kids loved them.

Most of the glass continers were purchased for super cheap at Goodwill. I just sterilized them and added different ribbons (also purchased 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby) to make them nice and festive.

These little pretzel ladybugs were fun to make. Check out my planning video if you'd like to see exactly how I made them and how I made the green grass that they are on.

My sister got Wren this adorable cake! I absolutely loved it!

Also in my planning video, I show you how I decorated these ladybug cupcakes. I added in a few regularly iced cupcakes and since there were more cupcake holders than cupcakes, I filled the extras with some of the chocolate covered Oreos that I made.

In the other picket fence, I added some of these ladybug chocolates that I also purchased at the Ladybug Gift Store. You can see the chocolate covered Oreos (also shown in my planning video-click the link or see the video at the bottom of this post), and if you look closely, you can see the ladybug bubbles that I got from EZ Party Zone. (They have a great selection, I also got the plates, napkins, some balloons and little treat boxes from there.) They also shipped on the same day and I was really happy with the service.

We displayed most of Wren's weekly pictures (save for the few that cut off her head when they printed!). I used the Doodlecharms Cartridge from my Cricut to make a ladybug for each picture and I wrote the week on each one to show how old she was. It's soooo sad to see how little she used to be! Everyone loved this little display.

Like I said before, knowing that there were older-ish kids, I decided to make one game for them. I made this big ladybug using felt and we played Pin the Spot on the Ladybug. The kids really got into it and I think she turned out so well. I don't want to throw her away!! (So if you know someone having a ladybug party soon, let me know...I'd be happy to ship this little lady to another good home!) I cut out separate black spots and put each of the kids initials so they each had their own spot and we knew whose was where after they pinned them on.

I had this banner hanging above our buffet station. There is a counter below, and we had all of the regular food here. Things got a smidge hectic right before the party and I didn't get any pictures, but we just served a simple taco bar. People could make their own tacos, nachos or burritos. We had all the fixin's along with rice and beans. It was a nice, easy way to have something available, but without {Josh} having to spend all day in the kitchen. I also didn't get pictures of the cute decor over here, but we put the nacho chips in a bright red bucket that we had onhand, and I added black poms to it to make it look like a ladybug. I served water in a huge red metal bin (got it for 75% off at Target after the 4th of July) and we served sodas in a smaller white tin, also from that same sale.

We also made the MOST delicious Ladybug punch. We used THIS recipe, and I am seriously craving the stuff already! It was so good!

The last little touch for the day was Wren's adorable outfit! I picked up this sweet little ladybug skirt at a consignment event this fall. It was super cheap and went perfectly with our theme. You can see a glimpse of the sparkly red shoes we got her, too. And I ordered the cute ladybug hairbow from Bows So Sweet on Etsy.

For more information and ideas, check out the Pinterest Board that I created for Wren's First Birthday. I found a ton of great ideas.

I'm going to go ahead and insert my planning video here, just in case it's easier to view:

I hope you enjoyed! I realize there were tons of links and lots of detailed information in this post, but I always appreciate when I find something on a blog and it has actual links instead of just showing the completed stuff, so hopefully this will help someone out if they stumble upon this blog in search of ideas.

One Year Old

2011-11-07T00:43:00.002-05:00

How do you measure a year?
(Betcha have that song in your head now, don't you?!)

Every time I think of the year mark of anything, I always think of that song. And I break it down to minutes, hours, just like the song. And I've been doing that over the past week--breaking down the last 12 months into little tiny segments.

Little snippets of time. Wren sleeping on Josh's chest. Bathtime. Holidays. Storytimes. Wren with her doggies. Wren with her cousins, her auntie, her uncles, her grandparents. Wren crying, Wren nursing, Wren growing and changing before our eyes. First smiles, first teeth, first time painting her toenails. Her tube surgery, lots of colds, a bump or bruise here and there. Cute shoes, lots of clothes, all our trips to Target.

I look back at the last year and I literally lose my breath, both from the pure amazement that is this little miracle and also from the shock at the speed of life. I want to stop it, to bottle it up, to take in every single precious moment. I want to remember everything about her and this magical age.

Brand new, snuggling with Mom:

At her 1st Birthday Party, smothering Mommy with wet, slobbery kisses:

Our little beauty:

She is sweet and sassy and oh-so opinionated! She is smart and she is clever. She has a funny little sense of humor and she can be the moodiest girl I've ever known. She is shy with those she doesn't know, and she doesn't hand out smiles freely. (This can be a little embarrassing when she gives judgy blank stares to strangers, but I actually quite like that she's got a mind of her own and she's not afraid to use it!) She is a girl who knows what she wants and she pretty much knows how to get it. She much prefers folding (or unfolding, rather) laundry and crinkling paper to any toy. We think she might be a lefty. Though she can do most things on her own pretty well, she still likes to be pampered by Mom and she enjoys having me hold her bottle. She loves our nighttime routine, but hates having to change clothes and get her diaper changed.

One year has passed in what seems like 5 minutes.

Life is sweeter with her in it, that's for sure.

Looking forward to what the next 12 months bring!

Happy Birthday, beautiful Wren!

Two Years Ago

2011-11-01T11:12:00.002-04:00

Last night, driving home from the Grandparents Tour (aka show off our cute baby in her super adorable Halloween gear), Josh and I were talking about how amazed we are to actually have Wren with us. To have actually celebrated her first Halloween. We talked about last Halloween and how gigantic I was walking all around the neighborhood with our nephews. There was so much anticipation for Wren to arrive.

I mentioned that as much as I loved every second of celebrating with my little miracle, my heart was still so heavy for all of my friends out there in the blog-o-verse who are still waiting. For my friends who probably had their porch lights on and put a smile on their face to hand out candy, while their hearts ached for what they don't have. Or maybe the turned their porch lights off and avoided it alltogether because that's sometimes the only way to deal with the pain.

My heart was heavy for you all, and my heart was also heavy for us. I remembered back to 2 years ago, Halloween of 2009. I had those same emotions-handing out candy and wondering if that would ever be me. And then, you'll remember, November 1st, 2009--the miracle of miracles...I had a hidden blog post that I only just made public. You can see how I spent Halloween, and how I got my BFP here.

November 1st, 2009. Our first ever BFP. The day we found out we were pregnant with Mya.
Here's the post announcing our pregnancy.

So today is a bittersweet day. Yes, I'm still reeling over the excitement of having Wren's first Halloween. I'm still giddy over how adorable she looked and how she stole the show everywhere she went. I'm still amazed that we created such a perfect little being. But my heart will forever have one little heavy spot on November 1st. You never forget the baby(ies) you lost. Nothing, not even the arrival of the most precious and perfect gift, can take away the sadness for what could have been, and for what you lost.

I miss Mya every day. Whenever we're out and we see a child with Down syndrome, there's always a twinge of sadness. Sadness for what could have been. We know we would have loved her with our entire hearts. We would have given her a beautiful life, and she would have given us pure joy. Instead, we think she decided she had bigger plans--to watch over her baby sister. We feel like we (and Wren) have the sweetest angel watching over us and we're thankful for everything she gave us. And we miss her.

Thinking of all of you today who are still waiting on your miracles, and those who are remembering their angels. Holidays are always hard, but definitely when they revolve around kids. You guys are in my thoughts!

50's Style Trunk Or Treat

2011-10-29T20:51:00.002-04:00

We did a church trunk or treat this afternoon and had such a fun time! I let Wren's costume dictate our trunk theme and we went with a 50's style soda shop.

Here's the soda shop:

The decals (juke box, stools, signs in the trunk and stuff on the table) were all from Card & Party Outlet. I just taped them to foam board and taped the things on the table to picture frame so they'd stand up. The juke box is actually taped to our 6' table, we just put one side of legs out to make it stand up on its side.

You can kind of see below, but the place mats are made of Elvis fabric. Then there are sodas and rootbeer floats and straws, etc. "sitting" on the table.

We had the cutest little soda shop attendant you've EVER seen!

And, as always, we failed to get any really good family pictures. SO here is one of Wren and I together, you can sort of see her outfit (Though at this point we had borrowed the white sweatshirt from our neighboring car because it was pretty cold and got kind of windy. My "costume" was just a plaid skirt, flats, and the cardigan with the button down. That was my best 50's housewife. But I *DID* straighten my hair and have it flip out, which you can't see here. I haven't straightened my hair in years!

Daddy looked adorable. He went Fonz-style with slicked hair, the leather jacket and his pants were rolled with white socks and black shoes. Wren was snuggling for warmth:

This was the first time we've ever attended a trunk or treat. It was definitely a great time. My sister helped to organize the entire thing, so it was fun to be parked next to them and the boys had a great time.

I'll probably post a few more pictures from Halloween if I get any

Pumpkin Carving Party

2011-10-28T16:42:00.001-04:00

We had our 1st Annual Pumpkin Carving Party last weekend and it was really fun!

We kept it pretty small, with just family and one couple friend who have a little boy who is Wren's BFF.

Here's our little pumpkin with one of her carved pumpkins. We used her handprints as eyes/eyelashes and added big ole lips. (Inspired by Jon & Sherry's YHL pumpkin post.)

For the PINSPIRED items, I did several things but (as always) failed to take really good pictures.

Though the pumpkin puking guacamole was pretty gross, I have a ton of nephews and I knew they'd love it. Plus Josh makes the best guac and everyone always requests it, so it's a win-win. (Puking jack-o-lantern Pin found HERE.)

The 7-layer dip was super easy and turned out cute (original pin found HERE):

This pumpkin fluff dip was a huge hit. And also ridiculously easy. I was able to make it the night before when Josh was working on the soups (we served a big pot of chili and a big pot of butternut squash soup). Very tasty! (Original Pin HERE.)

Bad lighting below, but you can see the lollipop spiders I did. (Original Pin HERE.) The kids loved them. Also in this pic are the little party favors I did for each kid and also the apple butter that Josh and I made a few weeks ago (link is in the apple orchard post I did a while back). We gave each family a jar of the apple butter....it is sooooo good! Seriously. So good.

So those are the decorating details. Remind me next year to start on September 1st! There is so much more I wanted to do but I ran out of time!!

Here's a pic of everyone in action:

All of the kidlets (plus my older nephew who is so sweet and humored his crazy old aunt):

Here's Wren with her BFF, Owen:

Owen taking a taste of the seeds:

Fun in the leaves:

I'm already planning for next year!

Traditions: Why They're Important to Me

2011-10-26T13:36:00.001-04:00

Traditions. A term used often as we settle into the Fall months and embark upon the most wonderful time of the year. They're so important to me. I thought this year it would be fun to share some traditions that we have, some that we are starting and some that we hope to do, maybe when Wren is a little older and we (hopefully) add more kidlets to the mix.

So this is the first, sort of introductory, post about traditions and over the course of the coming months, I'll share some of our family traditions starting with Halloween, then as it pertains to Wren's birthday and finally Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I'd love to hear yours! I'm such a sucker for all things sentimental, so I'll look forward to getting some new ideas.

Traditions are super important to me. Especially now that I have my own little family to build them with.

As I've mentioned in past blogs, I didn't have a very stable childhood. Things were always rocky, going from one parent's house to another, family feuds, no money, no real joy. Don't get me wrong in that last part.
I think money has VERY little to do with a happy and festive holiday season.
There are plenty of very poor people who have amazing solid family foundations, who have the most meaningful holiday traditions and who share wonderful, beautiful memories together. I think that's where I felt a real disconnect. My family didn't cherish holidays. They didn't think of time together as a time for gathering and spreading cheer. As cheesy as it sounds, that is my goal with Wren. I want to be that family who looks forward to holidays. I want my children to grow up and not be able to wait until the holidays to see their families all together. I want to, 10, 20, 30 years from now, have my children, their children, my nephews and great nieces and nephews, my in-laws...everyone together. I want us all to build those family foundations together. From the start, starting with us.

Is that a little bit optimistic? Sure. Is it a little unrealistic? Perhaps. But I'm going to give it my all. It's the least I can do for my perfect little bird and my future kids, as well as my nephews.

So we'll kick it off later this week with Halloween. In the meantime, please feel free to share some of your own favorite traditions! I get goosebumps thinking about the upcoming months!

TTC Update: Secondary Infertility Sucks, too.

2011-10-24T14:55:00.000-04:00

I'll be honest: I'm terrified.

We are currently in the 2ww of our 2nd cycle trying for Baby #2.

And I'm nervous.
I cannot wait to be pregnant again.
I loved every second.
(Well, except the vertigo/puking/not being able to drive in those last 5 weeks. But other than that, every single second!)

In deciding when would be best for us to start trying again, J and I really went back and forth. It's a big step. Making Wren a big sister is a priority for us, but it's also a huge giant leap into the land of infertility. The land of the unknown. The land of pills and drugs and hour-long drives to and from Dr. Miracles' office.

The potential land of heartache and miscarriage and fear and pain.

But also...the land of hope.

We're ready. It's time.

I am scared though. Scared of miscarrying again. Scared of trying for months and months (or, God forbid, years and years again) with no luck. Scared of not giving Wren a sibling. Yet scared that any sadness toward infertility will send a message to her that she's not enough.

She is enough. She's everything. But I want her to have someone, other than Josh and I, other than her cousins, who is her best buddy. My sister is such a gift to me. Josh and his brother have a bond that only the two of them can share. Wren deserves that, too.

Schedules are hectic and life is crazy. This past cycle, I have not stuck with my diet. I have not taken my meds like I should. I didn't take a single OPK. We think our timing was okay, but I have really no way of knowing. I was trying to figure out why that was, and (aside from insane schedules) I think I've been avoiding out of fear. In the "fight or flight" scenario, I am almost always "flight." I'm not necessarily proud, but it's true. So in some ways, I think I've been running from all of it, pushing it down or aside, hoping that I might just be one of the lucky ones whose body figures it out after pregnancy.

Sure, I hope for that. I think we all do. But I just wanted to make a quick post to say that TTCing after infertility is just as scary, if not moreso, than TTCing Baby #1 with infertility. I say moreso because I know the pain of losing a child, but I also know the pure gleaming sparkling bliss of having one.

A girl with her buddies...

2011-10-20T21:08:00.000-04:00

Everything you'll need for a neighborhood walk...goldfish, a cozy blanket, a buddy and a beverage.

She looks like such a big girl!

Napping with her friends. She loves her Sleep Sheep, Giselle and the bird pillow.

Snuggle snuggle!

I've been PINspired! {Yarn Wreaths!}

2011-10-19T21:55:00.000-04:00

Days are dwindling...don't forget to get your entries in before the last day of the month!! I am working on lots of fun Halloween-ey things and I'm excited to share...I hope you'll share your projects, too!Click on this paragraph to go to the October Pinterest Challenge!

I saw yarn wreaths way back when I first started pinning and instantly fell in love! I loved the look and never thought I could actually create one. They seemed like they were far too pretty to be easy!

Boy, was I wrong! Not only are they incredibly easy, but they're a great, cheap craft that adds some unique style to your front door.

OR...to your nursery door, if you're Wren!

I made this one for her nursery door. I wanted something sweet and welcoming to hang on her door and I had the idea to do this. I think it turned out really cute.

I played around with a "W" hanging, I painted a $1 birdhouse from Joann's, and I tried all sorts of different variations of the felt flower/rosette combinations. I had "favorited" a sweet little shop on etsy that had these tiny felt birds. And the best part? She actually calls them wrens! So I couldn't pass it up. I had to add a sweet little wren in her nest...for my own little Wren's nest!

Cute, huh?!

While I was at it, I got myself a wreath and also one for my mother in-law.

She is one of those people who is absolutely impossible to buy for. She has everything. She is the best gift giver, and you never feel like you can give quite as well as she does.
But the week before her birthday, Josh mentioned that her own wreath was too big, so I decided to make her one!

I loved this yarn so much that I went back and got myself some and am in the process of finishing a wreath for myself out of it.

Here's how hers turned out:

A closeup of the little embellishments I added:

I spent less than $10 on her wreath, start to finish. Wren's was a bit more because of buying the little felt wren, but still reasonably well priced!!

Alrighty, friends...time to share your pins!!!

The Truth About Trying {REDBOOK Magazine's Infertility Campaign}

2011-10-18T10:42:00.001-04:00

~~
{For my current readers, to fill you in...
New here? Skip down a bit!}
I am so excited to share a bold and brave initiative that REDBOOK magazine has taken on. It's a campaign to open up discussions about infertility. To pull back the curtain. To share stories of hope, to offer support. To let others know that it's okay to talk about infertility. It's not shameful. There are thousands of women out there struggling...let's take the opportunity to come together and offer a sense of community.

Somehow, a journalist came across my little old blog back in June and asked me to be involved. I have been a REDBOOK reader for years, even going back to the days when they had a blog written by various infertiles. So I have always known they supported our community. I was thrilled to take part. They created a blogroll with blogs from all different walks of infertility. I wouldn't necessarily call mine one of the "best," but I sure am excited to be included!
They also asked me to make a 3 minute video about what I wish I'd known during our struggle. That can be seen HERE and I am also embedding it below. The goal is to have other women create videos of their own and share them on REDBOOK's YouTube page. You can do so HERE, and I hope you will.

Finally, there will be a Twitter Party starting at 2:00 PM EST today (Tuesday, Oct. 18th) to talk about infertility. I hope you will all join in if you can. We are going to be using the hashtag #truthabouttrying...I will be there and I hope you will, too! Redbook can be found on Twitter HERE and my Twitter is HERE.
~~
{If you're visiting from the REDBOOK campaign, start here!}
If you're visiting my blog from the REDBOOK Magazine article, WELCOME! I'm so honored to be part of a campaign that will hopefully help others to not only find hope for their own journeys, but also maybe give them some tools to share with family and friends. If you are struggling, I am so sorry.
Know that I have been there, and I am here to offer support, answer any questions you might have (particularly for those with PCOS) and share a message of hope.

A little background on us. I'm Christina. I'm married to Josh.
We have a little firecracker named Wren. She will be 1 in less than a month.

We struggled with infertility for 3 1/2 years. We lost a baby girl before conceiving Wren. Her name was Mya and she had Down syndrome. We went through 11, 12, maybe more medicated cycles...everything from pills to injectables to acupuncture...timed cycles, IUIs, HSGs (yes-plural...boo!), a hysteroscopy & lap surgery, 2 REs, lots of nurses...

And then we met our beloved Dr. Miracles.

*ting*~*angels sing*~*harps strum*{Yep, he's that amazing!}

He has a unique way of treating PCOS and you can hear all about it in THIS blog post where I have several videos documenting our long journey to Wren.

We are currently back on the TTC wagon, hoping to make Wren a big sister. Infertility is, and always will be, a huge part of my existence. It changed me. But it made me a better wife and a better mother, so for that I am thankful.

I hope you'll pull up a seat and stick around. I blog about lots of things...life as a new mom, balancing work and family time, tons of crafting and decor projects, and obviously soon, lots of TTC posts. I also have a YouTube channel that you can check out HERE.

3 1/2 years was a long time. It was difficult, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching at times. But I want you to hear the message in my video below. I want you to know that I look back and am THANKFUL for my journey. I am proud of the mom I am. I can't wait to share with Wren just how much her dad and I wanted her and how incredibly loved she was long before she was here. I want you to know that one day, you will look back on the journey with a gracious heart. The pain will never go away, but everything you are going through is preparing you for the one special, perfect miracle that awaits.

Know that I am here for you...if you need a friend or a shoulder or just someone to tell you it sucks.

I'm here to offer support and hopefully give you a little bit of hope!

I'm working on a video with several things I wish I'd known, so check back soon, but here is the one I submitted for the REDBOOK campaign:

Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks for stopping by!