valley-mama

New Baby Must Haves

2012-01-24T08:34:00.001-06:00

I'm in major nesting mode as we wait for baby girl to arrive in about 6 weeks. Just saying that makes my heart rate jump! We are soooo not prepared. We are ready, excited, and thrilled to have this baby coming so soon, but as far as being really prepared...that's another story.

Someone asked me last week if I'm just buying diapers and getting small things ready...

NO! We still have baby's whole room to re-do and lots of big projects. This time around, hubby is nesting right along with me. We are tackling projects each day, trying to get this house in order before we add another human to the family!

A lot of the reason for the chaos and rush is because of our move this fall and how much time it has taken to get the house cleaned up and in order from the previous owner. We didn't expect to feel so unsettled for so long...well, time is up! This push to get ready for baby is a great push for us to get the house in a state we are pleased with - at least for now.

We had a garage sale last spring and got rid of some baby stuff that was too bulky or we didn't think we would lose. Some of it wasn't very functional anymore so we got rid of that too. Most of what we sold won't be replaced (the high chair: you don't really need a bulky high chair - a Bumbo works for a while and then a portable booster is great!).

There are a few things I am feeling the need to purchase, though. I bought a cute DwellStudio for Target bouncer from Craigslist since ours broke down after baby #2. I knew this was something that would be handy for setting the baby in while I am busy with the boys or with housework. Check.

Aden + Anais Swaddle Wraps

These swaddle wraps are just so soft and so pretty. Ok, they might not be a "must have", but after having two boys, I don't have anything girly, so besides a new wardrobe for the bambina, a few girly accessories will be nice, too!

Moby Wrap

The Moby Wrap didn't get too popular around here until after my second boy way born, but now all my friends swear by it. We still have the BabyBjorn, which we have used like crazy, but this seems like a great way to wear baby girl around the house, at the library, at playgroup, etc.

Puj Tub

I mean, really, how adorable are these Puj Tubs?! In our old house, I didn't have a great sink for one of these small, space saving tubs, but in this new house every sink would work great. I never had a separate baby tub because of the bulkiness of it. I love the portability of this little tub so I can bathe the baby wherever we are in the house.

Fisher Price Rock n' Play

These new little bassinets have ratings off the charts from consumers. Everyone seems to love them for babies to sleep in at night by the bedside or for naps during the day. We got rid of our pack n play because one of the sides no longer latched. Major safety issue. So, I am thinking one of these super portable little bassinets would be great to let the baby sleep in our room for a while.

What other new baby must haves am I missing? Of course, we're not interested in breaking the bank because this might be the final addition to our family... But I'd love to hear your favorite baby product feedback!

I've got a feeling...

2012-01-06T07:28:00.000-06:00

about 2012.

I've got a feeling that 2012 is going to be a great year. The year we've been waiting for.

I think we were happy to put 2011 and all the roller coaster of events behind us. A new year gives us the chance to start clean, start fresh, start over. We started over fresh with a new life last March-April, but putting those numbers: 2-0-1-1 behind us feels good.

I've felt this way before...

I felt this way when I turned 30. That year ended up being the toughest year yet. But it wasn't all bad because it brought us to this place where we are now. A good place. A healthy place. A place where we are supported and loved for who we are. That terrible year made the rest of our life better.

So I'm thinking 2012 is going to be great. We have a new ministry, a new life, new jobs, a new house, a new little baby girl who will join our family in just 8 short weeks. But I'm prepared for this "great year" ahead to make us better again, to improve our character, to deepen our relationships, to grow us in ways that might not be easy. But, I can still see that as great. And, for that, I am thankful.

Happy 2012 to all you mamas and your loves. I hope its a great year for you, too!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T09:06:00.000-06:00

Its looking like Christmas...

2011-12-08T09:09:00.000-06:00

Its beginning to look like Christmas in this house! I am more excited than usual about decorating for Christmas because in this new house, we haven't had a lot of decoration going on. Christmas was a great kick-start to getting out some of our decor and making the house feel festive and homey.

One of my favorite features of this old house is the buffet, or piano windows. I made this pom pom garland with my friends, Mollie this fall. It was an easy but time consuming project. I will post a tutorial later! I got the "Joy" letters at a country store in Northern Minnesota, but I've seen them all over since. The mercury glass holders are a combination of Michaels, Target, and Crate & Barrel.

In the dining room, I created a display with items I dug out of boxes, etc:

My sister gave me the small apothecary jars and I filled them with whatever I had that was festive. I also taped red ribbon to the topiary pots (I pulled the stem out of the topiaries for a new look).

I added my subway art for some height and for now, I like the look!

A little sparkly garland goes a long way to help make some ordinary look fun and seasonal! We remind ourselves to look for "Zippy", our Elf on the Shelf.

I love this colorful tree behind the kitchen sink and the little pots I just tied a ribbon and put some holly in the tie.

Where is Zippy anyway?

This is our entryway for now...I had fun decorating and putting the boys' stocking up. Where to put stockings without a fireplace?

The Christmas Countdown has been working beautifully...

the boys love running to the bin of wrapped books to open their books for the day!

How is your decor coming along? Its a process...adding little bits along the way. Holiday cards we receive and the kids artwork is another great way to add to any holiday decor!

My Brand New Bag

2011-12-04T09:33:00.000-06:00

I love these diaper bags...

so much that I shredded my last one from so much use!

Well, I contacted PPB and they asked me to send in my old bag. Then they contacted me again to ask me which new bag I would like! They replaced my bag after 3 years - now that's great customer service!

My new bag is the glazed version, so its water resistant and will hold up better for baby #3. :)

Thanks, PPB!

(Un)Crafty - T-Shirt Scarf

2011-12-02T09:14:00.000-06:00

I am not a Black Friday shopper, so on the day after Thanksgiving, my sister and I decided to do a few projects. She was more ambitious than me and made some cute glittered votives, but I just came away with this super easy to make t-shirt scarf.

We bought XL size cotton t-shirts and used my mom's rotary cutter and mat.

Step 1: Cut off the bottom hem.

Step 2: cut off the top of the shirt from right under the sleeves. Then you are left with a tube.

Step 3: Measure and cut into strips. I did about 1-inch strips.

Leave about one inch (or more) of the tube uncut at the top - this will be how your loops stay connected.

Step 4: Stretch our each loop - this will cause the cotton to curl.

Voila! Ours are bug enough to double up around your neck and are pretty cute! I'm thinking of making more...it took up only about 10 minutes!

(Un)Crafty - Christmas Countdown

2011-12-01T08:35:00.001-06:00

Happy December! Can you believe it? The fall was beautiful and it went by so fast! We are busy: still moving into our new house and preparing for our new baby who will join our family in just three short months!

Since today is the first day of December, it was the first day to put our Christmas Countdown, or Advent Calendar, to use! The boys were so excited when they woke up! Of course, they would love to go through each day this morning and enjoy all the fun and treats. Waiting each day will be the hard part!

With our life circumstances feeling super crazy, this is an especially (un)crafty project! I pulled out all the Christmas and winter-themed books (about 40 in total - whoa!) and wrote the titles on popsicle sticks. The sticks fit well in the felt calendar I made a couple years ago.

This project took over the dining room table for a couple days.

I wrote the titles on each stick, leaving room at the end for a treat!

Then I wrapped up all the books in some wrapping paper from the Target $1 Spot. I used 4 rolls to wrap all the books. Each book is numbered so when the boys take the sticks out of the "December 3" pocket, they can find the books with a "3" in the basket under the tree.

Most days have two books, which is perfect for two kids. They each get to pull out a stick, have a treat, and open a wrapped book. Do you have any great advent calendar ideas? You can find some seriously crafty calendars at Hi Sugarplum's link party.

Thankfully.

2011-11-29T15:29:00.000-06:00

When I think back to this time last year, we were entering a storm. But, we thought we could fix it, figure out what needed to be done, and get back to normal.

Well, thankfully, that didn't happen.

I never thought I would say that. If you would have told me one year ago that we would have a whole new life, be a whole new family, and be so much better because of the pain, I would never have listened.

In the end of the saga, before the hiatus, God opened a door for us to begin a new life. It was unexpected and scary, but we felt strongly that God was asking us to trust Him.

Thankfully, we set off on a new path for our life and our family. We had to leave behind our vision for our life and accept God's vision for our life.

Thankfully, we listened.

One year ago, I still had hope about where our old life would take us. But today, I can see that the storm we entered made us stronger in character, in our marriage, in our family, in our conviction as parents, and as followers of Christ.

Thankfully, that storm came through our lives and raged like crazy to teach us so much.

Our life today is completely different...
thankfully.

We have a life. We can dream.
We have time for our growing family.
We have emotional capacity for each other.
We are supported. We are loved.

We discovered all of this because God had us on a journey, and it involved pain and hurt. We take responsibility for our share of the conflict and we have found peace in forgiveness where needed. We graciously - thankfully - accept our new life and know that there may be more storms ahead, but that we will weather them knowing that God will never stop teaching us.

Funky Feathered Turkeys

2011-11-20T16:40:00.000-06:00

We made some fun feathered turkeys thanks to my cousin who sent the supplies in a care package. My four year old really loved this project. Our turkey family totals about TEN because we had such a great time creating!

Supplies:

construction paper, scissors, pencil, glue stick, feathers, puffs, pipe cleaners

Directions:

Trace hands and cut them out of construction paper. Then glue feathers and other embellishments onto hands as you please! Cut pipe cleaners for legs and tape to back of turkey.

from cousin Angie's blog

From Angie's blog

Updates

2011-11-14T20:45:00.000-06:00

Since moving in early October, we've been slowly working on making this house ours. Unfortunately, most of the work we've done can't be seen: shelves in closets, cleaning out storage spaces, etc. Last weekend, with a forecast for one more warm(ish) weekend in Wisconsin, we painted the front door and shutters black (to forego the faded maroon from the previous owner). We are loving the crisp, stately look of our new front door color and feel like its one of the first things that makes our mark on this house as ours. Also gone are the overgrown window boxes which we chose to skip altogether. Landscaping will be an ongoing project that won't begin until next summer...the work is just beginning!

Turkey Family

2011-11-08T07:12:00.001-06:00

Now that Halloween is over, the Thanksgiving decorations can come out. We don't have much going on for holiday decor this fall, but I am determined to get the new house set for Christmas. I thought this turkey family was so adorable on eighteen25. Thanksgiving is such a great holiday to get our kids to understand, so this interactive activity is on my list!

Image & tutorial

For next year...

2011-11-03T08:59:00.000-05:00

I'm bookmarking this craft for Halloween next year...so cute!

Halloween Lanterns from Mason Jars

The Bump

2011-10-26T16:47:00.000-05:00

Along with everything else that has been happening...moving etc, we are also awaiting our third baby - due in March! My blog has taken a serious hit this summer and fall as the fatigue and morning sickness set in. Not to mention, chasing my two little guys (who seem more like men than boys these days), packing a house, and now trying to unpack a house. This baby has been a trooper and now, at 20+ weeks, I can feel the baby wiggling at all hours of the day. With so much change this year: new job (for Hubby), new house, new baby...this is a new beginning for us. We are excited for the journey of our family becoming FIVE.

Photo credit: Brisham Photography

(for more of the family photo session, view Brisham Photography Blog)

We moved!

2011-10-23T08:39:00.000-05:00

Life has been so crazy that the blog has taken a back seat, to say the least. We moved into "the yellow house", as my boys like to call it on October 7th and have been unpacking ever since. Moving is no small feat, my friends! Luckily, we had so many friends who graciously helped, brought meals, and took care of our kids while the chaos ensued! Soon we'll be back to land of the living...until then...

Amy Lou Jewelry Show

2011-09-29T15:10:00.000-05:00

If you are in or around Minneapolis on Saturday, stop by Gustavus Adolphus Church to see a display of the Amy Lou Jewelry line!

These "Brooke" earrings are some of my favorites - so simple and so stylish.

I love the pop of color on the delicate "Gia" necklace.

More feathers on the "Eden" necklace - the perfect fall accessory.

I love "Delilah", don't you?

The "Danielle" necklace would be perfect with any outfit this fall!

How can you resist the feather trend with these bright "Elise" earrings?

This is just a sample of the many selections Amy has been working on! She will be selling her available inventory and taking orders or custom requests! Her etsy store is always open, so hop on over and take a look!

Hope to see you Saturday in Minneapolis at the Amy Lou Jewelry booth (9am-4pm) at Gustavus Adolphus Church in Minneapolis!

Spider Crackers

2011-09-26T17:46:00.000-05:00

We've been under the weather at this house. And by "we", I mean "ME". It just feels like when the mom is sick everyone is sick because life sorta stays on hold. Actually, my husband (who has earned the title of All-time Superdad after the last week) did a great job holding our crazy schedule together, keeping the kids clean and fed, and giving me ample time to rest (like serious sleep: 15+hrs on Saturday night for this mama).

Amidst the sickness, I did manage to do a couple fun thing with the kids. We made Spider Crackers one day for our morning snack! It was a fun activity that the kids enjoyed doing...and eating!

Here's our supplies:

round crackers

peanut butter (you could use cream cheese or other spread)

pretzel sticks

chocolate chips (or raisins)

frosting or more spread or whatever

knives for spreading

oh...and...a couple cuties. :)

This is the goal: a cute little cracker sandwich that looks like a spider!!

Both my boys love spreading and getting to use a knife, so I got out the dull kiddie knives and let them spread-away. It was messy!

There was lots of eating...especially out of the chocolate chip bowl!

Just spread peanut butter (or chosen spread) between two crackers and add pretzel sticks for legs. Then we used a little frosting to hold the chocolate chips on for eyes. That's it!

And yes, it was almost 11am, but we're still in pajamas. I was sick, ok?

Proud of his yummy spider!

Did I do enough?

2011-09-21T08:20:00.000-05:00

As I take my oldest son to preschool today (one of three mornings per week), I reflect on this post, "Did I do enough", written by Emily at her blog, The Anderson Family Crew.

As a mom (stay-at-home or not) we all have these feelings about whether we're doing enough for our children.

It makes me question all the times I am/was too tired to play along,

too busy to read the book right then,

too preoccupied to really listen to my small child.

Have I missed too much? Have I been too selfish? Given all the change (and some of the pain) we've experienced in the past year, I know I have not been the mom I wanted to be. Feeling too sad, too tired, too emotionally drained to have the energy my kids need me to have.

But I don't think its irreversible. I think every moment is a chance to recoup by living in the moment with our kids. We are so lucky that kids have hearts so big, so forgiving, so resilient. We can learn from that. So, rather than thinking of the times I have missed, I will think of the times ahead and how to make them the very best.

Fun Thank You Notes

2011-09-17T09:19:00.008-05:00

Ever since having kids, I am extremely challenged in the 'thank-you-note-deptartment". Thank you notes used to be one of my strengths, I would send them for even the smallest gesture, letting people know how much it means when they care. While my feelings and sentiments have not changed, my time, memory, and follow-through have struggled. For all those friends and family who I owe zillions of thank-yous...thanks. Well, that just doesn't seem to measure up. Moving on...

I had a credit for 10 free cards from Shutterfly but I wasn't sure what to use for just ten cards.

Then my two year old had his birthday and it was the perfect chance to create thank you notes!

I just added some photos...

and a little text, leaving blanks for the recipient and the gift.

They turned out great and they are are easy to fill out and send!

Barely There Summer Decor

2011-09-16T09:02:00.001-05:00

Summer was such a whirlwind that I didn't do as much summer decor as I would have liked. Pretty much the only existence of anything summery was on the mantle downstairs. I had hoped to make an easy little pennant to hang from the mantle, too, but with house showings - all projects came to a stop.

My sister gave me these little apothecary jars that she found somewhere online.

They are perfect for this space because they are short and don't block the viewing.

The trick is finding something small enough to fit in the jars. My mom traveled to Bali with my dad for work and brought back the white coral she found on the beach so I took some small pieces of that and filled one jar. The beach glass I found at the Dollar Tree (yes, for $1!) in the decor section. It added just a little color and was easy to fit in the smallest jar.

I also had some sand that I got with a merchandise credit at Pier 1 and filled the third jar with that. The little vase is from IKEA but was not bought for this, just thought it looked "beachy" enough to join the ensemble. I also added the little mercury glass votive holders because I liked the shiny addition to the mantle.

So there it is: the compilation of my barely there summer decor...exciting right? Maybe not. Oh well. I'm actually more excited to use those jars this fall and see what we can fill them with...

No Money Project {1} - The Nursery

2011-09-15T09:02:00.000-05:00

Our two year old is still sleeping in the crib in the nursery at our house. After a short stint in a "big boy bed" we reverted back to the crib and its been best for his sleep (and ours!). The room is pretty gender neutral and babyish, but with the move coming up so soon, there won't be any changes until we are well-settled in the "yellow house". This spring, I was not spending any money, but decided to do some changes to the house...feeling a little restless with decor, etc. These changes were made a long time ago, but I thought they were still worth sharing!

Here is the room BEFORE, as you may remember from this little house tour:

Most of the room stayed the same, I just changed some wall decor...

This wall above the crib used to have the wooden sign above it, but nothing else and for years,

it has been begging for more attention.

I moved the wooden sign and the letters over to the wall with the canvases.

I like the look of these three elements together over the bookshelf.

Then I gathered up frames and other decor from the house to create a gallery wall above the crib. The embroidery hoops are so fun and easy! I got the hoops (a set of 5) at a thrift store for only $0.80! Then I just traced the hoop on fabric I had left over from other projects and inserted into the hoop! So easy to make, change, and so cheap. The hoops has been living downstairs in the hall by our laundry room, but I realized the colors would work in the nursery, so the moved.

The wall also included some newborn photos, some other special art, and a card I framed from his baptism.

I laid the objects out on the floor how I wanted to hang them and then just went for it!

Here is the finished product. Much better!

My other project cost me $3 in this room. I found a shower curtain I liked at a garage sale down the street but mostly just liked the pattern, so I cut it and recovered the lamp in the nursery. I also have plans to make a little pillow for the rocking chair out of the same shower curtain.

BEFORE

AFTER

12 days.

2011-09-13T21:23:00.000-05:00

It took our little house 12 days to sell.

(smile).

We just feel lucky...and thankful to our great realtors.

Phew.

It only took a couple open houses and a handful of showings.

(with the little men running around, it was tough to keep up so I was happy to have our time on the market short lived)

But now we are

MOVING.

I'm in denial about having to be packed and out of this house in less than one month.

Whaaaaa????

When does one have time to pack and keep up with life and care for a family

and do loads of laundry and cook meals and on and on and on...

Well, that is yet-to-be-seen. I guess we will find the time because there is no other option. The motivation is our sweet old house that we are moving to in a new-to-us neighborhood. We can't wait to be cozy in our 1930s home, nestled in a unique neighborhood surrounded by friends.

But still...the packing.

Ugh.

Hopefully I can document some of it and keep up on the blog a little bit during the moving process. I also have lots of "no-money-projects" I completed here at home this spring and summer that I have to share with you! Keep an eye out for some new posts...

coming soon...

or soon-ish.

Open House!

2011-08-11T10:28:00.000-05:00

The time has come: this house is for sale! Donnellan Real Estate is hosting an open house here tonight and we hope you will come! Even if you are not in the market for a new home in Eau Claire, I hope you can stop by to see our lovely home and recommend it to friends who may be searching for the perfect house in a great neighborhood in Eau Claire.

Open House

Thursday, August 11

5 pm - 6:30 pm

3013 West Hoyem Lane

Eau Claire, WI 54703

MLS Listing

Do You Piperlime?

2011-08-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

I sure do love Piperlime. Love their selection of footwear, clothes and accessories for all budgets. Love their free shipping AND free returns! Its a no-risk purchase to try shoes from Piperlime. Our whole family - kids, hubby, and me enjoy our purchases from Piperlime.

And who doesn't love the great packaging...

...fun inside...

...nicely packaged...

...and even a little note.

These were my latest purchase, for my sister-in-law's wedding. If you are on their email list, you can catch really great sales. There is a mad sale going on right now at Piperlime, so it might be worth checking out!

Its that time of year...

2011-07-31T09:21:00.000-05:00

Its hard to believe the theme to this time of year is already "back-to-school"! I, for one, am not ready for that season yet. Its seems that summer in the upper midwest just began in July...so its been a short hot-season. I am hoping for a wonderfully warm and sunny fall! Here are some great tips for the back to school season on Aby Garvey's blog...

I don't have school age children yet (in my mind, pre-school doesn't really count because I'm not packing lunch and organizing homework papers, etc), but I still want to accomplish some of the tasks for getting the house into shape for the fall.

via Simplify 101

Orange Yogurt Popsicles

2011-07-30T10:36:00.003-05:00

Today is super hot so we are making popsicles! I don't have a ZOKU (yet) but we do have these cool rocketpop molds from my cousin. We've been using them for years and they are always a hit! Of course, you can use just about anything to make popsicles - no fancy molds needed!

The boys were excited to help so we did our mixing on the floor (don't worry, I cleaned my floors yesterday...maybe that doesn't make you feel better). The littlest boy was doing his "happy dance".

Usually, I just put anything in there: fruit, juice, yogurt, lemonade, pudding...whatever. But today I looked at what I have available and I googled for "homemade oj and yogurt popsicles". Here is the yummy and oh-so-easy recipe:

Orange Yogurt Popsicles from Cooks.com
6 oz. frozen oj (about 1/2 can)
1 pint plain yogurt (we used vanilla because its what we had on hand)
1-2 tsp vanilla (we used a little less since we had vanilla yogurt already)

Blend together well (by hand is ok) and pour into molds. Freeze!

Can you say, "Dreamsicle"??

Waiting for the yummies to freeze is definitely the hardest part!