Dress up Storage Armoire

I am beyond excited about this project.  I really wanted to have a nice storage solution for all of Abby's dress up stuff.  So I went on a search,  through goodwill after goodwill, Craigslist,  even a garage sale or two. After weeks of searching and finding nothing, I had a gut feeling to go to a place I found online. Turned out it was closed but there was a place right beside that was a resale shop, so I went in. Low and behold, there it was. Better than I thought I could find!

Needless to say Abby and I were thrilled to bits that we found this awesome hutch!

Then we, as in my hubby, father in law and I, went to Home Depot to get supplies!

And on to measuring and cutting!

Then the hubby, since he doesn't trust me with his power tools ;), put the pieces together.

And voila! 

After two coats of paint to match the rest of Abby's room, it was ready to have the tension rod put in.

This was such a fun project. And the best part is that Abby loves it. Merry Christmas to all!! :)

Snowball Fight!

In preparation for "The Great White North", aka Canada,  I wanted my kiddo and my nephews to practice their snowball fighting. Of course I didn't want a ton of mess, as they will be practicing in a hotel after we do our Texas family Christmas Thanksgiving weekend.

Enter Pinterest! Duh... fabric snowballs!

Here's what you need:

Scissors

Rounded diamond (almost lemon shaped) pattern

Sharpie

Stuffing

Glittery felt (found at hobby lobby for 1.43 after coupon for 1/4 yard!)

Sewing machine

White thread

(Since I already had the stuffing from a previous project, the whole project cost $1.43 total!!)

I started with a rounded diamond shape as a pattern for my balls. Each ball needs 4 of these shapes.

I traced the shape as many times as I could, which gave me 10 balls in the end.

After all the tracing came the cutting.

Once all the pieces were cut, I was able to start seeing. (Make sure you sew with the glittery side in) sew 4 pieces, each attached to another by one side. For the last two seams, make sure to leave a slot for stuffing.

Now onto stuffing. My first couple I didn't stuff very much, which made it easier to sew but left them softer. My suggestion is to stuff them enough that they are firm, but leave room to sew the ball shut.

And there you go!! Now you have your balls! 

(I had a Santa basket that I bought as a photography prop that worked great to hold these!)

Cookie In A Jar Teacher Gifts

As I was walking around a mall, looking at all of the brightly lit and wonderfully colored displays, I started thinking about all the people on our Christmas shopping list. There are, of course, family and close friends, but there are also people like teachers. I started looking at potential gifts, until I took a moment to realize that Abby has 12 teachers! Of course that includes her actual school teachers, Sunday school, bible study and MOPS teachers. The fact is that they have all taken care of our kiddo this year.

That was when I realized I needed to find something to give each of them,  without breaking the bank. Enter Pinterest! In a short while of looking through Pinterest,  only getting distracted by everything else on there a few times, I found it! Something personal, practical, and wouldn't break the bank. Cookies in a Jar!

I had already bought lidded jars last year after Christmas,  because you have to take advantage of 75-90% off holiday stuff, right!!? So I had 12 jars just waiting for me to figure out what to do with them,  making my husband think I was nuts. Finally they would be put to use.

After a quick trip to Kroger, costing less than $20, I started to assemble my jars using a classic chocolate chip recipe.

Here is what I put in my jars:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups Chocolate Chips

I also made little tags to go with the cookie mix. Each tag has the rest of the instructions and recipe.

PSA: If you don't know what to say...

A lot of people hear about infertility and think, "well this just got awkward!" Then most people choose to make it more awkward with what I like to call "verbal vomit." Verbal vomit is when you probably shouldn't be talking, but you just can't seem to help yourself.

I have read so many blog posts about what to say, what not to say, what to do, what not to do, etc.... when you find out a friend is struggling with infertility. Some, I have to admit, are just funny, and some are appalling, though most are absolutely true. I use to think people just didn't know how to react to me, until I started "comparing notes" with others in similar situations. Honestly, we laughed about a lot of it. We just couldn't believe that people would say that kind of stuff, let alone how many people had said those things.

What I want to address here, is something that isn't usually talked about on the "what not to say, do..." blogs. This is something that is going to make people mad. Here goes.

According to the Mayo Clinic, and just about every doctor out there, Infertility is when a couple has been having unprotected sex for a year without pregnancy. Doctors say that if you are above 35, and have been trying for over 6 months, you fit in this category also. That is infertility.

People who have been struggling for years.... People who know the pain of being diagnosed.... People who know the stress of doctor's appointments, hormone injections, two week waits... People who know exactly what RE, IUI, Clomid, Ovidrel, Endometrin, IVF, HGC, TWW, metformin, BBT, PCOS, LH, FSH... are. These are the people that have been there, or are there now.

People who "it took 4 months" to get pregnant, just don't. Don't tell me you "get it." Don't tell me how hard it was to deal with your "struggle to get pregnant and the grief that it brought." Just don't.

Trust me, I've been there too. Before I got pregnant with my daughter, I was told I wouldn't get pregnant. Once I got pregnant, I said some very stupid things, which I only realized now that we are going through infertility. I remember telling people that doctors gave me a "slim to none" chance to conceive and I did. I remember saying, "you never know!" I wish I could go back and stop myself from saying those things. I realize now, that those "innocent comments" were actually very hurtful.

So please, for the sake of your friend who is struggling, please be mindful of your comments. Please choose your words wisely.

If you have any doubts, google it. I'm serious! Google will give you tons of blogs and websites about what not to say. One that I found particularly helpful, even if just to give those people, who don't choose their words, grace, is citymomsblog.com/houston/infertility-an-etiquette-guide-of-what-not-to-say/

Crock Pot Adventures: Part 1

After spending hours on Pinterest (you know you do it too..) I found several pins that I decided to try... namely crock pot pins.

The main challenge I had in finding recipes to try, is that my husband doesn't like warm liquid... aka soups, stews, coffee, tea, etc.... He might do hot chocolate, but he'd much rather have some regular chocolate milk.

As you may know, most recipes for crock pots have something to do with stews or soups. This is why it took me so long to find a handful of recipes. I had to find things that had meat, but that can be combined with a salad or some veggies, or anything with pasta.

My other challenge, is that whatever I am cooking in the crock pot needs to be put in by 6:30am and we wont be able to eat it until about 6 or 6:30 pm. As you can imagine... there aren't many recipes that need slow cooking for 12 hours.

In come my brand new crock pot! It has a special setting that adjusts the cooking temperature to cook your food perfectly for the number of hours you need. The only catch is that it counts on you choosing a recipe that has a cooking time of 6-8 hours on low, or 4-6 hours on high.

So the first recipe I found was Lemon Rosemary Chicken. (Let me just say that it smelled absolutely fabulous as I was prepping it!) When I got home, the whole apartment smelled wonderful! After trying it, my only adjustment would be to cook it a little less, or inject it (like a turkey at Thanksgiving) with something to keep the moisture in. It literally fell off the bone, but was a little dry.

(I wish I would have taken a picture of it done, but the hubby decided to dig right in ;))

The recipe is very simple. Here's what you need:

A whole chicken

One Lemon

A few bunches of rosemary

Salt and Pepper to taste

A whole head of Garlic

Rinse the chicken, inside and out. Rub it down with a mixture of salt and pepper. Place the chicken in crock pot. Separate garlic cloves and place in and around the chicken. Slice up lemon and place in and around chicken. Place rosemary leaves in and around chicken.

I put my chicken fully prepared in the fridge over night, since I don't have time to do all the prep work in the morning. 

In the morning, start the crock pot. (If you are using manual, cook on low for 6-8 hours.))

  ***Make sure that chicken is thoroughly cooked before serving***

Voila!

Working Improved My Marriage?!

I loved staying home with my daughter. It was so great being able to hang out with her every day, go to bible studies all the time, and have play dates. I was able to bond with other women and have friends to talk to about life.

But this wonderfulness came with a price too. Sure I was able to bombard my husband less about everything I had going on, mainly because I had friends to talk with, but I was bombarded with "how a husband should be." I would come home and find him resting after a long day at work, and I would complain to him that he wasn't doing this, that and the other. I was hearing in all of my bible studies how these amazing women were supporting their amazing men.

I was also told things like, "a typical man...." That in itself is was unfair, mainly because my hubby isn't typical. He is that guy that has a great relationship with his parents, and we see them at least once a week. He's that guy that comes home and just wants to play with our daughter until bed-time, and then would rather play video games than "talk about life." He's that guy that is just pretty laid back, and there isn't much that really gets to him.

This is where working actually improved our marriage. Since I'm working, I have less time to attend every bible study offered. While I loved being poured into by wise women, I think there must be a balance. Now I only have time for Sunday bible studies and our Wednesday night bible studies. This in itself has allowed me to "compare" him less and appreciate him more.

When I say appreciate, I mean really, really appreciate him. I am able to come home and see that he is helping out around the house. I am able to come home and appreciate every conversation I have with him, since I am no longer able to see him as much. We are both able to appreciate each other and all that we do for one another. Now instead of comparing him to pastors, ministers and missionaries, I am surrounded by women whose husbands are coaches, teachers, and business men.

I've heard it said that it's hard being a working mom, and believe you me it is! But it's also harder to be a husband to a mom who works, as opposed to a mom who stays at home. Sure the credit card gets used less, since I don't have time to shop like I use to, but when I stayed home I was able to cook dinner and clean. Now, he still works all day, but now he also drops our daughter off at school, half, if not more, of the time he picks her up, and he helps out a lot more with house chores, simply because I don't have the time to do them.

Working has allowed me to appreciate him more, and appreciate his hard work. It has also made me rely on him being awesome at who he is for our family. I am able to compare him less and appreciate all that he does more.

And I really think it's made him appreciate me more also. Even though I don't make nearly as much as he does, I make it possible for us to send our daughter to school and for use to get closer to buying our next house sooner. He also sees how hard working is for me, since I work far from where we live, and since I don't get to see our daughter, or help her with everything she is going through. He also knows that I wish I could get home before him and have the apartment tidy and dinner ready.

So while I loved being able to stay home, and hopefully I will be able to stay home again if ever we have other kids, I am learning to appreciate the challenges that come with working so that we can better our marriage.

Big Bang Cupcakes

My mother-in-law loves... I mean LOVES Big Bang Theory. So for her birthday, I decided I wanted to do something fun.

After hours on Pinterest looking for a cake idea, I decided to go with cupcakes and have quotes from the show as toppers. The best thing about cupcakes is that little hands love to help make them... especially if they have sprinkles in them!

****p.s. my trick to tasty cupcakes is to add an extra egg and a dash of vanilla.****

So here's what I came up with for toppers:

These were super easy to make. Just get a design you like, paste it into PhotoShop, cut a circle shape, and add text!

                               

Stay-At-Home Mom Blues

Do you ever feel like being a stay at home mom has all these expectations that you seldom feel like you reach?

This question is not to overwhelm you, but actually to empower you. Yes, sometimes there are crazy expectations, or opinions, of what we do, or are suppose to do, as stay at home moms. Sometimes though, we are able to redefine what our lives can look like.

We can choose to be "busy" but with no purpose, like having somewhere you could go but not needing to be out of bed until 8, or we can choose to have a purpose to every day.

One of the challenges to being a stay at home mom is finding something to do every day. (At least this is a challenge for me) I use to have it figured out. We would go to church for me to work out, and the kiddo to be in daycare, 3 days a week, I would have bible study one day a week, and we would go out and do something fun, like the zoo, on our off day. When that was my schedule, things were great. I felt energized. I felt social. I felt like I was able to connect with others. I was out of bed by 6:30 or 7. Most of all, I felt like my kid was doing great!

A few months ago I thought that I would give working another try, only to give up all of our daily routines and not work. We have spent the last month or so, being essentially bored. I have lost my drive to do just about anything.

So now I'm taking charge again. I'm deciding that for my kiddo, and for myself, the best thing is to get involved in groups and activities again. I'm not sure if we'll go back to the gym, though I think that's a real possibility. I'm not sure what I'll do about bible studies, since most are out for the summer. All I know is that we need a daily and weekly plan. A reason for us to get moving in the morning, instead of watching 4 episodes of Daniel Tiger and looking at each other saying "What do you want to do today?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?"

Goodbye stay at home mom blues, and hello active mom life!

Mother's Day DIY

Guys! I am so proud of myself on this one. This has been, by far,

my favorite DIY project.

I was looking for something cool and special for my mom, mother-in-law and my sister-in-law this year. We already got my mom something else, all the kids together, but since it wont be in before I see her, I wanted to get her something she could have right away.

After searching around on my beloved Pinterest, ;), I decided on personalized casserole dishes. I know whenever I see someone bring personalized dishes to a party, I always think, "Oh, how fancy!"

Well, anyways, here's how to do it!

Get:
-vinyl (or contact paper)
-a die cutting machine (or an exacto knife)
-some Amour Etch
-a paint brush
-scissors
-some glass dishware
-Gloves (You're dealing with acid, safety 1st)

Start by deciding what you want etched on your glass, I chose last names. Open up your die cut machine software, I have a Silhouette, and design your design and cut!
(If you are using an exacto knife to cut, just make sure that you don't cut all the way through, you want to be able to peel back only the vinyl)

After your have your vinyl, stick it to your glass, making sure there aren't any air bubbles. 

***Seriously, get all the air bubbles out! The Armour Etch is acid. It will etch any glass that it touches***

(I used a stool to keep my dish "up" so that I could work on it easily. You want to make sure that, however you are holding your dish up, the Armour Etch wont spill while it's drying)

Now get your gloves on and "paint on" your Armour Etch with your paint brush. You want to put on a nice coat, but doesn't have to be crazy thick. Your just want to make sure that you properly cover the area you want etched.

Wait about 10 minutes, then wipe the majority off with a paper towel. After you've gotten the majority wiped away, run the area under water and gently rub. Now, take the viynl off and properly wash your dish, TWICE, with soap.

Dry and Enjoy!

Stranded... So We Made Bubbles

I probably should have picked another analogy for my last post. ;)
The next day, I thought I would take my kiddo and dogs to a state park. The only iasue is that state park arr usually in the middle of nowhere, and just as I rounded the last bend before entering the park, my car started acting up. Every time I would try to accelerate,  it would take a few seconds for the car to react, then it would jerk us forward and slow down.
Thankfully,  we made it to the entrance,  where you pay, before the car really had it. No sooner than I had pulled up,  the car jerked forward onw last time and then shut off.
As I waited for the lady to give me my receipt, I decided to try to turn the car on. She thought I was trying to drive away, but I let her know I was actually just making sure my care would turn on, which it did. Even though it turned on, there was no movement. No matter what gear I put it in, or how many times I tried to restart the car, there was nothing to do.
Thankfully the nice lady who was helping me called over one of the officers and they both pushed my car to a side area, so I wasn't blocking the entrance. Mind you that the entire time they were pushing, buttons, my protective dog, was barking like crazy at them.
Anyways, by the time we made it to the side, Chris was on his way to rescue us. After a short while of walking around the car and in the feild nearby, so that we could all stretch our legs, Chris arrived. It didn't take him very long to decide that we would take his truck and he would wait for a tow truck.
Long story short, the car had a line that had a crack so it was unable to maintain enough pressure to work properly, which was only a $230 fix. Hopefully that's all, but we're waiting to hear back.

Which brings us to today. Its 9:30am, and we've already had breakfast,  taken the dogs out, played with toys,  and done bubbles. With no car, and having it rain outside, this is our first day that we can't leave the apartment.  (Though we may escaoe later and try to walk to target, which isn't too far)

Here are our bubbles we made. :)

When Your Power Steering Runs Out!

No my car didn't run off the road. ;)

With that said, mainly for family and friends who know me all to well, I'm talking about when our life feels like it's out of control and it's hard to correct our path.

As I sat in MOPS today, listening to Shannon Bloodworth, she spoke about how we are so often faced with the enemy telling us lies and trying to veer us in the wrong direction. It's so hard to say "NO!" and fight back. Something she said that I loved was that we need to fight with "the blood of Christ" on our side. We need to constantly fight against the lies and deceits of the enemy with the power that we are given through Jesus's blood.

As she spoke, full of energy and spirit, she told us example after example of how we are so often confronted with a decision to put up our boundaries and protect our minds and our lives, or fall into the enemy's traps.

I got the image in my head of being in a car and realizing I'm on the wrong street. The problem is, my power steering is out! In order to turn my car so I can return to the right street, I have to force my steering wheel with all my might.

I feel like so often I get in a place in my life that I don't want to be in. Whether it's believing the enemy's lies that I am not good enough, or worrying about outcomes, it's so hard to realize that you have to stop and use all of your might to pray for help to change your thinking.  I know I have to just stop myself in my tracks sometimes and tell myself, "Be still, trust and let God do his work. You are good enough. You are enough because you are in Him. You are loved."

I shared with my group today that through our journey of infertility I have always wanted to be in control. I have always taken tests and checked my results over and over again, googling what the results might mean. (Since I am totally medically trained and know what everything means... or not) I wanted to be in control because I wasn't trusting that God knew best. Even though I know that come August, whatever happens will happen, and if nothing happens we will just plan our life as a party of three, I have had a really hard time truly trusting and letting go.

I always think of being still, letting go, as if I'm holding on to a rope and I have to let go, trusting that God will catch me. The truth is that I'm letting go, but not trusting. My mental image of what my emotions look like is often a person falling off a cliff, flailing and freaking out the whole way down. Of course I'm not actually falling off a cliff, but emotionally I'm absolutely flailing around. I've let go of my control, but I'm constantly grasping to try to reach any other rope, which is causing me to stress out, and flail, the whole way. I find myself constantly going back to worrying about "what will happen if..."

So friends, I'm finding myself having to consciously make myself believe that God has me. I have to remind myself that it may not be my plan, but God does know best.

God must have a sense of humor, because every time I'm about to learn something, he gives me something to apply it to. This week, as I opened my bible to find our verse for the week, I landed on Hebrews 11:1.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (NIV)

Have faith. Faith that God can. Faith that God knows best. Faith that God loves us. Faith that he has a plan and he hears us.

So have faith, and pray for the strength to veer away from where you shouldn't be, and strength to face the enemy with the truth that God is sovereign.

A Princess Affair

My sweet baby isn't a baby anymore! We celebrated her birthday this year Princess style!

As she got closer to her 3rd birthday,  everything was princesses. She wanted the dresses, the crowns, the shoes, the jewels... you name it.

So obviously we chose to celebrate in royal style!

Here are some of the highlights!

Prince charming and his princess

Royal hidden treasure

Royal carriage

With private parking spot!

Making crowns

Happy Birthday My Sweet Princess!