This one:
(Nora turned upside down by her daddy, on request of course!!)And this one!:
(This is Cory after he let the boys roll him down the "hill" in a tire. :) )Until next time . . .
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Some Favorite Summer Photos
I never really posted any pictures from our neighbor's 3rd birthday party, but I got two that I think are really funny that I thought I'd just go ahead and share.
This one:
(Nora turned upside down by her daddy, on request of course!!)
And this one!:
(This is Cory after he let the boys roll him down the "hill" in a tire. :) )
Until next time . . .
This one:
(Nora turned upside down by her daddy, on request of course!!)And this one!:
(This is Cory after he let the boys roll him down the "hill" in a tire. :) )Until next time . . .
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Baby's Basket
OK, so I have been waiting and waiting to post this for what feels like FOREVER! :)
One of my best friends Jadrien is pregnant with her first child, and her shower was this past weekend. I was so excited when I learned that she was pregnant that I decided that I had to create some amazing gifts for her child. Even with my own struggles that have been going on, I still wanted her gifts to be perfect, because even though the things themselves are irrelevant, I still look back on some of Nora's favorite baby items and remember how I felt after Nora's birth. I remember who we were then and who we are now, and I am so happy.
I bought a collapsible picnic basket (inspired a little bit by Kim's at Newlywoodwards), painted baby's monogram on the front, and started to fill it!
A peak inside . . . (there are a lot of details to this basket, and I will be showing you a few of them.)
First up, I sewed a "taggie" blanket. Jadrien gave Nora a little "lovey" blankie, and I really wanted to return the favor! I found a good tutorial here.
The back:
I also made some closet dividers with 0-3 month, 3-6 month, 6-9 month, 9-12 month, 12 month, 24 month, and 2T and 3T dividers. Good thing I left a blank one, because I forgot 18 month! lol These were inspired by this photo.
This is just a little "b is 4 boy" art made out of a mini canvas and easel that I have been dreaming of using for a baby gift:
I also used Wordle to create some more boy art:
Sorry about the crappy photo quality on these, but I thought they were funny: it's Mommy and Daddy's Emergency Candy. Because being a parent is stressful!!! :) For these I used a free download-able template from Rachael Ray and I edited it.
I saw these online and decided that every parent needs one: they are called "Instant Bibs". You just attach both ends to a napkin, paper towel, washcloth, or whatever is available, and BOOM! - Instant Bib. I think these are genius because I always forget to pack bibs in Nora's bag.
These I would have made myself if my sewing machine wasn't acting up so much. They are "onside extenders". You just snap them on to the onesie when it's getting too short. LOVE them. I bought them from a local store that sells them.
I almost didn't get to give this gift to Jade because my sewing machine couldn't handle sewing it - it's a "pee pee teepee". For keeping you dry while changing your little boy! :) I think it's so cute and fun!
Inside the basket are also some vinyl bibs, appliqued onesies, and special books from Nora.
I think she liked these gifts a lot - I sure enjoyed making them for her, her husband, and her soon-to-be new little one!!!!! :) And now I am sharing it with you. Hope you enjoyed it too!
Until next time . . .
One of my best friends Jadrien is pregnant with her first child, and her shower was this past weekend. I was so excited when I learned that she was pregnant that I decided that I had to create some amazing gifts for her child. Even with my own struggles that have been going on, I still wanted her gifts to be perfect, because even though the things themselves are irrelevant, I still look back on some of Nora's favorite baby items and remember how I felt after Nora's birth. I remember who we were then and who we are now, and I am so happy.
I bought a collapsible picnic basket (inspired a little bit by Kim's at Newlywoodwards), painted baby's monogram on the front, and started to fill it!
A peak inside . . . (there are a lot of details to this basket, and I will be showing you a few of them.)
First up, I sewed a "taggie" blanket. Jadrien gave Nora a little "lovey" blankie, and I really wanted to return the favor! I found a good tutorial here.
The back:
I also made some closet dividers with 0-3 month, 3-6 month, 6-9 month, 9-12 month, 12 month, 24 month, and 2T and 3T dividers. Good thing I left a blank one, because I forgot 18 month! lol These were inspired by this photo.
This is just a little "b is 4 boy" art made out of a mini canvas and easel that I have been dreaming of using for a baby gift:
I also used Wordle to create some more boy art:
Sorry about the crappy photo quality on these, but I thought they were funny: it's Mommy and Daddy's Emergency Candy. Because being a parent is stressful!!! :) For these I used a free download-able template from Rachael Ray and I edited it.
I saw these online and decided that every parent needs one: they are called "Instant Bibs". You just attach both ends to a napkin, paper towel, washcloth, or whatever is available, and BOOM! - Instant Bib. I think these are genius because I always forget to pack bibs in Nora's bag.
These I would have made myself if my sewing machine wasn't acting up so much. They are "onside extenders". You just snap them on to the onesie when it's getting too short. LOVE them. I bought them from a local store that sells them.
I almost didn't get to give this gift to Jade because my sewing machine couldn't handle sewing it - it's a "pee pee teepee". For keeping you dry while changing your little boy! :) I think it's so cute and fun!
Inside the basket are also some vinyl bibs, appliqued onesies, and special books from Nora.
I think she liked these gifts a lot - I sure enjoyed making them for her, her husband, and her soon-to-be new little one!!!!! :) And now I am sharing it with you. Hope you enjoyed it too!
Until next time . . .
Friday, September 30, 2011
SHOUT OUT! :) No more cords!!
Gonna "shout-out" to the male of this household today. :) Last week Cory finally did something that he said he would do since Nora was about 4-5 months old . . .
He organized and "hid" the cords under our computer desk! YAY!
Cords make me crazy, and I always hated the way this area used to look. I could not succeed in finding a before picture, but if I could only use three words to describe it: dusty, cluttered, and terrible! But the hubs zip tied the cords down the leg of the desk and then to the back of the rail . . .
. . . and hid the bulky stuff behind the tower. :)
Now when you sit on the couch in the living room, this is what you see:
Instead of dirty, icky cords and a power strip, it's white trim instead! Muuuuuuuuuuch better. :) Thanks hubby!!!!!!!
Until next time! . . .
He organized and "hid" the cords under our computer desk! YAY!
Cords make me crazy, and I always hated the way this area used to look. I could not succeed in finding a before picture, but if I could only use three words to describe it: dusty, cluttered, and terrible! But the hubs zip tied the cords down the leg of the desk and then to the back of the rail . . .
. . . and hid the bulky stuff behind the tower. :)
Now when you sit on the couch in the living room, this is what you see:
Instead of dirty, icky cords and a power strip, it's white trim instead! Muuuuuuuuuuch better. :) Thanks hubby!!!!!!!
Until next time! . . .
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Nora's 25 Month Update
Nora just had her 24 month check-up this past week (her doctor was on maternity leave). She is in the 90th percentile for weight and is off the charts for height! We knew this already - it was kind of obvious in her pant legs - but hearing it was a shocker. We also (knowingly) got referred to a pediatric dentist, since Nora didn't have any more teeth just yet . . . but two days after the check-up, I noticed that another tooth had finally popped through on top! :) It was such a surprise! Nora wasn't even acting like she was sick or teething really, so we definitely weren't expecting another tooth. It was a wonderful day. :)
Behavior-wise, Nora is still as charismatic and happy as she has ever been. What a wonderful child!! She LOVES to color and has recently become very intent about it, spending lots of time on most of her pictures:
This is her first real "drawing". She told me it was "a robot", complete with "head, body, legs" (lots of them), and "two eyes". I was so impressed when she drew this!
She also continues to love to sing, play, and listen to music. Her favorite songs right now are "Old Mac Donald", "Mingo" (Bingo), and "Wheels on the Bus". She also loves to listen to the Laurie Berkner Band Greatest Hits CD, and requests for mommy to sing those songs to her! :) Perhaps the funniest thing Nora has been doing is "singing" instrumental songs that she hears. She will start with "Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-da-dunnnnn . . . " and go from there. She even sings the "runs" of the songs, and it's just so darn funny! I am making it my mission to get a video of her doing this. :)
She also has a new friend this month:
This was my Phi-Bear in college, and Nora has commissioned it to be her new BFF. She calls it her "baby bear" and must sleep with it every night. I am very proud. :)
She continues to talk very well. Her are some of this month's "Nora-isms":
Tell her "No way!" she responds with "Yeah no way!"
"Seed you later!"
She consistently calls toilet paper "newspaper"
Very concerned about our feelings: "Momma, you happy?", "Daddy, you sad?"
Says "hair bones" instead of "hair bows"
sun-cwasses (Sunglasses)
"Hey mom!" (Cory and I got shortened to mom and dad this month, instead of mommy and daddy.)
She also introduces herself to everyone and everything (cats, dolls, etc.): "Hi, I'm Nora!"
She also loves to watch Blue's Clues, and it's really cute to hear her refer to the notebook as the "Supery-Dupery Handy Dandy Notebook" :) (She loved the one I made her, by the way!) She pretends to talk to "Steve" on the phone, and consistently says "Wet's fink!" (Let's think!)
She is potty trained now, and continues to do very well. I can count on one hand the number of pee accidents she has had this month, which is great! She has also made really good progress in learning to share her toys. Her buddy -E- has been a really good sport in helping Nora learn. :) -E- is such a kind friend and has taught Nora a lot!
We started going over more sight words and letter sounds this month. Nora knows quite a lot of letter sounds! She's on track to be reading at a very early age, so we will see how she does. She continues to love books and we read a LOT (which I am over-the-moon about.) :)
I think that's about it for now! Have a good week all. Until next time . . .
Behavior-wise, Nora is still as charismatic and happy as she has ever been. What a wonderful child!! She LOVES to color and has recently become very intent about it, spending lots of time on most of her pictures:
This is her first real "drawing". She told me it was "a robot", complete with "head, body, legs" (lots of them), and "two eyes". I was so impressed when she drew this!
She also continues to love to sing, play, and listen to music. Her favorite songs right now are "Old Mac Donald", "Mingo" (Bingo), and "Wheels on the Bus". She also loves to listen to the Laurie Berkner Band Greatest Hits CD, and requests for mommy to sing those songs to her! :) Perhaps the funniest thing Nora has been doing is "singing" instrumental songs that she hears. She will start with "Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-da-dunnnnn . . . " and go from there. She even sings the "runs" of the songs, and it's just so darn funny! I am making it my mission to get a video of her doing this. :)
She also has a new friend this month:
This was my Phi-Bear in college, and Nora has commissioned it to be her new BFF. She calls it her "baby bear" and must sleep with it every night. I am very proud. :)
She continues to talk very well. Her are some of this month's "Nora-isms":
Tell her "No way!" she responds with "Yeah no way!"
"Seed you later!"
She consistently calls toilet paper "newspaper"
Very concerned about our feelings: "Momma, you happy?", "Daddy, you sad?"
Says "hair bones" instead of "hair bows"
sun-cwasses (Sunglasses)
"Hey mom!" (Cory and I got shortened to mom and dad this month, instead of mommy and daddy.)
She also introduces herself to everyone and everything (cats, dolls, etc.): "Hi, I'm Nora!"
She also loves to watch Blue's Clues, and it's really cute to hear her refer to the notebook as the "Supery-Dupery Handy Dandy Notebook" :) (She loved the one I made her, by the way!) She pretends to talk to "Steve" on the phone, and consistently says "Wet's fink!" (Let's think!)
She is potty trained now, and continues to do very well. I can count on one hand the number of pee accidents she has had this month, which is great! She has also made really good progress in learning to share her toys. Her buddy -E- has been a really good sport in helping Nora learn. :) -E- is such a kind friend and has taught Nora a lot!
We started going over more sight words and letter sounds this month. Nora knows quite a lot of letter sounds! She's on track to be reading at a very early age, so we will see how she does. She continues to love books and we read a LOT (which I am over-the-moon about.) :)
I think that's about it for now! Have a good week all. Until next time . . .
Thursday, September 22, 2011
I could not resist . . .
This week on Pinterest, I happened to see this photo:
(Source)
If you look closely, the skeleton bodies are the student's names in cursive. I LOVED THIS IDEA! But since I am not a teacher anymore (and even when I was I had no students that could write in cursive anyway) I decided to create a few of these on my own for some whimsical Halloween decor:
It was one of those projects you just can't resist doing - especially when you have absolutely everything on hand except for the canvases to mount them on. :) Plus I was happy I finally got to use up some of the mountain of card stock that I have!! I am all about the paper projects.
The creative bug bit me numerous times today because I also made Nora something that I think she will freak out over:
That's right: it's a very simple "Handy Dandy Notebook" (that Nora refers to as a "Supery-Dupery Handy Dandy Notebook"). She's a little obsessed with Blue's Clues right now. I think this will go over VERY WELL. Well enough to be worth the 5 minutes it took to make this anyway! :)
Look for Nora's most recent update this week! Until next time . . .
If you look closely, the skeleton bodies are the student's names in cursive. I LOVED THIS IDEA! But since I am not a teacher anymore (and even when I was I had no students that could write in cursive anyway) I decided to create a few of these on my own for some whimsical Halloween decor:
It was one of those projects you just can't resist doing - especially when you have absolutely everything on hand except for the canvases to mount them on. :) Plus I was happy I finally got to use up some of the mountain of card stock that I have!! I am all about the paper projects.
The creative bug bit me numerous times today because I also made Nora something that I think she will freak out over:
That's right: it's a very simple "Handy Dandy Notebook" (that Nora refers to as a "Supery-Dupery Handy Dandy Notebook"). She's a little obsessed with Blue's Clues right now. I think this will go over VERY WELL. Well enough to be worth the 5 minutes it took to make this anyway! :)
Look for Nora's most recent update this week! Until next time . . .
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
So . . . have you discovered Pinterest? If you haven't . . . that is probably good for you! It's soooooo addicting.
Lately, however, I have decided to stop "pinning" so much, and start creating a bit more! :) Here are a few pins that I am basing current projects off of, or that have inspired me to create something new alltogether:
I am working on some other Pinterest-inspired projects as well, but they all fall into the baby gift, Christmas gift, or Christmas card categories, and it's just not smart to post those just yet. :)
These are some of the many projects I found on Pinterest, but you can also post recipes, outfits, home decor ideas, and more! I love this site because it organizes my creativity (and it's many facets) so well.
If you are on Pinterest and want to follow me, you can find me here. :) I can also send you an invite if you would like to join up!
Until next time . . .
Saturday, September 17, 2011
"What's that thing on your sink?"
I recently bought something to place on my sink faucet in the "kids bathroom":
It's called the Aquaduck Faucet Extender, and I find myself wondering how I ever managed without it! It diverts the water flow coming out of your faucet, extending it closer to the child washing their hands, so that they can actually reach it without you having to lift them.
Nora still has to use a step stool and stand on her tippy-toes, but she can reach!
I am so happy to have it because we always started off washing hands in the morning, but as the day wore on I found myself giving up and just using hand sanitizer instead of having the kids wash when I was having to lift Nora or -E- for the twentieth time in two hours. And if they sneezed on their hands? Yeah, I would sometimes get lazy about that too. But ever since we got this thing, hand washing has increased dramatically - and right before cold and flu season to boot! :) It's just a fantastic little invention and I highly recommend it.
(I was not compensated for this. All opinions are 100% mine. If you want to order your own, head here.)
Until next time . . .
It's called the Aquaduck Faucet Extender, and I find myself wondering how I ever managed without it! It diverts the water flow coming out of your faucet, extending it closer to the child washing their hands, so that they can actually reach it without you having to lift them.
Nora still has to use a step stool and stand on her tippy-toes, but she can reach!
I am so happy to have it because we always started off washing hands in the morning, but as the day wore on I found myself giving up and just using hand sanitizer instead of having the kids wash when I was having to lift Nora or -E- for the twentieth time in two hours. And if they sneezed on their hands? Yeah, I would sometimes get lazy about that too. But ever since we got this thing, hand washing has increased dramatically - and right before cold and flu season to boot! :) It's just a fantastic little invention and I highly recommend it.
(I was not compensated for this. All opinions are 100% mine. If you want to order your own, head here.)
Until next time . . .
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