Sugarbritches

Test Kitchen Tuesday: Adventures in Strawberry Bread

2012-01-18T20:35:00.005-05:00

There is a very good reason this post is delayed (just FYI, it's not Tuesday, but whatev).

With an ill little boy at home, I didn't actually make it to the grocery store this weekend. We're not eating ramen noodles yet, but there was definitely no trip to get the items needed for a full meal on Test Kitchen Tuesday.

Looking in my fridge I saw strawberries on the brink of disaster, and a box of eggs (note: check inside the box when assuming you actually have eggs. Just sayin.)

So I did a quick search for the most logical answer - Strawberry Bread. A version of the classic banana bread but, ya know, with strawberries. Easy enough right.

Apparently Not.for.me. If baking is an exact science, then I my friends, am a no Einstein. Surprising I know.

So here's the grocery list and then I'll share how this Strawberry Bread went down.
(Original Recipe)

Ingredients

2 cups fresh strawberries
3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (I only used 3)
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (I recommend the Greek Yogurt substitution)
4 eggs, beaten (this is debatable - see below)
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans (totally optional, right?)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. No problem here, simple enough.

Slice strawberries, and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture.Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl: mix well.
Got it covered. All strawberries sliced and bread mixture ingredients prepped.At this point, we're moving along nicely.
Now I'd like to introduce the idea of a 2-year old sous chef. Great for learning. Not for bread.

Dressed like a Rock Star. That's her words, not mine. Promise. And Yes it's past her bedtime, but remember, she's a rock star.

Ok, blend oil and eggs into strawberries.
I open up the egg carton to find only one (1!) egg left. Refer to your notes above - you need four (4!). Ok, don't panic. We like our neighbors. They like us right? So I put in a quick call. And miraculously 2 more eggs appear at my door. With my handy highschool education, I devise that I now have 3 eggs. Still not enough - but we're gonna wing it. Me and E. Until I turn my back and E decides to "crack the egg myself mama." Oh good. And in slow motion I watch one egg crack and ooze to the floor.
Even.better. So 2 eggs. Had I deployed the other half of my highschool math I would have realized that I could have halved the recipe and saved one half until I got more eggs. But it fails me at the most convenient times... so I went with it. All 2 eggs, me, and the sous chef moved to the next step.

Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans (we did not). Divide batter into pans.

OMG! It looks like paste. Whoopdie-doo.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out, and cool completely.
And Ta-DA.

It actually doesn't taste bad. I've been eating it for breakfast. Maybe not a disaster, but not the finest moments in Sugarbritches land. I loved every.stinkin.minute!

Ratings (out of 5):

Weeknight Worthy - 4 eggs. Really simple. Maybe make sure your sous chef is off duty. And you have all the ingredients.

Family Friendly - 4 eggs. We really do like it. E asks for it for breakfast. Too much sugar though. I recommend cutting it down (half or 2/3 maybe?)

Clean-Up - 3 eggs. Baking is a mess. But this was relatively simple. Clean as you go. Or as eggs break. Whatev.

Freeze-ability - 5 eggs. Absolutely! I love to freeze breads for a quick breakfast when I didn't get to the store all weekend. Throw some almond butter on it head out!

Test Kitchen Tuesday

2012-01-10T09:15:00.000-05:00

My personal new year challenge it to get out of a cooking rut. Therefore, welcome to "Test Kitchen Tuesday."

As a family, we are trying to eat at home more. But running in the house at 5:00 and hoping to have quality time, eat, baths, bedtime stories, and sleeping children by 8:00 (9:00 if I'm being honest) is quite overwhelming.

Searching my cookbooks, blogs, and pinterest there are so many inspiring food ideas. But pair being a not so fabulous cook with a meat-and-potatoes husband and a add dash of borrowed time you have a recipe for disaster - or Wendy's. Take your pick.

So here is my first Test Kitchen Tuesday. I'll be sharing a recipe and a true-life assessment of how it fared in Sugarbritches land. Here we go...

First recipe -

Pablano Chicken Chowder
(Paula Deen's recipe. Because when you its cold outside, I reach for my comfort food cookbook. Lady.and.Son's style.)

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/8 cup minced garlic
2 to 3 small poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
3 quarts chicken broth
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cilantro, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through. Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly.

When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken.

(Note: This is where I got really nervous. "Begins to thicken" looked like biscuit dough. I thought it was over right about here. But I followed the next directions, wisking thoroughly, and all was well. Don't be scaeerrrt.)

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the hot sauce, then the cream, and serve.

(Note: For meat-and-potatoes Hubs, we added some rice to the soup to make more of a gumbo. It has to be hearty for Hubs or as for as he's concerned, we didn't eat. Just saying.)

Ratings (out of 5 ):

Weeknight Worthy? 2 spoons. The prep takes a minute, so make the night before. (In fact, we grilled the chicken a couple of nights before while we had it fired up for some burgers and fish. Think ahead.)

Family Friendly? 5 spoons. To quote the family "Best soup you ever made," and "I wike it, Mom!"

Clean Up? 4 spoons. It's not one-pot, but it's close.

Freeze-ability? 5 spoons. It made such a huge pot. We ate it for lunch and I had it again for dinner one night. Still put 3 bags in the freezer. Quick dinner fo' sho.

Give it a try - the little starter herbs that could

2012-01-05T20:53:00.003-05:00

Now that Biggun (Wyatt) is eating food I have all of these little food cups sitting around. I really feel like a slacker mom this time because I put so much effort into making E's food it seems like Biggun is getting the short end of the stick.

I do make his food when I can, but it isn't as consistently as I did with E. C'est la vie.

So back to the little plastic cups. They were everywhere. Now that we have curb side recycling (hallelujah) they won't go into the landfill. But they are such a good size - there had to be another use.

So I decided to use baby food cups as little planters. It's winter in south Georgia - so it will be gone before you know it. And it will be fun for the kids to watch something grow and then use it in the kitchen.

In theory.

So - we gathered all of our materials. Some potting soil, seeds, and the baby food cups.

Let E assist in filling the cups. Disaster. But it's a learning experience , so the mess is part of the process.
Marked our cups so we would know which herb is in which cup. What a disaster it would be to grab the basil when you really wanted cilantro. Unthinkable, right?!
Watered them and set them out for a little sun time before I took them in to rest in the window until the cold passes by. I will be taking them out on the warmer weekends to get some unfiltered sun.

Good luck little seeds! You will need it in Sugarbritches land. If you don't get pulled out of the window and dumped into the dog bowl it will be a small miracle of sorts.

Happy New Year - And last minute DIY craft disaster

2012-01-01T11:41:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year all.

Where have I been? I don't even know to tell you the truth. I think I pass myself coming and going 90% of the time. Mostly I've been working, mommying, and crafting after the kids bedtime. Unfortunately I couldn't share any of the crafts until after Christmas. So my goal is for this blog to see more action in January. Only time will tell (in every sense of that phrase)...

For the last day of 2011 Sugarbritches land did some serious last-minute everything. Last minute Oyster ordering. Last minute text invites. Last minute cleaning. And in true Sugarbritches fashion - last minute crafting.

Once we decided to host a get-together for New Year's I realized I had no bling for the house. And I am being WAY too frugal right now to go buy decorations, so I picked up some inexpensive glitter at the store and decided to see what I could come up with.

My vision would have produced an epic piece of art. Instead, I got epic fail.

I have 3 large photo frames that I used to display fun, seasonal phrases.

I just started this (because I reclaimed the frames from another room in October). So first we had Trick-or-Treat. Then Joy. Then I really wanted to do Auld Lange Syne.

So Here's a terrible tutorial on last-minute glitter signs.

Print your desired phrase in very light ink using word.art or whatever program you so choose. I recommend printing on cardstock. Just saying.

Gather your glue (I used mod podge because that's what I had on hand), paintbrush, and glitter.
Paint the glue into the letter shapes you conveniently printed off onto cardstock. Paint just outside the line to hide it under the glue.

Then make sure your kid stops screaming.

Add glitter. This is what you should end up with.

Then quickly replace the existing letters with your trimmed up masterpieces. And Voila.
~~A pathetic excuse for~~ House Bling for the New Year.
Several lessons learned. I really want to do this again for Valentines Day (if I can keep E's hands out of the glitter - oh.my.word the amount of glitter that was on that child when we finally finished - unbelievable.

Next time I will use the cricut to make my words, then work with the glue and glitter for a cleaner finish. If that works better , I'll post a tutorial worth following.

Here's to a 2012 that is not as much of an epic fail.

We Love Fall

2011-10-30T21:54:00.003-04:00

There is just something about fall that I absolutely love. Maybe it's because the southern summer is finally over. Maybe it's because I love fall colors. Maybe its because I love hokie little festivals with hay rides, bounce houses, and artisan crafts. Whatever it is... I hope my kids love it too.

To get them in the spirit I let them go pick out our pumpkin.

Two little ones. Erin picked out Wyatt's. Naturally. She's pretty much Queen Bee around here.

Wyatt mostly eyed the goods. Ya know... holding things down.

And after about 10 minutes of running around chasing one giant crocheted-flower-hat child, we found a pumpkin and loaded it up.

So Hubs and Erin did the honors. Wyatt and I decided to supervise and document the event. In fact, this was Hub's first pumpkin carving experience. Ever. They were both kinda excited, but not so sure about the actually texture of pumpkin goo. Allie (da pup) was still pretty sure she could get something to eat out of eat, so she stayed close by.
And when it was all over we lit up our little dirt road, buck-toothed pumpkin. I tried to get my little pumpkin carvers to take a photo, but one of them was really worried about the candles inside.

She kept taking the lid off and sticking her head in..making sure everything was still ok, and telling me"those are hot mommy, we can't touch." My little family enjoyed the heck out of our first pumpkin extravaganza. Erin even did her "so eeekcited dance."

Maybe this is why I love fall.

What a weekend...

2011-10-16T21:43:00.009-04:00

It was a crazy fun weekend in Sugarbritches world. A little recap -

We ~~almost died~~ hung out at the mud run...Were so dirty when we were done we couldn't even touch our camera to take an after pic. Meanwhile, the kids and grandparents fed the pigeons and squirrels down at the South Carolina state capitol.
Some pizza, a UGA win, and a hard-earned night's sleep later we headed out to the Riverbanks Zoo. We saw a huge tortoise...
A baby giraffe....
A baby brother...
Some fish...

A really sweet pony that took E for a ride and hubs on a nature walk...

A great little goat who like to eat out of our hands...

Some birds that wanted to eat all your sugars (seriously, there is nectar in that cup)...

and a real life sleeping baby and pooped out Poppy....

Highly recommend the Riverbanks Zoo, though maybe not after a mud run. If you'll excuse me, I have to go bathe, yet again, since I am still finding dirt in places where... well... ya know...

It's offcial...

2011-10-13T14:02:00.004-04:00

I've lost my mind.

Someone backed out of Hubs team and in a lapse of judgement I volunteered to fill the slot.

Now if I could find someone to watch the kids.

Game time

2011-09-28T23:00:00.000-04:00

Corn Hole is quite the phenomenon around these parts. So when it came time to throw one of my BFFs a co-ed tailgate shower, what better gift for the newlyweds than their own corn hole set?

There isn't one, I know. So here is what I came up with. Unfortunately, they will be a house divided so each got their own special board. One UGA for the bride and one UT for the groom.

Yes, I painted them. But before you go getting all impressed here's a little secret. I used a projector and projected the image onto the boards so I trace the logos and paint-by-number basically. It was a great project and a HUGE hit at the tailgating shower.

Now, if only cornhole could cause you to drop the 20lbs of baby weight before you have to be in a bridesmaids dress that would be a lot more helpful than the side effects of the beer consumed while playing cornhole.

On that note,

Dear personal trainer,
See you Thursday.

Love (Hate),
Sugarbritches

Playing Catch-Up

2011-09-26T22:54:00.006-04:00

Remember I joined that quilting bee? In the midst of having a child I am a little off, but here's some catch up to show you what we've been creating in the Twice As Nice Bee.

Flying Geese in July...

Traditional Quilt Squares in August (Antique Tile, top; Quilt Box, bottom)

And Hot off the presses, the September block...

And guess what!? October is my month! So I get to choose the square and the fabrics and have other people make them. Which means a bunch of snail-mail. Which is SO EXCITING!

Last Days of Summer

2011-09-07T21:10:00.004-04:00

We FINALLY had a small cold front creep in to our neck of the woods today. I am so thankful the heat of the summer may be on its way out. But it made me realize what a fast, eventful summer we've had here at the Sugarbritches house. So we took a little weekend trip to celebrate our last days of summer.... and mourn my return to "working motherhood." That's right, this is my last week home with my babies. CRINGE!

A fun day on the water...
Little W.W. equally as excited to be out on the boat...

My little water babies taking a break from the sun and fun...

A little night cruise to end the day with E pushing the throttle full speed ahead. She only knows two speeds, fast and faster. Just like Hubs for the world!

Which leaves me and Wyatt holding on for dear life. (Yes. He is awake sometimes!)

Happy Summer's End to everyone. If I liked dealing with other kid's attitudes, I'd become a teacher just so I could feel like this every labor day. But I don't, so farewell Maternity Leave and Thanks for all the sweet loving I got to soak up this time around.

Local Surprises

2011-08-30T22:33:00.001-04:00

There are so many things to do in this area that we never take advantage of. Luckily, there is a blog for Southern Mamas, just to keep me on my toes... and my children from driving me absolutely batty in this heat.

I've been wanting to visit the SandBox museum on Hilton Head since I saw it's advertisement on the aforementioned blog. So, with the heat reaching unbelievable heights - what better way to spend a Saturday inside than to make the short hop over to SC?

The museum wasn't quite what I expected since I had been to this museum before. But it was the perfect first museum outing for us. We met up with some friends and let the kids play and learn in the cozy environment for almost 2 hours.The art station. Not ready for paints at my house.. thank you very much.

And yes, there really is sandbox in the sandbox museum. Along with a plane cockpit, a building station, and a full kid-friendly kitchen.

As you can tell, Wyatt had just as much fun as his sister.

And the cherry on top was a stop into this little gem - Sweet Carolina Cupcakes. Um... heck yeah. There is no better nap than that coming down from a sugar high. Needless to say, it was a very quite ride back over the bridge to Georgia. Sweet Dreams!

Perfect

2011-08-25T22:20:00.000-04:00

My terribly sweet husband so often reminds me that when we first met I didn't want kids. In fact, we had a long, emotional discussion about it before he decided to propose. Needless to say, his prayers did not fall on deaf ears because I had a strong change of heart before we decided to commit the rest of our lives to each other and our family.

And if you ever ask my best girlfriend, she'll tell you that - if someone told us 5 years ago that we would have 5 kids between us by 2011, there is a strong chance that I would have made a swift about face just after I told you how crazy you must be.

But here they are. The family and I took a little day trip up to meet Jessica's 3rd child and introduce our second child to the mix. Here our the newest little nuggets in our happy meal.

Wyatt Dumas - 5 weeks, Eli Cox - 7 weeks

Erin Dumas - almost 2, Addie Kate Cox - approaching 3
(Owen- Jess's second child- had enough of the girls took a nap)

The view from where hubs is sitting is more than I could have ever envisioned. During our little day trip, Jess's message board read "Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful."

Sometimes perfect is never what you expected it to be... and that in itself is wonderful.

Oh Two-odles!

2011-08-21T22:08:00.004-04:00

That's right, my little girl is officially 2 years old. In fact, she turned two the day that we were discharged from our stay at the hospital. Lucky for us, the party was planned for Friday so I had the change to complete some of the little decorations I'd dreamed up for the big day.

It wasn't much, but the look on her face was totally worth it. You would have thought the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse appeared in our living room.

I'm no the best photog - but you get the general idea...

A round mirror easily made into a Mickey/Toodles,

Birthday bunting complete with Mickey and Friends thanks to my handy cri.cut (thank you, hubs!),
Vanilla and Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. Cupcake Stand courtesy of the Hubs,

And photo frames changed out for the event using this printable from eighteen25,

Throw in a tricycle and you've got one happy birthday girl!

A little fever goes a long way...

2011-08-16T14:50:00.004-04:00

Little man has a little fever, with some big implications.

Sunday started out with some fussin' and gruntin'. Not all that unusual since I still haven't quite figured out what I eat that upsets his tummy (gotta love breastfeeding). But, I decided to check his temperature since he was fussy the night before. One hundred point three. Call mom, aka ER nurse. "Should I take him in?" "Yeah, go ahead and see if you can get an appointment."

At 10 we are in the pediatricians office. At 10:30 he says, "Bloodwork looks great. Pretty sure it's viral." I'm thinking - GREAT, let's get some tylenol and go home. And then comes the big ole BUT. Turns out when a baby is under 2 months old and gets a fever, you get an admission to the Peds floor. "But, we have to admit them to the hospital for observation. So we are going to call over and you can go get checked in. Blood work. Chest x-Ray. Urine sample. Spinal.

Need I say... WORST 2 HOURS OF MY LIFE! Tears shed. Babies poked. Prayers sent. Now, He and I are hanging out here watching the IV pole and whatever we can scrounge up on the boob tube. For 48 hours. Yip.ee.

But better safe than sorry. So far everything has come back negative and perfect. Praise the Lord!

In other news, I have totally been MIA. My excuse? I had a baby 4 weeks before E's second birthday. Everytime he sleeps, if I am not napping with him I am trying to make party decorations. That pretty much means I've only gotten 1 birthday banner and some cup cake toppers made for a cook-out on Friday night. Good thing I didn't invite anyone but family so I don't have to worry too much about it. But, my DIY instincts are screaming for me to make, like, 12 extravagant decorations. I am fighting them. Can't say that I'll win every battle.

Anywho - when we are home again and he starts going to bed before me... I'll post some fun things. Until then - we'll laugh at Daddy.

I love my chunk!

He's here!

2011-07-12T16:12:00.004-04:00

Wyatt joined our family on 7/7/11. We are enjoying our new additions and some time home as a family. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!

No baby - and a quilt to show for it

2011-07-03T22:28:00.006-04:00

The official due date for our little man is July 6th. It's now July 3rd. No sign of baby.

But on the bright side, I have a new quilt to show for it. Found a great tutorial here, and decided to make it a full size to fit E's new "big girl bed."

But that meant I needed 144 circles for 144 squares for a 78x90 quilt. So here they are...

And then they got put together...

And then they made their way onto the play room floor until I was happy with the planned-randomness of it all. And what came of that was this....

I'll admit I cheated on the backing fabric. I found a king sized sheet I loved and bought that instead of fabric. Mostly because I didn't have the time or energy to piece yet another item together - but I'm telling everyone it's because I got such a good deal on it.

I do love the finished product. I'm not a bright colors person - more of a neutral girl, but E is nowhere near neutral, so I love it for her room.

What does tomorrow hold? Maybe a baby, maybe not. But at least E's quilt is finished... and maybe a painted poster for Hot Rod's room. But only time will tell :)

*Quilt top fabric is a Moda Layer cake found at a local quilt shop (while E ran a-muck in the little store) paired with a Kona White from big box fabric store.

Nesting with 2 weeks to go!

2011-06-23T14:54:00.003-04:00

Remember I was promising this wonderful room redo update?

Well... the one room redo turned into a little more than I expected, ya know... while I'm expecting and all.

So my wonderful co-workers through me a surprise baby shower about 4 weeks ago. All these little blue outfits and toys found their way into the sunroom, still in the gift bags. I started feeling like, OMG, I really am going to be putting another person in this house. Warning Sign #1 for Hubs.

Then - all the WONDERFUL women in my family kept a little secret that they too were hosting a surprise shower for me and Walter the following Sunday night. I was so surprised and overwhelmed. But didn't ugly cry- please take note. And another round of baby blue made its way into my house. I started feeling like... OMG, I can't keep putting these items into the sunroom. We need to figure out the big girl room transition and nursery switch. Warning Sign #2 for Hubs.

Then the more I contemplated it (and watched my child attempt to scale several things in our house) Hubs and I agreed that we had a little bit of anxiety about leaving Erin upstairs by herself for now. Coupled with the minor freak out that I was feeling we hadn't made room for this child and I hadn't started a nest for him equal Warning Sign #3 for Hubs. So what does any logical couple expecting their second child in 4 weeks do?

REMODEL MORE ROOMS! Yup, that's right. The craft room is now a make-shift nursery. The lovely lavendar "big girl room" is now a master bedroom in-the-making, and the gender neutral nursery that was supposed to be for all of my children is now officially staying "Erin's room."

So with two weeks to go - what's the update? Two more closets to remodel. That's why I haven't posted to room update. Because naturally - it grew to epic proportions like everything else in our house.

We are happy to say little man is coming along great (and BIG). We have decided to wait and see if we can deliver him the old fashioned way, avoiding a c-section this time. This should be interesting. Wish us luck!

Easter DIY

2011-04-25T10:35:00.006-04:00

My crafty bug got the best of me as we approached Easter Weekend.

Rewind a month or so, and I'm in a local consignment event (thrifty mom bug) and see several smocked Easter gowns. And then I remember, "OH YEAH - I want to learn to smock. I should do that for Erin's Easter dress."

Because that's what every person thinks when they see a dress right? Not, "I should puchase that, it's precious." Nope, it's only natural to say to yourself "Sure, I'll take on learning to use the pleating machine, master a few smocking stitches, and sew together a one-of-a-kind dress for the little one... in 2 weeks."

Thankfully, my aunt-in-law owned a sewing shop back in the day, and has a plethera of patterns, books, and smocking skills/advice at my disposal. Lucky me! The stars aligned...

And the Easter Dress do-it-myself was a success. I still have a lot to learn when it comes to smocking, but I am slightly obsessed with it now. There are plans to make a few extra summer dresses with my new mad skills, so I'll post some more detailed info on those. This one had so much trial-and-error involved that I dare not try to explain the process...

I also made this Easter basket for her. Don't worry, it matched the smocking on the dress, of course. What kind of DIYer do you think I am!?

When it was all said and done I had the same feeling toward her dress as I did my own wedding dress - you better wear it ALL DANG DAY! And she did... happily...

Except for when we let her run naked to dye eggs and hunt them. Because unlike my wedding dress, she will continue to fit into this one and wear it all through the summer.

All in all it was an amazing weekend full of smiles and fun. Hope you all had a blessed Easter and enjoyed all of it's significance. Happy Monday!

Because every little princess needs a chariot...

2011-04-21T09:46:00.003-04:00

Because every little princess needs a chariot, our little princess got one... well ya know... Country Style.

Thanks Hubs for the vision and hard work behind this one. It navigates our property SOOO much better with hot rod tires. Fo' reals ya'll. And she loves it. So its a winner all around.

Now it's off to car shows, fairs, parks, the beach... Hot Roddin' (not to be confused with the nickname for bun-in-the-oven, whom we now call Hot Rod)

She really loves it. But now Hubs-the-engineer is SURE that we could add a motor to it in a few years and make it driveable. Because that sounds safe, right?

Happy Hot Roddin' everyone!

Keeping our options open...

2011-04-04T10:00:00.002-04:00

An artist? A Taste-tester? A Ballerina? A musician? Still undecided... but she does have a brand new room (post upcoming). Now if we would only make her sleep in it we'd be making progress...

March Quilt Bee Assignment

2011-03-30T22:06:00.004-04:00

First of all - WHERE DID MARCH GO? It's my birthday month and I still don't feel like it should even be St. Patrick's Day yet.... Sheesh.

Anywho - Here are my March quilt blocks. It's a framed square concept - loosely based on a log cabin design. The owner sent gender neutral base/center squares and asked us to build on them. The quilt squares are going to be divided up into baby quilts for folks that are letting the gender of their baby be a surprise.

And we all know how I have an affinity for that (even though I gave in this time - circumstantially).

I promise another post soon - I have a new room redo to share!

One month down..

2011-02-25T15:52:00.003-05:00

11 to go!

Here is what I came up with for the first month of my Twice as Nice virtual quilting bee. I was assigned a quilt shop and a house on a hill. What do you think?

As you can tell I'm not the best hand embroiderer ever. But these needed some embellishments. I hope the owner likes them... and my amateur quilting skills.

Day by day

2011-02-14T13:28:00.002-05:00

Wednesday I will be halfway. Halfway through my pregnancy. Halfway through working out all of these emotions that I feel all day. And no where near halfway through worrying abou this child. You know, it's just one of those things - a mother never stops worrying. Not completely anyway.

And today is the day I reflect on how much I love.

I love...

feeling this child kick
that I am carrying a son
that my little girl has me wrapped around her finger
watching Hubs melt when she crawls up on him to drink her milk at night
the pack of orea cookies and card that showed up on my couch last night
my siblings and their crazy antics
my (growing) family
playing outside
little hands wrapped around mine
living where I can feel fresh air
smelling salt air when you get close to the beach
being challenged, intellectually
drinking chocolate milk
wine tastings (not currently)
my close friends
feeling loved
the idea of curling up next to my husband for mindless sitcoms tonight

I will take this journey day by day. And today is a good day. Not because I have a Valentine - that is a nice perk - but because today is my spring thanksgiving. Today love has put things in perspective.

Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you love and are loved!

Brown paper packages tied up with string...

2011-02-01T08:57:00.002-05:00

I received a package in the mail today. SO EXCITING. I never receive packages. Well, I was expecting this one, but the contents were a suprise so that was fun.

Behold...

The fabric for the first month of the quilting bee! They are from this quilter for a "Mod Neighborhood" themed quilt. My neighborhood square assignments are: 1) a quilt shop; 2) a house on a hill.

Whoa nelly! This will be quite the challenge for me. I will post what I come up with.

*Sorry for the crummy pic. It's a cell phone pic taken this a.m. because I realized January was over and freaked bc I promised another post before the end of the month. Looks like I am a day late and a dollar short (always).

To Bee or Not to Bee...

2011-01-25T09:15:00.004-05:00

Because my brain isn't already in a hundred different places (as observed through my lack of updates),

I decided to join a virtual quilting bee. In fact I joined the Twice as Nice quilting Bee so we will make two blocks per month which in turn gives us a bigger quilt than a one-block-per-month bee does.

I am actually really excited about it. It is going to push my creativity and my ability and I think that is a healthy progression.

It's also going to make me step up my fabric game. Basically translating into my winning arguement to Hubs on why I need to by ~~expensive~~ nicer fabrics for my projects. Ya know, so I don't look like country-come-to-town. My month is October so I have some time to decide what I want. And I will post the monthly squares here for you to see and critique.

In terms of other quilting projects, I have one I need to get cracking on. Our neighbors, on the 165 acres next to us, lost their son last year in a tragic motorcycle accident. I offered to make them a quilt from his clothes if they were comfortable with that idea. And last week they decided to take me up on the offer. So I have a bag of black jeans, white shirts, and rock band paraphernalia to sift through. Deciding how to divide and cut it all to make a quilt is going to be a challenge in itself. I desperately pray that it comes out well. For them. And their memories.

Stay tuned... I PROMISE another update before the month is over.

Confessions of a Couch Potato

2010-12-29T10:59:00.002-05:00

I have been a couch potato. Out of necessity mind you - not preference.

The bleed came back. And I have finished a week of strict bed rest and been cleared for modified bed rest. Which can include sewing, scrapbooking, working on the computer. All those things I haven't had time for in a while.

Too bad it's all upstairs in the ~~disaster~~ zone craft room. And I am not allowed up the stairs. So getting Hubs to find the miscellaneous things I need to scrap book could be quite a challenge.

And the real confession:

When told to go on bed rest for the first time I was all "Ok - being required to lay down and rest is every busy mom's dream. Right? I can totally do this." 48 hours wasn't too bad.
The second time I was so scared that I was causing this bleed I came home. Got on the couch - which hubs had made into a little bed for me - and didn't move for almost 6 days.
Let me reassure that being required to rest is no dream vacation. It takes a considerable toll on your emotions. Every time Erin ran across the room and held her little chubby hand out to me so she could lead me to one of her toys I had to choke back tears. Watching everyone come in and out on Christmas day ate away at my spirit.

But we made it. Prayers and positive thoughts pulling us through. Me and baby and Hubs and Erin are going to make this work. A quick visit to the doc yesterday let us hear that strong heart beat. There is a sonogram today to check on the progress of the actual bleed.

For now, its two more weeks of being catered to. Is that so bad? At least when I put it that way it doesn't sound helpless and needy.

Much love blog world.

Hubs and the Superior Wang

2010-12-19T16:27:00.004-05:00

( Don't ever dare me to put up a blog title - bc it just might come true)

This week has been quite an adventure. After getting to work on Monday - what was supposed to be a quick trip to the bathroom ended up changing everything.

There was blood. a lot. A LOT. So I did what any normal pregnant woman would do. I tried to excuse myself and instead LOST MY SHIT right in the middle of the office. Luckily I work with all women who also have children and they were extremely sympathetic and helpful. I pulled myself together long enough to dial Hubs on the phone. AND LOSE MY SHIT again.

" I (gasp) just (sniffle sniffle) miscarried (burst into tears)..."

"WHAT!? How do you know?"

"There is a lot of blood and that wouldn't be there if I hadn't."

"Ok, you call your mom and I'll call the doctor."

Needless to say, with in 30 minutes I was walking in to my doctor's office. Greeted by my husband who was obviously upset and waiting to take me into his arms. I tried to make small talk while we waited on the sonographer. Hubs - not very interested.

Meanwhile my nurse (who I love) is all - "Did you have intercourse last night?" And we're all - "Um... yes" Thinking DUH - pregnant s.e.x is the best! - and then immediately thinking - OMG we totally caused this - we made us lose this baby - hold.back.tears.

So she says - well then it's probably not a miscarriage we see this sometimes. The eval will tell us more. blah de blah de blah. She didn't see that blood that I did so...

Fine.

The sonographer calls us back and gets that scanner on me so fast I couldn't have been more thankful. And within seconds our tears filled the room. There on the screen was a very active baby with a very strong heartbeat. And also - a small hemorrhage that left me on bedrest this week. A small price to pay.

Now - this was very traumatic. And miscarriage is a very tough, sensitive, emotional subject. I have faced this twice and so far have been blessed. My heart breaks for those who endure this - and I hestitated even sharing the story. But what came later this week was worth it's weight in gold.

After the whole shock of the thing - you innately want to come up with some sort of coping mechanism. Mine seems to typically be humor - but whatev.

So, anywho - Hubs is all "That's it! No more nookie for you until this baby comes." and I'm all "Yeah right - we will get past this (bc pregnant s.e.x. should not be missed) but we'll wait and see what the doctor advises after the rest."

And as this week drags on the inevitable happens. As all hubs do, Hubs gets a little randy. Knowing he is on restriction begins making sly passes at me in jest of the situation.

So I finally just let it out - "If you're PENIS didn't BREAK MY UTERUS we this wouldn't be an issue!"

And being the Ladies Man he is - he simply retorts "I can not help having a Superior Wang."

What's a girl to do?

The verdict is still out...

2010-12-08T10:49:00.003-05:00

Is she a tractor pulling country girl?
Or a dressin' up diva?

What I do know is that she is a lover of dirt, shoes, tractors, bananas, cell phones, miscellaneous truck parts, fabric, man cave shinanigans, daddy, and books.

Oh yeah... and that she is going to be a Big Sister.

Happy Wednesday!

Adventures in Sugarbritches Land...

2010-11-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

What does a typical Sunday afternoon look like at my house?

There is no "typical" - but I can assure you that it is ALWAYS something different. My Hubs is the king of "I know a Guy" and this weekend he knew a guy that had a Heat C (I think) Pressure washer.

So, that truck I am supposed to be working on with him... yeah.... its all in pieces and the chassis is getting pressure washed and then taken to the sandblaster in prep for paint. I am looking forward to finding my place in the reassembly phase. My need to be helpful and organize would only result in left side parts going on the right side later.

So deconstruction isn't my thing. Whatev. I'll catch it on the flip side!

Then is was off to family pics with my dad's entire side of the family. We hadn't done that in 20 years - so needless to say I wanted a replacement pic where I had all my teeth. LOVE my photographer and can't wait to get these priceless photos in hand!

Blowing Kisses your way! Have a fabulous day!

Meet the....

2010-10-31T21:46:00.003-04:00

FLINSTONES!

We took our little pumpkin out for her first trick-or-treat adventure. We went to see some friends, then over to Hub's sister's house (she lives in a neighborhood - we do not if you haven't figured that out yet), and visited two of her neighbors. It was just enough for everyone to enjoy the evening.

She wanted to take everything out of the bowl - not to put her in awesome bag that I made her - but really just to take it out and put it on the ground. She likes to do that.

And then she was rewarded for being a good sport. Her first sucker! It was everywhere. The outfit is non-salvage-able and she had a giant meltdown when we took it from her (give me a break, she didn't eat a very good dinner). However, we did capture this great pic of Pebbles and Fred during the festivities!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Going Places...

2010-10-05T21:59:00.006-04:00

We spent a great weekend with my family in ATL. Well-It did include some manual labor, but such is life in my family.

My cousin moved from CA to GA... with twin 4 month olds. God Bless Her. So of course the troops activated to try and help them get settled as quickly as possible. And Erin LOVED the babies - she wasn't a lot of help - but she LOVED the babies.

And - in an effort to have a non-ordinary weekend - we took the opportunity to stay in ATL and take Erin to see the Georgia Aquarium. It was so great to experience through her. I never really understood why our parents took us around to different attractions only to stand in line for glimpses of enjoyment. But now, I totally get it. That light. That smile. That amazement. It Fills. You. Up!

Aaaaah. Wonder and Pure Emotion. It was super kid-friendly but interesting enough for adults. Or maybe its just that that stars aligned, and on my first official attraction experience as a parent the child was in a good mood and the crowds were small and a long car ride is perfect for napping.

In other news - I am considering pursuing my MBA. I don't know if the whole momentum of the weekend just carried me through Monday or what. But here I am. This school offers a professor/virtual 16-month Professional MBA program through a local satellite campus. It is a great opportunity, and convenient, and intimidating. The hubs was completed the program 3 years ago. I am finally eligible. There is only one child in the picture. It's every other weekend for 16 months. Its a big commitment. And I am no commitment-phobe but, Whoa.

I have this week to do my soul searching. No pressure.

Loose ends...

2010-09-20T23:00:00.000-04:00

I started a little halloween quilt LAST YEAR. Like when Erin was sleeping all the time.

Good thing is I finished it in time for Halloween THIS year. Better late than never.

This little booger is going to my mother. To say she likes decorating for Halloween is a gross understatement. It has nothing to do with scary, spooky, All-Hallow's Eve stuff. Its more that she really thinks Halloween decorations are super cute. And she loves to go to pumpkin patches and see kids in their costumes. It's the one time of year she regrets moving out a neighborhood - she leaves her porch light on just in case... and buys candy... but ne'r a trick-or-treater she sees. (Well, except Erin because we drove over to see her last year.)

As soon as I delivered it to her, she asks "When is "too early" to start decorating?" I told her Oct 1 - but she reminded me that is more of a suggestion than a rule.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Life Lesson #1

2010-09-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

Sharing is a great value to instill at an early age.....

I think.
I caught this little action as I glanced up from cooking to check on Erin. I can't decide how I feel about it. Its soooo dang cute. And she is sharing. But honestly... do I want to start this?

When I feel useless...

2010-09-11T22:48:00.002-04:00

I make things.

A dear, family friend of ours passed away recently. To say the least we were unexpectedly overwhelmed with grief and, eventually, good memories.

I visited with the family several times and offered to bring by food, run errands, help with pictures... you know, all those things one would do for a grieving family.

But there was more food than you could shake a stick at - so offering meals wasn't necessary. Because of the nature of the passing - errands have been easy to take care of.

So what now!? I feel so useless and need a way to express my respect, love, and gratitude for a man helped raise me.

So I craft. But it has meaning, this one. This man LOVED to wear Hawaiian shirts. It was kinda of his trade mark as of late. I mean, the family asked that men wear Hawaiian shirts to the visitation in memory of him. So I used the tutorial from here to make corsages... out of a Hawaiian shirt... to accessories our funeral attire.

No one may be interested in wearing them. But my heart is now full. And I will proudly wear this somewhat symbolic token of my appreciation very close to my heart.

Do-Over

2010-08-28T23:50:00.003-04:00

Sometimes you just need a do-over. Like when you learn a new technique and want to apply it to something you already have.

Or, like when your dog eats something you've made and you are forced into a Do-Over.

I finished the quilt in this post during my pregnancy. And in a show of what I can only hope was affection, da pup ate the stupid thing. Regardless, the flannel borders didn't hold up like I'd imagined in my learning-to-quilt brain.

So when having to painstakingly take it apart (and by painstakingly - I mean I will throw it away before taking that route again) I did some research and learned some t-shirt quilting tricks that proved helpful.

I've been working on it little bits at a time for a few months now. This weekend I decided to take control and git-r-done. I am really loving it so much more than the original.

And this is me jumping for joy that I can finally cross this Do-Over off my To-Do list. And just in time for football season! I am off to curl up under it and join hubs on the couch... and dream about good friends, tailgates, and Go Dawgs!

Her 1st Bee-Day!

2010-08-17T08:30:00.004-04:00

I can not believe that my baby girl is already one year old. In fact, exactly 365 days ago - I didn't even know that she was going to be a girl. Now, we can not imagine having anyone more perfect in our lives.

We celebrated her birthday last night. Our family gathered at a local restaurant to ~~prevent me from having to clean~~ celebrate! It was a wonderful way to commemorate the day she arrived...

Peanut Butter Bumble Bees - delicious! (Thanks Mom!)

Bumble Bee Cupcake Toppers via Lynette's Etsy Store

An amateur smash cake and Bee-Day sign courtesy of me.

And One Happy Little Bumble Bee!

So much fun was had by all. It's breakfast for dinner tonight in honor of our midnight run to Waffle House prior to my c-section (because heaven forbid a pregnant woman not eat for 12 hours before surgery - I would have been in the best. mood. ever.)

Happy Birthday little girl. You are so very loved.

Labor Day Plans...

2010-08-10T14:26:00.003-04:00

What are you doing for Labor Day?

Because I really want to do this -

Tybee Throws a Fit!

So many things going on - should be a great atmosphere and lots of good fitness activities to shake up your routine... I mean, ya know, since I am on this strenuous excercise plan based on muscle confusion - I figure it can't be a bad idea.

Happy Tuesday.

P90x

2010-07-26T22:08:00.000-04:00

"I hate it... but I love it." - Tony Horton

For some crazy reason - the hubs, my brother, I all got on this rant that we wanted to try P90x. I listen to Kidd Kraddick (shout out) and got curious when one of the radio personalities was talking about his success with the program.

So after gawking at his unbelievable transformation (he's the guy in the top ad) we got all excited and found someone who would let us borrow the DVDs and guide books. (Be real people, I am too frugal to let hubs order that before we try it).

And I am happy to say we just completed Week 3.

We are super motivated because my brother shows up every night to keep us on track. Honestly - we would probably have sat on the couch at least one or two nights had we not had his back-up accountability.

How do we do it with a baby? After she goes to bed sometime between 7 and 8. It makes for a long day - but so far its been worth it.

And it is saving us money because even though we aren't following the meal-plan, we have significantly changed our diets (eating out habits) to follow more closely with the suggested diet.

I am not posting pics to prevent from jinxing us. It is also the reason I have not posted at all - the precious down time we have at night is now spent winding down on the couch.

Woo-hoo! Hope you understand. Only 76 days to go - and I'll try to work in a couple posts here and there.

Out of my league...

2010-07-23T21:51:00.003-04:00

First off- my apologies to the few of you who check this blog. Turns out when your child doesn't nap but once a day - you don't blog.

Also turns out - when decide to try P90x... you also do not blog. More on that later.

But yes, as to being "Out of my league" let me just say that most of you know I try to do (or make) lots of things myself. Sometimes to no avail - but I love all things hand/home made. So I at least try.

So we are planning Erin's 1st birthday. And sadly I have not chosen to go with the ADORABLE "Pin Wheels and Pearls" theme because I couldn't do a brunch. Long story - but really people, that dainty theme screams brunch and I am just not feeling it.

Mommy and Daddy are feeling that pizza will be fun and ~~keep us from having to scrub our house twice~~ easy for all... which is what Erin's party will be. Her first "Bee-day" that is. OMG I have found the cutest stuff for a bee-themed birthday party and am so pumped.

So what am I making - a party dress and maybe the cupcakes and smash cake. And I say maybe only now that I have come across this photo. One of my first attempts at baking and piping icing.
Holy MOLEY! That puts a damper on my homemade spirit. Have no fear though - I have a friend who used to work in the bakery at Food Lion - and she has graciously offered to teach me a couple a basic techniques. It's all in the taste anyway, right?

So what if I can't pipe "Happy Birthday to the Sweetest Honey Bee to Ever Walk this Earth!" on her first birthday cake. I think she'll be happy with an "E" or a "1" as she smashes it into her face.

I may be out of my league, but I will not be defeated! (Take that photo I forgot I had even taken til a couple of hours ago).

Retro 4th of July

2010-07-05T10:26:00.003-04:00

This Fourth of July was pretty low key for us. Picked some blueberries, grilled some burgers... and looked back on what a difference a year makes.

2010

2009Happy Birthday America. Here's to another 234!

Why...

2010-06-16T21:28:00.004-04:00

Why -

Does the dog refuse to sleep through the night? The kid does, but not the dog. Great.

Is it so dag-blame HOTT down heerrrr? I'm talking 100 with heat advisories. It is June. Fabulous.

Do I insist on adding crafts to my to do list?

Why does my craft room look like this!?? Ugh.
Why ....

Does the mall not have EXACTLY what I'm looking for? Honestly people. I just want a white top.

Am I in love with this party? There is a little girl who has a first birthday coming up!

Do I over-estimate by ability to get something like that done before August 17th?

Does coming home from vacation stress me out more than leaving for vacation?

Am I the luckiest girl on Earth?

Gosh dangit, I love those two! Happy Wednesday!

Beginnings...

2010-06-07T20:11:00.006-04:00

This week was full of Beginnings.... in all their happiness and bittersweet-ness.

First - a friend very near and dear to my heart became a wife. How wonderful to watch her start a new journey with a perfect partner-in-crime. There were long-lost-touch friends a-plenty in the room as we sat together for the first time in quite a while to witness our friends marriage. Bittersweet to be with people who, only 3 short years ago, you saw practically once a day. And somewhere in between we became professionals, wives, mothers... who would have even imagined???

Not a single one of us. But, the happiness of knowing there is always a special place in our hearts for each other... and the happiness of watching our life journeys take shape - indescribable.
And then there are new beginnings that are such a challenge to wrap your head around that only time will tell what this new journey will have in store...
Another friend is moving. And when I say moving I don't mean across the town, or state, or country. I mean she's moving across the world. To Hong Kong, actually. The whole family. Its a venture that requires a courage that I don't know if I possess. Their journey there will last about 2 years. I don't think I have to describe how this one is bittersweet. I mean, honestly, Hong Kong. This friend is the one who has nurtured my need to craft in a way I can not begin to thank her for. Handing out quilting and knitting advice til I thought she would be sick of me by now. I know I would. But I am so happy for her guts, her bravery, and her willingness to follow the potential for growth in a new journey.

Cool Runnings Kim (center). (Yes I know that is a saying from the wrong culture - but the Disney Movie said it means "peace be the journey" and I like it.)

Where does the time go?

2010-05-23T17:59:00.005-04:00

I can't believe its been a month since I blogged. There is definitely a big difference in time constraints now that Erin is 9 months and mobile. We don't nap in the afternoons - we play and grill and enjoy this southern summer weather.

So no blogging occurs. Here are some pics to leave you with though. A mommy-daddy weekend getaway (business trip) to DC and a growing little girl. Love is in the air!
Dontcha just love the roles. Little tiny weighed in at a whoppin' 22 lbs and 28 3/4 inches long at her 9mth check-up. I don't have a baby anymore... I have a linebacker. And I LOVE IT!

Squishy love to the blogosphere!

She's so fly...

2010-04-30T21:45:00.002-04:00

Or at least I'm tweeting now. Maybe I'll take off, maybe not. But I'm gonna try.

You can follow me.

Kind of excited about it really. In my new HR-ish role I decided to become involved in the social media ventures for my company. What better way for me to learn than to dive right in... right?

Hopefully.

Some myths have already been debunked for me after my first meeting. I really was thinking of twitter as Facebook status-updates on steroids. You know, for those people that just need to know what everyone else is doing.

But really, its a conversation medium for topics you are interested in. Not just an outlet for updates. Ask a question and get some answers. Or get some feedback from outside sources. Or let people know what's up... because that's important. This was a good article on business twitter. I feel like I need to get to know the interface on a personal level before I go getting all professional on it.

So good luck me.

Adventures in the (baby) kitchen...

2010-04-27T20:29:00.002-04:00

Let's be honest.

I had all these great intentions of making my own baby food as Erin approached pureed-food stage. And then the stage hit and as a working mother things went a little differently. Really 1st foods were just vegetable/fruit +water. It can't get much simpler than that. The time it would have taken me to get it together - when I'm not really that good of a cook to begin with - was a wash when I considered the pre-made baby food price with coupons.

But now...

Now those ingredients aren't so simple. Random things like onion powder and stuff are starting to show up on the ingredients label. So I got inspired again and I am happy to report...

Erin loves the homemade foods so much more. And I do too. I just made an Acorn Squash and Apple puree and pretty much want to eat the bowl myself. (In fact, it said this was a good recipe for finger foods, so next time half may be for mommy and half for baby!)

A little gusto and encouragement was all I needed.

What sites or books have you found that were helpful? I want to include spices (besides cinnamon) soon. So give me some motivation if you will....

Mommy and baby will appreciate it!

Fundraiser Quilt - or Why I Haven't Blogged

2010-04-12T09:00:00.001-04:00

Over the last few weeks I made this quilt for a friend. The small private school her child attends holds an annual dinner and auction as a fundraiser. Each class donates something to the auction and this quilt is going in for the 2010 First Grade Class.

Too bad I didn't remember to take a picture of the back because the fabric is fabulous!

Each student used fabric markers to color a picture that completes the sentence "I am a Star because...". (This year's dinner/auction theme is Reach for the Stars). There are some really good ones - like "helping my little brother, "or building lego stuff, or simply because "I'm strong."

Too cute. It was fun seeing this one come together and the finished product. I hope it does well for the class. Hopefully a first grade parent will get it and whip it out at the 2021 Graduation and say "look guys, remember what you were like in 1st grade..."

(I used 8 1/2 in squares for the kids art. Ironed the blank squares on to freezer paper so the kids would have something substantial to hold on to while creating. I prewashed all the fabric and did not wash the squares once the fabric marker art was on them. The borders are 2in and the sashing is 4in. The four cornerstone blocks are embroidered with the school, theme, year, and graduating class.)

Confessions of a chocky-holic...

2010-04-09T16:38:00.002-04:00

So, I have this little... habit/addiction/guilty pleasure. I must confess that I love Chocky- or in lay terms - chocolate milk.

It started when I was little. And now I'm a grown-up and should be having sophisticated late-night drinks, but alas I always default to Chocky. And I have my specific formula for how it must be made (verging on the edge of OCD Chocolate Milk Making). Cold milk, No Sugar Added Nesquik - 4 1/2 spoons - no more no less. Just before bed time. (Oddly I don't crave it any other time).

Religiously during my pregnancy. So much so that sweet hubs packed powdered chocolate for me just so I could have some in the hospital. Can't stand the premix stuff you can buy in the refrigerated section - so he made some for me every night. TRUE LOVE, bless that Man.

Anywho - you can imagine how PUMPED I was to read this in a magazine today...

"A new study from Spain suggests that low-fat or skim chocolate milk may have similar heart-health benefits to red wine. Men and women who drank the stuff regularly were found to have higher levels of the good HDL cholesterol and less artery inflammation than those who didn't."

GOD BLESS THE SPANIARDS!

In the world of Sugarbritches...

2010-03-26T07:56:00.002-04:00

There is much to share...

- I completed the Shamrock Run 5k and beat my time from the Savannah River Bridge Run (woohoo - but that is to be expected when you aren't running uphill for a mile and a half)

- Hub's signature Red Truck has been traded in/up for a more family-friendly truck. This is significant mostly to those who used to wait with me at the dorm and sorority house windows to watch my knight ride up on his shiny red horse - my heart still flutters when I think about it.

- We (as in the whole stinkin family) signed up for the Race for the Cure. It should be fun! (its not too late to sign up if you wanna walk or run)

- My little tiny Erin turned 7 months on St. Pat's day. Really? I swear I was just loving on my round, pregnant belly the other day...

- Oh yeah, and I accepted a new position at my current place of employment. I think its a good career move for me - though I am very sad and apprehensive to leave my amazing boss and fabulous colleagues, I think this opportunity is one that I needed to take advantage of. Change is scary and exciting all at the same time.

(I'll add pics of most of this later tonight! - Either in 365 or on here... or both. However the mood strikes me.)

You know you're a mom when...

2010-03-09T09:22:00.003-05:00

You go the whole morning before noticing that you have your underwear on sideways.

Sideways people. Not inside out or backwards. Sideways.

Fabulous.

Just Fabulous.

I need your opinion...

2010-02-26T09:29:00.002-05:00

If you read this blog you are now obligated to comment on this post. Seriously.

I must know if I have absolutely ~~overcommitted myself~~ lost my mind.

With that said...

Hubs has this great old truck that he wants to restore. Actually it will be a resto-mod, which I've learned means that it will be an old vehicle with some modern amenties (power steering and such).

On Saturday and Sunday mornings the living room is his man cave. And for the entirety of our glorious married life - I've watched 4 hours of car television on Speed and Spike every weekend. Quality time I tell you. And much of these 4 hours is spent wondering what in the sam hill they're talking about - while hubs drools and tunes me out.

So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em right?

Right?

I told Hubs I want to help him. Out in the man cave. On the truck (gasp). And with that deer-in-the-headlights-running-towards-a-motorcycle-stare he lovingly repled "Do what?!"

So I explained that I don't know a lot about cars and think this would be a good opportunity to learn. We work great on the house together, why not the truck? It may take him infinitely longer to work through the restoration, but it would give me some background when things go wrong on other vehicles we own. Ya know, so I'm not at the mercy of da man.

Seriously - I can't even change the oil and not totally sure I could change a tire... and have to make funny noises when I try to explain what my car is doing. We've all been there. But I don't want to be, I want to have a little more know-how outside of my craft blog obsession.

But in true blogger fashion - Hubs and I may start a blog to chronicle this endeavor. Would you expect any less? It will be us.. well me... learning about cars, and fixing things, and basic car principles. Out in the man cave. In the grease and glory of it all.

And it will show our progress. My learning curves. Our decisions. Explain some car things that are foreign to any person that doesn't do anything but drive. Give links to where we found answers to our road blocks (no pun intended). Maybe give some tutorials.

I think we'll call it Mother Trucker. Or Grease and Glory. Or Beauty and the Grease.... I digress...

This is where you come in.

Am I over-committing myself (ya know, what a baby and all and my own craft obsession)? Is it completely crazy for me to try and learn about cars through a complete overhaul? Would you read it?

Let me know. You must comment - blogger or not. It's easy, just click "comment". Duh.
(Oh yeah - the truck is pictured over there in my 365 log).

And He said "Let there be a man cave.."

2010-02-21T21:42:00.004-05:00

And it came to pass that there was a man cave.
And He saw that the man cave was good.

And his wife saw that their dwelling would now be void of all car parts, tools, paint, scarp lumber, shop towels, and other miscellaneous man cave items. And this was Good.

And she knew that the Lord was good and would praise Him in the years to come.

Pictures for the birthday girl...

2010-02-09T15:17:00.006-05:00

I can't believe we are approaching 6 months! Erin is changing so fast - now she is rolling over front to back, and back to front. She does it so often I'm surprised she hasn't made herself dizzy yet.

She can sit up one her own some and we've even stopped taking the car seat in to restaurants unless she's asleep. And she loves to kick her little legs down and stand up when you hold her on your lap. All cute - except for she started eating my hair - which makes me not so cute.

We had this great lady over in Beaufort, SC take our family pics to commemorate this little anniversary . Found out about her photography through SouthernMamas. You can check out our sneak-peak here.

If you are in this area, she was really kind and patient and creative. Check her out.

Oh yeah - and Erin loves menu's. She worked up an appetite after her photoshoot! See for yourself.

It's a two way street...

2010-02-08T13:28:00.002-05:00

I have been so blessed by the ability to nurse my little one. My whole life, the idea of something attaching to my boob for nourishment really freaked me out. But then my pregnancy hormones kicked in and I couldn't imagine not at least attempting to provide her with nature's baby food.

And it has been beautiful... and trying. Precious and tiresome. Trial and Error. And finally everything clicked. We were a machine. Coming home from work and having an excuse to hold her in my arms, that close for that long just makes my heart fill up.

But turns out my heart is all that is filling up these days. On the brink of 6 months, the land of milk and honey is drying up. We've gone from a fabulous 6 ounces to a meager 3... which is not enough for Chunk.

I tried working through it. Nursing a little more often - but she was just fighting mad every time she got done feeding. So, I broke down.

Erin got her first bottle of breastmilk/formula mixture last week. (All organic formula)

And I BROKE DOWN. I thought I was ok with it. Then I got home, and she smelled different. That was all she wrote. I cried for 15 minutes.

Then Friday night at typical last-of-the-day feeding she finished and was not asleep and inconsolable. And I cried as I warmed up a bottle and watched hubs feed her.

So we are officially weening. And I think it is more of a process for mommy than baby. I didn't realize it would be a two way street but it is. And life goes on.

(And I am pretty sure that now I am having a mini menopause bc NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT THE HORMONES!)

Things I Suck At...

2010-02-04T08:29:00.002-05:00

1. Updating the blog on a consistent basis

2. Taking 365 pictures... maybe it will be more like 300. That's a good number right? I better get on this new year's resolution thing.

3. Waking up on time... the thing is, I put the baby in the bed with us after she takes her morning feeding (between 5 and 6).... and really, who wants to get out of bed when you can snuggle with the tiniest, squishiest little lovebug ever! So what if the alarm is set for 5:15. I like to round up.

4. Keeping the dog from eating my (and only my) stuff. Really Allie?!

5. Finishing projects (more on this later).

6. Making dinner decisions. Even though I must say, an impromptu dinner at the Caraba's pizza bar will totally make you think you're the best dinner-decision-maker EVER!

7. Saying no to Sit-coms. Is anyone else watching Modern Family - because it is coming in a close second to Big Band Theory right now. BaZINGA!

8. Doing dishes. If it doesn't fit in the dishwasher, it may or may not be 1-3 days before I finally do more than just rinse it off.

9. Cloth diapering. I totally want to buy some more cloth diapers. But I totally don't want to spend the upfront money right now. My intentions are there - and I think we are gonna go with some Gdiapers this time.

10. Being a mom. OMG people. The little booger started rolling over, with some assistance I might add. Well - yesterday she decided to be an over-acheiver (daddy's little girl) and did on her own. While I was sitting beside her on the couch. And looked up to see the TV. And she FELL, onto the hard wood floor, on her head.

I thought I was going to die. She was crying. I was trying to console her. Then she started to projectile vomit (she had just eaten) and I'm all OMG I am the worst mom ever and promptly melted down with her. Called everyone I could. Hubs is reassuring me that she's fine. But really - I don't know that. Did he really know that? How could any one?

So I had her seen by one of the ER docs. She really is fine. Played with me all afternoon. And to top it all off - she had just seen her pediatrician who confirmed that she has a sinus infection and she's on antibiotic that she hates. Momma and Baby can't catch a break.

Good Advice...

2010-01-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a new approach to complaining.

I vow to alter one complaint per week using this technique. Maybe its contagious. Not that I complain that often or anything... I'm just saying... ya know... if I was to complian.

Positive complaining has to be better for you than negative complaining, right? I mean, the old addage is you get more flies with honey than vinegar - so we know it but do you live it?

If nothing else it would make the world a little nicer.

Now if only I could figure out how to positively whine and get my way... we'd be set!

So we get this phone call...

2010-01-12T19:00:00.001-05:00

Friend: "Dude, I just pulled up to your house and there's a firetruck in the yard..."
Hubs: "WHAT!? What's going on..."
Friend: "I don't know let me call you back as soon as I find out... "
Hubs: "Okay, call me right back, I'll head that way"

Instead, Hubs receives pic in his e-mail. This is definitely our house. With a fire truck in the yard.

Clearly.

Hubs calls back. Now he hears the sirens.

Hubs: "Dude, what is going on?? Should I come home? Is everything ok?" (I know this sounds strange, but we have bonfires in the field every once and again, so there is a chance its not the house, just to clarify).
Friend: "Dude, I don't know. There are sirens and firefighters. I am trying to get someone to answer me, but I'm not the homeowner."
Hubs: "Put them on the phone, I'll talk to them..."
Friend: "I'm just kidding dude, I'm driving the fire truck around for a friend... a mechanic, making sure he fixed everything. It's like, the coolest thing ever..."

Only our friends get to drive around fire trucks for no apparent reason. Such is our random life.

Before and After Par-tay!

2010-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is me - joining Thrifty Decor Chick's "Before and After Monday" Party.

The house we live in has undergone such a face lift since we moved in. I hope I can find the other digital files of the house as this goes on so I can load them.

For now, the nursery.

Before

Just take it all in. The paneling... the adoring hubs in the doorway...

The room really does get great light...

My attempt at modernizing the room (with our linens that can't be used now that we have a black pup)...

And seriously. I have nothing else to say...

Marching on to the AFTER PAR-TAY (isn't the after party always the best anyway?)

Time Sensitive Information...

2010-01-07T15:48:00.005-05:00

A short return to Cloth Diaper Thursday

Wanna try cloth diapering? Need to fluff up your stash?

Diapering Junction is giving away $300 cash to get you going.

Fo' REALS people. $300.... in diapers.

You have till midnight to enter!

One Happy Cloth Diapered chunky - chunk coming right up....

We have been slacking on the cloth diapering front since I returned to work. But something has a fire lit under me... we are going to get going again. At least at home.
We tried prefolds with covers, gDiapers with prefolds, Sposoeasies, Gro Baby, and BumGenius.

I thought I was loving the Sposoeasies, but my baby's thighs are just too chunky (gotta love it!). So I'd really like to switch to the Gro Baby. If I can sell my current stash that will be what I recycle my money into. (Any body wanna buy 12 sposoeasy All-in-ones, size medium -- Holla!)

Good Luck!

Did anyone else see this!?

2010-01-06T22:00:00.001-05:00

O.M.G.

I know this is an older post for Bakerella, but I'm catching up on her bakey/crafty adventure as of late. You must see this... its kind of unbelievable. Honestly.

Tell me you don't want a 2-story tall Nutcracker. Because I do... and a magic candy world on the side please.

That is all.

I wanna play...

2010-01-05T22:50:00.003-05:00

Thrifty Decor Chick is hosting a "before and after Monday" and I totally want to play. But I missed this week, so I'll have to join in later. Reading everyone's entries has made me all organizey-rearragy-crafty-tingly inside. I must play! I already know what I want my first post to be... but finding the time to actually ~~clean the room~~ take a pic of the final nursery is not as easy as I would like. It will require getting some storage bins - which I have managed to put off and just pile the no-longer-fit-her baby clothes in the corner. Not so efficient, and definitely not a clutter-free way to start the new year.

Whatev. I'll get to it.

But today.... Today I survived the first day of day care. Seriously - she was fine. I was a mess. It was only a half day and I my heart ached all day.

I knew when we decided to have a baby that I would be a working mom. But now, there are just some days when I want to play too. Not drop her off to play with other people. It makes me jealous, and sad... and today we took it to a new level.

She seems to have enjoyed herself though. And made some new friends... well, ya know, as much a 4 month old can. Which makes me a little excited for her.... and did I mention jealous?

Prospero Ano....

2010-01-03T09:44:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year blog world. The last month has been so hectic. Erin has become so much more active.... loving to play and talk and demand attention - and we love loving on her. We celebrated Jesus's birthday and our third anniversary. Yup, December was a busy month.

Now, I'm not usually one to go makin' hi-fa-lutin' New Year's resolutions, but I have one that I'm going to share with blog-world because I need something to be accountable to. Ya know, so that I actually stick with it.

So here it goes...

My New Year's Resolution for 2010 is to complete a 365 project. In other words, I pledge to take at least 1 picture a day for 365 days. Mostly as a documentation of our ever-changing, unpredictable life and partly as creative challenge. In general, the pics won't be artsy or anything like that - but I hope to improve my image composition over time. I think it's gonna be fun...

And better yet, I'm loading them on flickr and adding the link here. That way, if you're ~~bored~~ curious, you can check in on my progress.

Happy New Year to all!
(P.S. Hubs is pledging to eat one vegetable a day. So far its been salsa each day. Baby steps.... baby steps... I'm rooting for ya hubby!)

Hmm...

2009-12-07T19:00:00.000-05:00

How cute is this birthday party!?

Matt and Jenna are waayyy to cute for words. And their son's first birthday gives me alot of inspiration for Erin's first birthday - even though it's far away - you gotta have some inspiration files on hand, right?

Also, if you get a chance, head on over to the Matt Daniel Photography website as well. He does some amazing work...

He may be employed by us when the little one is a little older...

Yeah. I'm a Blogger...

2009-12-03T08:19:00.004-05:00

Totally dropped of the face of the internets here in the past two weeks. Lots of HUBabalooo going on at our house... but more on that later. First things first...

Erin was dedicated a couple of weeks ago at the church Hubs and I got married in . She was not super excited about being at the front of the church, but what can you do. I mean, no matter how good of a baby you have... it never fails that they will show out in church. Bless that little booger. However, she did not fuss when the pastor actually baptized her, so that was a relief. Seemed to enjoy it really. Yeah for bath time.

Thanksgiving came and the poor little thing got passed around like a football. And after 2 days of mommy cooking (totally made the cheesecake from Jen's blog. You must try it!) I think she liked the non-stop attention, but I swear it makes her spoiled. What are you gonna do though. It was an interesting day all-in-all... having a child puts perspective on what you are thankful for.

And then we pretty much secured our spot for Parents-of-the-Year. Some friends of ours wanted to go to this really fun holiday block party thing in downtown Savannah on Saturday. And I really wanted to go too... however, we didn't go until after dark. No big deal to Hubs and I. (Apparently a big deal in baby world... but it sounded like a fun, family thing to do. So ~~we thought~~ we bundled Erin up and Hubs plopped her in the Bjorn and off we went. She chatted it up... loved it...even though most of the street party was over. A good time was had by all...

Until Sunday when she had a fever and now has the early-stages of an ear infection. Not such a good time. Sad part is she is still a really happy baby when she is sick, so not being able to fix it breaks my heart.

Apparently she wasn't as bundled up as we thought. There is no match for the cold, humid air of the south. We live. We learn. Next time I'll consult that handy baby instructional manual that they come with..... if only I knew where I put the dern thing.

Lay down and Die...

2009-11-20T08:51:00.005-05:00

I know it's been a rough season, but that's no reason to give up on us. It's a rebuilding year...

No really, in all seriousness....

UGA VII died unexpectedly yesterday. It is a sad day in the Bulldog Nation. It just adds insult to injury this season. Only 4 years old, "Loren's Best" had his first game last year against GA Southern. It's just a little too soon for him to take up his final resting place by the field next to all the others before him (yep, all the UGAs are buried inside the stadium next to the bridge side end zone).

Rest in Peace little cutie.

Working It Out...

2009-11-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

It's official. I am a working mama. As in - I leave my kid at a grandparent's house on alternating days and come into work, where she is not, and try to produce income for our family.

2 days down.

And I'm doing better than I expected... and maybe that's because she's with people I trust. We aren't starting daycare til January (if I ever pay my dang deposit). So January may be a little different. But for now I am fine. She is fine. Or at least I keep telling myself that.

But truly - as much as I love the IDEA of staying-at-home-mom I don't think I am cut out for it. Being a mommy is AMAZING, UNBELIEVABLE, MORE THAN I IMAGINED. It does break my heart to hear her chatting it up with grandma when I call. However, as a person, wife, and a mommy it is better for us all if I do some sort of work. It keeps my brain fresh and frustrations to a minimum. Seriously. I can be an individual and a mommy and I am learning that that is o.k.
It's the Quality of parenting that matters not the Quantity... and my quality and quatity may be inversely proportionate to one another.

There is still the guilt though. And all the working mommies around me say it never really goes away. But alot of people have/had working moms and we all came out the other side quite nicely. So it's not so bad really - even if my heart does ache all day.

Right?

What made you happy this week?

2009-11-06T22:14:00.003-05:00

Licking chocolate-chi-cookie batter off the beaters. That made me happy this week.

And has consequently made me unhappy at the amount of actual cookies I have eaten this week.

C'est La Vie.

What about you?

Cloth Diaper Thursday

2009-11-05T15:21:00.003-05:00

Lesson # 10: He's a good sport...

Getting baby-daddy (aka hubs) to agree to let me try cloth diapering was a non-issue. He was totally up for me taking on the endeavor.... a good sport really.

And he continues to be a good sport... even though I don't think he will ever be a believer. We are now only using disposables at night (and sometimes on the go - but I made wet bag so not so much anymore). The other night baby-daddy was talking to Erin at the changing table and the conversation went like this:
"Oh, mommy doesn't have any disposables out for daddy to use. She's gonna make me use this big ol' fat thing on your little hiney.... (Erin smiles) yep that's right, mommy doesn't leave the other diapers out for daddy.... no she doesn't."

Which made me realize 2 things. 1) Daddy wasn't really comfortable with the whole cloth diapering thing to begin with - so maybe support doesn't = success after all. And 2) Things would be easier on him maybe did a diapering lesson - even though now that we are using the sposoeasy there is no lesson to be learned.

So the cloth diaper lesson for the week - was make it easy for your spouse. If they aren't totally on board- don't go with the crazy, foldy, needs a cover thing. Your best bet is gonna be an all-in-one diaper.

I want to be dedicated to this - but sometimes being parents is a compromise... and if keeping daddy involved in all aspects of child-rearing means disposables - at least we gave it a valiant effort. Things are definitely looking up since we switched... but only time will tell...

Thanks hubs/baby-daddy for being a good sport. And we are going to do this together. (Even if some of my ideas are a stretch. Hopefully making my own baby food will be as well tolerated :)

Survival...

2009-11-02T08:56:00.002-05:00

We survived. All 3 Outta Shape Amigos completed his/her leg of the triathlon. Which actually ended up being a duathlon. Why? Because the lake water was too polluted with bird poop to swim in. Totally threw me off course since I had pumped myself up for the swim.

So instead I had to run a mile and then pass the time off to my sis for her 13 mile bike. All I can say is I finished the mile. You know how we were supposed to be on a training schedule for a 5k? Well that lasted about 2 weeks, and then life threw one evening off schedule and it was all downhill from there. So 1 mile without stopping 10 weeks after delivering a baby wasn't too shabby.

Sis and hubs did awesome. And we finished 2nd in the relay division ~~out of 2 relay teams~~. Time = 1:37 to complete. The overall winner finished in 59 minutes. I mean, it's something to strive for. A long term goal if you will. But we finished and are very proud of it!

We survived, and we have a shirt and trophy to show for it. Our little lady bug even cheered us on. Even though she ended up with a minor sun burn to show for it. "Parents of the Year" I tell you.

Anywho - Hope you had a great Halloween! Happy Fall.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

2009-10-30T10:24:00.002-04:00

to say - If i should leave this blog unattended for more then 2 weeks... you will know I have gone on to be with my savior...

because last Saturday I got talked in to doing this.

OMG. A triathlon?! What the heck are we thinking. And I say "we" because my sister, hubs, and I are participating in the relay version. Hubs and I are debating on who will do the run and who will do the swim. My sis is doing the bike for sure. She's been training. The rest of us, however, have not.

Sis thinks we'll be fine. I'm trying to ~~gather my last will and testament~~ stay positive. But really. Who am I kidding.

I'll probably die. Think of me while you trick-or-treat. Much love to you all! For reals.

(Fall fun my ass!)

I'm a copy-catter

2009-10-27T14:06:00.003-04:00

Yes, truth be told... I am crafty in the sense that I can copy-cat. I'm not really great at coming up with my own craft ideas most of the time, but other people inspire me.

Case-in-point: This little halloween costume is tutu cute!! So i decided to make my own version. And seeing as how Halloween falls on UGA/UF weekend this year... my child must be in red and black all day. Naturally.

So she is going to be a lady bug. I am going to put little black dots on this tutu and complete the ensemble with a black onesie and red/black hair bow. It's gonna be a fun day (i hope).

Cloth Diaper Thursday (belated)

2009-10-23T11:04:00.003-04:00

Cloth Diaper Lesson #8 - Putting your big girl panties on...

This week marked the first time I let our disposable stash run completely out. Thought I was gonna be ok with it... but I panicked when it came time for bed.

When I read other people's sites it's all "we use a BumGenius with lined with two doubles and a hand towel for night time." (May be a little exaggerated. Maybe not ) And I'm all... OMG how can a baby sleep with all the bulk in there? There's no way.. maybe I should just run to the store.

In my moment of being overwhelmed... I decided what the hey... Cowgirl up lady and put your big girl panties on. We can do this!

And we did. With one grobaby diaper and the little thin doubler that is provided with the packed. She survived, I survived, her clothes and bed survived. And she slept from 9:30 to 4 so I can't complain. Everyone came out on the other side just fine. We've even used the cloth out-and-about. Not too bad, but with the gdiaper system I'm using, if the liner gets messy it increases change time. Not a big deal at home, but kind of a big deal on the go. (However I do love how trim this option is!)

So today we purchase some sposoeasy diapers in preparation for going back to work and daycare... and honestly because I only have enough diaper to last through one day and the night. Interpretation: I am washing diapers every morning. It's not bad right now, but I can see it getting bothersome here in the next two weeks. And it takes a toll on the diapers themselves, though in general they are holding up beautifully.

Happy Thursday/Friday/Weekend!

CLoth Diaper Thursday

2009-10-15T16:21:00.002-04:00

Lesson #8 - The Scoop on Poop

This week I got super motivated after the whole jackpot thing and got ready to get cloth diaper dedicated. But instead decided to try the hybrid GDiaper system. I got the starter kit (which comes with 10 disposables and 2 covers) but instead of the disposable - put my small, GreenMountainDiaper prefolds inside. LOVE. I think... verdict is still out, but I have been using it all week and am very happy... more on this next week.

The scoop on poop is - I was having MAJOR blow outs with the disposables over the last two weeks. Since starting to use the cloth this issue has pretty much dissolved itself. yeah for that.

Also, the idea of washing poop was a bit unnerving. Truth be told - if you think you are never going to wash something with baby poopy on it..... you are kidding yourself.

Baby stuff can get on any and everything. You learn as you go. So really, you get used to throwing that stuff in the wash. Well - we haven't experienced anything besides breastfed poopy yet, so there may be another poop river bridge to cross before it's all over with.

Find out when we get there.

So the scoop on poop is - it's nasty, but it all comes out in the wash - no matter what its on. And the cloth diapering adventure continues.

The other Jackpot...

2009-10-14T11:31:00.002-04:00

Since Granny passed away the family has slowly been going through her things. In particular a PILE of quilts she crafted throughout the years. Eleven in all. All the grandchildren and great-grandchildren had at least one already, with the exception of Erin. So Sunday she got to pick out her very own Granny quilt! She just so happened to pick out the beautiful, scrappy quilt on the left (which coincidentally, I love as well). She also picked out the fun, crochet daisy afghan (which coincidentally, I love also). Then we drew numbers for the remaining quilt stash and ended up with a beautiful fall inspired one and an orangish one which is out for Halloween right now.
We hit the JACKPOT. We love them all!

Each family member adores the one they received. And during all of this, I got to thinking. Erin wasn't fortunate enough to meet Granny here on Earth. So the only way she will know Granny is through the stories we tell her and the warm, cuddly quilt that she will wrap up with as she grows up. Granny's craft will tell our children as much about their great-grandmother as we will. The time she took to make beautiful pieces of art will let them know how careful she was and it's warmth will cover them love Granny had for all of her family.

And I got inspired. I want my family to value my creations as much as we value Granny's. As my family continues to grow, I want there to be something that I have that they can cherish just as much as memories.

So I am getting on the quilting wagon again. My first one will be a small, Halloween endeavor that will hopefully get me back in practice. This is my mom's FAVORITE holiday to decorate for, so this one will go to her. It won't be big enough to cover up with, just something to throw over a chair for the month of October.
But a Christmas/Winter quilt will not be far behind and I am SO excited!

Jackpot!

2009-10-13T16:39:00.002-04:00

Every now and then we play the lottery for shoots and giggles, scratch-offs mainly. Even if we don't win hubs and I both went to college for free because of HOPE... so we are just giving back right?

Well, we won $50 bucks this weekend! WOOHOO! Not lots - but hubs let me have the cash! Now that's what I call one lucky lady :)

I was able to get one more cloth diapering system to try and some fun fabric. More on both of those later this week.

Happy Tuesday and Happy 8 weeks baby girl!

Cloth Diaper Thursday...

2009-10-08T15:41:00.004-04:00

Lesson #7: Trials and Tribulations

First off the trials. Remember I told you I got one GroBaby and one BumGenius? Well during my pre-cloth diapering research I had totally fallen in love with the idea of the GroBaby. It just seemed like it married all the great things about cloth diapers into one system. Totally up my alley as far as convenience and bang-for-your-buck.

However, I am amazed to report that I do love the BumGenius more ... for one reason. Drying time. O.M.G. the GroBaby takes FO-EVA to dry. I'm not all about waiting on that.

Also - I tried the sun-bleaching thing on the diapers. A few forums listed that the sun would bleach out any poopie stains left on the cloth. Why not give it a try - it's a natural, free, unlimited stain fighter, right? RIGHT! Totally bleached out the poopie in like, 20 minutes. MAGIC I TELL YOU. I am going to put out some poop stained clothes and see if it works on those too!

Tribulations: To get down to the nitty gritty of the issue - Now that it's time to go up in size, and I have chosen a new diapering system........... I have yet to actually purchase said diapering system. Is this making me a failure? Each trip to the store the get disposables makes me feel guilty. I KNOW I can be successful at cloth diapering. Easy- Breezy. But alas, I am flunking out of CD school with flying colors.

I CAN DO THIS. I Will purchase the new system. IT WILL SAVE US MONEY in the long run. I just have to choke over the money up front instead of in $20 increments. It is a draw-back to the whole thing. Ugh. One box disposable = approx 1 cloth diaper. Literally feel like I'm throwing money in the trash can with each dirty disposbale. Ugh. Loser.

Like I said, Trials and Tribulations.

Happy Baby though (even if she does look really confused as to why daddy has this big camera all up in her grill.. and mommy thinks its fabulous).

The one where I almost die...

2009-10-07T10:21:00.002-04:00

So last week I took to completing brisk walks.... seeing as how I had surgery and al -l figured I should add an extra week to my 5k training schedule. Clearly a safety precaution. Right?

Then Sunday evening officially started the Couch-to-5k regimen. And luckily Hubsy agreed to tag along and push the baby/ hold the dog.

Because I would have given up.

Instead I almost died.

Hubs kept pushing me and motivating me... and withholding water from me until I could catch up to him. All I kept thinking was how ~~I wanted to punch him in the face~~ lucky I was to have a running partner. Something to make me finish all 8 sets. I mean, he has a freakin' bionic leg. If he can do it, I can too.

Because 2 60 second jogs into the program... I was ready to call it a night. Thought my heart was going to come out of my chest and my legs were going to shut down and I'd be all dramatic and fainting like that crazy lady on Biggest Loser during the first episode.

Yup. Almost died. Was pretty sure I was going to. Every 60 seconds felt like a cruel and unusual punishment. That awful, sweaty, head swelling, heart pounding, rubbery-legged minute almost did me in. But I finished. Because of Hubs.

And now I am super pumped for our 2nd installment run tonight. Funny how that works once you feel accomplished.

Thanks hubs. For sticking with me. For reals. (But I control the water bottle tonight, fo' sho.) Much love!

Cloth Diaper Thursday

2009-10-01T09:57:00.000-04:00

Lesson # 6: The Difference

Disposables are convenient. Good on the Go. Good at home.
Cloth Diapers are less convenient - but not as inconvenient as expected. Truly. (Still only using them at home for now).

Disposables hit your wallet every week or so.
Cloth Diapers hit your wallet once. Unless you are a sucker for cute designs.

Disposables caused my little one some diaper rash.
Cloth Diapers have little to no diaper rash after she wears them.

Disposables have blow outs.
Cloth Diapers have yet to fail on me. Knock on wood.

Disposables are slimmer, yet synthetic.
Cloth Diapers are fatter, yet softer and breathable.

If disposables run out you must run to the store.
If cloth diapers run out you must start the wash.

I am learning the pros and cons. Still weighing them. But I really prefer cloth diapering at home. Didn't really go into this expecting to. But pleasantly surprised.

I think I can, I think I can....

2009-09-29T13:21:00.003-04:00

Decided to get dedicated and Run a 5k. My goal is the Savannah River Bridge Run. We'll see if I run the whole thing.... you can run, walk, or crawl... right?

I am starting this handy little training schedule. When hubs gets home tonight - he is baby duty so I can play around and make some handy music to fit the plan.

Wish me luck!.. and the whole family... because we are all doing it!

Cloth Diaper Thursday (bleated/late night edition)

2009-09-25T21:37:00.004-04:00

Having a child really puts you behind on blog posts... or so I've heard :)

Cloth Diapers Lesson #5: Learning what works for us

Sadly - our first cloth diapering adventure has come to an end. But I am not done cloth diapering. I was really starting to get the hang of it - a rhythm down. Not that anyone will ever enjoy diapering.. but I am starting to prefer the cloth over the disposable (which I was extremely skeptical about the first few weeks).

Alas - Baby Girl has gotten too big for the newborn stash. That's right. After the being too big, they are now too small. I was able to buy a GroBaby and a BumGenius3.0 from a local shop (hallelujah). I have tried both and am deciding which stash to stock up on... but more on that later.

What I do have a personal opinion about is the newborn diaper experience. This is just personal - but for our lifestyle this is how the diapers ranked
1st place - All-In-One Sposoeasy
2nd Place - prefolds with Bummis Super Whisper wrap cover
3rd place - Green Mountain Diaper Fitteds with cover

The Sposoeasies were the easiest to change and get back to business. Caused less stress for her and mom/dad. The all-in-one design behaves just like a disposable - so no guess work on folds and stuffing. Glorious. The design was relatively quick drying as well. Wonderful.

Prefolds worked really well. There is some folding involved but the GMD website is really helpful and after the first few changes there really was nothing to it. However, with my wiggle worm and the drama involved in being naked the first few weeks - the speed I lacked when getting the diaper changed was somewhat of a drawback. Nonetheless - a great, cheap option that should not be underestimated.

The fitted were nice. But I found they didn't fit in the Bummis cover that well. I really felt like I was putting two diapers on her sometimes.... the bulk really was more cumbersome with this option. Now, a mommy-friend absolutely adores her Kissaluvs fitteds, so there are some people that prefer this... I just found it to be my personal least favorite. That's just me, and my experience.

Since the All-in-Ones were most preferable... I am working with the grobaby and bumgenius. Right now I really like the grobaby. We'll see. Hopefully and update on those in the near future.

Happy Weekend.

For you to Ponder...

2009-09-21T14:47:00.002-04:00

Anyone wanna guess why this piece of equipment found a home in my yard?

Or why my hubs is grinnin' like a chessy cat?

Anyone? Because your guess is as good as mine :)

Back in the saddle!

2009-09-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Before I found out I was expecting... I was all about some knitting. It was winter and what better time of year to play with warm, fuzzy yarn?

Well - my coworkers forbid me from knitting while pregnant because everytime one of us attempted to learn to knit something for their unborn child, the child would decide to arrive early.

So I packed away the knitting needles and started sewing. Not a bad exchange truly.

But now I am getting back in the saddle and trying to knit something up for the little one. Got a few rows started on our trip to Atlanta last weekend. Can't WAIT to see it come together!

It will be the grape version of the knit top I posted here and here. Wish me luck - and send some free time for me to borrow while your at it :)

I gotta Dolla', I gotta Dolla' hey hey hey hey!

2009-09-17T12:33:00.002-04:00

Cloth Diaper Thursday...

Sorry about not posting last week. It is really difficult to get to the keyboard when your child wants to be held. Of course - baby wins every time, so she gets loved all over and the computer sits idle. What can you do?

Anywho -

Lesson #3 - Frugality

We are now part time cloth diapering. Using disposables only when out and about and when the other diapers are in the wash. And because we are out-and-about kind of people, we are still going through disposables pretty quickly... so we have had to purchase diapers from the store.

Disposable diapers = expensive! Lord have mercy. I knew when research cloth diapers that everyone said they are so much cheaper, blah blah blah. But the up front cost was such and undertaking that I began to second guess the investment.

Not anymore. Both Hubs and I have had a little sticker shock when having to buy the few diaper packages to get us through our family outings. Hubs said it best after the last purchase. " I think until she was actually here, there is no way I could have imagined how many diaper changes we would do in one day. I mean, I wouldn't want to sit around in all that - so I feel like she should be changed as soon as she's wet/dirty."

I can absolutely tell how much we are saving by using the cloth at home. It really is not that inconvenient at all. I put them into the diaper bag just like putting them into the trash can. Wash every other day. No biggie. But BIG SAVINGS.

May be investing in some Grobaby diapers to try. Erin got a little birthday money I can use for her non-newborn upgrades. I want to see if I like them so we can decide what to purchase for the one-size diapers (becuase I am still too frugal to buy every time we need a new size :)

(Will review the diapers we currently have next week).

Oh yeah! Happy One Month Birthday Baby Girl!

Cloth Diaper Thursday (belated)

2009-09-04T09:28:00.002-04:00

Hello all.... I am really behind on posting but Thursday seems to be only motivation to write. So here goes...

Cloth Diaper: Lesson 3 - Learning the difference

(Above in the xs sposoeasy)

The brand of disposable I use with Erin has a little strip on it to tell you when the diaper is wet. Convenient, yes. But why? Mostly because when you feel the disposable you can't really and truly tell if it is all that wet. Usually it is, but it doesn't feel that much different after one urination than it does 3. So the strip definitely helps.

So what happens when you have a cloth diaper on? How was I supposed to know when to change her? Let me reassure you there is NO GUESS work when it comes to cloth. That's right. No magical color changing strip needed. Where the disposable soak up and wick all the moisture away from baby, the cloth diaper soak, but do not wick. In other words, when that diaper is wet, there is a big wet cotton rag to show for it. Touch the diaper and you will know. Time for a changing.

And really it isn't that bad. I was scared of laundry more than anything, but it hasn't been a big deal. We aren't full-time cloth diaperers yet... so I could be speaking out of turn. Only thing that makes me anxious is running out before the laundry finishes. If we stick with cloth-diapering - the non-newborn stash will need to be a little larger.

Other than that, we are battling the bulge. Daddy (nor I) are a huge fan of the big-booty baby. Though, She is still stinkin' cute no matter what!

Happy Labor Day weekend!

Cloth Diaper Thursday (and other news)

2009-08-27T14:00:00.003-04:00

Being a mommy is amazing. Hubs and I are having so much fun learning about Erin and caring for her together. We are settling into a routine and life is good! This is my "little little" after her bath this morning.
She is still so tiny! We could just eat her up! Allie is only interested in her when she's moving or when she's taking up Allie's attention. We are doing our best to keep da pup included in this new lifestyle. I thought life would slow down after a child, but really we just keep on truckin'. We've been shopping and to visit friends and to eat lunch with Daddy since coming home from the hospital. Our pace may be a little slower (but not much)... for the most part it's our perspective that has been drastically changed.

On to Cloth Diaper Thursday:

Lesson #2: Form, Function, and Failure

I am officially a cloth diaper failure to date. Notice I said "to date." I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP. First we waited for the meconium to pass. Then we decided we'd cloth diaper at home and not on-the-go. And all I have to report on is 2 cloth diapers. It really wasn't a big deal.

What was a big deal is the big-booty-baby. The diapers are so bulky on her right now that they barely snap over her clothes if at all. And she's so tiny that going up a size in outfits looks ridiculous. RI-DI-CU-LOUS. Also - SHE HATES HAVING HER DIAPER CHANGED! Gets fightin' mad I tell you. It's the cutest thing ever.... but you'd think I'd cut the child's arm off. Honestly.

BUT - I am not giving up. We ARE going to give this a real go. I have given myself a deadline. Tomorrow morning - I become dedicated. There are no outings planned for tomorrow so I can spend the time getting my feet under me.

I am NOT DEFEATED. Just delayed.....

A better update next week. Because I am going to CD for realz!

What a Week

2009-08-22T08:05:00.003-04:00

It's a Girl!! Erin was born on Monday at 12:24pm. We are in love.

More pics to come. Happy Weekend. I am off to snuggle with the sweetest little girl in the whole wide world:)

Thursday seems like a good day...

2009-08-13T08:52:00.003-04:00

So - I think Thursdays will be my official day of chronicle-ing my cloth diapering adventure. Seems like a good, random day to fill space on this blog, right? Sure it does.

Preface:

I've spent many many moons researching cloth diapers - Figuring out what I should buy, who to purchase from, what size to start with, grappling with my dedication to attempt this endeavor. And about two weeks ago I took the plunge and dumped some moolah into starting a cloth diaper stash. $140 to be exact. (You can see my purchase here.) And I bought all infant sizes because after looking at the handy photos on the website - I realized there was no way Hubs would be excited about big-booty-baby in the one-size type diapers. My hope is that the smaller size starter stash will get me through maternity leave and then we can try something.

The way I figure - if this all goes awry... as long as we can use them for 8 weeks we will get our $ back out of them and I can put them up on Diaper Swappers to see if I can recoup any money (can't do that with disposables, now can you?).

Starting Cloth Diapering: Obstacle #1 - Prepping the Dang Things

The cloth diaper package arrived in the mail with instructions. A handy dandy leaflet stocked full of overwhelming info. First Step: Prepping. Which means washing the cloth diapers a few times to acheive desired absorbency. BUT WAIT! It's not that simple....

What kind of detergent do you use? Apparently you are going to kill your baby if you wash the diapers in something from a regular grocery store.... not really - but online vendors lead you to believe that you are ruining all that is holy in cloth diapering by not using special, by-order only detergents. Yes Sir-ee. We need organic, residue free, no fragrance, no whiteners, no brighteners, low enzyme detergent. HOLY MOLEY.

I almost put everything back in the box and shipped it back to the company. No lie. I was so defeated by all the information, even after doing some internet searching. There is just waaaay to much to consider and I can't be a stay-at-home mom, so maybe I've made a mistake and I'll be done before I start. Good idea, right?

Luckily - I am more determined than that. Anal cloth-diaper advocates BEWARE. I read some forums, talked with a friend... and happily settled on using Tide Free. You read right, I didn't pay shipping for a 50 gallon bucket of organic wash. I did what other moms are doing and trying something simple first. Besides, I tried to use some organic body lotions and washes during pregnancy and they made my skin terrible - so maybe there is an allergy there. And my baby won't be fighting that too, which is a potential plus! If this doesn't work out, then the local Food Lion carries 1 organic brand that I may give a whirl.

(Call me a horrible mom if you want, a black-sheep of cloth diapering if you must... but if you want me to succeed, at least make it seems like I can. Cost effectiveness people. If you want others to follow your lead.... make it user-friendly!)

So, 3 Hot washes and 6 tablespoons of Tide Free later, we are washed and tucked away for Peanut's arrival. YEAH! I just alternated clothes loads and diaper loads until prepping was done. No big deal. All fluffy and ready-to-catch-some-poop. Obstacle averted (I hope). (And yes, you read right 6 tablespoons. you only need to use about 1/4 the recommended laundry detergent for cloth diapers. Good to know). I'll update on the success of this detergent in a few weeks.

Bottom line -

Lesson 1 in Cloth Diapering - Prepping: Prepping diapers was not a big deal once I got past the detergent dilemma. Really. Nothing to it. Just make an educated decision that is best for your family. The internets can be both an intimidator and a friend. If you are cloth-diapering to do something good for your baby and your wallet (more so than the environment, though that is an added bonus) then don't let the super-crunchy moms deter you. They are well-intentioned good mothers; however, detergent choices can be convenient and accomplished while shopping for your typical household items. One obstacle down, bring it on....

Turns out, I'm having a Basketball.

2009-08-10T19:14:00.004-04:00

1 week to go. Peanut is still heads up, booty down - so as long as I don't go into spontaneous labor, and still scheduled to be delivered by c-section. Already showin' it's hinee, just like daddy :) (love you P.C.!)

While I wait....

2009-08-06T14:34:00.004-04:00

My sweet pup is spending a few days at the vet getting her other knee repaired this week. It is lonely around the house. (I can't imagine what empty nesters feel like). The vet service has been GREAT this time. The doc definitely remembered me from our little encounter in November.... but I think the practice has gotten its act back together because everything is running more smoothly this time. Hallelujah (more for them than me, bc pregnancy Lauren was ready to take no crap off of them and they didn't want that fo' sho').

Anyway - while I wait on my pup to return tomorrow morning I got a little package I had been anticipating. Introducing - my newborn cloth diapering stash!

(20 diapers total)
4 SposoEasies
4 Infant Fitteds
2 Bummis Super Whisper Wraps
1 dozen prefolds (orange edge)
1 Pail Liner

All via Green Mountain Diaper Company. Very pleased with the quick service. Mostly I was impressed with all of the photos and info on their website. Can't wait to wash and put away to prepare for baby Dumas' arrival in T-minus 10 days!

(I may start a coth diaper day on the blog - or a whole new blog all together. There is alot of useful info on the web, but nothing that's just a play-by-play of learning/deciding on cloth diapering. We will see. I'll let you know).

50% chance

2009-08-03T08:05:00.003-04:00

When Allie had her ACL surgery we were told dogs who have this type of injury of a 50% chance of injury to the other knee.

Alli falls in that 50%.

Two weeks before my scheduled c-section for my precious little breech baby.

Yeah. for. this.

That is all.

Understanding Blessings

2009-07-29T18:19:00.007-04:00

Hubs and I have always thought that we are considerably blessed, trying to never take any of it for granted. Yet, this weekend when Hub's paternal grandmother passed away - we were overwhelmed as we considered how truly amazing God has been to us. Hubs got to spend an unforgettable 29 years getting to know his granny, and I was lovingly welcomed into her family almost 6 years ago (3 dating and 3 married). She was able to share her 83 years of wisdom with him - her strong will, domestic talents, and unwavering love for God and family. Moving through the sorrow of losing Granny, we we were comforted in the idea that not every one gets this type of experience, not every one will learn from years passed, and not every one experiences God's love on Earth through another as we have.

And Granny was particularly excited about Peanut's arrival. In fact, she was steadfast in calling baby a boy answering the phone for the last 9 months simply asking "How's my boy doing?" and she didn't mean Hubs. So, in light of our 4 weeks to go mark.... here is some art for the room. Each silhouette has a different letter assigned to it. Spelling our last name (since we suck at picking out first names).

I don't know if Granny is right, but we will find out sooner than we think! Happy Wednesday. Now go count your Blessings.

Just a good idea

2009-07-22T12:55:00.002-04:00

Reading an old copy of Real Simple today I came across a simply sweet idea that the magazine published from one of their readers.

She calls it Reach Out 2009. Each day she takes the time to contact someone different (via e-mail, phone, or letter). It is a way to stay in touch, brighten someone's day, and live well in general.

What a good idea. And so easy to do that I don't know why it's so easy to overlook something like that.

Hope you all are having a great week. Happy Hump Day! Now go Reach Out to someone!

All my Ducks in a Row

2009-07-15T09:45:00.005-04:00

Well, they aren't ducks - but they ARE birds (in a row). I sewed them up last week using the bird pattern from Spool Sewing.

They are scheduled to be crafted into a mobile like this one (also found on Spool). There is a flickr pool with more ideas. A friend at work suggested using a small vine wreath for a hanging mobile. I am so torn - both ideas are wonderful! With 6 weeks to go - I will probably opt for the wreath though... we'll see...

Odd little Anniversary...

2009-07-10T11:29:00.003-04:00

Hubs and I remember the day we got married (it's engraved inside his wedding band), and the first time we said I love you, and the day we got engaged... all those loverly little anniversaries.

Today is not that kind of anniversary.

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Motorcycle-Deer Battle of 2008.

I posted about it a couple of times - here, here (squeemish beware), and here.

And today - I am thankful for all 365 days that brought us to July 10, 2009; for the grace and blessings from God we have experienced in this time, and for my wonderful prince charming who is an amazing husband and is going to be an unbelieveable dad...

... with a super-awesome battle scar. :)

Crafting = Nesting

2009-07-08T20:57:00.006-04:00

So I think my nesting instinct is inadvertently confused with the need to craft. Just what this house needs... more projects going on. But it's making me happy. And Peanut is moving around so I'm going to go with the idea that he or she is excited about all the little things I'm doing. :)

Here is the quilt I promised to show you....

I mean... who can resist the lovin'-est pup in the world?.... hmm.... me .. bc I need to show you for real what this thing came out like (but it is cuddly and snuggly like her)

Front

Back

Oh, and I went to the fabric store today and found some nice little home decor fabric to cover the sweet granny glider we inherited from hubs' Grandma Mary. It is a special piece, but I needed it to reflect our style... so here she is...

And there is a great glider foot stool that goes with the chair so obviously it must be recovered as well. I get the thing all taken apart and get the staple gun out only to be informed we have no staples. SO CLOSE to finishing a project in one night (which never happens) only to find out our supplies our low. Dang construction projects... would it be so much to ask for one sleeve of staples? Honestly....
On to tomorrow - maybe it will bring some real life nesting instead of craft chaos. G'night ya'll.

Ding Dangit Y'all

2009-07-08T07:51:00.002-04:00

Sad News Today.... I DID NOT win that SUPER awesome Janome sewing machine from the Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along.

However, this little crafter did. I wonder if she'd take a couple hundred + shipping for it? hmm...

On a better note - I actually finished binding my quilt last night. All 5,082 inches around it. Then washed and dried it to make it all snuggly. Planning on updating this post with a picture tonight.... now that our cable has been restored. Ahhh... the life on a poorly county-maintained dirt road.

Happy Hump Day!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T23:45:00.004-04:00

It's been a hectic week ( as you can tell with my lack of posting). Happy 4th of July. Hope you enjoyed some time outdoors, some good food, and amazing family and friends.

7 weeks to go. Now the question is - will Peanut debut early, on time, or late?

Timeliness (read: I'm a sucker for free stuff)

2009-06-25T08:56:00.005-04:00

Check it out. Ever considered cloth diapering? Well - you know I am... so why not try it out FOR FREE!

Cloth Diaper Blog is having a give-a-away. All you have to do is go over and answer their question in the comments section and you're entered. Good Luck (but not so much that you win and I don't :) (oh yeah, unless your this girl - who totally inspired me to try it out as I was sittin' on the fence. I'd be ok with it then.... and only then!)

Now if I could find the time to finish my quilt so I can win that stinkin' awesome sewing machine....

Decisions, Decisions

2009-06-23T14:00:00.003-04:00

9 weeks to go and I feel like Hubs and I are faced with more decisions than ever. The weird part is, you kinda feel like they all hang in the balance. I mean, yes this is our baby bakin' in this ever-expanding oven - but peanut is his/her own person, with quirks and personality already developing. So how do you know you are making the best decision? How do you know that the super-cool parent-friendly item you just had to have was worth the million dollars you spent on it? Peanut may not even like the dang thing.

Decisions, Decisions.

But, one thing is for sure right now. We are going to give cloth diapering a go. I am really pumped about it and Hubs is still a skeptical, but supportive (which is all that I require). After reading some reviews, I believe we are going to buy the "Try It Out" kit for this cool diaper system. But I also plan to pick up a few of the chinese prefolds with this cover.

I was back and forth about it, but when the potential (please-have-an-open-spot-in-January) daycare that we chose said they would accomodate my diapering preferences I said Woo-Hoo! It is a sign. (Even though I may buy a few all-in-ones to make it easier for them so they continue to accomodate me, should this cloth thing work out.)

No - I am not super granola. But I feel like this is something good I can do for my child - and my wallet. So we will give it a go. At least until I go back to work. If we don't like it, we will still probably come out even (or cheaper) in the long run.

Now - what to name the child?

Decisions, Decisions.

Blog Inpsiration

2009-06-18T08:16:00.002-04:00

This blog was mentioned by A Room Somewhere and now I am officially hooked. Not becuase the running commentary pulls me along - but because I LOVE her style/decor/bravery.

Check it out. If you've ever been afraid to decorate with white (and have a child) Life In the Fun Lane will inspire you.

And on top of it all, they are renovating the house they purchased - which is sooo up my alley. I wonder what Hubs would say to repainting the family room? hmmm.... it really would lighten things up... (I'm gonna go with a big,fat no - but a girl can dream)

Here are a couple of posts that really get my need-to-completely-redecorate-my-house juices flowing. Enjoy some blog candy/ inspiration! Happy Thursday!

Living with White; Kitchen L.O.V.E.; Family Room

I don't know nothing 'bout birthin' no babies...

2009-06-14T09:40:00.001-04:00

This weekend Hubs and I took some time out from the home renovation to take a baby birthing class. It was super informational and if nothing else got us talking seriously about major decisions (epidurals, coaching, etc). A lot to take in a digest and prepare my body for. It also made us realize how everyone will have a different experience and to take all advice with a respectful grain of salt. In 10 more weeks, we should know what our personal birth experience will be like. For now... I grow on....

And it was SUPER special, because I got to sit through my official birthing class with one functioning nostril. Yeah, the class where we're all supposed to breathe together and practice helpful positions for early labor. With one nostril.

Why?

Because I of all people developed a "granuloma of pregnancy" in my left nostril. No big deal at first, just a tissue growth in my left nostril. Then it continually got bigger... til I called the Ear-nose-throat doc (since hubs was worried). Two days later I sneezed the sucker out. Or so I thought as I sat on the bathroom floor bleeding like a stuck pig with tampon in nose.

The dang thing grew back!!! Yeah. Sucks for me. And this time it was back with a vengeance. thank you pregnant body. So bad to the point where I couldn't ignore it because it had blocked my airway.

So I went back to ENT - who promptly removed it in an "as-pleasant-as-removing-huge-mass-from your-fat-pregnant-nose" fashion he could muster. But, for those of you who aren't aware - pregnancy causes higher blood volumes so we couldn't get it to stop bleeding (again). And ENT doc packed he nostril and scheduled me for a packing removal on Monday morning.

Hence , sitting through my first child's birthing class trying not to birth this gauze from my nose. And getting weird looks from all the pregnant chicks with cute, symmetrical nostril. And Hubs laughing with me as I struggle through the breathing stuff - because let's face it - sometimes life is just funny. And we have to laugh to keep from freaking the heck out.