A Few of My Favorite Things (Baby Edition)

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

None

Mar
19

A lot of my friends are pregnant right now.  Some of them are going to be first-time mommy’s (Yay!) and some of them are on their 2nd or 3rd (or more!)  So on Fridays I want to share a few of my favorite things (this week is dedicated to baby stuff)… here’s the list!

5.

 Ergo Baby CarrierErgo Baby Carrier.  I didn’t actually find this until after Asa was one, but it is GREAT.  It can hold babies up to 40 pounds or something crazy like that.  I needed to have Asa on my person when we were taking a trip to NY (see below) and he had completely outgrown his Baby Bjorn.  This was what I found and it is AMAZING.  It really does relieve the pressure on you back.  Anyway, check it out.  I love it.  My only regret…not finding it sooner.  Find them here.

4.

Traveling Toddler Car Seat Travel Accessory- This thing (while a bit overpriced), was well worth the money.  I had to travel with Asa by myself to NY to visit a friend back in August.  I bought him a seat (I was not about to sit with a squirmy 1 year old for a 3 hour flight on my lap!) so I needed to get his carseat around the airport.  He has a Britax Marathon (here’sa picture) an let’s just say it was a bit heavy.  We had a layover in Houston and I needed to move fast.  I found this awesome invention that made getting his carseat around easier.  It was probably the best 14.99 I spent for a trip in a LONG time.  You can find them here.

3.

Chicco Travel Adventure Booster Chair Chicco Travel High Chair- LOVE this.  We keep it in the van and take it out whenever we are out and going to eat.  The seat comes off the metal supports and is machine washable.  It makes it so convenient to seat a baby in a challenging space.  There are not many places we haven’t been able to use it.  The best part?  The placemat below has a catch tray that fits perfectly in the space that exists between the chair and the seat!  Find one here.

2.
Summer Infant Tiny Diner Placemat - Green - Summer Infant - Babies"R"UsSummer Infant Tiny Diner Place mat- This thing is AWESOME!  We use it ALL the time.  It rolls up and that makes it easy for travel.  We use at home and when we go to other places.  It’s super easy to clean and has suction cups on the bottom that keeps it put.  Buy one here.

1.

   Jesus Storybook Bible- Hands down the best.  I cry almost every time I read it.  Seriously, so good!  It is my son’s FAVORITE book.  Let’s just say it is falling apart in about 10 different places.  Find more about it here.  I can’t wait to get the Deluxe Edition!

Asa is 21 1/2 Months Old!

, , , , , , , , ,

None

Mar
17

Aaahhhh!!!  Almost everyday I think about how my little baby is becoming a sweet little boy.  I can’t believe in less then three months he will be two years old.  Where does the time go? 

I’ve been thinking about potty training lately.  I don’t know if it is too early or what, but I’m getting seriously tired of diapers.  I’m tired of changing them and tired of spending money on them.  Any tips and/or suggestions?

I’ve also started planning Asa’s 2nd birthday party and I am SO excited.  I’ve been scouring the net trying to find ideas and have found some, but it has really gotten my creative juices going.  I’ll be sharing more of what I am doing as it happens.  Until then, you will have to guess the plans (ladies- if you know, don’t spoil it for everyone else!)

A Problem and a Secret

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

None

Mar
15

I have a problem. 

A big problem. 

I have a little bit of an obsession. 

Brace yourselves.

I am in love with my Google reader. 

Why in the world did it take me so stinking long to set it up?  Why did I wait so long to dive into the online community of bloggers who are oh-SO-talented?!  I feel inspired.  I feel humbled.  I feel…well…that I shouldn’t waste time on the computer and should be crafting, building, baking, decoupaging, decorating, planning- you name it- I am inspired to do it.  There are a few problems with this though.

Money.

Time.

The fact that I have a family and household to take care of.

Work.

The list goes on.

I can say that even with everything going on, there is a project or two in the works.  Which leads me to my secret.  At first I didn’t want to share, but now I feel I must.  I feel that I need to support the average woman (or man) who would love to have nice furniture but doesn’t want to go broke doing it.   I feel I need to support the average mom who wants a cute nursery/toddler room but can’t pay $2500 for one.  I feel I need to support the average college student who needs college storage but lives on a college budget. 

Here is my secret, the coolest place to be on the web. 

http://knockoffwood.blogspot.com/

What is it you ask?  Click and find out.  All (okay, well a lot) of your furniture dreams come true. 

Ana is amazing.  She started this blog 4 months ago and is doing great things.  Because of her plans, Greg and I are now building this to put here:

(Sorry the picture quality is not the best.  I was too anxious to finish this post then wait for proper lighting, etc.)  We will save approx. $2800 by building it ourselves.  You can build it too!  Go here (Not all of the peices are on this post, but you being the smart people you are will figure it out!) 

Soon I will show you an update on where we are.  The only problem abut the process is that it won’t be done soon enough.  We only have supplies for the top half of the unit and have to wait for April to get supplies for the bottom. 

Now you know my secret.  I hope you can use it too!

So you want to throw a party… – Tips for planning any party.

, , , , , , , , ,

None

Jan
27

I love throwing parties.  Big, little, in between.  They are a lot of fun.  I love getting to serve my family and friends and I love getting to try new ideas.  But to throw a party, you have to have a reason.  Birthdays and holidays are the usual suspects, but you can also just want to hang out with friends and have an impromptu backyard BBQ. Whatever the case, you should always have a reason.

For instance, last year, my husband and I hosted or helped with parties of all different sizes.  One night in the middle of the summer we decided we wanted to BBQ and wanted some friends to join us.  It was a last minute thing and we asked our friends to BYOB (bring your own beef) and a side dish for all to share.  We had about 14 people show up (on a Tuesday!) and had a great time.  We also threw a more organized, larger party for my sons first birthday (more on that later).

No matter the size,  the time or money, you can have a great party so long as you have a reason and reasonable expectations.

Picking your reason:  Do you want to have a birthday party for yourself, a family member or a friend?  Are you throwing a Bridal or Baby Shower?  Are you wanting to have friends over and just have a good time?  Do you want to have a tea with some women?  Are you having a Super Bowl party?  Pick a reason and that will give you the direction and focus you need to see your party through until the end.

Reasonable Expectations:  Realize that about 10% of the people who RSVP they are coming probably won’t make it.  If people don’t RSVP, expect that they won’t make it.  Take into account that adults eat more then kids (I can’t tell you how much this helps!  I have done a few parties and did a head count not figuring this in…let’s just say there was money spent that could have been saved or used elsewhere and we were eating leftovers for some time!)  Things are not always going to go as planned.  Be flexible!  The most important thing is that you and your guests have a good time.  The other stuff is just filler.  People don’t know what you do and don’t have planned so if something doesn’t make it out, don’t freak.  They have no idea!

The biggest reason that you should have for throwing a party?  To have a good time!  That’s it.  If you are not going to enjoy it, don’t waste your time and money. It makes no sense.  Just take your child to something that you can both enjoy or your spouse to a nice dinner.  No one likes a grouchy host/hostess.

If you decide that you want to have a great party on a budget, this is the place for you!

2010- A New Year, A New Commitment

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

None

Jan
25

Wow.  2009 was amazing.  It was crazy but beautiful.  Asa celebrated his first birthday, Greg and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary, and we enjoyed every trial and joy along the way.  We bought our first house in December of ‘08 (missing the tax credit by 20 days! Uggg!), renovated it throughout 2009, and opened it up to host community group, parties, and a roommate.  We saw some family highs and some family lows.  Overall, 2009 was a good year.  Thank you Jesus for letting us experience it, safe, happy and healthy.

I realize I have not been faithful to blog as much as I had planned to over the last few years.  Forgive me for my laziness (or busyness-whatever you want to call it).  I just felt like I didn’t have anything to share that would  contribute to the already saturated blog-o-sphere.

For some time now I have been thinking about doing a blog sharing tips and tricks on how to throw a party on a budget.  I have been scouring the internet trying to find a blog with this subject and seem to come up short.  All I really come across are a list of 10 or so “tips” to help you on your way to having a memorable party.  Hogwash I say!  So I am going to share tips and ideas that I have learned/come up with to throwing a memorable party on the cheap.  I’ve done parties for anywhere between $50 to $1000 so whatever your budget, I hope I will be able to help you throw the best party possible.

I should also add that this blog is not going to be about “made to order” party packages.  I understand if you are short on time and money.  I understand that your daughter is in love with Dora and the plates and party package was on sale at Party City.  I get it.  There is nothing wrong with that.  But this blog is intended to help take it to the next level of partydom.  You can use those items, but still make it memorable to the kids/parents/friends with adding more dimensions.

Throwing a great party takes time and thought.  But impromtu parties are also really fun and can be great.  It just takes having the right tools.

Thanks for joining me on this journey and I hope we can learn from each other!