Twenty Something

How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent

2011-09-27T06:11:00.000-07:00

I talk a lot about making my own cleaners here. There are a lot of reasons to make your own cleaners, but in today's economy, I think the strongest persuasion is the price.

One of my new favorite cleaners is a DIY natural laundry soap that I found browsing Pintrest. Not only is this made from earth-friendly ingredients, it's also super cheap, and almost easier than just going to the store to buy detergent. In fact, I believe once you do the math, it comes out to about .5 a load. You can't beat that even buying in bulk.

You'll only need three ingredients to make this laundry detergent:

Borax
Fels Naptha Soap (or any other mild soap)
Washing Soda-I use Arm and Hammer.

Even better, I didn't have to go searching for ingredients. All 3 items were displayed on the same shelf in the laundry section at my local grocery store.

To make this soap, all you need to do is finely grate 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap using a cheese grater. This took awhile, but maybe I'm just a slow grater! Once you're done with that part, though, you just need to measure out 1 cup of washing soda-it's very important that you get washing soda and not baking soda-and 1 cup of Borax and pour them into the same container as the soap and mix it well. I put mine in a pretty glass jar, but a plastic Ziplock container works just as well.

Once you've got it mixed well, it's ready to use. The original instructions I read said to just use 1 tbs for a normal load of laundry, but I found that it cleans better using about 1 1/2. I also add a splash of distilled vinegar to make my clothes softer. It certainly helps when you're used to liquid laundry detergent and fabric softener.

I've used about half of my first batch of detergent, so I can honestly say that I love it. It smells so fresh and clean while it's washing, but when you pull your clothes out, they just smell clean, with no extra scent. I guess that can be a pro or a con, depending on your preference. I think on my next batch I'll experiment with adding some essential oils for scent, but otherwise, I can't imagine ever going back to regular detergent again!

Crochet Pumpkin Beanie - Free Pattern!

2011-09-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

When I think of fall, I think of trips to the pumpkin patch, brisk mornings, pumpkin pie, and of course, Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte's.

Notice a trend, here? Yeah...fall, to me, screams, pumpkin!

This little pumpkin beanie is a super cute fall hat, whether for photography props or just an every day fall hat. Want to make one? Great! Because I've decided to offer this pattern up for FREE! The only catch is, I only have the instructions written for 6-12 month and 2T-4T sizes. Still, little kids make the cutest chubby pumpkins anyway :)

So, how do you get a copy of this pattern? It's simple! It's available as a free download in my Ravelry storefront. Go ahead, there are seriously no strings attached. I just felt like offering a fun, seasonal hat to you!

Happy Crocheting!

Beach Day

2011-07-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh...

Yesterday morning, when we woke up, we discovered that for the first time in over a week, we had gorgeous blue skies. While the rain last week was a welcome change after such a dry summer, the sun that followed was almost more welcome!

We decided during coffee that we would take off for the day and hit the beach for a little fun in the sun. It was such a relaxing day, something we've all needed for awhile after the stresses of a job hunt.

My cousin and her kids came with us, and the kids had a blast skipping through the water, building sand "cakes" and "snow angels", and collecting sea shells.

Living near the beaches again is definitely a perk to being back home. It is so nice to go spend the day at the beach after having made no plans to do so!

It's Hard to Do...

2011-07-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

I want to write. So badly, do I want to write. I have all of these ideas swimming in my head. I have a notebook I carry around, just so I can jot down what's in my head at any given time.

I just can't.

It's hard to focus, these days. It's hard to think about things like crafting tutorials, writing prompts, discussing the "why's" of the last few months. It's hard to do any of that when everything feels so up in the air.

I thought things were finally coming together. I thought that after years of struggling and sacrificing, we'd finally hit "pay day." I was wrong. So, so, so wrong.

It's just hard to care about anything but my disappointment this week.

I feel like the last few years have been spent on Humpty Dumpty. Yeah...the egg guy that fell from the wall. After my husband's discharge from the military, I've felt like all we've done is focus on putting Humpty Dumpty back together again. This month, he was whole, all except one vital piece. The piece we couldn't find.

That left him weak for this last fall, and now, all I can do is worry that he'll never be whole.

Christmas in July on Etsy

2011-07-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Having worked in retail half of my adult life, I have turned into one of those people that starts shopping for Christmas presents somewhere around the beginning of the school year. I know, I'm one of those shoppers! I promise, you can be prepared for the holidays early without busting out the Christmas carols and knit sweaters in July.

source

All "Christmas in July" really means is that you can take advantage of some really great sales and start stocking up on Christmas gifts early. If you do a lot of shopping online, it's always best to order early. Businesses get backed up, and so does the post office, so Christmas in July is a great way to get rid of the stress of holiday shipping times.

So, for those of you like me that like to get some (or all) of your shopping done with plenty of time, or love shopping online, this sale is for you!

source

Many Etsy sellers are offering up Christmas in July sales this month. Some of them have already started, and some will be starting shortly.

CUTEure Creations will be having a sale this week! Starting Sunday, July 10th, everything in my etsy shop will be 20% off for 2 weeks! Make sure you check it out. I will have my fall line tentatively out for sale (all color options will not be shown but custom orders will be welcome) along with the products you already know and love. If you are a fan of mine on Facebook you'll be able to see additional offers and ready to ship items throughout the time of the sale.

source

Make sure you come check it out!

Can Discipline Go Overboard?

2011-07-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

We all know that disciplining children is a touchy subject among parents. Everyone thinks that their way is the best way. We've all read books, blogs, and websites from different "experts" on the topic of parenthood and young children.

Today, I had the pleasure of stumbling across two different blogs (here, and here) discussing different sides on this subject. The differing views between the two sparked something in me that I just needed to share.

They are both fairly short posts, and both very worth the read. They bring up some great topics.

Upon my initial reading of the post "Are You Damaging Your Kid's Self-Esteem?", I was appalled. What right does she have to tell me I'm pimping out my child when I ask for a hug or a kiss? I feel like my daughter is a very affectionate child, and that I've helped her become that way. This point is just hard to swallow. I grew up giving my relatives hugs and kisses (on the mouth, too!) and I in no way feel that this has caused emotional damage. I did not grow up to believe that the only way I can earn affection is by handing out kisses, or worse. At what point would I be considered "pimping" my child? Is it when I ask her to show Nanna how she has learned all the words to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," including all of the signs? Or is it only considered pimping if I push the issue after she says "no"?

The author then goes on to discuss our "know it all" attitude as parents. To an extent, I do agree with what she has written here. She gives the example of telling your child to put a sweater on when it's cold. "Let your kid get cold. Let him know where a sweater is just in case," is her advice. Why should I insist that my daughter wear a sweater when she is telling me she isn't cold? I have found I am much more successful when I just suggest she wear a sweater. If she refuses, then she can go outside and see how cold she is and make the decision herself. To me, this proves two points.

1) I believe she is an individual capable of making her own decisions-to an extent. She is only 2 years old. and
2) Maybe sometimes mamma knows best. Next time I suggest a sweater, she may believe me when I say it's cold, and grab her sweater.

Where do I draw that line, though? If my potty trained 2 year old says she doesn't need to go potty before nap, do I just let her go straight to bed knowing she'll be up in 5 minutes asking to pee? Or do I insist she at least try before nap time so she can go to sleep easier.

What about at bed time when she tells me she's not tired after spending the last 30 minutes rubbing her eyes and yawning? Do I really just let her stay up because she insists?

Can I tell her to say "please" and "thank you," or is that asking her to perform on command again?

I fear that if we take this school of thought too far-the school of thought that telling your child to do something ruins their self esteem and ability to listen to their bodily cues- that we may end up with an even worse situation than the one we are already in. How many day time talk shows do we have to see with the title "I'm scared of my 3 year old," to learn that it's okay to offer guidance and discipline to your young child? The point is, everything in moderation. It's a good rule to learn in life. I personally have found the best approach to be the power of suggestion, versus insisting she do it my way.

I would love some other opinions on this subject. Do you find today's parents to be too pushy with their children?

The Perfect Hiding Place {Writing Prompt}

2011-06-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Like most kids, at nine years old, I had a best friend. At the time, she was really the only friend I had, to be honest. Every afternoon after school, I would go to her house to play. Her house was my sanctuary. I could listen to New Kids on the Block. I could play video games. Her family lived on a coul de sac full of other kids from school, so we would get together and play kick ball, chase, soft ball, and other childhood favorites.

Things I couldn’t do at home. Friends didn’t come to my house. I wasn’t allowed to listen to anything but country music, or wear fun clothes. The neighborhood kids were all much older. Playing at my friend’s house was the only time I had to be a kid.

Then, my parents did the un-thinkable. They ripped me away from my entire life, and we moved to a new town, a new school, and a new life. What’s worse, we moved from a thriving, busy metropolitan out to farm country with the world’s smallest school district, biggest yards, and fewest neighbors.


I wish my nook looked this awesome.

Moving away from my sanctuary was a hard adjustment for me. I had nowhere to hide and be a kid again. I couldn’t make new friends in such a small town. All of these kids had been friends since birth. I was the weird kid, the outsider. I promised myself and my parents that I would go back home. That I would leave the one-horse-town our new home resided in, and go back to the city. I just needed time to pack. I needed to “iron out the details.”

Once, during recess, a boy in my class told me that if I just followed the railroad tracks, they would lead my straight out of town. He said I couldn’t get lost if I just stayed by the railroad tracks. I thought about it. I road in the bus past those railroad tracks every day on my way home from school. I could just never get the courage. I was a very compassionate person, even at such a young age. Every time I thought I had the courage up to leave, I would realize my birthday was coming up, or Christmas, or Mothers day. I thought to myself, “If I left now, it would hurt them too much to enjoy the holiday. I’ll wait until it’s over.”

Needless to say, I never ran away from home. I mean, where would I have gone? Instead, I created a safe haven for myself. I created my own little world that no one ever knew about in the back of my closet-complete with a reading lamp, my journal, my favorite pillow, and a stack of books that could take me anywhere I wanted to go. Just like that, I had found my sanctuary-my perfect hiding place. I spent every afternoon in there doing homework, reading books, and writing. I like to think that is where my love of writing came from.

Best of all, no one else knew it ever existed until just now.

These days, I no longer have a special hiding place in my closet. I'd love to have my own little nook, even as an adult. Of course, now, I'd settle for a great writing nook hidden in my closet!

While I don't think this was officially part of Mamma Kat's writer's workshop, I did find this writing prompt on her blog and it inspired me!

'Tis the Season...For Gift Making!

2011-06-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! Well...not really. It's not Christmas time yet. After all, it's supposed to be somewhere up in the 90's again here today. So no, it's definitely not the season...yet.

source

However, if you're anything like me-and I hope some of you are-you'll realize that yesterday was exactly 6 months until Christmas. That's right. Yesterday was 6/25. So the count down has officially begun!

I know, I know. Everyone is sick of hearing about the holidays earlier and earlier each year. I promise I'm not going to start singing Jingle Bells and break out the decorations just yet. In fact, I usually don't truly get into the spirit of Christmas until December. Sometimes. The thing is, though, that for the last 3 years, I have sworn I would have a hand-made Christmas. Unfortunately, between running and online crafty business and keeping my daughter occupied, that has yet to happen. Sure, I end up with a few hand-made gifts to give out, but nothing extra-ordinary.

I realized last night, that if I truly want to do this, I've got to start early. You know, like June! So, here I am, compiling lists of crafts and fun ideas for everyone on my Christmas list. I thought it would be fun to share as I go for anyone else interested in a DIY holiday.

Will you join me in planning a DIY holiday? I would love to hear about your adventure in handmade gift making!

One Item Down, 56 More to Go.

2011-06-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

That's right. I just finished something else off of my Bucket List.

~~43. Take a road-trip across the country in our bus~~.

I guess it sort of depends on how technical you want to get though. I mean, we did take a road trip camping in the bus. Does it matter that the bus was being towed?

That's right. That's a U-Haul towing our bus. We towed it all the way from Washington to Texas. I won't get into the gory details, but let's suffice it to say that during my absence from blogging, I was busy packing, driving across the country (again), and adjusting.

Of course, our current residence is very temporary, but it was still an adjustment. I'm back in my childhood hometown, a place I never thought I'd return to for any extended period of time. That itself is a post all on it's own, or maybe a book. I haven't decided yet.

Any way, we did travel across the country, camping in our 1972 VW bus. It's a sort of fun story, when you exclude the stress of moving and making it to town by a certain day. I've joked a lot about becoming a "hippie" during my time in Washington, but honestly, none of the green living, crunchy lifestyle habits made me feel more like a hippie than traveling across the country, camping in this bus wherever we stopped, and not showering for four days!

It was pretty cool. We sure attracted a lot of attention from passers-by, even had a few friendly conversations. After all, when strangers see you step out of a bus that's being towed by a 26' U-Haul trailer, questions are bound to come up.

I'm not going to cross this one off of my list just yet, as much as I'd like to. After all, we didn't drive the bus. Plus, I'd like to leave that one staring at me a little longer to encourage a trip East, just for fun this time instead of necessity.

So, here it is, staring at me and just waiting to be crossed off for real next time:
43. Take a road-trip across the country in our bus.

Sure Enough, Snow..

2011-02-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

Well, sure enough...we've got snow. In late February even. It started mid-morning yesterday and has been snowing off and on for the last 24 hours. My front yard has turned into a bit of a winter wonderland.. It's quite beautiful, depending on your tastes.

My tastes change throughout the year. Even a month ago, I would have thought this was beautiful. I would have been thrilled at the chance to play in the snow and would have been drinking hot chocolate while watching it out the window. Now, however? Now my inner Texan is kicking and screaming like a 2 year old in a candy aisle.

It's not supposed to snow in almost-March! My body is aching for 70 degree weather and salty air. I want to buy tank tops and sandals again. I want to need a reason to look good in a bikini again! I'm tired of hats (okay, not really!), long sleeve shirts, and layers.

Oh, beautiful snow, I love you, but you're a little late this year. Can you please let the sun come out to play?

The Bucket List

2011-02-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

I know many bloggers and writers in general make a list of things they want to do in their life. I finally decided to jump on the bandwagon and get mine down on paper, so I have something to hold myself accountable for.

So, here are the top 100 things I want to do before I'm too old to do them. I'll keep this updated to the best of my abilities and mark things off as they are done.

1. ~~Get Married~~
2. ~~See the Pacific Ocean~~
3. See the Atlantic Ocean
4. ~~Visit Europe~~
5. Visit Europe with my family
6. See a real castle
7. Go to Disney World
8. Go on a cruise
9. Write a book
10. Get published
11. Get a bachelors degree
12. Get a masters degree
13. Run a successful business
14. Buy a house
15. Start riding a bike as an adult
16. ~~Have a kid~~
17. Accumulate frequent flyer miles (but first, learn how to accumulate frequent flyer miles)
18. See New England
19. Visit NYC
20. Have a well-known blog
21. Find more time to pamper myself
22. Cook a dish that impresses "foodies"
23. Have my products featured in a magazine
24. Learn how to take photographer-worthy photos
25. Plant and tend to a flower garden
26. Plant and tend to a fruit/veggie garden
27. Landscape a yard
28. Have a home that people enjoy visiting
29. Have articles published in a magazine
30. Get a dog
31. Do a hiking trip that lasts at least 2 days
32. Learn to spin yarn
33. Learn to dye yarn
34. ~~Learn to sew~~
35. Sew an outfit
36. Get my products into a store
37. Look good in a bathing suit again
38. Learn how to navigate without GPS
39. Have a 100% hand-made Christmas
40. Make hats for chemo patients
41. Build a tree-house/fort for my kids (or have W build it)
42. See Hawaii
43. Take a road-trip across the country in our bus
44. Visit Canada
45. Have a "trash the dress" photo shoot
46. Renew our vows
47. Go on a (late) honeymoon
48. Vacation somewhere "all inclusive"
49. Get paid to write on a regular basis
50. Have a second kid
51. Visit the Carolinas with my family
52. ~~Get down below my wedding day weight~~
53. ~~Go camping with my family~~
54. Have an organized work space/craft room
55. Hire a cleaning service
56. Be able to afford good schools for my kids
57. Help support my family
58. Learn to speak a foreign language fluently
59. Backpack across Europe
60. Teach someone how to do a craft
61. Celebrate a 10 year anniversary with Willie
62. Celebrate 25+ years with Willie
63. Be known for something positive I have accomplished
64. Hire an interior designer
65. ~~Join a book club~~

A Letter to my Future Teen

2011-02-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

I've recently re-discovered Mama Kat's blog and her weekly writing prompts. This week, I decided to join in, and chose to write a letter to my future teen.

Dear Daughter,

As I write this letter, you are 2 (going on 13). You're just discovering your independence and the fact that you do have opinions. They call this age the "terrible twos", and I can certainly see why everyone fears toddlers. However, I wouldn't call them terrible. You're strong willed, emotional, and very opinionated, but all of these things are what makes you you. Parenting "experts" and all of the well-meaning advice from friends has nothing on you, but I enjoy the challenge! We're certainly never bored in this house.

You've been my biggest lesson in humility. After all, I never did enjoy asking for help, and I have learned that sometimes I need it. After all, I don't know how I would have made it through your colicky phase if I hadn't had your father to take turns with during that time.

I know that as you get older, you and I will butt heads a lot. We'll have differing opinions on what is best for you, and if you'll really marry that boyfriend of yours after graduation. It's just a matter of fact given that we are both so similar. As much as we may fight, though, I want you to know that even my worst days as a parent have far surpassed even my very best days before you came into my life.

I hope this letter finds us with a good relationship and a great appreciation for each other.

Love,

Mommy

Wanderlust

2011-01-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

Kalaloch, WA

My whole life, I have always had the distinct feeling that the grass would be greener on the other side. I always felt like there was somewhere else I should be; somewhere bigger and better. I was a big traveler, heading out to big cities and exotic places. Every time I went somewhere new, I started daydreaming of living there. Then, I moved here and it all changed. I feel like from the moment I arrived in Washington, I knew I had finally found a place to settle down. As it turns out, the grass really is greener here. So are the trees. It must be all of the rain.

For the first time in my life, there is no where I'd rather be. My wanderlust has finally been satisfied. Sure, I get homesick-quite frequently as a matter of fact, but I have no desire to leave here now, or any time soon.

Ironically, for the first time in my life, the decision is not entirely in my hands. I've mentioned before the struggles we've faced since moving here. It's been a hard (almost) three years here, and we're reaching the end of a very long journey that has left us achy and tired, and ready for a nice big meal. In other words, Willie is almost done with school, and the job searching has begun.

While he's searching, the reality is hitting the two of us like a ton of bricks. This is it. It's basically our last chance. He's gone back to school. We've made the required sacrifices. We've (well, he's) worked the odd jobs and gone without insurance, all to make this happen. This is the end of the road. We've already decided that if-after all of this-he is still unable to find the appropriate work for someone with his education and experience here, we'll have to expand the job search as far as it will reach.

The idea saddens me. I can't imagine leaving here. By the time all of this works out, we will have been here for three years. That's the longest I've lived anywhere other than the place I grew up, and even then I left as soon as I had graduated!

Seattle skyline at twilight, seen from West Seattle

Of course, this is the worst-case scenario. We've still got our hopes high that the area will prove as fruitful as we'd imagined when we first set our sights on the northwest. Still, it never hurts to be prepared for all the possibilities. In that mindset, I've been slowly coming to grips with the fact that I may have to say good-bye soon to a place that has finally felt like home. It's left me a bit withdrawn and cranky.

This is not like me, though. I don't really know how to react to the idea of leaving a place before I'm ready. Last week, for example, we had to come up with a list of the top ten places we would be willing to transfer for a job. Yes, top ten places we would transfer. It's a pretty impressive job, too, so of course we came up with a list of places we would like to see. After all, this was our agreement when we decided to move here. We had to allow it to be a temporary home if necessary. We have no true roots holding us here, so we must be willing to go where we can find a decent income. The only problem is, neither of us expected to become this attached to a place where we knew no one two and a half years ago.

Bachelors Degree in Thriftiness

2011-01-24T10:09:00.000-08:00

Like everyone else, my family has been hit pretty hard with the economy the last few years. Regardless, we made it work. We scrimped and saved and we've gone with only one car for the last three years now.

See, the economy took a dive right before Willie got out of the air force and we moved across country. Despite our high hopes, Willie was unable to get a job in even a similar field of work since we've moved here. I won't give you the exact figures, of course, but let's just say we've grown used to living on about a third of what we should be, with an extra mouth to feed even!

It's been hard, to say the least. It's been a lot of sacrifices and prioritizing. I mentioned the other day that it's almost my turn to go back to school. I don't know why, since I've certainly had the longest course ever in living a thrifty life. I should be getting my bachelors degree in thriftiness any day now.

source

Our biggest problem area, like most families, is groceries. I've had to learn to stick to a list. I mean, wow! I never realized how many pointless things we bought before, but even now if I don't make a list, I watch our total quickly exceed what it should. My trick is to plan 8-9 dinners for 2 weeks. I know that sounds wrong, but when you shop using whole ingredients rather than boxes, it lasts so much longer! For example, if I want to make chicken and broccoli Alfredo, I would buy frozen chicken breasts (or a whole chicken), a couple of heads of broccoli, a box of pasta, Parmesan cheese, butter, and heavy cream. I'm certainly not going to use a whole chicken or an entire package of butter. I most likely won't use all of the Parmesan or pasta either since my family eats maybe half a box of pasta. See? Now I have all of these extra ingredients for another meal!

As of this week, I've even begun using coupons. In fact, Saturday I sent Willie out on our very first coupon run. I need to re-install the printer program on my computer since I had to wipe it clean recently, but I found cellfire.com thanks to a friend. This site lets you register your store rewards cards for the grocery stores you frequent, and you load coupons right onto your rewards card. It's awesome! You just let them scan your card during check out like always and the coupons are automatically deducted from your total. Isn't that amazing?! I never thought I would be the type to use coupons, but after talking to so many people that get things practically for free, I decided I must try it! This week's grocery shopping trip will most definitely include as many coupons as I can get my hands on. It's time for me to take that step and save even more money.

Anyway, hopefully by including coupons into my weekly shopping, I can save even more money, therefore putting more money in our pockets. In a way, it's almost like getting a pay raise! Until there is an actual pay raise in our future, we'll just have to stick with our thriftiness. Maybe this is supposed to be a life lesson. It's better that I learn this now, when we don't have money so that I can continue to use it one day when we are both working and bringing in a good paycheck, right?

When I Grow Up

2011-01-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

Do you remember when you were a child, and grown-ups would always ask what you wanted to be when you grew up? Do you remember any of your answers?

I'm reading a book for Addie called Taming the Spirited Child (more on that another time), and the author talks about helping spirited children find their passion in order to meet their full potential. In this chapter, the author mentions asking children what they want to be when they grow up, and expanding on that to support their interests. It's supposed to make them more focused and give them direction later in life, even if it is a different direction.

This chapter got me thinking about what I always wanted to be. I came up with nothing. Not a single inkling as to what my childhood aspirations were. Did I want to be a doctor? A lawyer? A princess? I have no idea!

An interesting fact about this is that I also feel I've never had any direction. The road that travels through my teen and young adult years is long and winding, often going in complete circles just to bring me somewhere I've already been. It's no wonder I have no career or goals. I've never been able to settle on anything for longer than a minute.

I do realize that most people don't even end up doing what they said they would as a child. As you grow up, the curtain lifts and you see the not-so-glamorous side of those dreams. Maybe you chose another dream, and another, until you finally found one and stuck with it. Maybe your childhood dreams had absolutely nothing to do with your career now. Money and power can be great motivators.

I feel like I must have been asked this question a million times as a child. It's almost time for me to go back to school, and while I'm still looking at my options, I feel as though my hand has already been dealt. I waited too long to go back to school. I feel like now it's just time to find a degree that will land me a title rather than a dream job. So now I have to figure out, what do I want to be when I grow up?

Holiday Traditions

2010-12-24T09:04:00.000-08:00

He's making a list, checking it twice. Gonna find out who's naughty or nice. Santa Claus is coming to town!

I can hear the bells on Santa's sleigh already! He'll be here before we know it! For the first year, Addie will really understand what's going on in the morning. I must say, Christmas as a parent is almost more fun than Christmas as a kid. We've had Addie's gifts from Santa tucked away for weeks just itching to hand them out early, but we're resisted!

As a kid growing up, Santa always brought us the biggest, coolest gift of all of them. It would be set up in front of the tree just waiting to be played with the minute we walked into the living room on Christmas morning. I really love how my parents did this, but apparently it's not the most common way to experience Santa. Apparently for most kids, he wraps his presents, and apparently brings them a lot more than he ever brought me! See, Santa only brought us one gift on Christmas morning. It was always our "big gift" of the year. For example, our trampoline was from Santa. Our bikes growing up were from Santa. Everything else was from our parents, wrapped under the tree for weeks.

I plan to continue this tradition with Addie. There was just something more magical to me about getting the toys directly from the workshop. Santa even had it completely put together for me so I wouldn't have to wait to play with it. He is so thoughtful.

Tonight, we'll be putting together a new kitchen for Addie, complete with food, dishes, cook-ware, and even an apron (made by me!). I can't wait to see the look on her face when she comes into the living room and sees it. I wonder if we'll even get her to open everything else!

So, does Santa visit your kids? How does he display the gifts? Wrapped in Santa wrapping paper? Or set up and ready for action?

Potty Training Success! (Parents Only!)

2010-12-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

Warning: If you're not a parent you probably don't want to read this post, as it talks about topics most adults don't normally discuss.

As you know from my previous post, we have successfully potty trained Addie!

We started about 2 weeks ago, letting her run naked at home. I had a few days where I knew we'd be home with no plans and Willie would be at work (he stresses about naked time) so I decided to go for it. Why not, right? She hates being wet or dirty and always tells me with plenty of advance when she needs to poop. She knows what the potty is used for and even would occasionally ask to sit on it, we just never had any potty action on the toilet which was the only thing discouraging me. I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try for a few days and see what happens though. If the first couple of days weren't a success, we could always just put a diaper back on her and try again later.

I had everything in place. I made a sticker chart and had a stack of sticker sheets at the ready. 3 stickers equaled 1 piece of candy or a prize, so I had plenty of rub-on tattoos and some left-over halloween candy at the ready. I had a potty seat in the living room and one in the common bathroom (we'd had so little luck with the toilet so I thought maybe this would help). I had 3 sippy cups filled with water to encourage her to drink more. We were ready to give it a try.

The first part of the day was....very discouraging to say the least. She wouldn't drink the water. Any of it. I think she had maybe half a sippy cup of water all day! At random intervals throughout the day I'd ask her if she was thirsty and she'd take a small sip and put it down. Just not interested in water. She wouldn't sit on the potty, and would just stand there with pee running down her legs saying "uh oh!" when she was standing right next to the potty peeing. It was very frustrating. I would pick her up and toss her on the potty only to have her immediately stop in transit and refuse to finish on the potty. I tried having her help me clean up the wet spot and I tried having her practice running to the potty after she peed (all the while continuing to act like it was no big deal that she just peed all over the floor because hey, accidents happen). Nothing doing. What I needed was to get her to pee-even just a tiny drop-in her potty so she could see how exciting it was. I began to sort of hover that afternoon so I could toss her quickly onto the potty. Early that first evening, we finally had a teensy bit of success! I was able to grab her quickly and sit her on her potty mid-stream and she got 3 tiny drops in the potty. Who cares. I made a huge deal out of it, we made up a dance and she got her very first sticker for her chart! I was still pretty discouraged though, and at that point had decided we'd probably give potty training a break for a few more weeks before we tried again.

Then, as a total last minute decision, I asked Addie before bed if she wanted to try to sit on the potty and maybe earn another sticker. A very excited Addie ran over to the potty and lo and behold...peed! Peed like she hadn't peed all day!! Very encouraging if I do say so myself. Those few minutes changed my mind and I decided to give it another try the next day.

Monday morning, we woke up and just didn't put on a new diaper. I made the mistake of eagerly asking her often if she wanted to use the potty-which she refused every time. Heaven forbid she make me happy, right? She continued for the most part to just pee on the floor and ask for diapers, but she did manage to go on the potty again that night. Again, I was encouraged and decided to give it another day.

That's sort of when things slowed down for a bit. We all ended up with a stomach bug that had us laying on the couch for 2 days. Everyone was miserable and not even caring about potty training. Addie asked for a diaper and I put one on her just because it was easier. She stayed in a diaper the whole day, and most of Wednesday. Needless to say, we were a bit worried about not having a diaper on her if she had a stomach bug! That was not a mess I wanted to worry about cleaning on a queasy stomach.

Thursday, though, we got right back to it, and had a bit more success. I had decided to take the advice of a fellow mom and stop asking her if she needed to go potty. The logic behind it was that she's be more able to focus on her bodily signals if she wasn't being nagged by me all day. We just went about our daily business all day and suddenly, I hear "Pee pee potty, momma!" as she runs to the potty and pees...completely by herself! This happened 2 more times throughout the day. Finally! Some success! On top of that, she got her first piece of candy!

On Saturday, something seemed to have clicked. She woke up that morning telling me she had to potty, and continued to tell me and run to the potty all day long! 7 stickers!!! Only 2 "accidents" all day long! In less than a week, Addie was potty trained to the point that I was only changing a diaper in the morning and at nap time, and not dealing with pee on the floor. 1 week, and that included 2 sick days in a diaper.

Ever since that Saturday, Addie has gone regularly in the potty with fewer and fewer accidents. In fact, we'd gone almost a week without an accident at all until yesterday! We've started putting her in pull ups all day now so that she's not just potty trained while naked, and we can even bring her out in public and she'll still tell us she has to go. In fact, most days this week we've had errands to run, and they've all been successful! The only time she has an issue is when she's really distracted (like yesterday) and has friends over all day. Who has time to pee when you're defending your territory and making sure another toddler doesn't walk off with your Thomas toy?

Back in the Saddle Again

2010-12-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

You heard me right. I plan to get back in the blogging saddle.

I've missed blogging. I thought my first post back on the blog should be a bit of an update for you. The last few months have just gone by in a blur. To be truthful, I'm kind of wondering what happened to summer?

So let's see. You all know I started my own business last November. Starting this past spring, it really began to take off, and this summer, I began participating as a vendor in the local crafts market.

It's been a fun ride, but a fast one. Once I started in June, it's basically all I could think about until about a month ago. I'm now on a break, but I'm still trying to really bulk up my selections for next year which will hopefully start slowly in March and build steam until the summer. I don't plan to do as much during the holiday season though. Surprisingly, that was the worst for me! I've been offering more and more adult selections, although if you look at my shop, I still don't have many listed. That will be changing soon! In the meantime, you can check my fan page and see some of my custom pieces, or just email me and ask if I can make something if you have an idea of what you'd like in mind!

I did also start a CUTEure Blog but wow. If you think this blog has been abandoned, just go check out that one! I'm still trying to figure out what people want from that blog. Free patterns? Crochet tips and tricks? Shop updates? Articles on how to sell on etsy vs craft shows? No idea. I have a hard time considering myself informed in any field so writing informative posts has always been hard for me! If you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see on that blog, feel free to tell me!

In my personal life, things have been going well. We've switched Addie over to a toddler bed (which was a hard transition!) and this past week we began potty training her (which has been as easy as the toddler bed was hard). Within a week she has almost no accidents! I will write a detailed post about how we did it this week.

We also bought a bus! So far, it hasn't been much fun . We bought it with the intention of using it for my last couple of shows last season (the last of which would have been a ton easier if I could have camped out there. Unfortunately, as these things go, it has required a lot more work than we were forewarned about. We've already put several hundred dollars and a few weeks worth of solid work into it, only to have it drive around the block once and then throw a rod in the engine! For those of you that know as much about engines as I do, that's not a good thing. The engine is now going to require a total rebuild (we think) which could cost more than we paid for it in the first place! What a bummer. We're going to try and just look for a re-built engine that we can put in it for now so we can enjoy the bus, and then Willie can slowly focus on re-building the one we have now for a back up.

Otherwise, there is not much going on. I've been in a writing slump. As much as I've wanted to get on here and write a post, I just couldn't muster the motivation and time to do it. Hopefully, this time I can get more regular. I'm still learning to manage my time and commitments with the semi-new business and family life. I've deserted half of my friends, and poor Addie went through a few weeks of lock down due to me just forgetting that we needed a life!

I think that's about it for an update. I mean it's a "quick-get-you-up-to-date" sort of update and not a long drawn out story about the last few months that would take a super long time to read and write, but hey, I wrote a blog post. I'm proud of myself!

Putting Her to Work..

2010-11-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

Well, Addie's second birthday has come and gone. One of her gifts from us was a toddler camera. I'm happy to say it's given her hours of entertainment!

For instance, the other day I had several items to photograph for CUTEure Creations and a very busy, hyper toddler to manage outside as well. We've been having a hard time dealing with her running away from us as soon as we're somewhere she can't run away (parking lots, busy shows, the mall, the road). I'm still trying things out to figure out how to deal with it, so right now I just try to keep her distracted and busy when we're in those situations.

While photographing items, I started having problems with her trying to run to the ditch (next to our very busy road) so I decided to put her to work.

Taking photos, of course! She had a blast, and mimicked everything I did, from kneeling for a good angle, to adjusting the products, to checking the photos on the camera to see how they looked.

It was so cute. I think she's earned herself a job!

It's So Quiet...

2010-11-12T23:01:00.000-08:00

I hadn't realized until last night quite how silent it's been around here.

Unfortunately, I don't have much to say about that :-/

Just let me get through Addie's birthday party this weekend.

Then there are 3 more shows left in my season. 2 the weekend of the 20th, 1 the weekend after Thanksgiving.

After that, I should be back!

A Bad Post...

2010-10-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

To be honest, lately I haven't been in a good place.

I feel sort of invisible. Even when people see me. Even when they talk to me. I feel like my opinions and my knowledge don't matter. Like I have nothing to bring to the table.

I feel like I'm clinging to friendships I lost years ago. I feel like if I didn't make an effort on my end, communication with many people would be non-existent.

I feel unimportant, and sort of lame.

I feel like it's showing in everything I do now. In the way I approach situations. In the way I approach friends.

I feel like my stress level is way up from where it should be, and that I snap way too often.

I feel like I want to do something about it, but the harder I try, the more invisible I become. The less people notice.

Thank you to the few who do notice me, and what I have to bring to the table.

Thank you for valuing my opinions and ideas.

Thank you for noticing what I do right, instead of only what I do poorly.

Sorry it's not a happy post. Sorry it's not poetic.

Sorry it's the first post of the month on a flat note.

It's just something I needed to get off my chest.

Now and Then - Camping with Toddlers

2010-09-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the huge delay in blogging. I really feel like I'm neglecting my dear readers that actually take the time to read!

This month has been crazy hectic with my shop. The first half of the month was spent in a crocheting frenzy stressing out about show #3 (which was a big bust!), then I went out of town for a little over a week for my show and a trip. That's right. It's the time of year for the "H&C" annual camping trip on the coast! This year, we were camping with toddlers! The majority of the trip was spent talking about the differences from last years trip. Last year, Addie and Loren were just learning to stand up. In fact, I believe they both stood unsupported for the first time during our trip! They were just babies then. We took 10 month pictures of the girls on that trip.

This year, we could barely get them to sit still. Well, for part of the trip Addie had the flu (fairly mild, though. We thought it was a stomach bug until Willie caught it this week!), but while they were both active and feeling well, it was a pretty fun time.

Here's a few photos to show off our activities and what a difference a year makes with kids.

Addie and Loren in the tent last year

Addie and Loren in the RV this year

Addie and Loren playing on the beach last year

Addie and Loren playing on the beach this year

A comparison photo!

We knew during our trip that the differences were major, but until I looked back through photos from last year, I hadn't realized exactly how much had changed, or how much had stayed the same.

This Must be Why They Call Me Crazy

2010-09-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed with your mom friends that there seems to be 3 different groups of moms?

You've got the Group One over "here" that has 2 or 3 kids already, all close in age, along with the moms that plan to have 2-3 kids within the next couple of years. They think this is a great idea. They think "this way, I can get all of the diapers, sleepless nights, childbirth, and pregnancy over with all at once and move onto the fun times." Before I had Addie, I was part of this group. This group that wanted to get this part of child raising over with all at once. It's not that they don't enjoy this part of being a mom, they just want to go through all of the stages as few times as possible.

Group Two, on the other hand, is over there on the other side of the room. They've each got 1 toddler running around. This is the group for only children, right? Wrong. Well, technically they are still the only child, but Mom plans to have more. Eventually. You know, once their first kid gets a little older, a little more independent, maybe even starts kindergarten. Group One looks at these moms like they are crazy. They think "how could you want to start completely over after so long?!" In a way, they are right. Essentially, you are starting over with a new baby once your mind and body are out of practice. There are the pro's to this group, though. Your body has more time to heal, the older child can "help out", you get some one-on-one time with the new baby to bond while your oldest is at school.

Then, you've also got Group Three. This group has been there, done that, and got a post card. They don't need to go back. They're done. They've got their child. He's perfect in every way, how could they possibly try to create perfection twice? Okay, maybe that's not really what they're thinking, but for one reason or another, they only want their one child. Group One and Group Two don't understand it, but hey, who are they to say how to live your life, right?

Before I had Addie, I was part of Group One. I figured it would be easier, they would be closer, and I could be "done" all at once. This seems to be the most popular group. Maybe that's because people are having kids later in life. Maybe it's the high-powered careers more women have. Who knows. All I know is that this is the going thought nowadays.

After having Addie, though, I slowly found myself joining Group Two. I just wasn't ready to do it all over again. As the time came to start talking about "trying" again, Willie and I both found ourselves avoiding it at all costs. Neither of us were ready. We decided to wait a few years. We're young, after all. What's the rush? We'll wait until we're ready and we've got more income.

Once I started sharing this idea with others from Group One, I started getting these looks. Looks that silently say you're crazy. Out loud they would say something like "Oh wow! I don't know if I could do it all over again in a few years. I really want my kids close in age." Sure, I know what you're saying behind those words. You know what though? I'm starting to believe you.

Maybe I am crazy. Maybe all those moms in Group One actually had it right, because let me tell you. Once you hit those terrible two's, you kind of don't want to start over. At least I don't.

Addie isn't even one of the really bad kids, either! She just won't do time outs. Trust me. We've tried it all, from standing behind her to make her not move, to re-starting a timer, and even using her bedroom! It just hasn't been working. I have her say "sorry" and talk to her about her time out when she's done. She won't do it. When she does say sorry, she turns around and hits/pushes/bites immediately afterward so she ends up in another time out. I know right now some of it has to do with her molars, but come on!! How much more of this am I expected to take?! It's just been pretty intense. We've had some discussions lately and we're trying some new things-one of which is less working during the day and more Addie time. So far, it seems to be helping.

Either way, the thought of another toddler right now sort of scares me. If Addie is one of the easy ones, what will I do if my next kid is one of the hard ones?! Maybe this is why they call me crazy. Maybe they knew all along that the reason Group Two is so unpopular is because after the terrible two's, those moms start joining Group Three without batting an eye. I know I sure find them appealing! I mean, hey! Two parents vs. One kid. That sounds like a fair match to me!!

Discipline for the Three of Us

2010-08-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

If you read my blog semi-regularly, you've probably deduced that I do not just show the perfect side of my life. I feel like this is the place I want moms to be able to come and see that they are not alone in their parenting struggles. So, here I am, about to share my newest and most frustrating parenting struggle.

Addie won't take a time out to save her life. I tried everything to get her to realize that this is not play time. She just continues hitting/biting/screaming/throwing as soon as she gets out, because apparently my reaction is funny. I've tried different reactions: calm and collected, angry and yelling, sad and hurt.

We've been battling the time out issue for a few months now, right around the time that it became necessary to teach her right and wrong. All of my other mommy friends seem to have flown through this transition easily, giving me the advice of "If she runs out of time out, just put her back and make her stay there until her time is up." and "All kids run out of time out at first, you have to teach her that that is not okay, even if it means you have to stand behind her the first few times and make sure she doesn't move." The thing is, even after months of time outs, Addie still runs right out. Nothing I have done will make her stay in time out. Eventually, we came up with the rule that after she ran out of time out 3 times, we put her in her room with the door closed until her time out was done. This worked really well for awhile, but it may have hurt us in the long run. Now, Addie can reach on top of her shelves and dresser, and can open the door and come out. That means even if I put a spinny-thing on her door knob or stand on the other side holding the door closed, she can still get into things to entertain herself in her room.

When good girls stay in time out, they get special tattoo stickers as a reward! Can you be a good girl in time out?

Tonight though, after a friend seeing just how out of hand our time out situation is, I had to come up with a new plan. I mean, she recommended that I watch Nanny 911. Things can't be so out of control that I need Nanny 911. They just can't. I can't be at that point, because that means I'm one of those parents that doesn't have control of her child. I can't be that mom.

Once Addie went to bed, I opened up the trusty Google.com website and typed in "toddler time outs". A whole slew of websites came up, so I decided to go with the site I trusted in the newborn stage. I needed something that wasn't a parenting forum, I just wanted advice this time straight from the experts. Advice from other parents hasn't worked so far in this situation, so why turn to virtual moms, right? (no offense).

I found this article called "Time-Outs: How to Make Them Work". It looked perfect, and you know what? It may be perfect. The second paragraph almost made me cry tears of relief that I wasn't alone.

Because toddlers find it hard to sit still, trying to make your little one stay in a certain place for a prescribed length of time may well disintegrate into a chase scene. Here's what happens: Your child runs away from his time-out spot. You catch him, then struggle to make him stay in one place. You threaten, he laughs, delighted with this new game — or cries, frustrated by the requirement. You grab, he bolts. Meanwhile, because he has a short attention span, your toddler forgets why you wanted him to sit still in the first place. Instead of helping your child regain his self-control, you find yourself in a power struggle.

This is it! This is exactly what happens in our house! So it is normal!

According to the article, this scene means that your child is not developmentally ready for a traditional time out. Instead, they recommend things called "positive time out," meaning you just remove them from the frustrating situation and have time to calm down together. Things like reading a book or doing a puzzle or listening to calming music. The main goal is to allow both of you a minute or two to calm down and stop focusing on the "bad" activity.

The article reminds you right away that time out is not a punishment, but "an opportunity for your child to learn how to cope with frustration and modify his behavior." It stresses that this is a more positive way to discipline and teach, rather than yelling and spanking which are considered more negative attention.

I honestly don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. It fits so well with how I've parented from the beginning. It will take some patience and practice, but Willie and I have come up with a new game plan.

Based on what we read tonight, we are going to give up on the traditional time outs for now. When Addie gets out of hand, we will try reading a book or going to another room for some quiet time together first. We will both practice not yelling and raising our temper at her over typical toddler behavior, because we don't want to encourage negative attention.

In return, we have also talked and decided that we need to go back to taking a more active role in our parenting. I think during all of our hard times during the first year, we got so excited once Addie could entertain herself that we both backed away and "took a break." I feel awful admitting it, but often at home I just leave Addie to her toys and do my thing, be it shop work or chores around the house. I get frustrated when she wants attention from me, and tell her to go play. I toss out some crayons or crackers and continue what I was doing.

Working from home-especially working on my own business-is very stressful and time consuming, and it's beginning to show. My life feels a little out of control lately in many aspects. It's time to get back to the basics. I'm going to be setting times to work, and times to play. I'm going to come up with activities to do with Addie, and we'll have some structured play time in our day again. After all, what is the point of staying home with my daughter if I don't take the time to enjoy it?

So, I felt like I needed to lay all of this out in the open. This is my new promise to myself, and I feel like laying it all out here on my blog will help hold myself accountable.

Knitting!

2010-08-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I promised myself (and all of you), that I would learn to knit.

I got started shortly after that attempting a pattern for a rolled brim beanie. Let's just say it was a major fail. Not because I can't handle knitting or anything, just because I didn't have the right needle, and-quite honestly-I may have been getting ahead of myself on stitch techniques.

The pattern called for a stockinette stitch, which is where you knit one row, turn, and purl the next row. For those of you that don't know the first thing about knit, that's when all of those little "v" stitches line up on one side. Really, this should be simple. I mean knitting is two stitches. That's it. That's all I need to learn..well, apparently that and how to count and pay attention.

My problem with the stockinette stitch was that I kept losing track of what row I was on. Was I supposed to knit or purl? Who knows! So it got really random. After about 15 rows I looked down and noticed that my hat was taking on a pattern that it shouldn't have. Hmm...I ripped out the rows, and then realized I didn't know how to pick the stitches back up and start from there.

I ended up giving up the hat, swearing that I would come back and work on it again after my Port Townsend show. Well, that show was last weekend!

I did pick up the knitting needles again, I'm proud to say. Only this time, I decided to start with a very basic knit item. A garter stitch scarf. I learned the process through my Stitch n Bitch book. It's actually the first thing she suggests you make...but you know me!

So, even though I decided to go back and do this very basic pattern that I was sure I would hate by the end of it, I still chose to make some changes. Again, you know me!! I can't make anything as simple as it should be. The pattern in the book called for huge ginormous needles and extra bulky yarn, neither of which I had on hand. I'm not about to go out and buy knitting supplies until I get into it. I didn't with crochet, and I won't with knitting! So, I decided to go with some yarn I had left over from making some newborn cocoon bowls and size 10 needles instead.

For this scarf, I wanted something big and bulky. I cast on 30 to make this scarf extra wide, and I am now knitting every row in a garter stitch. I'm so proud of myself! As you can see, I've even changed colors. Successfully.

Now the weather just needs to cool off some so I can wrap this around my neck and enjoy my hard work.

CUTEure Blog

2010-08-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Finally! My new blog is up and running. Feel free to head over there and "follow." I'll love you for a super long time if you do :)

http://www.CUTEureCreations.blogspot.com

xoxo

How Do I Do it All?

2010-08-07T00:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been two weeks since my last post. Well, so much for that goal of writing at least twice a week. That lasted...uhh...a week?

These days, I keep finding myself thinking of that part in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. You know the part where Hermione breaks out the necklace that let's her be in multiple places at once and travel backwards in time? I so need one of those. Maybe then I would write more.

You see, I want to blog. Really and truly. I've blogged in my head so many times the last few weeks and then written on my mental checklist, remember to blog. The only thing is, I forget what I wanted to write by the time I get a chance to really sit down and think.

I get very few "free" hours in my day. More than some, less than others. Unfortunately, during those few "free" hours, I have so many things I want and need to get done that I've had to prioritize way more than I'd like. I mean, really. Addie falls asleep and Willie runs off to work and I feel like my brain is going to explode with the to-do list that pops into it at that very moment:

I've got to get as much stock pumped out as humanly possible before August 21st, but oh wait I have all of these new ideas in my head that I want to make, don't forget you really need to blog. Oh but your etsy team blog is being neglected as well, and you still haven't made a team treasury for this month. Don't forget Mom's birthday! Weren't you going to make her some booties? Mt. Fold-Me is starting to rumble...I fear it will explode off the couch any day now, but what's that smell in the kitchen? Man, I guess I need to do the dishes. If I'm going to do the dishes I should really give the kitchen a really thorough cleaning. I mean, then I could go ahead and vacuum too...oh wait...I'd have to clean up all of these toys first. Where is the cat? I hope he didn't get out again. Oh boy speaking of getting out, we've got to get groceries I should probably make a list. It looks nice out today, it would be a great day for Addie to wear that dress that I never made. Screw it. Nap time's over now anyway.

A lot of people ask me how I do it all. You know, the blog, the pictures, the house, the kid, the cooking, the cleaning, the baking, the business, the play dates, the social life, the entertaining, the hiking trips, the marriage....

Truth is...I don't. I don't even make a dent in it all. Most days it's just priorities and what my mom calls the "flight of the bumblebee" when I realize company is coming over. I take care of the priorities; my daughter, my husband, my business, and living our lives. The rest of it I usually just hope will fall into place on it's own. Usually it does...at least somewhat. Just...don't surprise me with a spontaneous visit. That would just be embarrassing.

No TV in the Bedroom!

2010-07-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember, I have always had a TV in my bedroom. I've always watched it at night, despite all of the studies that say you sleep better without noise and light (dare I say...duh!).

Anyway, I've always had one. There was a really small amount of time while living with Willie before he went onto night shift where I didn't use the TV since he "couldn't sleep." He was with me though. I wasn't alone, so it didn't bother me. There were also those few weeks where Addie slept in our room as a newborn and we didn't use the TV. Otherwise though, when I'm alone, it's become a sort of security blanket. I turn on F.R.I.E.N.D.S and snooze away to laugh tracks, jokes, and familiar voices. I don't know what it is. I swear I'm not obsessed with the show, it's just the only show I enjoy that doesn't have an irritating sound track on the disk that wakes me up (at least most of the time).

After awhile, Willie got used to it. He dealt with it and learned to sleep through the noise and light. It's actually proven beneficial for him. Sleeping during the day with a toddler on the loose would probably be more irritating without some sort of tolerance to back ground noise.

Unfortunately, my sleep has been erratic at best lately. I wake up tired and sore. I toss and turn all night on my Tempur-Pedic mattress and pillows. I've been feeling it more and more with all of the extra pressure I'm putting on myself lately. This past Wednesday, while Willie was off of work, he asked if we could just not turn the TV on. Apparently he's been sleeping poorly as well. So, the TV stayed off. All night.

The next night-Thursday, Willie was back at work. I decided to give it a try again. Wednesday had been the best sleep I'd had in months. It was either the Tylenol or the TV. I was doing an experiment. I had an amazing nights sleep! Again! Last night was night 4. It's getting easier. I actually read a bit before bed to clear my mind. I don't wake up all night to re-start a disk when the music gets old, or turn down the TV if it's waking me up.

I'm so proud of myself! Twenty Something years old and I finally got rid of my "security blanket." I can really, truly be alone while I sleep. I even took the DVD player out of the bedroom so I don't get tempted. We have no cable hooked up in that room so really DVD's would be my only option, so I know I'll stick with it now!

I am just so proud of this personal growth to be able to quit a habit so ingrained in my routine so easily. I mean, seriously, I don't remember ever not having a TV in my room, even when I lived at home. This is really something.

New Address

2010-07-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

I got tired of having my blog address say thecruisefamily.blogspot.com, so while it's minor, I decided to change it.

My blog address is now http://www.twentysomethingangie.blogspot.com

I've already changed the code in my button accordingly, so just grab the code again on the right hand side if you've got my button on your blog!

Thanks,

Learing a New Craft

2010-07-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

In college, when people would ask me my major, I always told them I was going to be a professional student. I just can't help myself. I need to learn new things, and as a stay-at-home mom, that's not always easy to do.

As you know, I took matters into my own hands not too long ago to learn the art of crochet. Now, I've taken matters into my own hands again. Last night, I finally picked up some knitting needles.

Even more special, these knitting needles are from the same grandmother that taught me the basics of crochet! You know, the one I became sort of estranged from for years? I saw her on my most recent trip and we got along beautifully! In fact, other than immediate family, I saw her more than anyone else this time.

I told her about borrowing needles from a friend and bringing them on my trip so I could learn...and then about how I forgot to bring yarn. Unfortunately this was on my last day, because she said "Well, I have yarn!" Boo. I could have learned weeks ago and been a knitting master by now.

Anyway, while talking about knitting, she told me that while she's taken back up crochet since Paw Paw passed, she just can't get herself back into knitting and doesn't enjoy it anymore. She then proceeded to take down an entire case of knitting needles and give them to me and told me to get good use out of them.

Wow.

Now, I had to make myself learn! Since then, I've just been waiting for Stitch n Bitch to be available at the library. I didn't use her books while learning to crochet, but a friend of mine did and the things she knew right from the beginning amazed me. She even taught me some things (after I taught her to make a slip stitch). I just felt it would be worth it for me to check out the book while I was learning since it's so informative.

Last night, I tried my hand at knitting for the first time. It was pretty easy to cast on. Sure, it took some practice, but after doing a couple, I started getting faster and more comfortable already! So I decided to try real knitting. That was a bit more awkward. I had to end up watching a video tutorial on Youtube, but I finally got it. I spent about an hour after that undoing all of my work and re-doing it. Once I was comfortable and satisfied with how my stitches looked, I started working on rows. I got about 4 or 5 rows in last night practicing. It's starting to feel more normal and rythmic like crochet does.

I'm so excited to really learn and start making things. Since this time I have a store and a daughter to focus on, the learning process may go a little slower, but before you know it, you may see a knit hat in my store!

Mmmm...Garlic

2010-07-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

Who here loves garlic?!

We spent most of yesterday evening harvesting about 30 lbs of garlic with our neighbor (landlord) and get to keep two braids of garlic for ourselves! More if we end up needing it. Gardening sure is rewarding...

Personal Struggle

2010-07-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I am at a crossroads.

I have no idea what to do. In case you didn't know, we have 2 cats.

There they are. The fat gray one is Pepper, and the small calico is Simone. She's my baby. I've had her in my life longer than Willie and Addison. Heck. I've had her in my life longer than both of them put together! Pepper, well, he's a "rescue" but still a major part of our family. In fact, he's our "family" cat, playing with Addison, giving her love, sneaking into her room (but still acting like a tough guy). Simone, well, she just hides a lot and runs away when Addie comes into a room. She shows up for love usually around now when the house is quiet and peaceful and nobody is awake but me.

I love them. Honestly, though, I'm tired of them. Pepper has bladder issues that have cost us over $1,000 since November. He's now on prescription food for urinary crystals and has developed a nasty habit of peeing on the floor. We were doing really well in the new place for such a long time, but when we went on our trip, he took it back up and now we can't get him to stop.

Simone is just... a bitch. I'm sorry. I love her to death and she's my "baby girl" but she's mean to Addie and ever since Addie was born she has also had a problem with the litter box. I think it's retaliatory. I've done everything I can think to do. Addie has never intentionally been mean to her and has rarely even had a chance to be accidentally mean to her. She can't get a chance to learn how to be nice to Simone.

These issues alone were not enough to make me question keeping my beloved cats.

Addie's allergy test results showed that she was highly allergic to cats. At the time, we hadn't noticed any major symptoms that we could for sure blame on the cats so the allergist told us to just watch her and see because she may grow out of it.

Weeks later, Addie is doing amazingly well. Almost no rash. We cut out peanuts completely and we're limiting eggs and soy, watching her closely after each serving. She's been fine. She even had scrambled eggs, and while her mouth got a little red during breakfast, it didn't cause a rash.

Here's the crappy part. Yesterday afternoon, Addie was hanging out in the house in her diaper (what?! It was 83 degrees in here!) and suddenly broke out in an awful, swollen, itchy rash. It was so sad. She kept saying "Itchy, mamma!" and scratching. No eggs. No peanuts. No food in general other than pita chips which are totally safe for her. Only explanation? Yep. The cats.

What now?! Sure. They are a P.I.T.A. most days lately, but do I really want to give them away? Is it even an option at this point? Now I'm fairly certain they have been the problem all along. I'm not sure how willing I am to continue putting Addie through these rashes knowing what is causing it.

This is such a struggle for me. On the one hand, I will feel like I am abandoning my pets if I give them away (and yeah, right, like Simone will adapt well to that). On the other hand, am I betraying my daughter and affecting her well being by keeping animals around that I know she's allergic to?!

CUTEure Changes

2010-07-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

Since I have yet to officially launch and exclusively CUTEure blog, I'm going to post this update here for everyone.

Coming up soon, there will be some small (but kinda big) changes in my shop that I wanted to point out. First, and most importantly, I will be doing away with a good deal of the larger, boutique style hair bows I have for sale. I will still be making them though to sell locally, and I'll even post photos on my Facebook Page. If you happen to be a "fan" and see a bow you would like to purchase, please just let me know through a private message or a comment and I will happily list it as a custom order! I would just like to get away from having my full inventory on etsy since they are my least popular online item (but most popular so far in person).

Things that will still be for sale in my shop right away include:

Crochet Flower Hair Clips.

Pom Pom Hair Clips.

and most of my simple girls hair clips and bows.

Another change you may have already started seeing is that I am veering away from "made-to-order" items, and focusing more on having everything in stock and ready to ship out the next day (or even same day if it's early enough). All of my hair accessories have always been in that last category of ready-to-ship, but my crochet items have been made-to-order for the most part since I opened my shop.

I hope to have this change completed by mid-August, but bear with me. It takes awhile to get that many items crocheted in each size! Currently, if you see an item in my shop and it has a sentence like this one:

"These booties are available from infant size 1 to youth size 6 (3.5"-9") Just specify in a message to seller during check out what size is needed."

Or this:

"Just specify in a "message to seller" during checkout.

This hat can be made in the following sizes:

Baby - 6 to 12 months
Toddler -12 months - 3 years
Child - 3 - 10 years"

That means the item you are about to purchase is made-to-order.

If you see a listing like this one, then the item you are about to purchase is ready to ship:

"These booties will fit a child's size 6.5-9. Due to the nature of crochet, there is some stretch. If you need a different size, please check my other shop listings. If you cannot find your size, feel free to contact me for an order."

Of course, this does not mean that I will no longer accept custom orders. I will. Happily. I am just preparing for the holidays, and preparing to do more in-person selling in the future. This will speed up the purchase process for most since it has the potential to eliminate some confusion with sizing. It will also help me keep track of what you are interested in and what I should make more of to keep everyone happy.

I hope this information helps some of you with your purchases! Thanks for checking out the post and keeping up-to-date on my CUTEure news! Happy shopping.

You're Lucky, You Know..

2010-07-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

What is with this phrase? I must say, nothing irks me more than being told I'm "so lucky."

You're so lucky you've lost so much weight after the baby....I guess you haven't seen my food journal or my daily weigh ins that I did for months.

You're so lucky you got out of that little hometown of yours and have you're own life...You could do it, too, if you wanted to badly enough.

You're so lucky you're able to stay home with Addie every day....Read my response to that last comment. Same applies.

You know what? I'm not lucky. Willie and I work really, really hard for what we have. We make a lot of sacrifices for me to be able to stay at home with Addie. It's what we wanted and it's what's important to us. It's not something that just fell into our laps. It's not an opportunity that was given to me for no reason. It's what I've wanted forever. I never knew what I wanted to do with my life other than be a mom and be with my kids, so that's what I'm doing. Willie works harder because of it. We do without a lot of things...like a second car, our own home, dinners out, dates, babysitters, and so many little things. Addie practically lives in hand-me-downs. She doesn't have a ton of toys(although she has a great imagination and love for the outdoors).

We're not lucky that we moved across country, either. Again, it's something we wanted, and worked hard for. We sacrificed a lot to be able to do it. We're still sacrificing. Willie is back in school because he couldn't find a job in his field when we moved here.

Lucky is being given a house, like both my sister and cousin have experienced. Lucky is being given cars left and right, or being given money to live on every day. We're not lucky. We're just hard workers.

Many of our decisions were followed by overwhelming fear that almost made us turn back, but we did it. I quit my job and we live off of Willie's income (at least until my business takes off and I can help supplement) and it's hard most days. We weigh each purchase like it were a major purchase. Even better (and scarier, and harder), we do it completely alone. We don't have our families to lean on for support. Grandma isn't coming over to babysit for free so I can get housework done or go grocery shopping in peace. I can't remember our last date night.

Don't get me wrong, all of it is worth it. I love my life. I get stressed just like anyone else, but I still love it. I don't regret a single decision we've made in the last four years- okay, maybe I regret the decision last night to not go buy ice cream. If I were to do it all over again, I'd probably make the same decisions. My point, though, is to please quit telling me I'm "lucky." Luck didn't have anything to do with where we are now. Recognize our hard work for what it is. Hard. Know that we stress out about money and what the future holds just as much as everyone else, but we do it because we've already weighed the pros and cons and know we can get through it.

I'm not lucky. I'm just determined, and very, very stubborn.

My Sisters Wedding

2010-07-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

On my trip to Texas last week, I got to watch my little sister get married! It was a really sweet back yard wedding. Since it was such a small affair, she asked if I could take some pictures for her along with our uncle so she could save money on a photographer. I thought I'd share a few here. I'm so proud of her :)

Green Cleaning Tip of the Day: Stinky Laundry

2010-06-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Are you like me when it comes to doing laundry? You know, you wake up intent on getting all of the laundry done, and then on that last load everything just falls apart and you get exhausted and just forget to put it in the dryer? Then a few days later you start wondering what that smell is in the laundry room?

What do you do in those situations? I mean, just re-washing them still leaves the clothes with a bit of a musty smell that you don't notice until you get dressed. I've learned a trick that I think can help!

Now, when I forget that last load of clothes for more than a few hours, I re-run the machine (at least a rinse) with warm water, a splash of distilled white vinegar, and a drop or two of your favorite essential oil-I use Eucalyptus. Works every time.

Hope this helps someone else like me!

Featured Guest Writer!

2010-06-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

This past month, I contacted another mommy blogger on Twitter who was looking for guest writers on her blog. I've never done a guest post before and thought it might be fun.

Tales From The Crib is all about stories from the front lines of motherhood. It will include birth stories, sick stories, funny stories, learning experiences, the works. I chose to include my birth story for all to read. You can check out all of the Tales From The Crib posts by clicking the picture above. My story is here.

When I Said "Traveling", This Isn't What I was Talking About

2010-06-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we recently visited family in Texas for a week. We do this pretty frequently, actually. I think this was our third trip to Texas in two-and-a-half years. We've also flown a couple of times to California in that time as well. That's it.

This luggage was part of our wedding registry. When picking it out, I had just come back from a month-long trip to Europe, in which I spent 2 weeks in Dusseldorf, Germany, and two weeks in Cabo Roig, Spain. During that time, my old luggage went through hell and back. I got it off the baggage carousel in Houston with a bent frame, a gimpy wheel, and writing from top to bottom (from various bus drivers and customs workers). The luggage I brought on that trip was fairly cheap and rather small for a month-long vacation. So, I registered for this set with all of our future travels to far-away countries in mind.

As you can probably guess, that's not really what happened. Instead what happened was we got married, found out Willie was leaving the Air Force, got pregnant, and moved across country flat broke. All within 6 months (give or take).

Now, all of our traveling revolves around college schedules, cheapest flying times, and holidays. We go to two places. Places we've seen a million times before. Places we know like the back our our hand...or at least we used to. The point is, it's nothing new. It's nothing exciting. I always swore we'd travel a lot. I wanted to see everything. Everywhere. What happened to that?

Why am I not drinking Sangria in Spain or touring the Louvre or eating real Chinese food?

I'm nostalgic for that life. I love the life I have, but I miss the life I almost had. I want to take Addie with me there. I want to take Willie, too. Yet again, here we are, left waiting for our lives to start. Waiting for school to be over. Waiting for things to get a little easier. A little more fun.

When I registered for these suitcases with traveling in mind, this isn't exactly what I meant, but it's what I got.

It's Like the End of an Era

2010-06-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

This past week, while vacationing in Crystal Beach, Texas, my actions changed the face of my marriage forever.

Literally.

Playing in the sand with Addie, holding Willie's ring on my thumb (against my better judgment) while he swam in the waves, I dropped the ring.

All of a sudden realized it was gone. I don't even know the exact moment it dropped. I just suddenly realized it was no longer on my thumb.

It's symbolic, in a way.

We met on Crystal Beach.

Fell in love on Crystal Beach.

Our parents were introduced on Crystal Beach.

We spent our wedding weekend on Crystal Beach.

And now....one of the rings we said our vows with is lost on Crystal Beach.

In a way, I kind of feel like we were always supposed to lose a ring there.

It's the end of an era, in a way. I can't believe that ring only lasted two-and-a-half years. Now I have to search for the perfect ring. Again.

Allery Update #3 - The Allergist

2010-06-12T23:30:00.000-07:00

Note: If you are behind in this story, feel free to read the back posts (in this order) here, here, and here.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm a bit late writing this post, but life has been hectic this week. Understandably, I hope.

Thursday was our appointment with the allergist. We had had several phone talks with our pediatrician and the receptionist at the allergists office between getting the results on Monday and arriving at our appointment on Thursday morning. Wednesday night I filled out five pages worth of forms to bring in to the doctor, and read all of their new patient directions-which included not using a strong smelling soap, keeping Addie in short sleeves, giving her a good beakfast, and preparing to spend 2.5-3 hours in the office between skin testing and consultation.

I barely slept Wednesday night stressing out about the testing and the results we may find. To be honest, everything was still very mind-boggling. Peanut allergies, egg white allergies, getting rid of our cats, epi pens...all of it was pretty jumbled in my mind.

At the appointment, we talked for a good 10-15 minutes about symptoms I've noticed, foods that she reacts to (which is hard to say since it seems so totally random), and what we've done so far. Unfortunately (well, fortunately, but not in this instance), Addie was clearer than we had seen her in weeks! I say unfortunately, because the doctor couldn't see any rashes other than the small rough spot on her chin that was still healing.
Luckily, he eliminated three foods right off the bat. According to our initial chat, we do not need to be concerned with peas, potatoes, or rice unless we start noticing symptoms. As far as I can tell, she's always eaten those with no problems (although like I've said, it's hard to tell sometimes when she's breaking out and why because she was always broken out).

He did tell us to cut out all peanut products until she is 3, and then we will re-visit that one and see if anything has changed. Note to all parents, according to him you are supposed to wait until age 3 to introduce it at all. I knew it was an allergen, but I thought they were all okay to introduce at 1 if you had no history of allergies.

After that, he told me he really did not see the need currently to do a skin test. All of her symptoms appear to be skin related, so we can try diagnosing the other allergies using food challenges. He thinks the most important food to test first is egg whites. That means no eggs or products made with eggs. It will be hard, but I hope it gives us a better idea at what we're looking at. To be totally honest though, I'm a bit jaded against the idea of a food challenge now since our last food challenge left me so sure that it was onion, or garlic, or both.

That does, in some ways, make sense though. After closer examination, most of the products we noticed a reaction with also had soy as an ingredient. In fact, most processed foods do. Unfortunately, the allergist doesn't feel that soy is causing the rashes-at least not all of them. Apparently, the levels for soy were so low it's unlikely they are causing any symptoms. That and the fact that we've given Addie edamame (soy beans), and served foods with soy sauce with seemingly no reaction.

I still really feel in my gut that there is something to this soy allergy. Maybe it's not all of it, but it has to be some of it. After the appointment, I gave Addie some fig newtons. Now, keep in mind her skin is clearer than I have almost ever seen it, so even the slightest reaction is visible, and she did have a slight reaction to the fig newtons. I've spoken with a few people now that cannot eat soy as an ingredient in processed foods, but do fine with soy in it's natural state-such as soy beans or soy sauce. It just means anything is possible.

Bottom line, the allergist appointment was someone disappointing, but also a relief. I felt like I was running as fast as I could toward the edge of a cliff all week, but was pulled back at the very last second. I left feeling somewhat deflated. All that preparation-mentally and physically-for a 15 minute chat with a doctor that didn't feel there was an immediate need for action.

I was so looking forward to leaving there with solid answers. I wanted to be able to just stop giving Addie the foods that are making her miserable. I wanted to be done.

Something good did come from the appointment, though. I'm calmer. The doctor sees no need for immediate action. Her allergies are not severe. Due to this sudden calmness, I've been able to channel my subconscious and really figure out how I feel about all of this. I've got an action plan. For now, we're limiting both foods-soy and egg white-and keeping an eye to see what causes reactions. I'm reading all labels and familiarizing myself with the foods we eat a little more so that when we are ready to do the food challenges in a couple of weeks, there will be fewer slip ups than last time. Once we get back from visiting family, I'll deal with the rest. I'll start food challenges. I'll deal with rashes and a wakeful toddler. I'll cry with her if she gets rashy enough to scratch herself bloody again, or gets hives again. For now, though, I'm okay with all of this.

Allergy Update #2 - The Test, and the Results

2010-06-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the day we've been waiting for. If you haven't been following my tweets, then here is a little back story for you:

We finally found Addie a new pediatrician-inadvertently we chose an allergy specialist-and got an appointment for this last Thursday. While I was there I brought up our issues with food and my thoughts on allergies. I told her all about the rashes, showed her the one around her mouth that is clearing up, and talked about my frustrations with our old pediatrician. She told me we could get Addie's blood drawn in the lab connected with her office before we left! I was so relieved and so scared at the same time.

The blood draw was traumatizing for all of us even though the phlebotomist was great with Addie. I was told we would have the results by Monday (today). I waited all weekend with bated breath until this morning...which is where this blog picks up.

Our new pediatrician called us this morning (yes! The pediatrician herself called me! Not a nurse or receptionist!) She said she was actually still waiting on the results for the onion and garlic test since those had to be added on separately, but that she wanted to call and update me because Addie apparently has quite a list of allergies already back.

So, here it is, she is highly allergic to the following:
Peanut (what?! seriously?!)
Peas
Potatoes
Rice
Cats (Our cat is a special needs cat-think we can get someone to take him in?!)

She is Moderately allergic to:
Egg Whites
Dogs

The following came back in the Low category:
Cod Fish
Soy
White Beans

According to the pediatrician, the allergists appointment should narrow this list down some. She said a lot of the time when kids come back with long lists like this, it can mean a kind of "false positive". I guess a lot of times your body can show the antibodies for these things but when you are exposed, you don't actually show symptoms.

Nevertheless, an epi-pen was prescribed to us and we were referred to the allergists office. I called and made an appointment expecting to not have any answers in time for our upcoming trip, but they were able to get us in this week! Even better, although we'll be in the office for 2.5 hours, we'll walk out with test results!

I'll update again when I have more answers. Right now we're still all processing this information. It's a lot to take in considering we didn't have any known food allergies in either of our families.

What Do You Do With a Cling-On Toddler?

2010-06-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

*Disclaimer: this is a totally random post. It probably does not make much sense, but my brain is mush today. Don't read it if you don't want to hear me vent about my week!*

I'd really love to know! What do you do when your toddler won't let you walk two steps away? When she won't eat, or sleep, or play, or watch TV?

This past week has been insane over here! Must be another regression of sorts.

Maybe it's her teeth. I don't know. I honestly can't even think clearly anymore! When she's awake, 100% of my attention is devoted to her. Carrying her. Reading to her. Cuddling with her. Talking to her. Feeding her. Yes. Spoon feeding my 18 month old daughter.

She's not sick. We just had her 18-month check up yesterday morning and she's totally fine. She is teething. She also just went through a growth spurt a week and a half ago.

So, what do you do when your toddler turns into a cling-on? First off, you get really good at walking around stores with an extra 25 pounds trying to escape from your body. Second, you find anything and everything to entertain them. Today Addie got to try her hand at photography.

Not bad, right?

She's also been helping me cook. A lot. Spending time with her BFF (Best Friend Forever) has been a lifesaver, but now they are out of town for two whole weeks!

We're going to try some new crafts this afternoon. I'm thinking home-made play-doh! Anything to distract her from whatever it is that's bothering her.

We're also working on a new routine to hopefully make our days a bit easier. So far it has definitely helped with her new strategy of fighting bed time (screaming and hollering to let me know she's angry).

The thing is, I know there's nothing wrong with her. Absolutely nothing. She might be teething. I know a lot of them have been moving under the surface recently, and I thought she cut at least one last week but it still hasn't come through! She won't let me look in her mouth though, so I don't know what's going on in there.

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. If you read this, you're a saint!

Mint-Eucalyptus Soft Scrub Trial

2010-05-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

Ever since I wrote this post, I decided that since I posted so many "recipes" that I'd never tried, I would go through each one and blog about my review of the cleaner.

In all honesty, I have a toddler and a business and lead a very busy life, so please don't expect cleaning posts every week! haha.

So, in spirit of trying out each of these recipes one by one, last week I gathered all of the supplies and made the mint-eucalyptus soft scrub cleaner listed in the post above.

In case you didn't read that post, or don't remember, here is what I posted about this cleaner:

Eucalyptus-Mint All Purpose Disinfecting Soft Soap for Kitchen and Bath:

Erica says,"This soap can be used for dishes, handwashing, floors, stoves, refrigerators, sinks, and hands. It's mild to the skin but effective enough to get cleaning jobs done. The eucalyptus and mint provide a disinfecting quality as well as a fresh scent; any areas washed with this soap will be undesirable to crawling insects and flies. They'll stay away for quite a while."

5 cups grated castile soap
1/2 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon borax
6 cups hot peppermint tea
1 tsp eucalyptus essential oil

Put grated soap into a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan and add hot mint tea. Simmer for fifteen minute on low heat. Add baking soda, borax, and eucalyptus oil. Store in a labeled plastic jug or squirt bottle. Shake before using.

So, here's my story on this cleaner. I bought all of the ingredients-which took me several days because I couldn't find castile soap anywhere! If you are as lost as I was, try looking with soaps! I only bought 3 bars which turned out to be about 4.5 cups grated. Not bad. Everything else was fairly easy to find, and I had most of it on-hand already.

The cleaner was fairly easy to make, and made my kitchen smell uh-mazing. Eucalyptus and mint has always been a scent combination that I love so I knew I would love the smell. The castile soap added it's own very clean scent to the mix and it was just lovely.

I have to start out by explaining that I honestly did not know what a soft scrub was! The mixture seemed just as thin and water-y as my normal vinegar solution so I tried putting a small amount in a spray bottle and sprayed down all of my counter-tops. Well, I attempted to at least. I got about half way through spraying and the nozzle started clogging up and that's about when I realized my mistake. I decided to just wipe down everything I'd already done and go from there. This whole time I was using the solution as a normal spray solution, and realized once I was "done" that I did it totally wrong. In case you are like me and didn't know, You have to use water with soft scrubs!!! I had to go back over the entire kitchen rinsing off the counters, but -oh boy- was it shiny and good-smelling when I was done!

The thing that drew me most to this cleaner was the boast that ants and crawling insects do not like the smell and will stay away for awhile. It's spring here in Northwest Washington and let's just say that ants are inevitable. My desire to find a way to keep them out of my house without using poisons is a pretty strong desire so this cleaner really excited me. Unfortunately, the ants I had just gotten rid of the previous week came back with a vengeance only hours after I finished cleaning. They have yet to go away. Looks like I'll be breaking out the poison again.

Despite the ants and the misunderstanding about the uses of soft scrub, I do still like this soap. Yesterday I tried it out again in the main bathroom and I think this will become our regular bathroom cleaner now. It was easy to use with running water right there, I felt that it got everything very clean, and -as I've mentioned before- the smell is just delicious.

Over-all, I would say this cleaner is definitely worth the effort. It makes quite a bit, so really it is much cheaper than the cleaners you can buy in the store. It also has multiple uses which is great. Have I mentioned the smell?

Have you tried this cleaner yet? What were your experiences with it?

98% Self-Taught

2010-05-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

Posting in a Ravelry forum tonight got me thinking that maybe I should share my story on learning to crochet. Have you taught yourself a craft? I would love to hear your stories.

For me, the journey of learning to crochet started when I was about 9 years old. My grandmother always crocheted afghans and made booties for all of the grandchildren. Looking back, it seems she always had a hook in her hands, and I was intrigued.

I honestly don't remember the little details on how she started teaching me, but one day when I was about 9, she gave me a set of crochet hooks and I picked out 2 skeins of yarn. We got back to her house and she taught me how to hold the hook, tie a slip knot, and start chaining. I chained the yarn all day long, making belts and necklaces and really long cat-toys.

I was due to come spend another day with her a couple of weeks later, so she sent me home with my yarn and hooks and my newly found skill at "crocheting".

All week long I crocheted chains, longer and longer. I attempted to make them perfect-same size, no twisting, big enough that future stitches would not be difficult.

I arrived back at my grandmothers house the following week, and she taught me the single crochet stitch. I couldn't believe it! I was really crocheting! She showed me how to continue working more and more rows of single crochet with the promise of showing me the next stitch the next time we got together.

Sadly, shortly after that day, a series of events that I won't get into on my blog estranged me from that half of my family for many years. I hardly saw them or spoke with them. Holidays were tense affairs and hardly the atmosphere to ask for more instructions. I never had another lesson or crochet-related gift from my grandmother. I regret now the years that I stayed away. It could have been such a bonding experience for the two of us.

Eventually, I gave up learning to crochet. This was before the time of finding everything on the internet (hard to believe, I know). I sadly tucked my 2 partial skeins of yarn and set of crochet hooks in a box in my closet, telling myself one day I would go back to them when I had someone to teach me. That day never happened.

Two years ago (almost to the day!), I found out I was pregnant with a little girl and grew determined to successfully crochet her a baby blanket. I dug out the yarn and hooks I had stored so many years ago, and started practicing my stitching and looking up new stitches on the internet. I never did manage to make her a blanket, but I know now that I had very optimistic ideas on what a beginning crocheter could accomplish.

This past October, I decided that instead of attempting a blanket, I would try and make her something smaller-a hat! I had finally found someone with instructions I could follow and chose to create a hat for Addie based off of her video tutorials and patterns.

My first attempt was...well...a disaster. I had yet to learn what an "increase" was and just kept putting more and more stitches in until I finally knew I must have it wrong!

I started over and followed her video tutorials-which where much easier to understand than most written instructions-and learned what I was doing wrong (Oh! So you only add an extra stitch once every 2/3/4 stitches then go back to one!). Finally! After 15 years of chaining and single-crocheting, I had finished a project!

From there, I started slowly making more hats, with the hopes of selling them alongside my hair bows in my brand-new (at the time) etsy shop. I made a few for friends, made a few to list, and Addie's hat collection grew and grew as well.

I thought I was doing really well with crochet when I listed the hats in my shop, but honestly, even just a few months later, I look back and think "really?!" My style, skill, and techniques have changed so much in such a short time!

Crocheting really has become a passion for me, and I'm so thankful I'm finally getting paid back for all of my hard work. It is truly rewarding to know that others appreciate my work and see the value and skill that must be behind each piece and make it worth the money they pay.

Have you taught yourself something? What was your journey like?

Drum Roll Please...

2010-05-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well the day is finally here! The day that my first giveaway is drawing to a close.

This morning I double checked to make sure no comments got left out of the drawing (they didn't) and went to random.org to find out who would be the lucky winner.

Random.org chose number 9 which is.....

drum roll please.....

Jenn from over at She Says!!

Congrats Jenn! Contact me on etsy for $20 worth of stuff from my shop!

Addie, Look at Your Garden Grow

2010-05-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Addie, have you seen your garden today?

You planted this garden. You put the seeds in the ground and patted the dirt around them. You help Daddy every day to water the garden.

Your work is paying off, Addie! Did you see your garden grow?

Soon we'll eat our own lettuce...

..and strawberries..

...And maybe even corn!

Addie, look at your garden grow!

A Blankie for Zoey

2010-05-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

It's about time I posted some more crafts for those of you that love this kind of stuff! This week I have another baby blanket pattern. The pattern was not made by me, and I will not take credit for the original pattern, only for the changes I made.

Tara, my cousin, was talking to me before the birth of her third daughter, Zoey, and said she really wanted to find a blanket to match her room. My reply? HAVE NO FEAR!! (no not really).

This blanket was super easy and fun to make, and was a really quick project as far as blankie's go.

Here is the pattern if you would like to try it yourself. The original pattern was found in the January issue of Crochet Today magazine. The pattern made a much smaller blanket, so I'll type up my revised notes here.

Materials:
Worsted weight yarn in any color you choose-around 800 yards
Crochet hook size J (6mm)

Foundation Row:
Ch 3, DC in 3rd ch from hook (dc eyelet made), [ch 7, DC in 3rd ch from hook] 20 times

Row 1:
Ch 3, turn; working back along foundation row, work shell in each DC eyelet across (21 shells)

Row 2-50:
Ch 3, turn; work shell pattern in ch 1 sp of each shell across. Fasten off.

Bottom Edging:
Join yarn with sl st in top of last DC on last shell worked on Row 1. Ch 3; working along other edge of Foundation Row, work shell in ch sp of each DC eyelet across. Fasten off.

I had this blanket done in just a couple of days, but for the average crocheter that is not used to working on projects several hours a day, you may want to allot closer to 1-2 weeks to ensure your project is finished on time.

The beauty of this pattern is that you can completely customize it. You can make it longer, wider, or even put a straight edge on it depending on your tastes. I made this blanket larger by adding extra stitches in the foundation row and working until I ran out of yarn. The original pattern instructed to make 15 DC eyelets in the foundation row and work 45 rows. I could have made this blanket much longer than I did, but to be honest, I ran out of yarn and time.

I hope to make another one while being fully prepared that while the pattern called for only 1 skein of yarn, it was a very very large skein! I had to go in search of more yarn three or four times and finally gave up and said "this blanket is big enough for a newborn!"

In the end, it did end up being a decent size, just not as large as I had pictured in my head. All in all, it is a great blankie for a new baby. I hope Zoey enjoys it!

Happy Crocheting!

Linking to:

My Mother, My Hero

2010-05-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and to commemorate it, I thought I would share something I wrote in high school.

I was given an assignment in my high school speech class to give a speech about my hero. The decision was not hard, given what my family had just been through...

I was told to give a speech about my hero today. It took me awhile to come up with someone that i could write about and really appreciate, but then I realized who I have always admired...More now than I ever have before. It might sound cliche, but today, I am going to talk about my mother. I'm not going to talk about her as a parent, though. I just want to talk about her as a person.

She really is the strongest person I know. I remember a time a little over a year ago when she sat me and my sister down on the couch and told us she had some important news...She went to the doctor and they found what they thought might be cancer. She had one night to prepare us and to prepare herself for what might happen. My sister and I sat there and cried for awhile, but she told us to be strong, because no matter what, she was going to beat it. The next morning, she left to go to the hospital to have her surgery. She did not know what to expect when she woke up. When she got out of surgery, the doctor informed her that he removed her left breast because he did find cancer. Soon after that, she started chemotherapy, which made her really sick. I know she felt horrible and weak, but every morning she got herself out of bed, took a shower, got dressed, and put her make up on...even if the most exciting thing she would be doing that day was watch TV on the living room couch. One day, I came home from school and asked her about this and she said nothing was going to stop her from living her life.

I remember sitting with her at the kitchen table one Saturday morning as she ran her hands through her hair and it started falling out. That was the first time I saw my mother cry. She shaved her head and got a wig styled to look good on her and things went back to normal...or at least as normal as they could be in my house at that time. She still went to most of the football games to see me, went to all of my band concerts, and seemed concerned about how my day went.

After a long year of hard work and a lot of struggling to keep the household running, she was considered in remission. She has now had 5 surgeries with one more to go. After a year and a half, life is going back to the way it should be. With this speech coming up, I sat her down the other night and talked about everything that happened. She told me that she had seen me and my sister through too many hard times and if she did not get to see us graduate, she was not doing her job....and that if she got to see us married, she was truly blessed.

My mom is my hero because she taught me the most important lesson anyone can learn. No matter what happens in life, you do what you need to to keep going.

This speech was written originally 7 years ago. My mom has since been considered "cured"-if you can ever truly be cured of cancer is beside the point. She never did have that last surgery. She said it was just reconstructive, and really doesn't want to go "under the knife" again if she can help it. It's all behind us now.

Two-and-a-half years ago, I cried with my mom on my wedding day. She was there, dancing. We really weren't sure if she would be there for awhile.

In all honesty, as a high school student, wrapped up in my own drama and my own life, I never realized how bad my mom really got. How worried I really should have been. I guess she kept all of that from us to protect us. Now, as an adult, talking to my Granny, talking to mom, I realize what I close call we avoided back then.

My mom is my hero for all the life lessons she's taught me, and for sticking by me no matter what I decide (even if that decision is to move across the country with her grand baby), and for persevering.

Happy Mothers Day, Mom. You earned it.

Easy Peasy...or Not..

2010-05-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

I flip through your pictures, and you make it look so easy. You're still in the hospital, but your hair is done. Your pictures look almost poetic. The happy new family, full of love, smiles, and photo opps.

Why is it so hard for me, while others make it look so easy?

Maybe it's not so easy for you. Maybe that's just on the surface. I couldn't do that. What I feel and experience goes out into the open. I guess that's why this blog is so perfect for me.

Maybe I do put too much out there for the world to see. Maybe I share too much. I'm okay with that, though.

You see, I have this hope that what I write can help another struggling mom. I hope I can show that mom that's wondering, "Why do they make it look so easy?! " that we don't all have an easy time of it.

Maybe I can help another mom to not feel so alone. To not feel so crappy when she's struggling, barely treading water.

You aren't going to drown. Just relax and let your body float back to the surface. Accept that maybe you won't have the perfect form, but you can still stay in the pool.

I did.

My Family Isn't Your Guinea Pig, Pampers!

2010-05-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

Attention all parents! I have a WTF?! Moment for you all.

You see, a few months ago, Pampers came out with a new Dry Max diaper that is thinner and more absorbent, but at what cost?

A few months ago, Addie also started getting much worse rashes on her lower back and stomach. It's actually what prompted our allergy testing.

In a completely unrelated course of action, we ended up switching diapers a few weeks ago. Addie's rashes are much much better in that area. I actually never made the connection before now since we were dealing with rashes all over, but the diaper area cleared up at the same time we made the switch.

Now, in our case maybe it could be coincidence. Maybe. Seriously though! Stop using my family (or any other) as a guinea pig! First it was the Tylenol recall, and now this.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

2010-05-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

This week (Mother's Day to be exact) marks our two-year anniversary in the Pacific Northwest. It's a big occasion!

They say time flies when you're having fun. It sure does. Time flies so fast it looks like a red streak zipping down the road in front of you. Has it really been two years? I still feel like such a new kid here. I still feel like I have a lot to learn. I'm not part of the crowd yet. We're still not really settled.

I believe that is partly due to how much life keeps changing for us. We arrived in Washington this time two years ago cold, scared, and 13 weeks pregnant with Addie. We didn't know anyone except my aunt-who I barely knew at the time. I was so nervous to get our lives started. I mean, that's why we moved here, right? To get our lives started again. To start over.

Two years ago today, we were both unemployed, but confident that the hefty sum of money we were sent here with would hold out until we started making better money. It did, but only by us settling. The market is just not there right now. Willie finally found a job only remotely related to his field working for Sears. He made decent money, but at what cost? I never saw him.

Almost a year later, we couldn't take it anymore. We were both tired of waiting for our lives to start, so Willie decided to go back to school. He took on a 3 month certificate program to get him into a hospital in a kinder work environment and enrolled in a nursing program so he could find a job that was in demand. He's been at it for almost a year now (again). People still laugh at us at what a drastic change we went through for Willie's career, but it's what we had to do at the time to get out of the hole we were digging ourselves deeper and deeper into.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Things are changing again. Two weeks ago, Willie told me he was not sure he was happy on his current path. He really wants to go back to working in electronics, so me being the supportive wife I am, agreed with this (I thought he enjoyed it more anyway). Yesterday he got accepted into a college in Bremerton to get his associates degree in Electronic engineering. We'll see in the next week or two how long that will take considering all of his military training and classes along with what he's already taken in college so far. We're hoping for a year or less!

So, yes, we are facing more changes in our lives. A song quote I have always loved is that "the only thing that stays the same is that everything changes." Boy is that right.

We've faced many, many changes in the last two years, and there are many, many more changes waiting for us in our future.

How To Make Green Cleaning Products

2010-05-01T23:34:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...the dreaded (for some) spring cleaning.

This year, instead of spending all of that money on commercial cleaning products-and subjecting yourself and your family to the harsh chemicals in those bottles-maybe you want to try some home-made, non-toxic cleaners that get the job done without all of the negative side effects.

Now, you may be asking, "why? Why should I 'fix something that ain't broken?"

I'll tell you why. Just like I said above, to eliminate the harsh chemicals. Chemicals like bleach are not necessary for your average household on a regular basis. In fact, these chemicals contain harsh toxins that aren't good for you, your children, or the people that come into your home. I won't go into all of the scientific proof on this (because honestly, it's long & boring & I know it didn't change my mind on it's own), but there is a reason the label says "Use in a well ventilated area".

I know how weird it can feel switching to green cleaners, and how you can feel that maybe it doesn't clean your house as well because it doesn't have the well-known name or that fresh scent. Trust me. I mean, I just made the switch a year ago while trying to ease Addison's discomfort with Eczema. I was really worried about dis-infecting and knowing everything was clean and germ free. I mean, that's what they breed into our heads! It can't be clean if you don't buy cleaner and anti-bacterial products, right?!

Wrong.

Here, I'm going to share several recipes for green cleaners. Some have been tried by me and some have been sent to me by readers that are hoping to help out.

All Purpose Cleaners:

My personal favorite:
1/2 cup of white vinegar
2-4 drops of eucalyptus or tea tree essential oil (it's very important to get essential oil, not scented oil)
2 (ish) liters of water
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup baking soda

Mix all of these ingredients together in a spray bottle and shake. I use this cleaning solution in the kitchen, bathrooms, and even occasionally on the floor (although you should be careful as certain floors require special care). Although you expect a vinegar based cleaner to smell strongly of vinegar, my house does not. You may smell vinegar while cleaning (although the oil will cut down on that), but the smell quickly goes away.

Be very careful, because this solution does foam!

Erica's Powder Cleaner Base #1
2 cups baking soda
1 tbs Borax
1/2 cup shredded natural soap

Erica says "Having a bottle of White Vinegar on hand works great for those hard to clean areas as it makes the cleaner foam and warm up a bit and boost the cleaning to get rid of the soap scum build up that happens especially in the tub. I use my gloves when I have heavy duty cleaning to do like this. I like to make a paste with the powder cleaner and rub on the surface that needs cleaning and then spray with the Vinegar and rub it a bit more, allow it to set for a while and then rinse away. Another application might be necessary for those areas that do not clean up easily. [It] can be used in the powder form or added to some hot water to make a paste for washing surfaces, along with any of the Essential Oils you like. The amount of water used in not listed as some might like more than others so you can judge what you like best. A nice rubbing paste works great for counters, refrigerators, etc.

Here are her recommended essential oil combos for this cleaner (and her Powder Cleaner Base #2 which will be listed further below):

1 tsp. Sweet Orange Essential Oil
OR
3/4 tsp. Sweet Orange Essential Oil
1/4 tsp. Lavender Essential Oil
OR
3/4 tsp. Sweet Orange Essential Oil
1/4 tsp. Tea Tree Essential Oil
OR
3/4 tsp. Sweet Orange Essential Oil
1/4 tsp. Spearmint Essential Oil
OR
3/4 tsp. Sweet Orange Essential Oil
1/4 tsp. Pine Essential Oil

Eucalyptus-Mint All Purpose Disinfecting Soft Soap for Kitchen and Bath:

Erica says,"This soap can be used for dishes, handwashing, floors, stoves, refrigerators, sinks, and hands. It's mild to the skin but effective enough to get cleaning jobs done. The eucalyptus and mint provide a disinfecting quality as well as a fresh scent; any areas washed with this soap will be undesirable to crawling insects and flies. They'll stay away for quite a while."

5 cups grated castile soap

1/2 cup baking soda

1 teaspoon borax

6 cups hot peppermint tea

1 tsp eucalyptus essential oil

Put grated soap into a 3-quart stainless steel saucepan and add hot mint tea. Simmer for fifteen minute on low heat. Add baking soda, borax, and eucalyptus oil. Store in a labeled plastic jug or squirt bottle. Shake before using.

Bathroom Scrubs:

Being on a budget (like I am), I really love using Borax in the bathrooms as a scrub. Grist did an article testing 8 green cleaning bathroom products, and Borax won me over just as much as the writer of the article. It's not no scrub, but it does the best job I've ever seen in my tub and shower.

Erica's Powder Cleaner Base #2-A scrubbing base for the tub, sinks, or to scrub any surface that needs scrubbing:

2 cups baking soda

1/4 cup orange or lemon peel (finely powdered)

1 tbs Borax

1/2 cup shredded natural soap

Erica says, "It is best to take the dried Natural Soap and powder it down in the food processor a bit in order to get it to mix in the powder mixture better."

De-odorizers and Air Fresheners

The most simple, effective, and budget-friendly way of deodorizing your carpet while vacuuming is to sprinkle baking soda or Borax on your carpet before vacuuming. It offers a fresh scent and eliminates odors in your carpet.

If you have tougher odors, or just want a more noticeable smell, you can also mix in your favorite Essential Oil before sprinkling it onto the carpet.

Like a fresh smelling home? There are so many ways to freshen the air in your home. Some simple solutions include simmering cinnamon or other spices with water on the stove, keeping fresh coffee grounds on the counter, and baking soda.

Do you like those gel air fresheners you can buy in the stores? You can make one yourself!

1 packet unflavored Knox gelatin
3/4 c water
1/4 c vodka
1-2 tbs fragrance oil
food coloring as desired

Dissolve the gelatin in boiling water. Allow to cool at room temp then add the vodka, coloring, and scent. Pour into a decorative jar and refrigerate until set.

I hope some of these cleaners help get you started on the road to a greener, less toxic lifestyle. There are many, many, many more recipes for cleaners, and as you get more comfortable with the idea of making your own, you'll find that you like different mixtures.

Keep these key ingredients handy and remember to use them when making your own cleaners:

White Distilled Vinegar
Water
Baking Soda
Borax
Lemon Juice
Essential Oils
Natural Soap

If you would like to do more research on this topic yourself, here are some great sites I recommend. Some of the information in this post has at one point or another, been learned from these sites as well:
1001 Uses For Vinegar
The Daily Green-Spring Cleaning
Green Cleaning Resources
EarthEasy Non Toxic Solutions
Uses for Essential oils
Article on bathroom cleaners

I would also like to send out a big thank you to Erica over at Goddess Of Cooking for sending over her recipes, tips, and tricks to include in this blog post.

Happy Cleaning!

"Hi, My Name is Angie, and I'm a Burrito-Aholic"

2010-04-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, I had a picnic lunch with my friend Julie, over at The Reason for My Insanity. It was an interesting afternoon, to say the least.

You see, Julie couldn't quit talking about these burritos at a local Mexican food place. I've driven past the place, and honestly, it didn't look like a place I would ever go into. One of those hole-in-the-wall, hidden gem kind of places. I just don't gamble with food poisoning, you know? Well, it turns out that these burritos are so good she's blogging about them.

I told Willie about them tonight and he says "I guess I know what we're having for dinner!" So, there, Julie. You've worn me down. I'm taking your burrito challenge.

We had a burrito each tonight (and 2 tacos for Willie). Umm....I kinda want another ;-)

I guess I've failed the challenge.

Hi, my name is Angie, and I'm a burrito-aholic. Go try one! I'll meet you in the first room down the hall on the right for our weekly Burritos Anonymous meetings.

Blog-Aversary + A Giveaway!!

2010-04-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

The time has come. I can hardly believe it myself, but one year has passed since I found blogging. I know...I mean, who has only been blogging for a year?! Me.

On that fateful day of May 7th, when I decided to write my first blog post, my world kind of changed. Okay...more like my online world changed. I didn't know much about blogging. I mean, what do you write about?, but I wanted to give it a shot. I enjoy writing, and needed a place to get my thoughts and ideas out there.

Through this past year, you have seen my journey through the first year of motherhood. My writing has evolved with my experience. I started by posting funny little anecdotes about parenting, and gradually branched out into my ideas on green living, my ideas on discipline, healthy recipes, and now even some crafts.

Thank you to all who have been reading my blog for this last year. It's kept me going. It's kept me sane.

I'd like to offer a give-away to celebrate my one-year mark in the blogosphere, and I'd like to open it up to anyone that would like enter.

So, here's the nitty-gritty.

What you get

1 $20 credit to CUTEure Creations to choose any item you like. Nothing is off limits (in my shop)! This is $20!! It's *almost* like cash in your hands! You can use it towards a larger purchase, or purchase several smaller items that add up to that amount.

How to Enter (Comment once per entry.)

-Mandatory entry: Comment on my blog, telling me what you would choose to buy with the $20 gift card, should you win.

-Extra entries: Facebook, Twitter, or Blog about my give-away, including a link to this post. (each promotional venue counts as another entry, therefor, another comment on this post and another entry into the give away).

-"Like" CUTEure Creations on facebook.

Limitations: You may enter once for posting on Facebook (per page: i.e. fan page & personal page each count), once for tweeting (per day), and once for blogging (per day).

When it Ends

All entries should be submitted by May 14th at 9 p.m. Pacific Time (Midnight EST).

How I'll Choose

On May 15th, I will submit all of the comments on this post to random.org and a winner will be randomly selected. This means the more ways you enter, the better your chance to win!

How Will You Know?

Check back here between May 15-16 to see a post announcing a winner!!

I think that just about covers it!! Good luck to everyone who enters!!

CUTEure Make-Over Phase 1 ::Re-Organizing::

2010-04-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

This past week, I have been on a mission. CUTEure has been doing okay with sales in the last month or two, but I'd really like to step it up a notch and start making some actual money.

Now, I don't consider myself a dummy, but I certainly know as well as anyone that I have a lot to learn about running a business, especially online selling. So much competition! How will I ever get seen?! I will get seen by making it to the Holy Grail of internet searches. The ever-elusive first page of Google.

It's not going to be easy, and I certainly can't do it alone. I luckily got the help of an amazing shop owner on etsy. She gave me some very in-depth answers to my questions and wrote up a report with what should change in my shop.

It was a lot of stuff. A lot.

Two days and many many hours later, Phase One :: Re-Organization:: is complete. Strangely enough, all I was trying to do was increase my Google visability, and then I was going to re-organize and stream line later, but somehow, the changes I made to optimize SEO in my shop really gave my products a more stream lined look.

Now, instead of just looking for something for "Little Ladies", you can search my shop by clicking on Girls Hair Clips, Childrens Hats, Crochet Booties, New Baby Gift Sets, and Legwarmers.

I really enjoy the new look.

I'm also working on a more stream-lined product line. My crochet bunny booties were a big hit, so I've been playing off of that idea and making a few different styles of booties.

What do you think of the new styles? I really love the pom poms, myself! What type of bootie (or any product) would you like to see?

Allergies- An Update

2010-04-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

So, we're now close to 2 weeks into our "food challenge" with Addison. 2 weeks of no onions, garlic, or tomatoes.

If you're a bit confused during this blog post, and not quite sure what you may have missed (I mean, why are we doing food challenges? Why do I have a blog post about food allergies at all?), you may want to read this post.

Since it's been close to 2 weeks, I thought it was time for a small update on the situation.

If you remember, I was very confused about Addie's rashes and what could be causing it. I was very frustrated and overwhelmed, knowing I was thisclose to figuring it all out but just couldn't.

The first week of food challenge was all about trial and error. She was slipped some onion on occasion. We just weren't in the practice of keeping it away from her.

On day 3, I was just raving over how great her face looked. It was still patchy, but healing. I mean...I wanted to cry it looked the best it's ever looked. Then dinner happened.

I found this really yummy recipe for Spanish tortillas-something I've been trying to find a recipe for since my vacation to Spain 3 years ago! Unfortunately, the recipe called for onions, and lots of them. I decided since I wanted the full effect, I would just keep Addie's tortilla mix separate from mine and Willie's (and our friends').

It seemed totally do-able (despite 2 separate frying pans, 2 separate bowls, 2 separate whisks, & 2 separate spoons) until I sliced the first onion open. Addie was sitting on the kitchen floor playing and keeping me company, and all of a sudden she started whining and squirming...getting worse and worse. Then she started scratching. Like all over her body! Her face was suddenly red and scaly again, her back and tummy were itchy, and she just wouldn't stop crying!

I ran her out to Willie so she could get some fresh air, and just felt like crap. I mean seriously. Who knew?? Apparently an onion allergy is similar to a peanut allergy in that you can't be in the room with them (at least I think I've read that about nut allergies).

So, now I know. No more onions or garlic in our house-at least until this experiment is over. One good thing did come from that episode, though. I am now way more aware of what is in food and remembering to check every label, and omit anything that contains any of the 3 ingredients.

Since then, things are going better. Her face is clearing up again, although we do have random bouts of rashi-ness-specifically on her back & sides where her diaper and pants sit. That may just be from chafing and dry skin. I'm not totally sure. I do know there are some environmental issues that cause rashes for her sometimes-harsh chemical cleaners being one of them. She's been mildly exposed to those the last few weeks with this new play date we go to in a childrens learning center. They use bleach to clean their large toys and diaper area. In fact, the day I wrote my original post was our first trip out there, and she did get a diaper change there, so hindsight is telling me that could be what caused the rash that prompted my blog.

We're still in the middle of the food challenge. I'm really nervous to start introducing foods- even though I know technically she's having mild reactions. I'm just dreading it, but I will do it to help narrow down what's causing this.

We may still try eliminating gluten/wheat from her diet as well after this is said and done, just to see if it's another cause, since she's still kind of rashy. We will see. Maybe she just needs more time for everything to get out of her system.

Here is a picture of Addison 2 weeks ago, roughly. It's un-edited (yes, I usually edit out some of the worse rashes. It gets really old hearing "what happened to her face?!" when I show photos to family).

Check out this picture of Addie today. No editing, just Addie.

We're still learning, and we're still dealing with flare-ups, but over all, she looks better than she ever has, basically!

The Good Wife

2010-04-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been trying to think of what makes a good wife. I've really been struggling with this. I stay home all day with Addison, so really, the house work, cooking, cleaning, and child-rearing is all up to me. I should be better at it. I'm going to begin that journey now.

Willie tries to help, but I do start to feel guilty when he does. He works a full time night position job plus working on a nursing degree full time. On top of that, he comes home and he is a husband and dad. Who am I to ask him to put away clothes or wash dishes for me?

Granted, I work. I work really hard. I'm trying to start a business, which takes a lot of time and energy. I'm raising a toddler which means that not every day can I focus on anything other than her. It's hard, but I'm trying. Other moms do it, so I know I can, too. I just can't help but feel overwhelmed by it all some days.

Ever since Addie came along, I've been struggling with keeping that balance. It only got worse when I started making stuff to sell. This week, I decided to get some sort of routine started in order to keep this house clean and organized. Just one more step towards being Super-mom....or the good wife.

I wrote down the schedule to hopefully keep me on track. I'm on day two of my schedule and so far, so good.

Here it is. Maybe it will inspire some other work-at-home moms that are also trying to do it all.

Dailies: Pick up toys, Dishes

Sunday: Bathrooms

Monday: Kitchen Scrub, Floors, & Addie's Room

Tuesday: Living room, organize toys (rather than tossing them in the toy box), carpet, dusting, craft room

Wednesday: Our room, laundry

Thursday: Outside

Friday: Dailies, family time (Weds-Fri are my weekends with Willie's schedule)

Saturday: Laundry

When I write it down like this, it looks really do-able. Wish me luck!

Earth Day and Green Living

2010-04-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

Image found browsing Google Images

Earth day seems especially important this year. It's on everyone's mind. Seeing as how the Earth is trying to shake us off like a wet dog lately, I can see why taking better care of our planet is more of a top priority this year than ever before.

There are many things you can do to live a greener life. Most of them are really pretty simple and can even save you money. That sounds like a no-brainer to me, especially in this economy!

I'm going to tell you about these few simple steps to green up your life, and hopefully you can learn a bit from my post. I hope to continue posts like these, and share a few tips at a time, so as not to overwhelm anyone just starting to think about this life style. Baby steps, my friends. Baby steps.

The first (and simplest) thing you can do to live a greener life is to use re-usable grocery totes. These days you can find them in most grocery stores for a really great price. Most stores even give you a small discount for each re-usable tote that you use to replace a paper or plastic bag. We usually get .05 off per bag, and on a big grocery run, that can add up. It's not a lot, but if you do it every time, you'll even save money on groceries. Plus, just think of all the plastic bags you'll be saving from the dump! Those days that we do forget our re-usable totes, we make sure to re-use our plastic bags. We use them for small trash bags, cleaning out the cat litter box, and for disposable diapers while we are out in public.

Another way to go green is to cut down on driving. I know this sounds very daunting to many of you, but really, there are many ways you can do this. Car pooling to work or play dates, walking to the corner coffee house, or riding your bike to the park are all ways to cut back on your driving. A bonus is the money you will save on gas! See, didn't I tell you many of these would save you money?!

My absolute favorite way to live a more eco-friendly life is to use green cleaning products. There are many options depending on your level of commitment. The easiest and most convenient way to do this is to buy products from the store that are green. Many brands now offer green lines that are more eco-friendly. While I prefer to make my own cleaners so I know exactly what goes into them (with Addie this is a priority of mine), buying from these brands increases the demand, and boosts the support of these brands, encouraging more green products, and hopefully spreading the word to more and more buyers that green is the way to go! If you are interested in making your own cleaners, there are several sites dedicated to green cleaning that can give you a recipe for any life style! The bonus to making your own cleaners is that most of them can be made with products already in your house!
My favorite cleaning products are white vinegar, lemon juice, eucalyptus oil, Borax, Baking Soda, and water. All things I keep in my house anyway. Keep your eyes peeled for a post dedicated to making your own cleaners if you're interested.

Lastly, Buying local or growing your own produce is great for the environment and your local economy. Willie and I have been buying produce from the local stand near our apartment for two years now. It's fresh, it's tasty, and it's even cheaper for us to buy there than the grocery store. While the produce may not be organic, it's at least not shipped in from other places in the country (or the world) to sit in my grocery store. I always find a better selection of fresh fruits and veggies at the produce stand than I do in most stores. We've moved this year and can't visit the same produce stand, but luckily, our landlords are big into gardening, and even started a second community garden right in our front yard! I can't wait for it to all start growing. For anything we can't get in our front yard, we'll visit the produce stand down the road or the local farmers market once a week for the freshest selection.

I hope my tips help someone to lead a greener, more environmentally friendly lifestyle. We all need to do our part to take care of our home, before our home has had enough.

Speachless..

2010-04-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

Is it Allergies?! What is it?!

2010-04-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

**This post is me thinking through this info so it may be a bit chaotic**

Those of you that know me, or "know" me through the internet-blog follower, forum friends, and facebook friends-probably know by now that we've had a lot of problems with Addison and her Eczema in the past.

There were suggestions-of course- that she possibly had a food allergy. These comments were made when the Eczema first showed up at 2 months old but we brushed them off because it wasn't a rash that came and went, it was just always there. It didn't get worse after I ate anything (during the nursing days) or after she ate anything after she started solids. It was just there. Always.

Around the time of her first birthday, I started noticing that after she ate she would get a bright red rash around her mouth and scratch like crazy. I got the inkling at that point that maybe she had some sort of food allergy, but I couldn't figure it out. It was literally 90% of the time she ate this would happen.

It's started to get worse more recently to the point that she has started getting rashy all over her stomach and arms after she ate, and would get particularly fussy after eating some foods. Foods like spaghetti. One night I made a meatloaf and she got some pieces in her shirt while she ate. When I took her shirt off after her meal, I noticed bright red whelps where the meat loaf was sitting on her. I made the meatloaf with ketchup. This is when I started finally noticing a connection with the tomatoes and the rash and fussiness.

About three weeks ago I decided to cut tomatoes completely out of her diet and see what happened. For several days it seemed to be working. I thought I had figured it all out. Her rash was going away, she was happier during dinner, and her diaper rashes were going away (oh yeah, she had diaper rashes that were "textbook" allergy). Shortly after my "celebration" of figuring it out, I started noticing a spot on her chin that she kept scratching and it just wouldn't go away. I started diligently checking labels for anything I may have missed, being more careful about what is in the food I cook than I ever have before. Her rashes were still coming back. On her arms, her face, and her knees mostly. It could just be dry skin, I guess. I mean, I've had Eczema all my life and it's seasonal. I've just got this feeling though that it's not.

Sometime in the last week, I've gotten to the point where I am 100% confident that she has had no tomatoes. It can't be tomatoes. So what can it be?

My friend Jess and I were talking yesterday and she mentioned (not for the first time) that maybe Addie has an allergy to something that is commonly served with tomatoes. Like maybe onions. Yep. The same food I had to cut out while nursing because it gave her such bad gas. Hmmm...there's a thought. After some discussion and research, I'm realizing just how much food has onions in it. Yikes. Even her Goldfish crackers! One kind we normally get has tomatoes in it, and the other has onions. Onions would make sense. Onions are in everything that has made me notice a break-out or scratching.

So...now we are testing onions. No onions (or garlic since apparently they go together) for Addie and we'll see. Now, the only problem with this theory is:

She broke out tonight after a dinner of Pork Chops cooked in olive oil, salt, and pepper; Whole Wheat angel hair pasta, and steamed asparagus. No onions. No garlic. No tomatoes. Her rash is all over her stomach, sides, and arms. I just don't know.

The only thing I can think of is last night she had some onions in dinner, and she did eat her goldfish (the ones with onion powder) before we read the label today. She was also outside playing almost all day long. She was playing just in the gravel and in the garage though so I mean what could it be?! Did she really eat that many gold fish? Would it make a difference that she spilled half of them on herself in the car? Is it something outside, too? It wouldn't take that long just from dinner last night, would it??

This is such a confusing, weird, overwhelming issue. It's finally at the tip of my fingers what could be causing all of these rashes and making my daughter itch, and it's something that can be in my control, but I just can't figure it out and this is just so frustrating.

New Home(s)

2010-04-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

A lot has been happening over here in our household! As you know, my family and I recently moved into a house further outside the city...out in the woods, in fact!

I don't have any pictures of the actual house, or the inside of the house, but here are a few pictures of us outside our new home.

Willie got to mow the grass this week. I've never seen him mow grass. Maybe that's because we've never lived in a house before.

Doesn't he look happy? ;-)

Addie's also enjoying having a yard. Before we moved here for real, we were over quite a bit visiting with our friends/landlords, and Addie and Loren would play out in the yard or in the drive way the whole time we visited. For the first week and a half straight after we moved it rained ever day-no kidding. Addie kept climbing up on the couch and pointing out the window saying "'side? 'side? Peeeeeeezze?!" So since the weather has been nicer the last few days, we've spent time outside cleaning the garage, mowing grass (duh) and just letting her enjoy herself.

Oh look, I do have a picture of the house!

_________________________

In other news, you'll notice my blog also has a new "home". Not really.You can still find me in the same cyber-space, but I sure did some re-decorating!

I'm sure you've noticed the new name-Twenty Something. I thought it was time to branch out from my "mommy blogger" label. I love blogging about my family, but I want to write about more than diapers, milestones, and daily schedules (not that I'm saying that's all mommy bloggers write about. I "heart" mommy bloggers!).

Another thing you've probably noticed is my totally awesome (if I do say so myself) new design and header from The Frilly Cocunut. She does great work, don't you think? You should definitely head over to her blog and check out her portfolio. She also re-did my Twitter profile with a matching background.

All of the old faves are still on my blog, just rearranged. Hopefully my blog can start to look a bit more organized and be a bit easier to navigate with my new navigation bar up at the top of the page (above the header). You'll see links for "home", "green living", "crafts", and "parenthood" so you can easily find the topic you want to read about literally with the click of a button. I also now have a blog button! Feel free to grab it to show some love for me on your blog. It's on the right hand side. I'll be adding buttons to my blog now as well...erm...just as soon as I find the time! I promise!

So, I hope you enjoyed seeing my new home(s) tonight. I look forward to hearing what you have to say on my new look!

Well, I probably won't do that again..

2010-04-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Day-After-Easter, dear readers!

No. It's not a holiday, but I'm lame and missed the real holiday, so take it or leave it. ;-)

Currently, I'm sitting on the couch watching Addie play with her little doggie. You know, the one that is part of her harness for hikes and air ports? She's petting it, and then gave it too kisses on the nose and started singing to it. All without realizing I was sitting here watching her. So stinkin' cute!!

Anyway...that's not the point of this post, but it just happened and was so totally adorable that I had to share.

On to my post:

I tried something new this week! With living on a budget and being crafty, I thought "why go out and buy a stuffed bunny for the Easter basket??" I found a few patterns a few weeks ago to try out some amigurumi (<---stuffed animals made from crochet) toys for Addie, and thought that Easter would be a perfect time to try 'em out!

Hmm....probably won't try that again. I mean, in theory, this was a great idea. Addie loves yarn. She loves anything crochet-related, really. I mean, her lovey blanket is crochet and she can't get enough of it. She hugs skeins of yarn while I work. She steals blankies from her friends if they are crochet or knit. She even pretends to crochet with me!

So...yeah. I figured she'd love an amigurumi Easter bunny. I fear, though, that she has the same thoughts on this bunny as I do. If you ask me...he looks pretty creepy!

Single Parents..

2010-03-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Today, I was listening to BJ Shay's show on our favorite station. He had the author of "Men are Just Better" on his show and was taking callers. Willie is telling me it was a repeat show but it was the first time I heard it so I'm blogging about it.

Now, I only heard the last caller, but something he said really struck a cord.

This caller was wondering what advice they would have for a woman trying to turn the tables. She wanted her boyfriend to be the main provider for their family because she felt it was important for a woman to be in the home. Obviously, I agree with that. She went on to tell about her situation growing up with a single mom that was the "I can do it all" type, and that's why she has such a great paying job and the mentality of taking care of herself.

The advice, though, that is where I start to disagree. BJ and the guest speaker told her that she is the way she is because her parents are divorced. He went on to tell her that single parents destroy children...

Wait...what?!

I couldn't believe my ears when I heard him say that. I've heard comments along those same lines on his show before, but nothing so blatantly against single parents.

I get his ideas in some aspects. Should women intentionally get pregnant without a partner just because they want a baby and think they can do it all? Probably not. It's their decision of course, but maybe that's not the best scenario for the kids. I understand his point in that situation, but to say that all single mothers destroy kids, well, I actually lost a bit of respect for him there.

My mom was a single parent. It wasn't her choice, not really. She did instill different values in me and my sister than if she had stayed with my dad, but I certainly don't feel destroyed. I'm very capable. I'm very functional. I don't feel that I need therapy.

As a matter of fact, I don't always feel like I can do it all. I'll be the first to admit that I can't do something, or at least can't do it as well as Willie does. This is the reason I haven't been on the Wii Fit since we moved. I'm waiting on him to connect it all, since he does something fancy with all the cords and speakers and I just get lost back there!

So, do you think that single parents destroy their children? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Stream of Consciousness-A Catch Up

2010-03-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

So, this post is basically going to be a bunch of rambling off the top of my head-just a forewarning!

I haven't truly blogged in what feels like ages. As it turns out...starting a business is a lot of work!

So, here's an update on my life.

Business:

The past couple of months, I have been putting pretty much all of my energy into creating inventory, researching craft businesses, and networking as much as I could. I have spent every waking minute doing this. It really seems to be worth it though! In the past two weeks, I have been featured on Etsy's front page twice now, and received 15 sales from it.

Needless to say, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind for me! It's been fun though.

I also just applied for two Farmers Markets this week. Tuesday I have a quality control meeting to show them my products and samples of a display-which means that tomorrow I get to play around with display ideas with Jess's help! I'm pretty excited to see how it will all come together and to see what needs to be done in the coming months. Both markets start in mid-May, so I've got about a month to finish up my inventory and get it where I want it.

Personal:

In other news, Addie is getting so big! She is parroting everything we say now, and seems to have real conversations with us (not that we can totally understand the conversations). She's growing strong, finally climbing on everything. She really seems to like the time we spend in our new house on occasion.

Tomorrow morning we get to get up and go to the house and bring over all of our storage items to leave in the garage. They said the house will be ready by Wednesday of next week and we can move in as soon as that happens! I'm pretty excited. I'll have plenty of storage, a new work room (with a door), a photo "studio" area that can stay in place in the garage, and so much more.

We're also planning our trip to Texas this summer. We'll get to stay in the newly built family beach cabin for half of the trip. I am already packing in my mind. Swimsuits, sunscreen, sand toys, a pop-up tent, sun hats, baby sandals...eek! Did I mention I'm excited?

Blog:

You may have noticed my blog looking...blah for a few months now. Nothing but a boring header and some unorganized side bars. Yuck. Well, the thing is I was waiting to sign up for The Frilly Coconut's Design List!. It appears I'm finally on her "working on" list, so it shouldn't be long now before I have a totally fabulous blog design to show off and hopefully get me out of this writing funk. I'd love to start focusing on that more now that I'm in a routine.

So, there ya go, there's really not much new going on. At least, not as much as it feels like while being caught in the tornado of my life. Maybe in a few days I'll blog about our recent snow-shoeing trip. That was a lot of fun! I got some great pictures, too. Maybe this week I'll sort through those, too!

CUTEure Feature and a Give Away!

2010-03-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

Hello, all! It's late tonight, but I have very exciting news!!

CUTEure was featured on the front page of Etsy today! How exciting? This earned me hundreds of views on my bunny booties and 30 hearts-which if you are familiar with Etsy-land you'll know that's a big deal!

I also have more exciting news for those of you eying my products but leary to buy. I have agreed to enter CUTEure into a blog giveaway over at Giggling Kids. Please go check out her blog for a chance to win a $10 gift code to my shop! Good luck!!

In other news...well there isn't much. We are getting ready for a weekend get-away starting tomorrow!! We'll be spending the weekend in Bend, Or to hopefully go snow shoeing and spend some time with my aunt and uncle. I really can't wait! Although...it won't be a vacation from "work" for me! Thanks to my feature (and just the plain cute-ness of the booties!) I have six pair to complete and get shipped out in time for Easter!

Farewell to a Dream..

2010-03-07T22:46:00.000-08:00

For those of you who do not know (but may care), our family is moving. Not too far away or anything, but we are moving. We are going to pay the penalty charge at our apartment and move into a four-bedroom house.

Why are we doing this again? Two reasons.

1) Ever since our flood, this apartment has had an...aroma...A musty, smelly, almost-moldy aroma. We've spoken to the apartment manager about this and she claims they've checked twice before moving us back in and there is no mold or moisture in the walls or carpet. Unfortunately for them, we found mold last week in the bathroom where the flood originated. Sucks for them. Sucks for us, too, for a number of reasons. Despite the mold (it was a small amount-able to be cleaned up with harsh chemicals which I hate), our primary reason for wanting to leave is the smell.

2) We found a place! Some great friends of ours-possibly our closest friends here in Washington-own a few rentals and one became available a little over a month ago! It is a 4 bedroom house! With a yard!!

I absolutely can't wait. Then again...part of my heart is sinking...just a little bit. I moved across the country to live in Seattle. We couldn't afford the rent when we first moved here, so we agreed to live in the "suburbs" until Willie found a good job and started making money. Little did we know that after a year in the area, he was going to make a huge career change that included another four years of schooling and training and climbing a whole new ladder.

Like I said, I can't wait to move. I'm excited to get into a house, especially being so close to such great friends. That's not what this blog post is about though. I need to get the negatives off my chest tonight.

This move-while best for our family for a number of reasons-will move us further from Seattle. Maybe it sounds a little crazy to want this so badly, but I just feel like I've missed out on that experience. We will now be moving another 30-or-so miles further from the city. That makes a full 1-hour commute.

The pros are that we'll be in a smaller (safer) area, near the water, with a yard, near friends, with a built-in play mate for Addie, with a garden.

The cons are...we'll be further from Seattle. I can't fight it anymore. I dug my heals in long enough on this argument until I finally recently decided I can't fight it anymore. It's better for our family. It's better for Willie. Closer to his job.

I've known since this time last year that my fight was childish, irrational, and even a little selfish.

It's not worth it to fight it anymore.

Girl's Got Style

2010-03-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

I gotta say, Addie doesn't have much choice in what she wears daily yet, but she sure does have style! Hair style that is!

I styled her hair today by spritzing it and twirling it around my fingers a bit. Wow. I knew she had curls but this is stinkin' adorable.

I may have to start styling my 1-year-old's hair daily now that I've seen this!

New Blog Button For CUTEure

2010-02-26T21:24:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Just a quick post tonight since I've been asked a few times about this.

I finally created a button that links to CUTEure!

So, here is what the button looks like:

And here is the code, for any of you who want to support me for free:)...not that I'm asking you to, of course, I've just had inquiries!

A Blanket for Linus

2010-02-21T19:32:00.000-08:00

I recently finished my most in-depth, time consuming crochet project and thought I would share it here for all of you to enjoy.

A month and a half ago I was at a loss as to what to get my friend for a "welcome baby" gift for the imminent arrival of number 2. I'm a stay-at-home-mom married to a college student. We don't have a lot of disposable income, and since this was her second in less than 3 years, it's not like she needed anything.

Suddenly, the thought came to me that I should make her something special-something he would get a lot of use out of-but what? At that moment, Addie walked by holding her blankie-her lovey. Perfect!

So, here it is, a blanket for Linus. And yes, that's his name. She did make it too perfect!!

I love this blanket. I wanted colors that are perfect for a little boy, but something other than just a basic blue and white baby blanket. I decided to use colors found in nature for this blanket, and I think they look great together.

I used Lion's Brand Wool-Ease yarn in Caramel, Avocado, Fisherman, and Blue Heather.

With these colors, I made 9 granny squares for each color-totaling 36 granny squares. Since this was a much bigger project than most everything I make, I decided to work on it little by little in between other projects which is why it ended up taking as long as it did. Every night after I was done making a hat or hair bows, I would make a granny square, or many granny squares depending on the night.

Once I was finished making all of the Granny Squares, it was time to sew them all together. To do this, I just held two Granny Squares together and used a darning needle to sew them together and weaved in each end. That's a lot of ends!

Finally, to give the blanket a finished look, I decided to do a shell stitching* around each edge. This helps hide the imperfections such as slightly different squares. The finished product...

...Is the perfect little blankie for a new little boy.

I hope he enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to give him his gift yet. He went back into the hospital before I got to meet him due to a bacterial infection he picked up during birth. All is well though, according to his mom, he is improving quickly and will be out of there as soon as he finishes his antibiotics!

So, here is a big, giant "Get Well Soon!" for baby Linus, and a big, giant hug for his momma-if she happens to read my blog.

I hope you enjoyed my reading about the process!

This post has attended the I Made It! Blog Party over at Everything Etsy. Check out the other attendees!

* Shell Stitch: 2 hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc in same stitch, skip next 2 sts and repeat

What's Cookin'? Wednesday!

2010-02-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Surprised? Two blog posts within two days? And it's a WCW post? Something I haven't done in ages?!

Yep! That's right! I'm on a roll this week!

This week I'm here to share a fun, kid-friendly recipe I found in the September 2009 edition of Parent's magazine. I tore it out of the magazine and put it with the recipes I'd like to try someday. Well, a week ago we tried it for the first time, and let me tell you. Not only did Addie scarf down a plate full, Willie also said he wanted it again! It was delicious and nutritious. So here it is:

Pork Chops with a Cherry Cranberry glaze, Broccoli, and mashed sweet potatoes!

What you'll need:
1 tbs canola oil
4 pork chops (I used 6 thin-cut ones for quicker cooking)
1 pkg Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash frozen Sweet Potatoes (You know me, I prefer fresh)
1 pkg frozen broccoli
1 cup frozen pitted sweet cherries
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp coarse mustard

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium. Add the pork chops and cook until done-about 10 minutes. Remove chops from skillet and cover with foil. Meanwhile, put your skinned, chopped sweet potatoes on to boil (or put the frozen potatoes in the microwave). Microwave broccoli according to package directions, and combine cherries, cranberry juice, cornstarch, and mustard in the skillet. Cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes until the sauce is thickened and bubbly.

Pour sauce over pork and serve with sweet potatoes and broccoli. Serves 4.

I've got the FEVER

2010-02-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

Yikes. I've got to come out and say it! I've caught the fever...the baby fever!

I don't know how it happened, or who I caught it from. It snuck up very quickly and knocked me off my feet.

Me-the mom who blogged about the possibility of waiting years for another baby just a few months ago-now has the fever.

Does this mean I actually think I'm ready for another baby? Not so much. I think I'm just finally to the point of liking babies again. I'm still not emotionally ready to have one around all the time. Sadly, I think I had issues with PPD that I didn't even admit to myself until recently. That first year was rough on me, emotionally, physically, and mentally. I didn't even know myself how rough it was until I "snapped out of it" as they say.

Hindsight's twenty-twenty.

Still, until this week, I was no where near even thinking of having another baby. Then, I looked at pictures. I looked at them all. Somehow, looking back on the happy pictures makes the bad memories seem a bit fuzzier. The picture of her first smile. The pictures of her playing and laughing with me. Pictures from this time last year, with sun streaming in through the vertical blinds. Her bald little head reflecting such bright light.

So many pictures. What happened? Why don't I take as many pictures anymore? I seem to have just stopped. I guess we just got too busy, and with Addie moving around so much, even our Nikon D40 has trouble getting her in focus sometimes.

I've got the fever alright. Something I didn't think I'd catch for a long time. Is it here to stay? We'll see. For now, I plan to ignore it. I'll get my snuggles in and that new baby smell from our newest play group addition.

We agreed to re-assess how we felt each year and go from there. I still have a few months to decide how I even feel about having another baby. At least one obstacle is out of the way now. I can see myself wanting another baby...sometime. Just not quite yet.

Waking up Before the Kids

2010-02-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

I hear people talk about this concept over and over, and yet, after 15 months, I still can't grasp it.

Waking up before your toddler. It's a novel concept. Can you imagine? Checking your email in silence, drinking a cup (or 2) of coffee. Maybe even a shower! I mean really, can you imagine the endless possibilities?

Normally, my morning goes something like this:

6:30-7 a.m.: Willie walks in the door from night shift. I roll over and go back to sleep.
7:30-8 a.m.: Addie wakes up, usually laughing and talking to her "friends". I enjoy the sound and doze in and out for the next 10-30 minutes depending on what time she woke up and how happy she is. Some moms can't wait to see that first smile in the morning. Me? I'm just content knowing she does smile in the morning.
8:15-8:30 a.m.: Milk for Addie, coffee for me. Breakfast, which is randomly rotated between cold cereal, oatmeal, whole-wheat blueberry pancakes with yogurt, omlets, or whole-grain french toast.
8:45-11 a.m.: Addie plays, I check my email, blog occasionally, and do any miscellaneous CUTEure work which ranges from creating, taking photos, editing photos, listing new items, buying supplies, going to the post office, etc, etc.
Lately this part has been pretty stressful. You see, from the very beginning, I made sure Addie could play alone. Sure, I love playing with her and teaching her things, but I also need her to entertain herself with her toys sometimes. This last month though, it's like her toys don't exist unless I'm playing with them!
11 a.m.: NAP TIME!! The time for me to focus, re-group, and actually get something done-despite all the time I allot to work in the morning, let's face it, that usually doesn't happen with a toddler!

In light of this schedule, and the fact that I'm not being nearly as productive as I'd like to be, I decided last night that today would be the day once again, that I attempt to wake up before Addie, get coffee started, and get a shower in. Just getting those small things out of the way on my own will make my whole day go more smoothly, I just know it!!

Unfortunately, while this concept sounds easy enough, it just hasn't happened. Trust me, this isn't my first attempt. It appears that Addie knows when I plan on waking up before her. She must have an alarm clock in her crib that goes off 5 minutes before mine does, because man. Every single time I attempt to wake up before her by an hour, she wakes up 5 minutes before me and stays awake.

I just don't get it. You would not think waking up in the morning would be a complicated task until you have kids. What's a mom to do? After 15 months of lounging in my pajamas until noon when I finally get some alone time, I'm kind of ready to lead a real life again, with a schedule of my own, a daily shower in the morning, maybe even some mascara now and then.

So, tomorrow I will try again! Perserverance is the key! One day-maybe 18 years from now, but one day-I will have a shower every morning and a quiet cup of coffee while I check my emails.

Until then...I will wear my jammies until noon, hide my hair under a hat if I have to get out of the house, and drink cold coffee while trying to distract a toddler so I can get some work done.

Is it nap time yet??

My Plea Was Answered!

2010-02-01T22:52:00.000-08:00

Remember this post? You know, the one where I begged, pleaded, and got down on my knees in front of the organizational gods asking for help reining in my mess?

Well, I am here to tell you that my plea was answered! While staying in the model home, I realized how well Addie played by herself when her toys were in the living room vs. the play room. It really got me thinking about how I'm constantly sitting on the floor in the play room (gee, I wonder why I have a bad back?) watching her play while I crocheted or tried to hide my laptop from her lest she maul it.

Suddenly, it hit me. Why don't I just trade with her?! She can play in the dining room where my "craft area" used to be, and I can take over her play room and have my own room dedicated to ribbon, yarn, glue, felt, and clay!

I must say, it's worked out beautifully. I spent the entire day today in my new craft room, finally. It's been ready for a little over a week but sometimes life happens, and sometimes death happens. There's always something keeping me out of my new space, but today I spent most of the day relishing in the semi-organized craft supplies, and making hair bows. I think this room will help keep me productive. There are much fewer distractions in a room dedicated to crafting.

So, without further adieu, I present you with...my craft room!

The obligatory "before" picture. Post play room, pre- craft room. As you can see, it's not a very large space, but I've done what I can with it.

This is where the majority of my crafting will happen. Eventually I plan on getting a bigger table, but this is a freebie that has come in handy! At one point in my bachelorette days it even served as my kitchen table.

Close up of some of my ribbon. Again, a free, innovative way to keep my ribbon organized. There is another dowel on the other side. The table originally had thick handles here on the sides to move it easily. All I did was unscrew those and slide them out, then I slipped a thin wooden dowel into it's place and filled it with ribbon spools. Easy, free, and organized!

Here is my yarn! It is no longer tossed into the ottoman in our living room. I have a crochet-bag that has the yarn needed for my current projects, and the rest is getting stored in these two baskets and slid into the bottom shelf of a small book case to protect them from Addie.

Here's my works-in-progress shelf. Now I know I won't lose projects I set aside.

These are fabulous, so I had to include a picture. At some point in the near future they will be chopped up and made into hair accessories...but until then they can brighten up my new workspace...and my blog!

I do have more organization than this. The majority of my supplies are now stored in one of those tall white plastic drawer container things. And yes, that's the accurate terminology! I thought I would spare you a photo of a tall white and clear cabinet with drawers. I mean...unless you want to see it, of course.

I still have a lot of work I would love to do. I mean, it's still a pretty far cry from the photos I fantasize about while browsing the internet, but it's a start. One day, I'll have the workspace of my dreams. Until then, I'll settle for having it all in one room!

Considering A New Direction

2010-01-31T16:51:00.000-08:00

Hello, dear readers! I am back from yet another dark, damp cave, far far away from civilization and anything remotely resembling the computer or the internet. Why else would I desert you again for coming up on the third time in 6 weeks? More on that later...well, maybe.

For now, I just wanted to write a quick post and maybe get some opinions. As I have stated in my resolutions post, I am branching out in my blog. I am trying to show you more of my life than just the part about being a mom. I will still blog about my parenting adventures. The joys, the struggles, the excitement, the fear, the firsts; but I would also love to share with you more about my business, more about my interests, more about what I do on a day to day basis.

I am looking into getting my blog re-done soon, but I need a new name! Unfortunately, a name like Surviving Motherhood, while catchy, will not do me well on this new road.

Any suggestions from the readers? I am having such writers block these last couple of weeks, and I fear it will continue until my blog is officially no longer "Surviving Motherhood", but something much more in tune about what I now want to write about.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Won't You be my Neighbor? *

2010-01-23T12:48:00.001-08:00

I am about to blog about something I never realized was an issue for me. Well, never until this week, that is. You see, I never get to know my neighbors. What’s the point? We are apartment dwellers, bouncing from one place to the next year after year, and chances are that our neighbors are as well. Why go through the effort of really getting to know someone and be comfortable with them if you’re just going to lose track of them in a few months anyway?

It always seemed that our neighbors felt the same. Sure, I make an effort right after someone moves in. I try to catch them as they are coming or going (and I am coming or going) and give them a friendly smile and wave and hope for the best. I’ve always gotten the same reaction-an awkward smile as they look down at their feet and shuffle past to get into their apartment as fast as possible lest I try and start a conversation about the weather. I just don’t get it.

See, the thing is, I used to love being friendly with my neighbors! That’s what drew me to apartment living. When I was 18, I moved into my cousin’s townhouse with her. She was newly single and needed someone to help her split the rent, and I needed a place to sleep that wasn’t under my mother’s nose. I had grown too used to freedom to be thrust back into her house and under her rule for any extend of time. So, I packed my bags (again) and moved in with my cousin. She was a very friendly and outgoing sort of person that made friends with everyone, so the work was already done for me. Just show up outside on Friday afternoons with some food to share and BAM insta-friends.

Eventually, my cousin and her ex-boyfriend made up and he moved back in. I couldn’t handle being the third wheel in the house so I found a new place to stay. It was a garage apartment with only one neighbor. He was a friendly guy, but his wife hated me for some reason that I never learned so we never hung out. I guess that’s what broke the chain of friendly neighbors because from there on, I’ve never been friends with my neighbors. I’ve always hoped to, but I just figured that that’s not really how apartment dwellers operated and that the one experience I had with friendly neighbors and afternoon barbecues was sadly not the norm.

I have contentedly set aside the notion that I will ever be friends with my neighbors again, living my life between a series of awkward nods and timing my departures to avoid that moment all together. It has worked out well. I don’t get my hopes up, and I don’t exhaust myself trying to make new friends every few months. That is…it worked out well until this past week. Like I said, I always assumed that my one friendly experience with neighbors was out of the norm, but after a conversation with our office manager, I wonder if this is really the case.

See, while discussing what to do about the flooding incident, I made a comment about “the joys of apartment living,” and she sounded surprised. She told me that she just moved into her first house and her and her son felt very lonely and missed living in an apartment. This confused me since I don’t feel any sense of community living here or any other complex recently. When I said so she said “Well, now you get to meet new neighbors and maybe you will have more in common with them,” to which I replied, “We haven’t even met the neighbors we’ve lived side by side with for almost a year, so I doubt we’ll get extra chummy with the neighbors we’re sharing walls with for four days.” Do you know she actually acted surprised that we hadn’t met our neighbors? Here I was thinking we were completely normal, I mean it’s not like we’re rude to our neighbors-we try to be friendly, it’s just that no one seems to reciprocate. Now I’m beginning to wonder…

Is it us??

*Sorry for the Mr. Rogers flashback. Just couldn't help it while thinking of this post, originally titled "Getting to Know Your Neighbors"...see? Just not as catchy :)

The Not-So-Natural Disaster

2010-01-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

This is the story of my week.

It all started Thursday morning when I woke up. The apartment was stinky, the litter box was overflowing, the laundry I had been folding for 2 days was in a pile in the basket, and the cat had pooped in the kitchen-not that I could tell where the kitchen was thanks to all the dishes that needed to be done. You see, I had been battling with some health issues for about a week and had basically “taken time off” if you will to rest because I was feeling so poorly. In fact, I was told to rest. The only problem is, the people telling you to rest generally don’t realize that if they don’t pick up the slack, nothing will get done. So, here it was Thursday morning and I snapped. I couldn’t rest any more. I got as much of the mess cleaned up as possible that morning and decided to take a break before I tackled scrubbing the bathrooms and mopping the floors-you know, all the “extras” that need to be done but don’t really affect how your apartment looks. I just couldn’t make myself keep moving. My body was exhausted and sore. I just wasn’t able to get to the minor details that day. I figured I would tackle them the next morning when I would hopefully be feeling better.

Thursday night was like any other night. Willie and I watched Project Runway and then headed to bed a little after midnight. Next thing I know, we are both being abruptly awoken by someone pounding on our door. I hear a lot of commotion upstairs and outside so I waited a minute to see if our neighbors were just getting rowdy. Then they knocked again and started ringing the doorbell, so Willie went to see who it was. We were both pretty worried at this point because just a few short weeks ago we got a notice from the police department stating that ground-level apartments in our area were getting broken into, and that their “technique” was that they knocked on the door to see if anyone was home, and if not they came in through a window. So Willie answers the door and it’s the maintenance man, who says that our upstairs neighbors had a pipe bust under their bathroom sink and he needed to check and see if it was leaking into our apartment. Sure enough, he didn’t even have to get all the way to the bathroom before water started squishing up around his feet. Half of our apartment was already flooded, and the water was coming down at an alarming rate. We checked and it was half way into Addie’s room, all through our dining room and front bathroom, down the hall, and making it’s way into our living room. That’s not to mention the water that seeped through the floor boards into the back bathroom and our closet. It was a huge mess. Huge.

The cleaning guy came knocking on our door an hour later to clean up the water (6 a.m.) and he told me that they were going to place two fans in our apartment which would hopefully get the mess cleaned up by Monday…Yes…Monday. We were facing three days with wet carpet, noisy fans, and electrical cords everywhere; all of this with a toddler. Oh, did I mention that he said it was going to start to smell? Lovely. So, we waited for the office to open up and headed down there to see what was going to happen. I’m sorry, but I was not going to stay in that apartment.

I went down there and the girl in the office didn’t even know anything about flooding or a busted pipe. She asked if I had called the emergency number to get it fixed or if it was still leaking, so of course I had to walk her through the whole situation. She said the manager would be back in an hour and that we should talk to her, so we went to Starbucks and got coffee. The whole time we were gone we discussed what we needed to tell them and what we wanted from the situation-which was really only a clean, quiet place to stay while they worked on our apartment. We were so worried we were just going to be told some excuse as to why they couldn’t temporarily move us. As it turns out, they were moot worries since the office manager called us 30 minutes later to “discuss our options.” She wanted to move us!! Hallelujah! She was basically willing to do anything we wanted at that point to keep us happy, and offered us the model home which is fully furnished, and the same size as ours.

After further inspection, it appeared our apartment got the majority of the damage. The reason they wanted to move us is so they could put more equipment in our apartment-so much more that it would no longer be advisable for us to stay there at all. I’m not entirely sure how that happened since the pipe that broke wasn’t in our apartment and we aren’t on the bottom floor, but that’s apparently what happened. The water decided to pool in our dining room instead of leaking through to the bottom level. Because of this, we were not able to come back home until yesterday (Tuesday).

We went back to our apartment that afternoon to get some things we would need for our stay, and I saw our apartment through the eyes of an outsider. For all the work I had done the day before, our place was still an embarrassment to me. I couldn’t believe there were strangers coming in and out thinking this was the way I normally lived. I try so hard to keep up with two cats, one toddler, and one grown adult every day in such a small area, I was bound to get behind at some point and let things pile up. It’s just what happens when you’re the only person in a household that wants the place to look nice. I told Willie while we were in there, “this is God’s way of punishing me for keeping a messy apartment.”

Moral of this story: Clean!! Clean even when you are sick. You never know when a pipe will bust upstairs and you will have strangers coming into your apartment and judging you because there is food on the floor and dirty dishes in the sink.

A Work In Progress

2010-01-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

I must make this short, dear readers. You see, I am temporarily displaced from my home (more about that later) and have no internet of my own. I wanted to write a quick blog post though so you know I haven't forgotten about you all! It will be short and sweet, and hopefully leave you wanting more. Here is a teaser of one of my largest projects...still in progress.

What is it you ask? Well, you'll have to wait and find out! I will definitely update as I progress.

In the meantime, I will leave you with something to look forward to over the next two weeks. A list of posts I am working on offline until I can load them online.

-A Not So Natural Disaster
-My Plea Was Answered and a Decision made!
-Addie Vids
-From Playroom to Craft Room. A Transformation

**Disclaimer: names my change in the writing process**

Until then, readers, I must be off to my home away from home. Cheers!

A Plea To the Organizational Gods

2010-01-10T18:22:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know how to get in touch with the gods of organization? Anyone?? I really need them. I mean, is it like the Tooth Fairy? I just sweep my mess under my pillow at night and wake up to a nice, clean, organized apartment?

Image from HGTV's "Rate My Space"

A girl can dream, right?

So, since it doesn't appear to be as easy as the tooth fairy, what do I do? It seems that every year when we move, we go through all of our clothes, all of our beloved kitchen accessories, and all of our miscellaneous items that don't really have a place. We make our "inventory" of personal items we can't part with, and try to figure out the best ways to store them. Each time we move, we end up buying something else for storage, because it seems that each apartment has less and less space to hide things and make it all neat. In the end, we have a big mess of stuff piled in boxes or tucked inside a desk that still can't seem to stay organized, despite being hidden.

Last night, it took me close to 45minutes to attach a bow to the side of one of my beanies. Why?? Because all of my materials were scattered between three different places. Once I figured that my glue gun was not in 2 of the 3 places I keep crafting materials, I still had to dig for it within three bags hidden in my storage ottoman. Then I had to find my wire...another three places to look, another three bags to dig through. But wait. I have to pick a ribbon and measure it to the hat! Great...repeat steps 1-5 again. Sigh...

I would love to have an organized apartment. I try so hard, it just never seems to happen. Everything I see that could maybe help costs money...which we don't have, and takes up space...which we also don't have. I loath apartment living. I used to love it. None of the hassles with yard work or broken plumbing. It just seems that here in the Seattle area, you just can't find an apartment with the amount of space and storage that we could find back in Texas and Louisiana for half the price!

I dream of craft rooms. I imagine having a room one day all to myself entirely devoted to crafting and storing materials. Technically, I could have that here. This apartment does have a small study at the end of the hall (which, coincidentally, I am sitting in right now as I type this), but I decided when we moved here that this room would be for Addie. Her toys were beginning to take over the living room in our old place, and that was before she actually had a lot of toys to play with! I couldn't imagine having all of these toys in our living area now. As it is, her play room is on the brink of exploding.

So, here we are, back at square one. How do I organize all of our stuff?!

In the meantime, here is my prayer (or plea if you will) to the gods of organization. Please, please, please, please...if you're out there (are you?) HELP me figure out what to do with all of this junk!!!

Crafter...Extrordinaire?!

2010-01-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

You all know I'm a mom. That's what this entire blog has been about since I started it. My journey through motherhood, weeding through all things baby and finding my place in that world. Well, I've found my place, and I'm beginning to feel more like the old me. I'm beginning to venture out into the rest of this world again, learning new things and exploring old hobbies all over again.

What you may not know, is that I love crafting. I love learning new things. I love creating something out of nothing. I'm sure many of you have gathered that much if you've ever looked at my work. While I'm still focusing on crochet for my shop, I'm also enjoying learning new things.

Willie got me a sewing machine with all the attachments as an early Christmas gift. Now, I didn't even know how to thread a needle. I had no idea what a bobbin was, and had to read the instructional video to learn what the foot pedal was used for, but since that first day, I feel I have come a long way!

I am almost finished with my first complete project. Not clothes or anything. I don't have that much confidence in myself. I made the best thing I could make for myself-a case for all of my crochet hooks! I thought I was finished with it-hence the photos-but after traveling with this case to a friend's house, I realized I need a flap over the top to hold the hooks in as they fell out everywhere after getting tossed into my crochet bag. So, feel free to leave constructive criticism-in a nice way of course-about what I should try next time. I know this project is far from perfect, and I'm okay with that. I'm still pretty darn proud of myself for finally learning the basics of sewing!

I also participated in my very first craft circle last night. If you read my tweets, you'll know that it was more of a craft line than a circle, as there were only two of us. There are three of us involved in trying to get together for this regularly, but our third person was tied up with the daily issues of having a toddler. These things happen! I taught my friend how to single crochet a row and then turn. She is now a crochet-ing fool! Maybe next week she can learn double crochet. She taught me about polymer clay-something I've never messed with at all. It was a lot of fun! I created a purple rose. I may have to go pick up some clay myself so I can really learn more. Oi. This craft circle could get me into trouble! Or really acquainted with the cashiers at the craft store...one or the other.

We decided to try and meet once a week, or as often as we can. Each week we'll plan some activities and have supplies ready. Once a month, we'll get the kids involved by trying things like finger painting and basic crafts. I'm really looking forward to the future this group can hold!

In the mean time, while I wait to learn something new on Monday, I will continue with my crochet work. I'm branching out, experimenting with new techniques, and veering away from my safety zone. I've been working for several days on a thick winter poncho that I have never attempted, and never even attempted to follow a pattern for a poncho at all. So I started this 100% from scratch and I'm just going with the image in my mind. I am hoping to finish tonight, fingers crossed that it comes out as great as I want it to! Otherwise, it was sort of a wasted 4 days of productivity! Then again, since the glass is always half full, I guess I should say it wasn't a wasted 4 days, instead it was just a 4-day learning experience that will help in the future. Still, though, I'd rather the poncho look fantastic. Check back soon for photos and an update!

I Have Some Resolutions Afterall..

2010-01-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

In my previous post, 2009, An Overview, I mentioned only having one resolution this year. One that I didn't want to share. After thinking on this for a couple of days, I have decided that this is not true. I have several resolutions this year, most of which I would love to share with you all.

My first one is to be more crafty. Willie bought me a sewing machine with all the accessories for Christmas (isn't he the best?!) , and my mother-in-law bought me a Dremel, so I'm learning how to use those day by day. I'm almost done with my first real project, so I will share here when it's done.

That's my second resolution, by the way. I am going to incorporate more of my interests (cooking, crafting, my ETSY shop, and maybe even some TV or movie "reviews" if I'm in the mood) and not only focus on being a mom, because I am so much more than that. Be expecting my first ever giveaway this spring for my anniversary to Surviving Motherhood, too. I'll tweet about it as the time gets closer, but I'm already brainstorming some great stuff!

My third resolution is the obligatory "work out and lose weight" resolution. I know, I know. How unoriginal, but hey, it's something I need to do, so what better time to start than now? Some friends and I joined up and we are participating in a WiiFit challenge, so that should be fun. I'm also playing with the idea of starting up a brand new blog, completely dedicated to this journey. I gained a lot of weight when I met Willie, more when we got married, and of course, even more when I had Addison. I am now at least 20 pounds heavier than I was the day I met him, and would love to get back (or close) to that weight again. I'll decide this week whether I have time enough for a second blog, and if I start it up, you'll be the first to know.

My fourth resolution I feel should be more of a warning to those of you in my personal life. From this day forward, no longer will I rely on the internet and on texting to keep in touch with those of you important to me. I feel we should bring back the phone calls and the personal relationships-you know, the face to face kind-so don't be surprised or worried when your phone rings. It's only me, trying to bring back the old concept of actually talking to my friends.

So there you have it. My resolutions for 2010. What are your resolutions? Is there anything you (my readers) want to improve on in the upcoming year? Please share. It's so nice to get it all down on paper.

2009: An Overview

2009-12-31T23:59:00.000-08:00

The end of the year is upon us. It really has me thinking about this past year.

This year has been so incredibly different than any other year of my life. I feel like I have changed, like I have become someone new. I've become a mother. I've become confident. I'm at peace with myself for the first time since I can remember.

Last year, Willie and I rang in the new year calming a colicky baby and watching fireworks out the window. We couldn't see many of them due to our crummy location, but we craned our neck, opened the blinds, and looked at just the right angle to see one or two fireworks every few minutes while tag-teaming to try and get Addie to sleep. That was a tough time. I was pretty depressed last new year, thinking What a way to ring in the new year...holding a crying baby, sleep deprived, and irritable. I remembered thinking They say that the way you ring in the new year is how you'll spend the rest of your year. I guess that means I'll spend an entire year trying to calm down an inconsolable infant, arguing with my husband, and watching the party from the sidelines. It really goes to show that a change in perspective can make the world of difference.

Instead of thinking I would be spending my entire year with a crying baby, arguing with my husband, and watching the party from the sidelines, I should have been thinking I'm going to spend the year with my family-all of us together-enjoying the view. See what a difference that makes? And you know what? It's true. I spent the year with my family-all of us together-enjoying life, enjoying each other, and enjoying the view.

The first half of the year is a blur. It is marked in my memory as stumbling through the fog. Despite the fact that Addie appears to be an "easy baby", the first half of her first year was probably the hardest time in my life. Ever. I think even Willie doesn't realize how hard that time was for me. I hadn't started my blog at that point, although I know it would have been a tremendous help, but life was complicated. Addie cried a lot. I cried a lot. It started before the breastfeeding issues though. It started the day she emerged from the womb, so much in a hurry to get out that she ended up injured and crying for her first week. Things settled down for a few weeks and it seemed to be smooth sailing until the colic started. I feel like all I can really remember of those first few months is crying, and trying to cover it up with a sunny disposition.

In May, I started this blog. It has been a tremendous help, an outlet for my anger, frustration, joy, and sadness. It helped me open up about things no one knew. In fact, it still does. We discovered some underlying issues regarding Addie's crying, and found ways to fix them. Life began to improve, the fog began to lift, and we were able to relax a little bit.

This summer was spent hiking, taking tons of photos, camping, blogging, and exploring Washington further than just Seattle.

This past fall was probably my favorite time of the year. Addie had her first birthday, her last first holiday, and I developed my confidence in myself.

The holidays passed all too quickly this year. Thanksgiving was spent with our friends-a relaxed affair with good food. Christmas was a busy time for us, traveling, illness, and new traditions all rolled into one.

And now, here we are, back where we started. The holidays have passed. The year is coming to a close. It's New Year's Eve again, one year later. It's been a wild ride, but I'm ready to welcome in a new year, a new season. I'll be alone when the ball drops tonight. Willie is working nights, and Addie should be asleep by then. So, I will watch New Years happen from the sidelines again, working on new projects for my shop. Instead of thinking about how boring this next year will be, I am going to think of how productive it will be. Willie and I will both ring in the new year working, earning money. This next year will be fruitful. It will be fulfilling. It will be peaceful.

Earlier today, I decided on my New Year's Resolution. It's a personal resolution, something I'm not willing to share publicly, on my blog. It shows a different side of me than the public face I prefer to show. I will, however, stick with it this year, and you can know that it is not a frivolous resolution such as losing weight, eating better, or exercising more. Those are all things I try to do year round. This resolution will change my quality of life. It will make me a better person.

Here's to 2010!! I hope it lives up to everyone's hopes and wishes for the upcoming year.

A Christmas Story: 2009 Edition

2009-12-29T20:45:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are, home from our holiday "vacation," otherwise known as "The Trip Where Everything That Could Go Wrong, Did." I tell ya...this trip was something else!

It all started a few days before we left for California to visit the grandparents for Christmas.We were peacefully chugging along, not a kink in sight until three days before we were scheduled to leave. Addie woke up that Saturday morning and I could just tell something was wrong. She was quiet, lethargic, and wouldn't drink her milk or eat breakfast. All she wanted was to be held. I picked her up and she was burning up. I got her one of the first appointments of the day with the on-call pediatrician, who also couldn't find anything medically wrong with her other than her 101.2 fever and her obviously sick demeanor. So, we brought her home to watch her and wait it out. She slept almost the entire day-Willie's birthday-and woke up the next morning acting so much better, but still running a pretty high temperature-103.6 to be exact.

In a panicked frenzy I called the on-call pediatrician before he had a chance to get to the office and call to check on us.. He said as long as she was acting normally, to wait it out and if it didn't go down by the next day to bring her in again. So, that's what we did. By that evening, her fever had all but broke-down to 99.8-and she was eating and sleeping almost normally again.

We started packing Monday in order to have a smooth morning on Tuesday and everyone seemed to be doing great. Addie was still sick, but I could tell she was recovering. For the most part her fever was completely gone. We had a great day, and started looking forward to our trip again. We relaxed Monday night, knowing it was going to be a hectic week coming up since trips like this are always as stressful as enjoyable.

The alarm went off Tuesday after only a few hours of sleep and Willie and I pried our eyes open, struggled out of bed and loaded up the car. All of a sudden Willie came in complaining that he had an upset stomach and bad cramping. He got sick right before we left, but then he appeared to be feeling better so I thought nothing of it. We got to the airport, checked our bags, and got through security just in the nick of time. We were the last ones to board our plane before take off, but we weren't late. We even got to California half an hour earlier than we expected!! It was such an easy flight, Addie slept for half of it, and the other half she was a total doll for the flight attendants. It seemed everything was going to go smoothly from here on out.

Unfortunately, Willie's stomach started acting up again as soon as we got to his grandmother's house. He was sick the rest of the evening with a stomach bug, cramping, and fever. I felt so bad for him since he was so excited about the trip and here he was laid up downstairs separated from everyone while we visited. Right before putting Addie to bed I checked on him and he said he was feeling better, and was even thinking of coming upstairs to spend the rest of the evening with his family after getting up and dressed.

That's right about the time that his dad fell down the stairs!!* I mean, are you kidding? His 60-something-year-old dad fell down two steps and busted his knee up. He couldn't walk the rest of the trip. It was awful. I mean seriously. Can we not catch a break here? Sick kid, sick husband, injured father-in-law, and we're on vacation supposed to be enjoying our time?!

I vowed to make the best of our trip at that point. I mean, Willie could do nothing but continue getting better, Addie was in a better mood every day since Saturday and other than a chest cold and being more tired than normal she was being very easy. It couldn't get any worse, right? haha. That's right about when I got hit with the stomach bug. All I can say is that at least Willie recovered before I came down with it. That made it so much easier. He was a great husband and a great Dad. He took Addie for the day and let me sleep it off just like he got to. They went shopping and met some of his mom's friends, and hung out with his grandmother while I stayed in bed waiting for the bug to pass. Late in the afternoon I felt well enough to get up and move around a bit so I joined everyone again. Unfortunately, I was still fatigued and cramping the rest of that night and the next day, but the worst had passed.

And the worst truly had passed. From Wednesday on, everyone started feeling better and looking forward to Christmas. Presents were wrapped and put under the tree. Food was enjoyed. Company was had. Plans were made to (gasp) leave the house and do some of the things we had hoped to do on our trip. We were fortunate enough to enjoy the rest of our trip and enjoy our holiday after such a rough start. I will say, traveling during holiday season is a totally different ball game than traveling during the spring or summer when there are fewer bugs to catch!

* For anyone wondering what happened to Jim-my father-in-law, he is doing much better. His knee was very banged up and bruised, and he spent our entire trip in a reclining chair. Willie's mom informed us last night that after we left he was able to get up and walk around using a walker, so he is definitely improving, just slowly.

It's That Time of Year Again

2009-12-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again. Lights. Decorations. Family. Food. Fun. Oh, and there's also gifts, but I try not to focus on that part.

The holidays have always been my favorite time of year. We just have so many family traditions that bring us all closer. We didn't grow up with very much, but we sure felt rich. I hope to instill the same ideals into my daughter. The holidays should be about who you are with, not what they give you. In these economic times, I feel that lesson is even more important than it was before. It seems that most families have cut back this year. The stores don't seem as crowded as before. I really hope we are swinging the pendulum back away from this insane materialistic culture.

I really hope people are re-discovering the meaning of Christmas. I really hope they are remembering the small things. The things that really matter.

I can still remember all of our traditions growing up. Can I tell you what I got for Christmas every year? Not even close. I can remember a few very memorable years-like the one where we woke up with a note from "Santa" telling us to look outside where we found our trampoline. I can also remember a Christmas where we got the original Nintendo gaming system and two games. Mario, and The Little Mermaid. We never received any other games for that system, but we didn't know any better.

What I remember from Christmas are the little things. Our traditions that we kept up each year as we got older.

I remember getting a new personalized ornament for the tree every year. Putting out Christmas decorations as a family with the Christmas music on.

I remember wrapping coffee cans with Christmas wrapping paper. I remember spending hours baking home-made Chex-Mix for all of our friends and family. I remember delivering those Christmas-wrapped coffee cans to everyone special to us, and seeing their face light up with excitement. What beats home-made Chex-Mix?!

I remember opening one present on Christmas eve every year-Christmas PJ's that we wore to bed, so our holiday videos would be festive. I remember waking up before the sun to start Christmas day, and then somehow still running out of time and rushing to my Granny's to eat and spend time as a family. I remember there being years where 30 people came over to Granny's to celebrate with us, and years that there were just 10 of us. I remember everyone in the kitchen helping cook.

I remember that no matter what, my uncle would make fun of whatever my mom brought. He always made fun of her rolls saying she didn't make them right. They were store bought!! All you had to do was remove them from the package, put them on a baking sheet, and bake them until they were lightly browned!! It became quite the little game that everyone (except my mom) looked forward to come dinner time. I remember the year my mom decided No More Rolls! and asked Granny what else she could bring so "Reid would stop making fun of the **** rolls." That year, Granny gave mom the recipe for pecan pie, and swore that if she followed that recipe exactly, she would come out with the perfect pecan pie to bring to dinner, that Reid would not be able to find anything wrong with. Sure enough....the pie came out burnt. In my mother's defense, though, Granny's recipe was less than perfect! Silly old Granny wrote down the wrong temperature to bake the pie! So, despite her best efforts, my mother received the teasing of a lifetime at that Christmas dinner. Pie slices were dropped onto the plates to see how loud of a clunk it would make each time. My poor mom. I don't think she brings anything to Christmas anymore.

I also remember the gift-giving at Granny's house. I remember we would all fight over who got to be "Santa" and hand out the gifts to everyone. It was usually whoever was learning to read at the time-at least until we got older. The present opening was a huge ordeal as you can imagine with 30 people in and out of the house, but it was always so much fun.

As I said, Christmas is my favorite time of year. Reading through this post makes me realize how long it has been since I wrapped coffee cans and filled them with home-made Chex-Mix. Maybe next year...

Other than that, and going to Granny's, the rest of my holiday traditions are right on par with how I grew up, except they are scaled down for my tiny family up here in Washington. Somehow, picking out Christmas PJ's, hanging personalized ornaments on the tree, and re-creating the Christmas dinners of my childhood make me feel close to my family again. I think of them all, gathered around Granny's big table with their wine glasses raised, toasting Christmas, toasting each other, maybe even toasting us. I will then turn to my small little family and toast us, toast Christmas, and toast our extended family back in Texas doing the same thing we are, maybe even at the same time.

This year will be a completely new experience for me. This year, we will be spending the holiday with Willie's family in California. I will keep the little things as close to tradition as I can, all the while opening my heart and my mind to new traditions. Traditions Willie may like to pass on to Addie. Traditions that we can mix in with mine, and make them completely our own.

What are some traditions you have for the holidays? What are some of your favorite memories? 'Tis the season to share them all!

My First Sale

2009-12-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I know I haven't mentioned my shop much on here since I opened it-other than just telling you all that it existed-so I thought I would write a post entirely dedicated to CUTEure Creations. It is, after all, the reason you haven't heard from me in over a week.

I had my first live sale this past weekend, and have just been so busy focusing on that for awhile. This sale was focusing mainly on hair bows, although I did have a bit of my crochet work up as well. It was a very slow time, ending in only 1 trade and no sales. That is Okay though, it was a great learning experience as to what people really want to see, and how much more of an impression I can make if I kick it up a notch (okay, a couple of notches). The good news is, no one else really sold anything last weekend either, so it wasn't just me.

The other good news is that I did get to trade another vendor for this cute little guy on the right. She does such cute work. I'm hoping she will actually go into business soon! This was just a trial run for her, but I love her little hand made plush toys! She helped me unload one of my 100 hair bows and I just need to get crackin' on the hat she ordered for her little boy!

All in all, it's been a busy-but fun-few weeks full of creating new items, learning new things, and planning what comes next. I have so many fun ideas for this shop, I only hope I can keep this energy up and keep creating and putting new things out there. As for now, I have a couple of orders, and one more Christmas gift to take care of these next few weeks, and then it's on to production time! I plan on getting into more craft shows and fairs this spring, so I need to start getting things ready now.

AHA!!

2009-12-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

The mystery has been solved!

I guess I should start at the beginning, so you can be as excited about this mystery as I am!

...It started a few weeks ago. My once pleasant daughter began dreading meal times. She would take two bites and sign "all done", then proceed to whine, fuss, and throw food on the floor throughout the rest of meal time. We couldn't figure it out. No one could! We eventually went to our fallback excuse, "It must be the teething," but what could we do? I mean, she still needs to eat, and we were coming to dread bed time even more than meal times because of the fit she would throw due to hunger. It was a lose-lose battle if I do say so myself.

Tonight...tonight I won the battle! After much deliberation, concentration, and patience, I figured out what she really wants. Turns out, she has not been signing "all done" this whole time at all. She has been signing "drink." They look really, really, really similar, though. The only difference so far is "all done" is signed with two hands doing this twisty-twirly move, and "drink" is done with one.

So, again I say..."AHA!!!" because I have solved the mystery! The mystery of the thirsty child!!

Ah, To Be a Chocolatier!!

2009-12-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

Today, Addie and I had a new experience. Unlike our grocery store experience, this one was actually a good time. Addie and I got to experience the world of candy making today!

Okay, so to be honest, I did most of the work. I know-shocker! Addie did have fun, though. She roamed around, watched me fill the chocolate molds, ate carrots, and played with boys.

Meanwhile, I filled molds, crushed lifesavers, melted chocolate, and created a masterpiece! Well, maybe they weren't beautiful masterpieces, but they sure were delicious! My favorites have to be the mint chocolates shown in this picture! They are soooo good, yet so rich! I could seriously eat them all. I mean, we were supposed to make these to give away as gifts, but, ahem, don't you need a trial batch first?? Right?! I also made a few peanut-butter cups, which-let's face it-I messed up. They are still oh-so-yummy, but definitely not something I would be proud to give away as a gift. I'll just have to practice those some more.

So, now I know a new craft. I just love learning new crafty things! Especially crafty things that are delicious and just melt in your mouth!

The Lesson of Tough Love..Learned in a Grocery Store.

2009-11-30T16:38:00.000-08:00

Don't you just hate it when you go into a grocery store and there is a kid screaming through every aisle, throwing a fit, tossing things out of the cart, with tears running down their face? Yeah...me too.

I especially hate it after today, now that I have finally experienced the other side of that situation. Yep. It was my kid throwing a fit in the grocery store today! You may remember a certain post of mine this summer that was a reminder to myself and my husband that my daughter will one day throw a fit in the supermarket. That day was today. I will admit, that day came a little sooner than expected.

Nothing made her happy. Not the sippy full of water. Not the bowl of goldfish I packed just in case. Not riding on daddy's shoulders. Not the two board books. Not holding the pear.

Sure, there were momentary distractions, such as letting her run around the personal hygiene aisle. By the way what a great moment to choose to drop on all 4's and crawl through the store, Addie. That sure got some looks. I'm such a bad mother.

When she decided she no longer wanted to walk and just wanted to crawl all over the store, I gave up. I was not going to let her crawl around the grocery store floor. I'm not a germ-a-phobe, but yuck. There is no telling what she was crawling on. I picked her up and decided to carry her, which elicited many a protest, but what is a mom to do? That's right. Ignore it. It was time to give Addison her first lesson in tough love. She needs to learn that throwing a fit and causing mayhem is not the way to get what she wants.

I had no more options. What she wanted was not even clear at this point. She just wanted to cry and squirm just to do it. So, I let her. We were at the check out lane, unloading groceries, and Addie was trying to climb up and over my shoulder to escape me. Something she's never done before, and decided to pull out of her box of tricks right there in the middle of the store. At least we were almost out of there and I wouldn't get any more glares from shoppers. Luckily, some nice old lady took pity on us and started talking to Addison, which at least calmed her down enough that I could keep a grip on her so she wouldn't fall on the floor.

We finally make it out of the grocery store...suddenly I'm holding an angel! I guess all she wanted was to not be grocery shopping. I admit, it's not my favorite chore either, but I sure hope I figure out new ways to make it fun next week.

I am just glad we have adjusted our shopping schedule so that I'm not going alone with Addie. While I'm sure I could handle it, I'm not so sure I'd want to. I probably would have forgotten half my list, which would have meant we would turn around and do it again tomorrow.

Moral of the story (there are 3): Don't give in to the tantrum lest they learn how much it bugs you, be kind to little old ladies, & bring company.

Pint-Sized Cleaning Help: Another Point for the Green Team

2009-11-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

Ahh, cleaning. The foul stench of bleach, the cracked and blistering skin from the use of harmful chemicals. Struggling to keep my daughter out of the bathroom while I scrub so she doesn't breath in harmful fumes...wait. That doesn't sound so nice, does it?

That's right! It doesn't! And that's why I don't do it that way anymore. In fact, Addie helped me scrub down the bathroom last week during a cleaning frenzy. We bonded. I cleaned. She played with the dust pan. I didn't worry once that she was breathing in harmful fumes or that she would touch the cleaning container that had a splash of bleach on the side. Nope. We just had a good time.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I let her play with the rag I was scrubbing with or anything, but it was nice to sit there and talk to her while I scrubbed without worrying about her touching anything. And you know what? I don't think my bathroom has ever looked cleaner, nor has cleaning the bathroom ever gone more smoothly!

Granted, I have been using green cleaners for over a year now, but we've still been weeding out the few chemicals that we have had stocked up under our sinks. I just can't waste. To me that is even less green than using the bleach. I've been scrubbing Addie's bathroom with Method cleaners and vinegar ever since we moved here for fear that I wouldn't rinse the tub out well enough, but I continued using my bleach-based cleaners on our bathroom to use them up. Finally we made it! No harsh chemicals, a clean bathroom, a happy toddler, and money saved on cleaning supplies*. What more could I ask for?

* Apparently Borax is an amazing bathroom cleaner! It's also cheap, multi-purpose, eco-friendly, and something I already keep on hand. Gotta love it.