We all have those moments as Moms, right? Just when we think we are getting the hang of things, everything falls apart. I am at one of those points now. I was happy in my safe little world: bottle, naps, and happy in between. Quiet at bed time, sleeping through the night. Then, all of the sudden, one day, every routine EXPLODES. My little guy thinks he is too big for bottles. He keeps himself awake crawling around and standing in his crib. I never know when he is hungry anymore, and it seems like I can't feed him enough baby food because he wakes up hungry in the night. He is SO mobile, so he bonks his head or falls over often. I feel like for a while there I was doing really well with all my balls in the air: laundry, dishes, baby, husband. But as soon as one ball falls, ALL of them do. I'm tired and sore because the baby doesn't sleep as well. The kitchen is a mess and the laundry behind because I just can't make myself do anything when I am weary. Then come the feelings of inadequacy because I'm falling behind. Does this sound familiar to anyone else? I just don't know what to do to get back on track! So, I guess I'll just keep on keepin' on and hope we fall back into a routine sometime soon.
This post is really a reminder to myself. A reminder to not dull the beauty of the fantastic things in my life by beating myself up. Yes. There are toys all over. And burp rags. And piles of books I have had to quickly evict from their home on the coffee table. But it has been so fun to watch my little guy figure out crawling, feeding himself, and standing. I LOVE the mischievous look in his eyes that tells me he has discovered something and he plans to get there before I can. So today, I choose to enjoy. Enjoy nap time. Enjoy the toys. Enjoy the mischief. Dishes? There will always be dishes. My little muffin won't be little forever so I'm going to put my worries about inadequacy aside and soak in all his cuteness.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
My first GUEST POST!
Zaylinda, from Chocolate Covered Crochet Hooks, brings us some yummy baked scones!
chocolatecoatedcrochethooks
chocolatecoatedcrochethooks
Title: Whole Wheat Raisin Scone A scone makes a quick and easy breakfast or snack. It's simple and
delicious, and a perfect project for a novice baker since there is very
little that can go wrong. This whole wheat version is particularly
tasty warm from the oven, split open with some butter and honey, and
served with a glass of milk.
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| Dry Ingredients |
Whole Wheat Raisin Scone Ingredients 1 cup all purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
(optional but recommended) 1 cup raisins 1/4 cup butter, softened 1/3 cup honey 2/3 cup buttermilk*
1 tsp vanilla
*can substitute yogurt or
2/3 cup milk with 1 tsp vinegar
Preheat the oven to 450* and lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a mixing bowl,
mix together the flours,baking soda, salt, and coconut flakes. Cut the softened butter into the flour mixture until it is the texture of
cornmeal,crumbly with no lumps bigger than a pea. stir in the raisins. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and add the honey, buttermilk, and vanilla.
Stir together just until all the flour is incorporated. Do not over mix.
Dump the dough out onto the greased cookie sheet and with lightly greased hands
press into a rough circle no more than an inch thick.
With a dull knife, score the dough into 8 equal pieces. They will instantly stick
back together, but the marks will remain after baking.
Put the scone on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes,
turning halfway through baking to make sure it bakes evenly. Remove from the oven
and cut into triangles on the score marks. Serve warm.
Variations: This simple recipe lends itself to a lot of variations. The easiest way to change
it is to replace the raisins with another dried fruit, I would recommend craisins
or chopped dates or apricots, or replace the fruit entirely with chocolate chips
for a delicious but less healthy version. You can change up the flavor by adding
a teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, or by replacing part of the honey
with molasses. You can replace the coconut with chopped nuts, or replace the
raisins and coconut with 1 1/2 cups of granola. There are a lot of ways you can make this recipe delicious, and few ways to ruin it,
so have fun! -Zay
Friday, February 18, 2011
Been a while...
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Aw...
Cutest Daddy Award!
Today on our way to Church Hunk said "um, can I take the baby? We never really get to hang out." AW!! Heart meltage. Hunk is such a proud Papi and I love it. I don't realize how much he is wrapped around that boy's finger because he gone so much, but he really is. I am so grateful that he works so hard all week long, 12 hour days or more, so that I can stay home and take care of my Muffin. School and work and his callings in the Church keep him pretty busy, but on the weekends all he wants is to by my boy's Daddy. I think I am in love with that man!
Today on our way to Church Hunk said "um, can I take the baby? We never really get to hang out." AW!! Heart meltage. Hunk is such a proud Papi and I love it. I don't realize how much he is wrapped around that boy's finger because he gone so much, but he really is. I am so grateful that he works so hard all week long, 12 hour days or more, so that I can stay home and take care of my Muffin. School and work and his callings in the Church keep him pretty busy, but on the weekends all he wants is to by my boy's Daddy. I think I am in love with that man!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Here's me, trying to save money again!
Okay. My husband has had a guitar and decided he wanted to take a class up on campus. I scavenged DI for a guitar case for days with no luck. I couldn't afford a hard case from the music store. SO, I did what any self respecting poor college student wife would do and I MADE ONE MYSELF! What?! You can DO that? Yeah....you can do just about anything if you are desperate enough.
So how did I do it?
1) I took 10 dollars and went to the DI
2) I got one of those ugly vinyl tablecloths in the "as is" section. Ya know, they have that fuzzy white stuff on the back? I had to make sure it was big enough to fold in half and still trace a guitar on it.
3) I got some fabric by the curtains and blankets. It wasn't much prettier than the sunny flowery vinyl table cloth, but a little more manly. This can be any fabric big enough to trace the guitar twice, plus a little extra for straps and a pocket.
4) Now I needed something for a zipper, and it needed to be long enough for a guitar to fit in easily. I scored a duffel bag with those compression zipper things. I ripped that sucker right out and it was 48 inches long! I was also able to use the woven straps to anchor my straps to the case. YAY! I had more than half a duffel bag left over, so I harvested the zippers for later(or flowers :) and used the canvas-ish body to back some baby bibs.
Ok. So I took my fabric and my table cloth and traced the guitar. I added 3 1/2 inches to accommodate for the width of the guitar body and for seams and cut out two sets of the guitar: front and back of both the table cloth and the fabric. If you are braver than me you can just add 1 inch to the traced guitar and then put a strip of fabric between the sides that is equal to the height of your guitar(plus seam allowances).
Once everything was cut out I sewed one table cloth piece to one fabric piece: white fuzzy side out, then did the same with the other side. I didn't sew them wrong sides together and turn or anything, because I would be sewing it to the other side anyway. Once you have two individual sides, sew on a pocket to the front(if you want) and straps to the back. I did mine like backpack straps and used the straps from the duffel back to make them good and sturdy.
Next I sewed my two sides of the case together(wrong sides together this time) except where I wanted the zipper to be. Since mine was going to be a backpack type case I put the zipper on the side instead of the bottom, so the weight of the guitar wasn't sitting all on the zipper. Once I had the other seams done, I sewed in the zipper. I don't really feel qualified explaining that process, I had to go get help. But there are tutorials on YouTube.
This is how I did the pocket:
I traced a music book onto the fold of my fabric. I added a little wiggle room, and then I added enough room on the back part to make a flap to fold over and button down. I sewed up the sides(wrong side together), flipped it right side out, and hemmed the flap and put a button hole in it. Then I sewed it on to the case. I only sewed the bottom and sides, making 2 pockets. The front one was the one with the flap.
And here it is!
Wow. That's actually a horrid picture. BUT I'm too lazy to fix it today and I need to get off the couch and get something done. So, there ya go!
So how did I do it?
1) I took 10 dollars and went to the DI
2) I got one of those ugly vinyl tablecloths in the "as is" section. Ya know, they have that fuzzy white stuff on the back? I had to make sure it was big enough to fold in half and still trace a guitar on it.
3) I got some fabric by the curtains and blankets. It wasn't much prettier than the sunny flowery vinyl table cloth, but a little more manly. This can be any fabric big enough to trace the guitar twice, plus a little extra for straps and a pocket.
4) Now I needed something for a zipper, and it needed to be long enough for a guitar to fit in easily. I scored a duffel bag with those compression zipper things. I ripped that sucker right out and it was 48 inches long! I was also able to use the woven straps to anchor my straps to the case. YAY! I had more than half a duffel bag left over, so I harvested the zippers for later(or flowers :) and used the canvas-ish body to back some baby bibs.
Ok. So I took my fabric and my table cloth and traced the guitar. I added 3 1/2 inches to accommodate for the width of the guitar body and for seams and cut out two sets of the guitar: front and back of both the table cloth and the fabric. If you are braver than me you can just add 1 inch to the traced guitar and then put a strip of fabric between the sides that is equal to the height of your guitar(plus seam allowances).
Once everything was cut out I sewed one table cloth piece to one fabric piece: white fuzzy side out, then did the same with the other side. I didn't sew them wrong sides together and turn or anything, because I would be sewing it to the other side anyway. Once you have two individual sides, sew on a pocket to the front(if you want) and straps to the back. I did mine like backpack straps and used the straps from the duffel back to make them good and sturdy.
Next I sewed my two sides of the case together(wrong sides together this time) except where I wanted the zipper to be. Since mine was going to be a backpack type case I put the zipper on the side instead of the bottom, so the weight of the guitar wasn't sitting all on the zipper. Once I had the other seams done, I sewed in the zipper. I don't really feel qualified explaining that process, I had to go get help. But there are tutorials on YouTube.
This is how I did the pocket:
I traced a music book onto the fold of my fabric. I added a little wiggle room, and then I added enough room on the back part to make a flap to fold over and button down. I sewed up the sides(wrong side together), flipped it right side out, and hemmed the flap and put a button hole in it. Then I sewed it on to the case. I only sewed the bottom and sides, making 2 pockets. The front one was the one with the flap.
And here it is!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
My hubs is awesome because:
He loves me just how I am: hormonal, depressed, or silly.
He watches the baby when I want a nap or to sleep in.
He takes care of the baby at Church.
He cooks on the weekend.
He is smart and loves to learn. I was never good at school, so he's my hero.
He loves to have fun. He loves to play with the dog, and he is so good at making my Muffin smile.
He doesn't mind fishing socks out of the laundry basket in the dark when he wakes up at 5:30 for work.
He wakes up at 5:30 to go to work so I can stay home with Muffin.
He watches Biggest Loser with me, even though he doesn't really like it. Most of the time he doesn't even make fun of it.
He writes me love notes.
He winks at me.
He is my Johnny Lingo. He makes me feel so good about myself. He has helped me learn how to be happy in my own skin and that I AM good enough.
He has great ideas and big dreams.
He can turn anything into an adventure.
He plays Yahtzee with me, even though he never wins.
He always has a story and is good at telling them.
He holds me when I fall apart and understands that it just happens sometimes.
He encourages me to do and be my best while still loving me just how I am.
He seems to be OK with my new-found affinity for projects.
He is good friends with his brothers, and my family now as well. It isn't unusual for them all to get each other laughing out the nose.
He doesn't get mad when I spend money. He even tells me to sometimes.
He honors his Priesthood and uses it to help others.
He fulfills his callings and pays his tithing.
Those are just some of the reasons I have the bestest Valentine.
Love you Hon. Here's to the best two years of my life, and an eternity of adventures to come!
He watches the baby when I want a nap or to sleep in.
He takes care of the baby at Church.
He cooks on the weekend.
He is smart and loves to learn. I was never good at school, so he's my hero.
He loves to have fun. He loves to play with the dog, and he is so good at making my Muffin smile.
He doesn't mind fishing socks out of the laundry basket in the dark when he wakes up at 5:30 for work.
He wakes up at 5:30 to go to work so I can stay home with Muffin.
He watches Biggest Loser with me, even though he doesn't really like it. Most of the time he doesn't even make fun of it.
He writes me love notes.
He winks at me.
He is my Johnny Lingo. He makes me feel so good about myself. He has helped me learn how to be happy in my own skin and that I AM good enough.
He has great ideas and big dreams.
He can turn anything into an adventure.
He plays Yahtzee with me, even though he never wins.
He always has a story and is good at telling them.
He holds me when I fall apart and understands that it just happens sometimes.
He encourages me to do and be my best while still loving me just how I am.
He seems to be OK with my new-found affinity for projects.
He is good friends with his brothers, and my family now as well. It isn't unusual for them all to get each other laughing out the nose.
He doesn't get mad when I spend money. He even tells me to sometimes.
He honors his Priesthood and uses it to help others.
He fulfills his callings and pays his tithing.
Those are just some of the reasons I have the bestest Valentine.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
update..
alright, here's what I've got for my living room:
Sheet set, 25$(ROSS) Couch makeover
-the queen set was significantly cheaper than the King, which was really the size I needed. So I just yanked the elastic out of the fitted sheet and sewed the two sheets together.
Upholstery Tacks for the couch, a dollar for 30 at WalMart
Safety pins for the couch, 2 dollars and change.
Window to put on the wall, FREE
Spraypaint to paint the window, 4 bucks
Pillow Forms for new pillows, 7 dollars at for 3 at the thrift store
Fabric, buttons and thread for the pillows, 30 dollars *gulp,choke!*
Curtains and a curtain rod, 40 dollars
Grand total: 111$
Work I'm about to put in.....no idea.
New Awesomeness, priceless
Sheet set, 25$(ROSS) Couch makeover
-the queen set was significantly cheaper than the King, which was really the size I needed. So I just yanked the elastic out of the fitted sheet and sewed the two sheets together.
Upholstery Tacks for the couch, a dollar for 30 at WalMart
Safety pins for the couch, 2 dollars and change.
Window to put on the wall, FREE
Spraypaint to paint the window, 4 bucks
Pillow Forms for new pillows, 7 dollars at for 3 at the thrift store
Fabric, buttons and thread for the pillows, 30 dollars *gulp,choke!*
Curtains and a curtain rod, 40 dollars
Grand total: 111$
Work I'm about to put in.....no idea.
New Awesomeness, priceless
Thursday, February 3, 2011
creating a home...
I have been married for a while now. We're not exactly rich college students. We have only hand-me-down furniture in mis-matched colors. We live in the Ritz A mansion our own house A dingy apartment with old carpet and, though it makes me sick to say it, an occasional cockroach. I have tried to make do, and then I graduated to dollar store decor in an attempt to tie together all the randomness. Not really working. I am SO OVER the randomness!! Consequently I have found myself knee deep in a project to make my living room look like somewhere a rainbow DIDN'T barf. We really don't have a lot of money, so still no matching furniture. But I was able to find a sheet set I liked to make a kind of slip cover for one of my couches, get rid of the polka-dot curtains, and re-paint a few picture frames. But here is what I have found about doing things on the cheap: it will ALWAYS takes at least twice the effort, it won't really(at least when I do it) look professional and posh, the baby will always be much more interested in my project than his toys, and I have to go back to the craft store lots of times. Still, I am excited about this project. But it's going slow. Between diaper changes and keeping tools and parts out of tiny hands just pinning a sheet to the couch has taken three days. And now I have to put everything on hold to spend the day doing laundry and dishes and packing for a weekend with Grandma. Having a half done room feels worse than having a rainbow puke room! But I am having fun and I am totally in love with the room in my head. Now(and by now I mean Later. Laundry, member?) I just need to figure out something new to put over the window so I don't have tiny neighbor faces peering in all the time.
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| See? Rainbow barf. Pillow, couch, green bookshelf in the background. My taste has changed since my first room at college. OUT YOU GO RAINBOW! |
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