Because I stay at home a lot...

I'm experimenting with headband ideas! 

At Target, I always walk by and check out their hair accessories. Though Target is generally cheap(ish), $10 is a bit much to ever purchase a headband I could probably make myself. And odds are, if I make it, I'll have more pride in wearing it, right?

I found a tutorial on making no-sew fabric flowers. I thought they had a cute boutique/vintage feel to them. These were among the first I made. I think by the 6th one, I had it down pretty good. And I can't help if I'm thinking about how I can make these for my baby girl Getz one day... (I tell ya, I'm obsessed with the idea of having a baby... ever since I could hold a baby doll in my hands! For real, y'all).

Go here to see the tutorial!

Icky Sicky

Remember my bad weekend? Pretty sure all that stress gave me what I've had since last night... Sore throat, massive headache, achy/stiff body and a temperature of 100. I've pretty much felt like this:

I've been POUNDING water. Drinking Vitamin C. Gargling hydrogen peroxide. Laying on a heating pad to loosen up my stiff body and doing a whole lot of laying in bed.

At least the weather is sunny and actually a little bit warm. I hope I get better for our weekend getaway to Paso! AND it's General Conference this weekend! Yay.

Positively Negative

I try to be positive. But sometimes.... it blows up in my face with a whole bunch of negatives. Like this weekend.

Friday was bad. I felt sick in the morning and my body tried to throw up but nothing came out... I also didn't do a darn thing all day long.

Saturday was even worse. I didn't get out of my bed until 3 in the afternoon, the time when I had my first plate of food that day. Don't forget a whole lot of crying and sobbing and being sad during that time.

Today, I slept in and didn't go to church. My brother-in-law even asked if I was sick when he came over! Must have looked like death if you get what I mean... Good thing his kids put a smile on my face.

I have been physcially and emotionally spent. Bleh... Sometimes it feels like no one understands... or that no one wants to understand... Ever have those moments where you just want to curl into a ball and die for a day or two? Good news? I finished my book during those 3 days. Ha. On to a new week AND a new book!

Book Review: Water for Elephants

Fantastic. An easy read. But, I have to add, though the movie is not rated yet, I am not so sure it will be a rating I can allow myself to watch!!! Quite graphic detailing of intimate situations and then there's just the plain provocativeness of other situations... I will be on the look out for the official movie rating of it...

That aside, I did enjoy the book. I laughed a few times at the comical flusters of the old men (this book is kind of like the Notebook in that the main character is in his 90's and is looking back on his experiences when he was a young man). I was left at the end of each chapter yearning to find out what would happen next. And I felt the development of the characters was done well... I could feel the roughness of their personalities and the chaos of the circus life.

Up next... I'll let you know if I like it enough to finish it! ;)

New Book

Excited :)

Book Review

This book was interesting in that it ties in with the Salem Witch Trials. The author, herself, had an ancestor who was accused of witchcraft during that time, which I thought was pretty cool as it served a part in her inspiration for writing the novel.

It did have a few "bugs":

     1.   Connie's relationship with Sam was sort of bland and underdeveloped to me. So I couldn't really believe in that union because of it's lack of development.
     2.   I also felt like I wanted to see more from Professor Chilton-- I wanted more creepy moments like when he randomly showed up in the Library and caught Connie off guard (you know, the kind of stuff where you think if it were you, your heart would be pounding?).
     3.   In the middle I got only a little bored because I wanted more action or suspense. It was pretty mellow until the end of the book when everything kind of fit together, fulfilling that void I felt appeared in the middle of the book. Thank goodness for that because it left me feeling satisfied.

I'm on hold for a book at the library... Can ya guess what it is?

I'll give you a hint: in April, the movie version is coming out to theaters... :)

A Wonderful Life

Today has been so great. We found out that we have officially been approved for our apartment! April 8th is the move-in date and we are so excited. We will be moving into my sister's ward! --Bonus!  It will be so wonderful to have our own space again, though we are grateful for the hospitality of my parents (Thanks!).

L is moving her arms from her crawling position! So happy about it. Usually she'll just push herself up in the crawl position and then go right back down. But today, I caught her on video moving her arms underneath her! Won't be long till she's mobile... Is it bad that I want to be the first one to see her crawl?! Almost like taking pride that I made her succeed or something...

After nannying and teaching, I came home and was still in the busy bee mode. I cleaned the kitchen and our bedroom. I also fawned over my new Scentsy bars I just received in the mail (I am a HUGE fan of Scentsy... especially since I won $50 worth of products from a give-away... See? You CAN win). I won't need to buy another candle for years (if you know me, I am obsessed with candles and smelly products and setting the mood, so this will save me $$).

Tonight, I made yummy White Bean and Chicken soup with dinner rolls, all of which was consumed (yay for appetites!). I also went to my niece and nephew's Science Fair! The kids are so cute. I even had some KidzArt kids at the Fair say hi to me and one kinder just kept giving me hugs! So sweet.

Plus, it didn't rain. I don't know if you know, but yesterday massive amounts of rain came all day long, so it was at least pleasant going in and out in-between work and errands.

It's only Wednesday. Wednesday's are NEVER this great. Refreshing!

Oh baby!

Last Friday, I had a 12 hour day nannying L. I'm always happy to take care of her and stay extra long if I'm needed. It's always a joy to see her grow and progress and I melt when she kicks her legs with excitement as I walk through the door. BUT, on Friday, I received my wake up call.

Major puking and crying (particularly around the time we do her evening routine). Her puke was catching on my hands, my pants, her clothes, their couch... it was everywhere. Putting her down wasn't easy either. After she finally fell asleep, I'd lay her down in her crib and she would jostle and wake up crying her eyes out. Sad girl. L, I mean. Yes, I was sad, but she was even more sad.

I came home, exhausted from the 12 hour day and smelling of baby puke. I was definitely hitting the Pause button on my incessant need to "have a baby now." So pat yourself on the back all you stay-at-home moms! Babies aren't all rainbows and sunshine and happy smiles! No, Ma'am!

I had a friend on Facebook message this over to me after reading my post about my Friday day/night, entitled "Are You Ready to Have a Child?":


Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.
**Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)
**Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
**Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.
Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
**You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street, Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!

COUPONS ARE COOL

Max and I are starting to coupon a little bit. We haven't been immersing ourselves since we have the luxury of bumming off my parents because we live at their home. But, that will change come April 8th, so long as we get approved for the apartment we want. (You may know that we were looking at condos not too long ago, but after reading THIS, we changed our minds and decided renting is the right choice).

Anyway, back to coupons. I printed out some Almond milk (sweetest milk ever tasted) coupons to go replenish our little stock and they actually worked!!! I know what you're thinking, "Of course coupons work! Duh, dumdum." But let me tell you, I have never used coupons before and I was venturing into unknown territory. Sometimes uncertainty accompanies that, right? Right. I was downright pleased when the register gave me the coupon discounts! It's a beautiful thing.

Hip2Save.com is an excellent source to keep up on what's out there as far as deals, and freebies go. I check it everyday. Hip2Save isn't the only site out there dedicated to coupons... there are hundreds of sites! And since Max and I are moving soon, with the added rent bill tagged onto our monthly expenses, we could definitely adopt a nag for couponing to save that extra dollar!

I'm an athlete. Period.

Good news. I got my butt out of the house to go running yesterday! And, today, I did it again. Yay! I'm hoping this will be more consistent. And yes, it is only day 2 but if I talk about how great and awesome and easy it is, maybe I'll keep doing it. Bad news. I still eat all the carbs, chocolates, and ice cream I indulged myself with prior to running.

Our soccer team, Tuff-E-Nuff, has lost the past 2 games which can be a little bit of a downer, however I am getting better. A lot better if you compare it to my first game I played. And plus, it's fun to socialize with fellow teammates. If you haven't caught on, Max and I have a limited amount of "friends" we see (or lack thereof), so ACTUALLY seeing everyone on Wednesday nights is refreshing.

Lastly, karate is getting better. I'm remembering more and more every class. Aiming for June to test. Will it happen? There's a chance it won't, but there's also a chance it will. I keep telling myself that it's happening this year whether it's at the beginning, middle, or end. IT'S HAPPENING. Earning my black belt has been on my list of "to-do's" for years. Y E A R S.

Happy exercising!

New Book

Recommended by Cassie E. 

Summary: Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie’s grandmother’s abandoned home near Salem, she can’t refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest--to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge. 

As the pieces of Deliverance’s harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem’s dark past then she could have ever imagined. 

Don't forget to check on the Books tab to see a recent list of books I've read! Keep those recommendations coming :)

Painting the Dresser

Max and I inherited a dresser. An ugly one. So this afternoon, a spur moment decision came to me...I'm going to paint it! Yes, clothes are thrown everywhere in the room. Hopefully, Max won't feel so overwhelmed after coming home from a long day at work.... BUT, it will be better in the end.

You see, because the dresser was kind of an eye sore, I moved it into our walk-in closet. At the time I thought it was a genius idea. All the clothes stay in the closet domain instead of out in the main room, right? Brilliant concept. I hate when the drawers are not shut all the way due to the clothes sticking out of them, which made the main room always look so sloppy...at least in the closet it was hidden. It was a good idea... for awhile.

But now the closet is smaller and the clothes keep falling to the floor (albeit they are mostly mine). Max's closet space got super squished since all our clothes hung on the same rod (you know, since the dresser was in there and all). Worst yet, when we are BOTH in their trying to get into the dresser or pick clothes off hangers or even get to the hampers, it gets cramped and we're knockin' elbows!

Like I said, it will be better in the end. Max will get his own rod again and more space for all his dress shirts. I can store many of my art/craft supplies in the closet with the dresser gone and the room will get a new look because I'm sure I'll be rearranging at least a little bit.

Off to Home Depot for another can of paint!

Book Review: The Pizza Principle

Great book.

Great insights into finances.

Great motivation to be a savvy saver and a smart spender.

Read it NOW and learn how to do it smart before making big financial commitments.

Plus, it ties it all in with the Gospel with scripture references here and there. Sweet, right?!

In case you missed the link, go to this post for it! It's a free e-book! Might as well take advantage of it.