On this last day of 2012, I spent some time thinking of some wishes I have for the coming year. Most importantly, I want to make 2013 a happier year than 2012. I seemed to spend a lot of time feeling very negative and anxious. I don't want to live my life that way. I don't want to spend my time being disappointed with what I have and wishing for something more. I have a long bucket list of things I want to do, be or accomplish this year.
**I am giving myself a reality check and acknowledging that some of these things may not happen.**
Let's get started. I am going to list them in no order of priority. I am going to categorize them by ultimate goals and then what I need to accomplish in order to reach that goal.
*Tough Mudder (June) --> 3 days/week Run training
--> 3 days/week Strength training
--> run < 9.5 minutes per mile
--> 10K run (April)
--> Dirty Girl 5K (May)
*Half Marathon (October) -->same as above.
*Be Healthier --> 3 days/week run training
--> 3 days/week strength training
--> Eat healthier
--> Sleep better
--> Talk & visit with friends and family more
*Disney Vacation
*Christmas Caribbean Cruise
*Sky-diving
*NYC to see a Broadway show
*Make the house our home --after 7 years of living here, I still feel as though this isn't our home. It still feels as though we rent from hubby's parents and now that we don't have the daycare in the home, it's time to really make it our own. I'm excited to be able to do what we want inside our home.
One thing you may notice missing is a reference to having a baby. I have absolutely no control over that happening naturally. We have incorporated everything we can do at home, ourselves. It's not that I want to give up per se...but we have to save for any fertility treatment we may need (specifically IVF). That can't happen right now. It feels as though we are always saving for something, always waiting for something, never fully living. I am tired of feeling like that. It's depressing. It highlights what we don't have rather than focusing on what we do have, which is each other, our health, a home and 4 loving and wonderful pets. We have our friends and our families and it's time we return to prioritizing them and our happiness with each other rather than something that's missing. Don't get me wrong, I want a baby more than anything, but I have to be able to have a life while we wait to be blessed naturally OR we have enough to have the treatments we need. I don't want having or not having a baby to be the only thing that matters. It's hard, though, to just turn off the cycle of baby thoughts that runs through anyone's mind who is TTC. Especially for a woman who, after 3 1/2 years is so in tune with her body, she knows where she is in her cycle without a chart or cell phone app. I still plan to monitor my bbt. But that's it. I want to focus more on being healthy physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Which leads me to my last resolution:
*Be Happier ON PURPOSE -->Talk & visit more with friends and family
-->Eat better
-->Sleep better
-->Laugh more
-->Daily Affirmations
I have a long list of things to focus on. I am really excited to get started in less than 12 hours. And I want to wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I wish you all the health and happiness you hope for in 2013!!
Showing posts with label bebe stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bebe stuff. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
On the Road to Baby H... Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas! This a joyous time. It is a time to look at your blessings and share the celebration of the birth of Christ with your friends and family. I hope you each have some precious memories filed away from this year! I myself got to meet 2 brand-new family members (our 4 month old niece and our 3 week old nephew) and we spent some quality time with family and friends.
It has been an emotional rollercoaster these past few weeks and days. Seeing friends and family prepare to spread the magic and joy of Christmas with their children is hard. It is fun to participate and fun to talk about, but sometimes it's a hard thing to think about. I want to do those same things. I have so, so many ideas that I would love to do, but they have to wait.
I was doing some random pinteresting today during the drive to family celebrations and I ran across this blog post regarding Infertility Etiquette. I copied and posted the link below for those of you who may be interested.
Infertility Etiquette
I hope all of your holidays were wonderful! Only 6 days until 2013!!
It has been an emotional rollercoaster these past few weeks and days. Seeing friends and family prepare to spread the magic and joy of Christmas with their children is hard. It is fun to participate and fun to talk about, but sometimes it's a hard thing to think about. I want to do those same things. I have so, so many ideas that I would love to do, but they have to wait.
I was doing some random pinteresting today during the drive to family celebrations and I ran across this blog post regarding Infertility Etiquette. I copied and posted the link below for those of you who may be interested.
Infertility Etiquette
I hope all of your holidays were wonderful! Only 6 days until 2013!!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Baby Shower...
It seems the *party du jour* to be hosting, the guest of honor, or otherwise a part of in the blogoshpere is the BABY SHOWER I, too, was part of this seeming phenomenon.
The invitations from Tinyprints.com
The favors from beau-coup.com
Game Prizes, also from beau-coup.com
the Benjamin banner...if you look really closely, you can make out his name.
The cake made by my mother-in-law (for free!) Love her!
Trying to tie in the invitations, the clothesline decorations.
"Guess Who?" A game we played. The object was to guess who was who!
Mom, Dad, Ben, or big sister!
(Mom's 16 year old daughter from a previous relationship)
Seemed tricky enough, the mom's mom got one wrong! :)
My DIY diaper cakes (tutorial found here)
The floral centerpieces. I don't know about you,
"Bet the Baby Stats"
Each guest guesses what Baby Ben's
Activity of the day: Burp cloth & onesie decorating.
Gift table set up
Beverage station: iced tea, grape punch, water, hot beverages
Saturday, February 5, 2011 I hosted a baby shower for my older brother & his girlfriend's bun in the oven: my soon-to-be-born brand-new nephew, Benjamin Richard. It was the mommy's wish that her family and mine work together to host this shindig and I was all for it! What a way to meet new people. Unfortunately, through no fault of anyone's, family's, mom's or baby's, the timing wasn't the best. With Christmas 3 months before the due date, it was difficult to pick a date within the "preferred" time-frame to have a shower (month 7 of pregnancy) while still bearing in mind that families have lots of stuff going on in December and expenses unrelated to baby showers during that time. I know my schedule was FULL in December. Hence the shower date of 2/5. 6 weeks after Christmas and 6 weeks before baby's scheduled arrival. First contact was made between families in September and luckily we were able to plan a lot before the holidays came, so it wasn't a huge hit on my pocket-book all at once.
Here are the details of the shower. Hosted by both Grandmas, and all four Aunts.
The invitations from Tinyprints.comThe final inspiration board. The colors were pale blue, lime/kiwi
green with accents of orange and gray.
The favors from beau-coup.com The back-up favors. We had some issues with
UPS delivering the favors on time
(with expedited shipping no less)
so I had to throw something together last minute.
Game Prizes, also from beau-coup.com
the Benjamin banner...if you look really closely, you can make out his name.
The cake made by my mother-in-law (for free!) Love her! 
Trying to tie in the invitations, the clothesline decorations.All the outfits were gifts to mommy and baby from Auntie Jenny
"Guess Who?" A game we played. The object was to guess who was who! Mom, Dad, Ben, or big sister!
(Mom's 16 year old daughter from a previous relationship)
Seemed tricky enough, the mom's mom got one wrong! :)
My DIY diaper cakes (tutorial found here) 
The floral centerpieces. I don't know about you,
ut I LOVE me some fresh flowers at parties.
I think it livens and freshnens the whole place up!
Courtesy of Denise at FloralDecor in Palmyra
Courtesy of Denise at FloralDecor in Palmyra
"Bet the Baby Stats"Each guest guesses what Baby Ben's
birth date, weight, & height will be.
Entry fee was $1.00 per guess,
the prize is a 50% of the "pot." The rest goes to Ben's savings fund.
Activity of the day: Burp cloth & onesie decorating. Using fabric markers or paints, each guest was able to decorate a onesie or a burp cloth
with various designs and words, creating a one of a kind wardrobe for baby Ben!
Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to participate...I still have mine to do :(
Gift table set up
Beverage station: iced tea, grape punch, water, hot beveragesThe food was the only part of the shower, I didn't have to do!. Thankfully, the mommy-to-be's sisters were able to help out here and with the paper products. We had Beef Barbeque, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, lunch meat tray, and a veggie & fruit tray. I didn't get any good pics of the food, and very little of the shower in progress. I'm still learning to play photographer! :)
I had a ton of fun planning the shower, and hope that the mommy-to-be had a good time, and enjoyed the fruits of my labor, so that her labor might be all she need worry about when it's time for baby to arrive!
Baby Ben was due to arrive in mid-March, but he seems to want to come early. We're now looking at 1-3 weeks away for Mr. Benjamin's arrival!!! I can't wait to meet my new nephew and see the family name pass on. Have you hosted any parties lately? Share you tips and tricks. Happy Planning!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
DIY Diaper Cakes...
In 3 weeks, I am hosting a baby shower for my brother's girlfriend and their first baby, Benjamin. Martha, mom-to-be is a 37 year old, new-again mom with a 16 year old daughter from a previous relationship. Having such a huge age gap between the two children, plus this child being my brother's first, I just had to throw the shower for them.
I've been planning off and on since October, and really had some great ideas and projects lined up. Then Christmas happened and I really forgot about everything. So time's a crunching and I was at a loss for what to use as centerpieces. Would flowers be enough? What flowers to get? Where to get the flowers without it costing more than the venue rental? Then my sister had a brilliant idea! Diaper Cakes!
We found these diaper cakes, here, here and here, and were immediately in love with the cuteness, practical-ness and seeming ease of assembly.
Steps of assembling a small, two-tiered diaper cake:
Using the TP roll as a base, begin stacking the rolled diapers around the base and securing with a rubber band.
Continue until you have one layer of diapers.
Begin adding diapers in the 2nd layer, secure with rubber band. I used one rubber band per layer, simply to make it easier for myself. If you wish to use only one rubber band per tier, I’m sure it could be done.
Total diapers for bottom tier = 17-18
Begin assembling the top tier by grouping several diapers together and securing with rubber band, add diapers until the tier is as large as you’d like it to be.
Total diapers for top tier = 6-7
Ribbon time.
Begin by measuring how much ribbon you’ll need and cut to length.
Using double sided tape, attach ribbon to itself around diaper tier (covering the rubber bands)pulling tightly to ensure the ribbon will stay in place. Be careful when taping the ribbon to the diapers, if the tape adheres to the diapers may tear the paper covering.
Repeat for second tier.
On to the topper. I created a bow from ribbon, simply as a cost-effective method and it seemed the easiest for me to accomplish.
Twist ribbon string around to back of bow or secure with a small rubber band, or twist tie.
Fluff the ribbon loops to your liking and arrange on top of cake.
I rolled the ribbon strings on my toppers into the center diaper roll of the top tier. to ensure that the bow stayed on the top of the cake during transport and set up.
You could use a bit of double sided tape to secure it to the top, be careful attaching it directly to the diapers, the paper backing of the diapers could tear.
You can use other items to create your topper, such as cute baby supplies, bottles, binkys, socks, shoes, etc. or something soft and cuddly, like stuffed animals, or rubber duckies, or fresh/faux flowers.
Put the diaper cake onto your base and voila! A small two-tiered diaper cake and the perfect decoration and gift for a baby shower!
These will act as centerpieces for the tables. It will be very cute, since our actual cake will match the diaper cakes, so as to tie everything together! Stay tuned for more DIY baby shower decorations and pics of the actual day.
Breakdown:
Diapers: 192 ct. jumbo pack: $29.88
Rubber bands: 2 packs @ $.49 each = $.98
Double sided tape: $3.49
Ribbon (6 spools, 30 yards): $27.93
cardboard base: $5.68
Total: $67.96
That breaks down to $8.50 per diaper cake (made 8 total). Online, a similar sized diaper cake pre-made could cost you $35.00. Total savings (for same number of cakes: $212.04!!
This project took me roughly 3 total hours to complete, mostly in front of the boob tube, and over several days.
Are you doing anything fun and exciting? Planning a party? Decorating a room? De-cluttering/organizing a space? Share!
Thanks for reading!
I've been planning off and on since October, and really had some great ideas and projects lined up. Then Christmas happened and I really forgot about everything. So time's a crunching and I was at a loss for what to use as centerpieces. Would flowers be enough? What flowers to get? Where to get the flowers without it costing more than the venue rental? Then my sister had a brilliant idea! Diaper Cakes!
We found these diaper cakes, here, here and here, and were immediately in love with the cuteness, practical-ness and seeming ease of assembly.
Here is a simple tutorial, with pictures to show you how easy these were to complete.
Items needed for assembly:
- diapers, of course - I bought a jumbo box of Pampers (combo size 1-2), 192 in total: I roughly estimated 24 diapers per cake, and I was able to make 8 cakes.
- rubber bands - many, many rubber bands. You can also use those clear hair elastics, but I couldn't find enough.
- pretty ribbon - to match your color scheme, you’ll need enough for each tier & the topper I bought roughly 18 yards of ribbon for the tiers, and 12 yards of topper ribbon.
- bases - I bought 10" cardboard cake bases from Michaels...they come in packs of 12.
- double sided tape
- scissors
- leftover toilet paper rolls (or paper towel rolls, cut in half) - one per cake.
- other items for the cake topper, if you want to use something other than ribbon: flowers, toys, stuffed animals, etc.
Steps of assembling a small, two-tiered diaper cake:
Roll all diapers and secure with rubber bands. When I rolled my diapers the colored part of the diaper decorations were clearly visible. This worked for me, since they seemed to match our color scheme. If you don’t like this, try to find diapers without any decoration, or roll in from the fold to make this less noticeable.
Using the TP roll as a base, begin stacking the rolled diapers around the base and securing with a rubber band.
Continue until you have one layer of diapers.
Begin adding diapers in the 2nd layer, secure with rubber band. I used one rubber band per layer, simply to make it easier for myself. If you wish to use only one rubber band per tier, I’m sure it could be done.
Total diapers for bottom tier = 17-18
Begin assembling the top tier by grouping several diapers together and securing with rubber band, add diapers until the tier is as large as you’d like it to be.
Total diapers for top tier = 6-7
Ribbon time.
Begin by measuring how much ribbon you’ll need and cut to length.
Using double sided tape, attach ribbon to itself around diaper tier (covering the rubber bands)pulling tightly to ensure the ribbon will stay in place. Be careful when taping the ribbon to the diapers, if the tape adheres to the diapers may tear the paper covering.
Repeat for second tier.
On to the topper. I created a bow from ribbon, simply as a cost-effective method and it seemed the easiest for me to accomplish.
Using my Bowdabra (I originally purchased for my wedding back in 2009) I created a mini-fold/mini-twist bow. If you don’t have a bow-making tool, simply fold the ribbon upon itself creating 1 ½” – 2” loops, twisting at each fold, make sure to leave enough ribbon to act as tails when you’re done.
Twist ribbon string around to back of bow or secure with a small rubber band, or twist tie.
Fluff the ribbon loops to your liking and arrange on top of cake.
I rolled the ribbon strings on my toppers into the center diaper roll of the top tier. to ensure that the bow stayed on the top of the cake during transport and set up.
You could use a bit of double sided tape to secure it to the top, be careful attaching it directly to the diapers, the paper backing of the diapers could tear. You can use other items to create your topper, such as cute baby supplies, bottles, binkys, socks, shoes, etc. or something soft and cuddly, like stuffed animals, or rubber duckies, or fresh/faux flowers.
Put the diaper cake onto your base and voila! A small two-tiered diaper cake and the perfect decoration and gift for a baby shower!
These will act as centerpieces for the tables. It will be very cute, since our actual cake will match the diaper cakes, so as to tie everything together! Stay tuned for more DIY baby shower decorations and pics of the actual day.
Breakdown:
Diapers: 192 ct. jumbo pack: $29.88
Rubber bands: 2 packs @ $.49 each = $.98
Double sided tape: $3.49
Ribbon (6 spools, 30 yards): $27.93
cardboard base: $5.68
Total: $67.96
That breaks down to $8.50 per diaper cake (made 8 total). Online, a similar sized diaper cake pre-made could cost you $35.00. Total savings (for same number of cakes: $212.04!!
This project took me roughly 3 total hours to complete, mostly in front of the boob tube, and over several days.
Are you doing anything fun and exciting? Planning a party? Decorating a room? De-cluttering/organizing a space? Share!
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Coldness...
I haven't been posting much because I've been lost without my camera. I can't believe I bought it five months ago and I've already lost it...I'm sure it hasn't even lost any value! :(
We've been really busy at daycare! Making pumpkin headbands, going to the park (where I lost my camera) and farmer's market and painting pumpkins to decorate the front of the house! I love these little guys; they are so much fun and good company...even when I'm not.
I had an interview on Monday and another one coming up next Monday. I hope to visit my sister in NC next weekend...and take the dogs...fingers crossed.
Money is tight right now and my spirits are low. I hate corporations that won't try to work with you when you truly have a mistake....what jackasses. DH being gone makes it difficult because no one ever can "discuss anything unless your name is on the account." Stupid, stupid, stupid! Makes me cranky.
That makes me cranky and so does having cold hands and feet...they only reason I hate the fall...it can never decide what temperature it wants to be!
A dear friend has been going through such a trying time in her life. She delivered her baby three months early after many months of pain and complications. So far, through God's mercy, they are strong and healthy and thriving. Baby was 1 lb 5 oz and 12 inches long at birth...but I saw him on Saturday and he looks strong and I swear he smiled at me...may have been at Daddy though! I pray for them everyday and hope they know if they need ANYTHING I am here! Kiegan is such a miracle and Jessie is the strongest woman I know!
We've been really busy at daycare! Making pumpkin headbands, going to the park (where I lost my camera) and farmer's market and painting pumpkins to decorate the front of the house! I love these little guys; they are so much fun and good company...even when I'm not.
I had an interview on Monday and another one coming up next Monday. I hope to visit my sister in NC next weekend...and take the dogs...fingers crossed.
Money is tight right now and my spirits are low. I hate corporations that won't try to work with you when you truly have a mistake....what jackasses. DH being gone makes it difficult because no one ever can "discuss anything unless your name is on the account." Stupid, stupid, stupid! Makes me cranky.
That makes me cranky and so does having cold hands and feet...they only reason I hate the fall...it can never decide what temperature it wants to be!
A dear friend has been going through such a trying time in her life. She delivered her baby three months early after many months of pain and complications. So far, through God's mercy, they are strong and healthy and thriving. Baby was 1 lb 5 oz and 12 inches long at birth...but I saw him on Saturday and he looks strong and I swear he smiled at me...may have been at Daddy though! I pray for them everyday and hope they know if they need ANYTHING I am here! Kiegan is such a miracle and Jessie is the strongest woman I know!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Baby fever??...
So, DH's friend, M & his wife (you'll probably never see this, but I put that in JUST for you, M!) just had their baby on Saturday 9/18/2009; E is a perfect, healthy, happy baby. 7 lbs 14 oz. & 20 1/2 inches long. 
Mom and Dad are good; it was a little hairy for Mommy, an emergency C-section was needed...but everyone is in good health now. I visited last night for a little while and baby fell asleep in my arms. He sleeps with his mouth open and I found it aweinspiring and completely touching that he's only 3 days old and already mom and dad know his little quirks and can tell you what 'this face' vs 'that face' means.
It's funny, but I'm not really jonesing on baby fever right now. I was happy to hold him and would be happy to babysit...but it didn't make me wish I were having a baby. Weird huh? I get into my moods where having a baby is all I think about, but then, I want to be secure and stable financially and ready for the little one. I also don't want to rush into it because of how "old" I am or that everyone else is doing it!
Eh! Who knows...right now I am waiting until after October of next year to have a baby...so I can not be a blimp and really enjoy NP & H's wedding. (DH...that does NOT mean we are waiting until then to start trying to make one!)
BTW, I was right it was a bridesmaid's lunch. AND, she asked me to be a bridesmaid...so exciting and what an honor! The rest of the girls are great and we seemed to all get along...so this should really be fun. Although...I wonder if she will turn into a bridezilla!!! HAHA H, just joking, I know you'll be a great, happy, and fabulous bride! I am way excited!
Yesterday, the pups had a vet appointment (for their 3 year boosters) and we got to weigh Panzer FINALLY...I thought for sure he would hit at least 115 or 120 but he's only 102. Yes, I know he's still a big boy and we have to watch his weight to make sure he's not growing too much more. The dr. kept him on the same amount of heartworm meds, so we have to be very vigilant and I found out I AM feeding them enough! YAY! They did very well at the clinic, they sat when I asked...took the treats gently from the doc, Banya only peed once and didn't nip at anyone! I took them both...no sense making two trips; but kept Panzer in the car so Banya could be seen and then rotated. I was able to clip their leashes to the jeep (they had just enough room to stand, sit, or lay down, but not to try to jump out of the car and choke! I kept the windows down and gave them water while they each waited. The vet wanted me to vaccinate them for the doggy flu (not contagious to humans, I asked!) but couldn't guarantee that they'd be covered when the get boarded this weekend...so I didn't. They don't really get too much interaction with other dogs so I can't forsee it being a problem...but cross your fingers for us!
Mom and Dad are good; it was a little hairy for Mommy, an emergency C-section was needed...but everyone is in good health now. I visited last night for a little while and baby fell asleep in my arms. He sleeps with his mouth open and I found it aweinspiring and completely touching that he's only 3 days old and already mom and dad know his little quirks and can tell you what 'this face' vs 'that face' means.It's funny, but I'm not really jonesing on baby fever right now. I was happy to hold him and would be happy to babysit...but it didn't make me wish I were having a baby. Weird huh? I get into my moods where having a baby is all I think about, but then, I want to be secure and stable financially and ready for the little one. I also don't want to rush into it because of how "old" I am or that everyone else is doing it!
Eh! Who knows...right now I am waiting until after October of next year to have a baby...so I can not be a blimp and really enjoy NP & H's wedding. (DH...that does NOT mean we are waiting until then to start trying to make one!)
BTW, I was right it was a bridesmaid's lunch. AND, she asked me to be a bridesmaid...so exciting and what an honor! The rest of the girls are great and we seemed to all get along...so this should really be fun. Although...I wonder if she will turn into a bridezilla!!! HAHA H, just joking, I know you'll be a great, happy, and fabulous bride! I am way excited!
Yesterday, the pups had a vet appointment (for their 3 year boosters) and we got to weigh Panzer FINALLY...I thought for sure he would hit at least 115 or 120 but he's only 102. Yes, I know he's still a big boy and we have to watch his weight to make sure he's not growing too much more. The dr. kept him on the same amount of heartworm meds, so we have to be very vigilant and I found out I AM feeding them enough! YAY! They did very well at the clinic, they sat when I asked...took the treats gently from the doc, Banya only peed once and didn't nip at anyone! I took them both...no sense making two trips; but kept Panzer in the car so Banya could be seen and then rotated. I was able to clip their leashes to the jeep (they had just enough room to stand, sit, or lay down, but not to try to jump out of the car and choke! I kept the windows down and gave them water while they each waited. The vet wanted me to vaccinate them for the doggy flu (not contagious to humans, I asked!) but couldn't guarantee that they'd be covered when the get boarded this weekend...so I didn't. They don't really get too much interaction with other dogs so I can't forsee it being a problem...but cross your fingers for us!
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