Saturday, July 30, 2011

Baby Boy 4 and his darn kidney

(photo credit- my friend Margie)
I have not been meaning to neglect this blog. I have about a dozen things I need to post.
But this baby boy has taken my time and priority, and it looks like he will continue to take more of my time.
We thought we might be getting a "break" this time, but our 4th boy, has some kidney issue. This is the 3rd of our 4 kids, to have something like this. (we have to get one child still checked out...)
It means lots of trips to the specialist- which is 140 miles away; antibiotics, testing, and possibly surgery.
We just finished doing all of that with our 2 year old.
So if you see me on here only sporadically, please know that is why, and I shall return with exciting and fun posts shortly! For now, I am just posting when I feel up to it- however- I do have 2 little give-a-ways that really need to be posted soon!  Thanks for reading and being my blog bff's!! So wish I could meet so many of you in real life-- maybe someday :) I love reading your posts, and connecting with you through pinterest!

post signature

Friday, July 22, 2011

My Favorite New Baby Must-Have Items

I just had my fourth boy. One might think, that by 4 kids, all boys, you have things figured out. Well, I'm here to say that having a baby, no matter how many you have had, is hard! It is wonderful but such a challenge! It has been over a week, and I can still hardly walk after my c-section. SO I thought I would share some of the wonderful products that make having a newborn so much easier! These are just a few of my favorites. I am not getting paid in any way to share these products with you. These products are things I have actually purchased, that I love.

I have tried several swaddling blankets, and this one is by far the best one out there! It really works. Most swaddling blankets, a baby can squirm their way out of, but not this one. When I first discovered this, with my 3rd child, he started sleeping 6 hours at night when I started using it! And I felt like a new mommy! I love this!

Cute Diaper Bags- Before I had kids, I had a ton of purses. O.K. so I still love purses, but I also love diaper bags!  They come at every price range these days- so here are some at the middle, high, and low end-all functional and cute.
 Middle price range: This cute diaper bag is from the Baby Star Collection. It retails at $60 but I got it for around $20-plus $5 shipping, and I don't recall where I found the deal. It is a very nice bag- with pockets on the inside, plus a case for wipes. It is a very nice diaper bag. (I do think it could be a little more functional. I really like when a diaper bag has a pocket on the outside- for a water bottle, a baby bottle, or keys and this one does not have that- but does have inside pockets.)

High price range: I also purchased this one. It is from the Oioi Collection. I got it off of Babysteals,so I did not pay retail for it- don't think I could pay retail for it$160.. However, the one I got from Babysteals, does not have the outer zipper pocket as pictured. It does have inside pockets, a changing pad, a wipes case, and outside pockets too. It has many other features and is very roomy. I love this bag, and can see myself using it long after I no longer need a diaper bag.

Low Price Range: Sam Moon has really cute diaper bags and purses. They also have the best prices. The one above retails at $14.95 It doesn't have many pockets inside, but it has the outside pockets, and back pockets. It also zips under the flap. It includes a changing pad. This is a really good deal for the money. They also have many colors and styles to chose from.

  Of course a good nursing cover is a must have! I can't believe I survived before this invention. There are some other styles out there, but this one was practically free- and I have several from this company-
Udder Covers. I have tried some other ones out there, and they do not hold their shape as well as the ones from Udder Covers.
This is my new favorite Baby Sling/carrier. Once again, I have tried many different styles. I love this one from Seven Slings. It is lightweight, and can be used for a newborn- to a two year old. I love that I can fold it up and put it in my diaper bag, and that it is not a big production to put it on.
I don't know what I would do without a BOPPY.This has proven to be my favorite- I can't even nurse without it. I acutally finally made my own Boppy cover for one of my Boppy pillows. I own two and will probably buy a third one. I love my Boppy!

There are so many other products I love and could not live without when it comes to having a baby. These are just a few of the many that I love.

I would love to hear what baby products you love and  have to have!

Thanks for reading! oxoxo

post signature

Friday, July 15, 2011

He's Here!

post signature

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Painting Horizontal Stripes + Master Bedroom Reveal

We have stripes thanks to my awesome husband! Except that I don't think he will ever want to paint stripes like this again. :) And all those people out there who have painted stripes like this on a very long wall, have a lot of patience! Note: it takes WAY longer to do than you think- unless you own a laser level- which we do not.

The biggest part of this project was the prep. work- moving furniture, taping, covering the carpet, etc.
It took most of the time. My husband painted the entire room- and it is a big room- the lighter color. When it was dry, a few hours later, we taped off the stripes and painted those. We removed the tape as soon as we were finished.
I found a lot of information online on painting stripes. The most helpful were these posts:

OUR METHOD TO PAINT STRIPES:
1. Apply lighter color. Wait for it to dry. When dry to the touch, tape off your stripes.
2. We used FROG TAPE, and a level. We also used a string level we made- if you can afford to buy a laser level- do it! It will save you a lot of time. The biggest problem with marking the stripes, is keeping them even when the ceiling and base boards are not even. There is a little variance, in the measurement because of this.
3. Once you have the tape in place, run your fingers across it and press it firmly to the wall. We sealed our tape with the lighter color of paint. We only had about 3 places where the darker paint seeped through. Besides that, we had perfect stripes. Remove the tape as soon as you are done. That is it! Sounds simple, but it takes some time.
Now I have a much nicer master bedroom- which was my goal before having this baby- a more pleasant place to rest and recover.
Here is the before of the master:

So boring. Matchy bedroom sets- and I don't really care for them. And the tiny lamp- that is just not big enough. White walls- also too boring for me. O.K.- so this is just a picture of the bed- but you get the idea- I'll show you the rest when it is not so messy and when it is finished. ☻
Here is the master after painting stripes and many other changes:

O.K. so it is just the bed corner...the rest is still in the works. But I like this so much better! (Please ignore the messy bed-making corners... I think my husband made the bed- ha ha- at least he makes it!) 
Here is the low-down on what is in this picture:
Paint Colors: We painted about 12 different colors on our walls before deciding what color would work best. We ended up painting the entire room Softer Tan by Sherwin Williams, and the darker stripe is Macadamia also be Sherwin Williams. Most of the walls in my house are blue or tan. What can I say...that is what I like I guess. It is easier for me to change bedding and pillows, accessories, etc instead of paint- so I go with a neutral paint color.
The nighstands- were refinished years ago.
The lamps- are Home Goods.
The bedding- IKEA, Target, Home Goods-I actually used the blue bedspread in the photo above but turned it over to the white side,  pillows are recovered with fabric- so I can change the covers later and get a new look.
BENCH- Marshalls- you can't see it all but it has some great detail- love it.
Headboard- I wanted to make one-but ended up getting this one at Costco. We also got a Memory Foam topper - it was more affordable than a new bed- and we love it.
Curtains: Target- please ignore the length- I plan to add fabric to them later.
Still alot of details to take care of- but you get the idea- I am loving the stripes! My goal was to keep everything really neutral, and non-matchy-matchy. That way I can change the pops of color and get a whole new look. We have a few fun things to add, and change. But we are loving the huge improvement!

Speaking of decorating and design, are you watching the  new season of DESIGN STAR ?  Here is a great post on a summary of the first episode!
Thanks for reading! oxoxo
Now I'm off to have a baby this week- praying it all goes well!



post signature

Friday, July 8, 2011

Riley Blake Penny Lane Baby Quilt {for a cause}

 This Saturday, there is a 5K and auction to help this family. I knew Wendy's mother very well, and had met Wendy several times. She had children the same ages as mine. This really hit close to home for me, so  I wanted to help. There wasn't much I could do to help-since I live in another state and am due to have a baby anyday now, so I made a quilt and sent it off for the auction.
 I loved the Penny Lane line by Riley Blake.  Let's face it, I love Riley Blake fabrics! I might not ever have a daughter, and since Wendy also lost her daughter at the same time, I decided to make a baby girl quilt- and call it "the Maylee Quilt" (the name of her baby girl that also passed away.)
I bought a few quarter yards of the Penny Lane line, and used scraps I already had. I used this tutorial. I loved this tute, and it was really easy. I have another quilt using it, in the works for my 4th boy-also using Riley Blake Fabrics.
Don't know if I feel confident in my "quiltling abilities" to enter...but  I want that beach cruiser even if I don't live anywhere near the beach. It looks awesome!

Better get busy finishing my 101 sewing, organizing, and cleaning projects...only a few more days until our little bundle arrives! Praying and Hoping it will all go well...
thanks for reading!
oxoxo
post signature

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

HOPE

In the next few days, we have a family funeral, and we will also be having our fourth baby boy- who also has a slight kidney problem. Seeing "life" happen, makes me realize how much more we need HOPE in this world.  Having hope, makes everything in our lives better. This is a short message on HOPE. Take time to watch it- and find more hope in your own life. Thanks for reading. oxoxo

HERE is the link. (I could not figure out how to post the video without it starting automatically, so I removed it and just linked it.)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

DIY Lego Table {from an old Coffee or End Table}

For my son's birthday, I decided he needed a Lego table. I was pretty sick of stepping on those dang Legos. After doing a little research, it turned out that most Lego tables, were around $100. No thanks. So we made one instead for about 1/2 of that.
Here is what we did:
DIY LEGO TABLE:
We found the perfect table for $20 at our local thrift store. While this was more than I wanted to pay- I only wanted to pay like $5- this was the perfect table, that hardly needed any work. It had a set in glass top, and an edge around the top; it had solid wood legs- just what we wanted to add wheels to the bottom. It was also solid wood, not like the cheap-o Lego tables you buy- this was much sturdier.
SAND, PRIME, PAINT-we sanded it down and removed the criss-cross stuff and glass from the top.
We primed it wish spray primer- Krylon brand. Next we spray-painted it also with Krylon paint. We used 2 cans primer and 2 cans paint- total $12.
ADD LEGO PLATE TOP- I purchased 4 Lego plates- that were 10 by 10 inches each. These were about $5 each. ($20 total). My husband used Gorilla Glue to attach them- lining up the little Lego dots- which is very important- so your child can attach their Legos anywhere on the the table top. It is also important to use something heavy- and apply even pressure to the top while the glue is drying.
ADD WHEELS-My husband wanted it to have wheels so it could easily be moved around. The 4 wheels were a total of $6. He also purchased a few screws to attach them.


That is it! It was really rather easy, and quick! It cost us $58. I'm sure you could find a cheaper coffee table- or use one you already have and save more money.  Since we have almost 4 boys, I'm sure we'll be using this for years to come- as long as they can share! {We don't have room for 4 separate Lego tables- ha ha.}
And although there are LESS Legos on the floor, for some reason- some still end up on the floor.... now to get the right containers to store the things in..... right now we are using plastic bins w/ lids- that never get put on...
thanks for reading! oxoxo
post signature

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

 Happy 4th of July Weekend! I didn't entirely forget about the 4th- even if my husband only gets today off and has to work the entire weekend. :( I did whip of a festive wreath- with fabric scraps, hot glue, and Scrabble tiles. I picked up the felted stars at JoAnn's (6 for $1).
{Blogger was giving me a problem this week- so I lost some of the things I planned to post and have to start over...sorry. darn blogger.}

Most of today will be spent doing this:
I have a really incredible husband! We are painting today....and having a family BBQ!
Hope you all have a great 4th of July Celebration!
I'll be back next week with lots of fun stuff....just in time for baby to arrive!
Thanks for reading! oxoxo
post signature