Sunday, July 31, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Waiting On Baby
I have a gazillion crafty ideas floating around in my head and can't seem to find the time or energy to do any of them. Maybe tomorrow...
What have I been up to?
On Friday, Lydia Grace and I went to Storytime at the library. Afterwards she worked puzzles, played in the children's section, and picked out some books to take home.
One of the books was...
She loves this book and has probably had Tim and I read it over 50 times this weekend. That's what hubby and I did this weekend...
We spent time with L.G. and worked on knocking a ton of things off our "To Do Around The House" List. I think I am in the "nesting" phase of the pregnancy right now. Lydia Grace's excitement over the baby is really growing too. Recently we had a conversation that went like this...
Lydia Grace: Eli is in there. (patting my tummy)
Me: Yes, Eli is in mommy's tummy.
L.G.: Eli come out.
Me: Soon. He'll come out soon.
L.G.: Open belly, mommy. I want Eli out now. (poking my belly button)
Me: Eli will come when he is ready. (trying not to laugh)
There are so many times when she says or does things that just crack me up with laughter. Motherhood is filled with so many beautiful moments of...
I am so thankful for my sweet girl, and I feel so blessed that our little family is growing from three to four.
I am so thankful for my sweet girl, and I feel so blessed that our little family is growing from three to four.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Welcome to Hogsmead!
Looking for some simple ways to bring Harry Potter's world to life? Having a themed party, a Harry Potter day with the kids, or a viewing party for the movies? Here's a little magic for your Friday!
Let's start our trip out with a visit to Honeydukes where you will find a wide assortment of sweets.
There are...
Licorice Wands (Twizzlers)
The labels for all of the candies were printed from the computer. If you use a stamp pad to scuff along the edges of the labels, it gives them a an antiqued look.
Lemon Drops (lemon candies)
Jelly Slugs (sour gummy worms which are displayed crawling around in dirt--cookie pieces)
Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (Jelly Belly candies)
Some of the candies were placed in water goblets. Remember Transfiguration Class?
And my personal favorite...
Chocolate Frogs (milk chocolate melted and hardened in a frog mold)
The frog packages were tied up with ribbons in the colors of the four houses.
Now that we are loaded up on sweets, let's travel to The Three Broomsticks for something to drink. Today the specials are...
Butter Beer (It's not really beer. It is cream soda. You'll find the recipe and printable label found here.)
Or...
I'll have what he's having. Professor Filius Flitwick ordered cherry syrup and soda with ice and an umbrella on his trip to this popular hangout. You can just add a jar of cherries (with the juice) to a 2-liter bottle of Cherry Coke. Ice is a must, but the umbrella is optional.
Are you craving a sit down with one of the books or movies now?
Happy reading (or watching)!
*Affiliate links have been included to help guide you to the perfect products for your next Harry Potter event.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Random Thoughts and a Baby Update
Okay...
No crafty post today...
Well, unless you want to count this...
Love it!
No cute pictures of Lydia Grace today either...
No kitchen creations...
Just me...
Typing some things that are on my mind...
I'm so excited to see how this little blog keeps growing. Thank you, friends, for following along. It is a bit surprising that people are actually interested in anything I have to say or interested in the things that I create. Right before Lydia Grace was born, I started blogging just to try it out and see what all the hype was about. I quickly became hooked and grew to love posting pictures, crafts, recipes, and musings on this blog--my own little corner of the world. Family and close friends, of course, checked it occasionally, but since then it has continued to grow a nice little following. By no means do I have some elaborate blog with all the bells and whistles, a huge following, sponsors, ads, or money coming in because of my blogging. Do I want those things? I don't know. A lot of bloggers do, and there is nothing wrong with those things. They are wonderful pursuits in the blogging world. They mean you really have turned your little corner of the world into a big thing. What do I want then? I think I want the same thing from this blog that I always have...
I want a place where I can post pictures, memories, and moments to look back on and remember.
I want to share my crafts and creations while in turn being inspired by the amazing creativity of my fellow bloggers.
I want a place where I can express my thoughts, musings, and heart even if I'm the only one there to listen.
I want to meet new friends and stay connected to old ones. I have met some amazing women through this blogging endeavor.
I have been inspired...
I have been prayed for...
I have been motivated...
I have been uplifted...
I have been challenged...
I have been shown love and kindness...
I just hope that I have been able to do those things for others in return through this blog.
So much has happened since I started blogging. I have given birth to a beautiful girl, experienced the nightmare of almost losing her, continued through that first year with many ups and downs, worked on slowly turning our little house into a home, had some amazing family vacations, witnessed Lydia Grace's exciting early milestones, faced the emotional turmoil and guilt associated with being a working mommy, dealt with the miscarriage of two pregnancies, watched my daughter grow from a baby to a sweet little girl, taken the plunge and opened an ETSY shop, created magical moments and beautiful memories with my daughter, gotten pregnant again, found out we were adding a boy to our family, and eventually brought to this moment...
A moment where I am sitting here typing out random thoughts that will be cast out into blogland if for no other reason than I am feeling emotional and nostalgic right now. (Let's just blame the hormones.) Sometimes it is good to look back. Sometimes remembering where we have come from helps us move forward--move forward from loss and move forward from past joys so we can continue to experience new joys each and every day. Sometimes it is good to look back because when we do, we realize how truly blessed we are. As I prepare my heart for this new little one to enter our lives, I feel just that--blessed.
Blessed to be able to tell you that baby and I are doing well. A lot of people have been asking so here is a quick baby update...
*I will be 30 weeks on Sunday.
*Due Date: Oct. 2
*No blood clots have formed around the baby. Praise the Lord!
*I did have one clot develop in my arm that passed through only giving me a strange burning sensation. We chose to not do blood thinners. We just stuck with a daily dose of aspirin for the clotting conditions.
*Weight Gain: 21 pounds (This is a bit lower than the weight I gained with L. G., but I am chasing a toddler around this time. I gained 42 pounds when I was pregnant with her.)
*I was measuring a few weeks small, so they measured baby Eli and my fluid levels--both of which are fine.
*We have continued to have very frequent Dr. visits and ultrasounds--more than normal since it is a high risk pregnancy.
*Eli is around 3 pounds right now and looks just like his daddy from the 4-D ultrasound that the tech popped up on the screen as an added bonus.
*My gallbladder has started hurting again, but it isn't near as bad as it was with L. G. I had a lot of problems with my gallbladder during that pregnancy. The full abdominal ultrasound indicated that it is just slight inflammation of the lining this time.
*The normal 3rd trimester discomfort and fatigue has hit, but any pain I am having will all be worth it when I finally get to hold my baby boy.
I have to remind myself sometimes that it is really going to happen this time. I am going to get to hold my baby boy in my arms in only a matter of weeks.
Feeling very blessed...
No crafty post today...
Well, unless you want to count this...
No cute pictures of Lydia Grace today either...
No kitchen creations...
Just me...
Typing some things that are on my mind...
I'm so excited to see how this little blog keeps growing. Thank you, friends, for following along. It is a bit surprising that people are actually interested in anything I have to say or interested in the things that I create. Right before Lydia Grace was born, I started blogging just to try it out and see what all the hype was about. I quickly became hooked and grew to love posting pictures, crafts, recipes, and musings on this blog--my own little corner of the world. Family and close friends, of course, checked it occasionally, but since then it has continued to grow a nice little following. By no means do I have some elaborate blog with all the bells and whistles, a huge following, sponsors, ads, or money coming in because of my blogging. Do I want those things? I don't know. A lot of bloggers do, and there is nothing wrong with those things. They are wonderful pursuits in the blogging world. They mean you really have turned your little corner of the world into a big thing. What do I want then? I think I want the same thing from this blog that I always have...
I want a place where I can post pictures, memories, and moments to look back on and remember.
I want to share my crafts and creations while in turn being inspired by the amazing creativity of my fellow bloggers.
I want a place where I can express my thoughts, musings, and heart even if I'm the only one there to listen.
I want to meet new friends and stay connected to old ones. I have met some amazing women through this blogging endeavor.
I have been inspired...
I have been prayed for...
I have been motivated...
I have been uplifted...
I have been challenged...
I have been shown love and kindness...
I just hope that I have been able to do those things for others in return through this blog.
So much has happened since I started blogging. I have given birth to a beautiful girl, experienced the nightmare of almost losing her, continued through that first year with many ups and downs, worked on slowly turning our little house into a home, had some amazing family vacations, witnessed Lydia Grace's exciting early milestones, faced the emotional turmoil and guilt associated with being a working mommy, dealt with the miscarriage of two pregnancies, watched my daughter grow from a baby to a sweet little girl, taken the plunge and opened an ETSY shop, created magical moments and beautiful memories with my daughter, gotten pregnant again, found out we were adding a boy to our family, and eventually brought to this moment...
A moment where I am sitting here typing out random thoughts that will be cast out into blogland if for no other reason than I am feeling emotional and nostalgic right now. (Let's just blame the hormones.) Sometimes it is good to look back. Sometimes remembering where we have come from helps us move forward--move forward from loss and move forward from past joys so we can continue to experience new joys each and every day. Sometimes it is good to look back because when we do, we realize how truly blessed we are. As I prepare my heart for this new little one to enter our lives, I feel just that--blessed.
Blessed to be able to tell you that baby and I are doing well. A lot of people have been asking so here is a quick baby update...
*I will be 30 weeks on Sunday.
*Due Date: Oct. 2
*No blood clots have formed around the baby. Praise the Lord!
*I did have one clot develop in my arm that passed through only giving me a strange burning sensation. We chose to not do blood thinners. We just stuck with a daily dose of aspirin for the clotting conditions.
*Weight Gain: 21 pounds (This is a bit lower than the weight I gained with L. G., but I am chasing a toddler around this time. I gained 42 pounds when I was pregnant with her.)
*I was measuring a few weeks small, so they measured baby Eli and my fluid levels--both of which are fine.
*We have continued to have very frequent Dr. visits and ultrasounds--more than normal since it is a high risk pregnancy.
*Eli is around 3 pounds right now and looks just like his daddy from the 4-D ultrasound that the tech popped up on the screen as an added bonus.
*My gallbladder has started hurting again, but it isn't near as bad as it was with L. G. I had a lot of problems with my gallbladder during that pregnancy. The full abdominal ultrasound indicated that it is just slight inflammation of the lining this time.
*The normal 3rd trimester discomfort and fatigue has hit, but any pain I am having will all be worth it when I finally get to hold my baby boy.
I have to remind myself sometimes that it is really going to happen this time. I am going to get to hold my baby boy in my arms in only a matter of weeks.
Feeling very blessed...
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Lydia Grace's New Playground
Wow! This truly was a labor of love. It took three grown men (L.G.'s Papa, Pappaw Jeff, and Daddy) three weekends to get her playground completed. The biggest complication was figuring out how to stabalize it on our very slopped backyard. The guys figured it out though, and Lydia Grace couldn't be happier with it. Do you remember playing on swing sets when you were little--climbing, swinging, sliding, laughing...
Summer sometimes make me feel like a kid again. Watching Lydia Grace play on her new playground really brings out the inner child...
She was patiently waiting to get on it for the first time.
Lydia Grace would like to thank Papa, Pappaw Jeff, and Daddy for all their hard work.
Have you played today?
Monday, July 18, 2011
Five Fabulous Frozen Treats
Just in case you missed the five day series of yummy frozen treats, here is a recap...
You can click on each title to view the directions.
Just a few ways to cool your summer off...
Do you have some other ideas for frozen goodies?
I'd love to hear them.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Fluffy Frozen Yogurt
It's Day 5 of...
Click here for the Five Day Lineup.
This frozen treat is not only delicious, but it is also fun to make. You can get the whole family involved and let everyone choose their own toppings. Here's how...
This frozen treat is not only delicious, but it is also fun to make. You can get the whole family involved and let everyone choose their own toppings. Here's how...
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Glacial Grapes
It's Day 4 of...
Today's frozen treat is another one that my mom use to make for my sister and I when we were little. It is so simple, but it is also so refreshing and yummy.
Lydia Grace and I are munching on some right now while I finish this post. Yummy!
Happy Eating!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Chocolate Covered Banana Pops
It's Day 3 of...
Click here for the Five Day Lineup.
My mother use to make chocolate covered bananas for my sister and I when we were little. It was one of many treats that she made for us as kids. She always seemed to be whipping up some sort of magic in the kitchen. Here is my attempt at passing along a childhood favorite to my daughter.
*Tip: I placed my bananas in a freezer friendly container lined with parchment paper.
My mother use to make chocolate covered bananas for my sister and I when we were little. It was one of many treats that she made for us as kids. She always seemed to be whipping up some sort of magic in the kitchen. Here is my attempt at passing along a childhood favorite to my daughter.
*Tip: While you are making the glaze, place the bananas back into the freezer so their chocolate shell can completely harden.
Happy Eating!
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