Genuinely Jenny

2011-12-02T22:34:00.001-08:00

I should blog more.
Other things I should do more of: pray, read the bible, send cards, clean my house, play with my kids, file papers, exercise, eat healthy, declutter, talk to my family, visit my family, clean out my car, clean my pets' cages, floss, save money, read books, sew, be patient, invite people over, smile, and many others.

Laundry Schedule

2011-01-13T00:23:00.000-08:00

Another thing that I recently implemented is the Laundry Schedule. I constantly do laundry and I never felt "finished". I decided to come up with a schedule to keep the laundry manageable and give myself a finish line. I do the designated laundry for the day and then stop. I occasionally need to do an unassigned load but overall it has really helped.

You can see the schedule here:

Laundry Schedule

Grocery List

2011-01-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

Of course, I remembered an important tool I use - The Grocery List!!!!

I keep copies of this blank grocery list on my fridge and write down anything and everything I need to buy. I like how it is broken into categories so that I am not walking back and forth from one section of the store to another and back again. Tell me I am not the only one who does that.

I glued a round magnet (found in the wal-mart craft section) on a pencil and hang it next to the list so I always have something to write with.

Having the list also helps my family because they usually come to me when I am in the middle of something, telling me they are out of this or that and I completely forget about it. This way, I just say, "Put it on the list," and they know what to do.

Just don't forget to grab your list when you walk out the door.

My Brain Needs Help

2011-01-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

The new year is here and everyone is talking about their resolutions.

I thought I would share my favorite organizational aids that help me remember all the things I have to remember. I am so scattered-brained, I would be lost without my schedules and checklists.

#1 - Google Calendar

I love Google calendar so much!!! I have color coded calendar for each person in the family. It is easy to add reoccurring things like practices and classes. You can change the view from day, week, 4 day, month or agenda. I add birthdays and set them to reoccur yearly. It is so customizable and wonderful, I don't have a wall calendar anymore.

#2- Weekly Planner Board

Instead of a big yearly wall calendar I have this awesome weekly white board calendar. I just print off the week's schedule from Google calendar and write it on this board (color coded of course!). The board is on the door to the garage so everyone can see it.

#3- Motivated Moms Chore Planning System

Love, love, love this system!!! I did Flylady for a while and I love her tips. I still set my timer for 15 minutes to get me motivated and keep me in one spot- I would just wander off and forget what I was doing! Motivated Moms just works better for me now. They break down chores into a checklist that is manageable and it also reminds me of things I would otherwise forget. You just have to go check it out and ,no, you don't have to be a mom to use it.

Those are my top things that I use to supplement my horrible, forgetful brain! It is possible that I have forgotten something that should be on this list. If so, I will write it down and try to remember to come back and post it.

Long Time No Blog

2009-12-28T00:41:00.000-08:00

In a few days it will be 2010. I found out this week that the teacher- Matthew Morrison on "Glee" is younger than me and it has been bothering me. I even had a dream where he said he was 42 and it made me feel better. Unfortunately, he is not 42, he is in fact 31 and almost 5 months younger than me. Sigh.
I always have great plans when New Years rolls around. The sermon this morning was about not looking back to the past but looking to the future and where God wants you to go and what He wants you to do.
I weaned Lily a few weeks ago. She is 2 years, 7 months old. I wanted to stop and was waiting for her to show signs of slowing down but she wasn't. I just decided one day I was done and didn't let her have anymore juiceys- her name for nursing. Surprisingly it was not that bad. I have felt a tiny bit of loss but I mean tiny, teeny tiny and not enough to let her come near them ever again. We are both sleeping better and I am enjoying cuddling with her without being fondled and having her try to rip off my shirt.
Now that I am not breastfeeding, I can try Nature's Secret Ultimate Fasting Cleanse (5 Part, 5 Day Program). I want to start tomorrow but I am nervous! Just opening the bottles made me kinda sick, the stuff smells terrible. I think I just need to go for it.
I am also going to try sticking to my Motivated Moms Planner . I love the simplicity of it and it doesn't overwhelm me. Oh my goodness, it is 1am- too many great ideas for the new year are floating around in my head- Goodnight!!

2009-03-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Santi took Riley to a lego convention this weekend in Portland. My crazy husband drove straight there last night and plans on arriving home before work on Monday. I am glad they went, Riley has been beyond excited for about a month.

Because my husband and oldest son are gone, a huge black jumping spider decided to greet me in the shower this morning. Instead of screaming "Spider!!" as I usually do, I stood there for a minute and then went and got a jar and put it in. I hate squishing spiders, especially big ones. I am not sure what I am going to do with it now.

Lily has a runny nose. Thankfully, she knows how to blow it. She is a little grumpy and clingy and didn't sleep well. Lots of tossing and turning in bed last night.

My back is killing me all the way down my left side. I am thinking it has something to do with a wiggly 25 pound toddler, but I can't be sure. It hurts bad. I usually have a high tolerance for pain but it hurts to breathe. The pain actually makes me kid of nauseous. I am hoping Motrin will take the edge off. I don't have time to be hurt. I would call someone to watch the kids for me so I can rest but I don't want to pass around whatever Lily has.

Our homeschool group's talent show is tonight. Should be fun. Wesley will do his Martial Arts.

Lily is combing my hair right now with her little plastic comb. Too cute.

Wow, I need to blog.

2009-03-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since I have blogged.

I am falling asleep, so I will make it fast.

Santi is busy fixing the computers of almost every person we know.

I got a box of worms in the mail today for my worm bin. I've got spring fever.

Riley is taking a test tomorrow to become a soccer referee for the local soccer league.

Wesley started a break dancing class today.

Lily is a terror but a really adorable one. Oh, and she finally has a molar peeking through.

I'm Tired, She's Tired

2008-12-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

I want to vent right now. I really, really want to vent.

Let's talk about the cute things my daughter is doing while she is supposed to be taking a nap.

- Trying to put on a pair of pants and getting both legs caught in one leg hole.

- Putting one of my cloth pads (Don't worry, it's clean.) on her boppy pillow and laying her head on it.

- Getting stuck between the top of the bed and the wall.

- Hitting her head on the wall eveytime she lays on the pillow. When I move the pillow away from the wall to prevent this, she leans over the pillow so she can hit her head on the wall.

- Giving me a kiss... still without the kissing noise but at least her mouth is closed.

- Putting her feet on the pillow instead of her head.

- Kicking off the covers.

- Talking in her cute baby language which only makes sense to her.

- Putting her cute chubby hand over her mouth and blowing??

- Whining

- Making the cloth pad fly (It does have wings!) and then punching it. Thanks brother for the lesson in punching.

- Sticking out her bottom lip and fake crying.

- Punching the computer.

- Arching her back and throwing a tantrum.

- Climbing off the bed and walking to the door.

- Hitting the bed.

- Hitting the door. Yes, she is a hitter.

- Giving me a hug.

- Saying "juice? yes?"

- Drinking juice aka nursing.

- Rubbing her eyes.

- Taking deep breaths.

- Trying to keep her eyes open.

- Smiling at me.

OK, now I just have to get her off my lap and onto the bed.

You are probably questioning why I don't just put her in her bed?? Well, she climbs out of it. Scales the walls and climbs out. So here I sit.

Anyway, if you wonder why your Christmas presents and Christmas cards are late, you can blame it on the "I don't want to take a nap" girl.

Alright, I can't sleep.

2008-11-30T23:43:00.000-08:00

So, I feel like the last person on earth to get an mp3 player. I bought myself one last week. No, it isn't an Ipod. Why the heck are they twice the price of other mp3 players? Maybe I just don't know what I am missing??

Anyway, I added all the albums that were on my computer, 199 songs. It isn't even half way full. I need to get the rest of my albums on there.

It is really fun to listen to it when I am cleaning, doing dishes and sewing. I am even listening to it right now while everyone else in the house is asleep.

I just have to try not to break out singing when I am really into a song. OK, so sometimes I do break out singing and I am sure it sounds ridiculous. I can't hear myself and I don't know all the words and I hope no one ever records me!

We are rolling along

2008-11-30T23:32:00.000-08:00

Lily has recovered from her illness. We had a fun Thanksgiving with some friends. I have even done some sewing. I have a cold but it hasn't been too bad. I think last night was the worst of it, at least that's what I am hoping.

We have one more homeschool co-op day and then we break for the holidays. Time is flying, I have got to get to work on my gift list!

Anyway, I made these cute little gift card mini wallets this week. I covered the buttons which is so fun! I also used some covered buttons to make magnets and push pins. I am addicted. I am going to try to be more consistent about listing things in my store.

I am going to try and sleep now, but I probably shouldn't drink coffee in the evenings... I am totally wired. =)

I spoke too soon

2008-11-25T12:55:00.000-08:00

Just cleaned another explosion. Poor baby, she was fussing and fussing and finally boom. Now she is clean and falling asleep nursing. She is just tuckered out from this sickness. =(

I am so thankful to still be nursing. I know that she isn't dehydrated and it gives her comfort too.

I am starting to wonder if she has the rotavirus...

I think she is finally getting better.

2008-11-25T09:19:00.001-08:00

Well, the baby's sickness went from throwing up to diarrhea and boy was I washing a lot of laundry this week. Last night there were no incidents so I think it is almost over. I know, TMI, but that's my life. =)

My Poor Little Baby

2008-11-23T23:51:00.000-08:00

Lily was up half of the night vomiting. She seemed better today but did throw up a little one time. Poor little girl, she doesn't know what is going on.

Fun Trip

2008-11-21T23:09:00.000-08:00

The kids and I had a great time with a big group of our homeschool friends in Angel's Camp, CA. The weather was beautiful and chilling out with our friends was so fun. It came at a perfect time for us. We needed to get out of the house and to have some distraction.

We visited the town of Columbia and I took a few pictures with my new camera. =) Of course, I don't have any of Riley because he just took off with his friends and I didn't see him most of the time.

Gmail

2008-11-21T23:07:00.000-08:00

I am loving my new gmail theme "candy". It is so cute and girly and fun! I didn't think gmail could get any better.

Rough Day

2008-11-17T22:37:00.000-08:00

We had a rough day today, the "I don't even want to talk about it," kind of day. I guess it was a bit more than rough. Sad, horrible, makes me sick to my stomach to think about it. I'm sorry for not sharing the details.

Weight Watchers

2008-11-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

I have been going to weight watchers for 7 weeks and have lost 6 pounds. Not spectacular but not terrible either. I hope that I can keep losing over the holidays. I am nursing and have PCOS so it isn't easy.

When Wesley was Lily's age right now I started to gain weight. I was depressed and I think my hormones just went wacky. I gained 75lbs! That is a ton when you are only 4'10" tall. I am about 20lbs lighter than I was at my heaviest so that leaves 55lbs and ideally 60lbs left to go. I have carried around this weight for almost 8 years, and I am ready to let it go.

It helps to go to the meetings. There was a woman there today who had lost over 150lbs. When she walked in I thought, "What is she doing here, she is skinny?" I would never have guessed

that she had lost the weight of an entire person! If she can lose that much, I can lose 60lbs. If I keep losing about 1 lb a week, that should take a little more than a year. I could be a new person for New Years 2010.

This is a picture from a few years back, I HATE it. I was so disgusted when I saw this picture. My poor hubby, he is so fit (and super cute!) and I was just a bog fat blob. He could barely put his arms around me. He has never put me down or said anything about my weight and I am so thankful for him. If anything, this picture really shows me how much he cares about me. He still loves me when I am huge. =)

I would love to go back to this spot and take another picture after I have lost some weight.

I want a redo on this moment!!

P.S. I just wanted to add that this hot guy is currently vacuuming while I am alone in my room blogging. He is all mine ladies!

I'm Human Again

2008-11-08T01:18:00.000-08:00

OK, so I didn't get a chance to sew yet.

I did spend a few hours dying playsilks for my store.

Ah, it feels nice to do something that isn't laundry or dishes.

The picture doesn't do them justice. The green is awesome!

Mom's Quote of the Day

2008-11-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

"Say sorry for shoving that drumstick up her nose."

I love you- You make me crazy

2008-11-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

That's what I said to my daughter a few minutes ago. That's what children do, that's their job, to make you completely insane.

That is what I have learned by having three children. I haven't learned to be a better mother or any secret tips to making parenting easier or raising perfect children.

I have learned that kids drive you insane ... and you still love them like crazy.

On a normal day, sharing a bag of popcorn with the dog.

I need to sew

2008-11-07T00:03:00.000-08:00

I am having sewing withdrawal. We were all pretty sick the last few weeks and I am trying to catch up around the house. It is midnight and I just did some laundry and ran the dishwasher.

I wish I had some time to sew. I could sew right now but I know that tomorrow would be rough. I would be a mean old grouch to the kids during school time. So, sewing is put off for another day. =(

I sit around all day eating bon bons.

2008-11-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

In the last 2 hours:

-baby nursed and nursed and nursed

-baby found water bottle by the bed, took the cap off and poured half of the bottle on to the bed where I was laying

- got up, changed my shirt

- started the laundry

- let out the dogs

- bring towels to husband and baby who are in the shower

- woke up teenage son: no easy task

- woke up 9 year old son

- went out to the living room

- found clean clothes on the floor that were previously folded on the couch: number 1 suspect, George the Dog

- picked up clothes and shook them off and folded them again

- found weird wet spot on the chair: number 1 suspect, Bell the cat

- Cleaned weird spot

- headed to the kitchen to make oatmeal

- while using the apple peeler, corer, slicer, looked away and stem of apple was caught up in the apple making the apple break in to bits all over the place

- baby finds candy that 9 year old has left out and eats it for breakfast

- do dishes while oatmeal cooks

- oatmeal boils over

- wipe table and take random things that were left on the table to their proper places

- take away marker baby found

- while cleaning under baby's chair, baby climbs on top of the table and starts jumping around

- save baby from cracking her skull and put her back on the floor

- tell teenager to get out of the shower: we are in a drought!

- baby wants to color, give baby coloring book and colored pencils

- baby rips pages out of coloring book

- put ice cube in baby's oatmeal and give it to her

- baby throws bowl of oatmeal on the floor, I just let the dog eat it

- eat bowl of oatmeal while blogging

Handmade Holidays

2008-11-04T23:20:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed Sew, Mama, Sew's "Handmade Holidays" last year and I so excited that they are doing it again! Everyday they post handmade gift ideas for those special people in your life.

Check it out!!

Vote

2008-11-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

I voted, you should too!

Smell My Feet!

2008-10-31T22:43:00.001-07:00

I only made one costume this year. Wesley wanted to be a Shaolin Monk but he forgot to wear his black sash, oops!

Riley just wore his camo and I bought Lily's butterfly costume.

At the last minute,I ended up taking the kids trick-or-treating. Usually Santi takes them while I give out candy but I just couldn't miss Lily's first time begging for candy from strangers!

My arms are sore from lifting Lily up and down off of the porches and I have some big blisters on my feet. It was fun. =)

What's Happening?

2008-10-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy.

Riley turned 14 on Saturday and is saving his birthday money & savings account money for a new computer. He had a hand me down of mine that was falling apart and was pretty old. He is taking a programming class and is great at it!

Wesley is learning the "whip chain" in Kung Fu. Pretty cool.

Lily's personality is really shining through and she is so much fun! She is certainly spunky and just a tiny bit spoiled and bratty but we should just overlook that, right?

My Pick for President

2008-10-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

Check out the candidate I am voting for!

Kids are Freaking Expensive

2008-10-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

OK, I just had to say it; Kids are so freaking expensive!

Besides the food (which teenage boys eat a lot of) , clothes (which boys seem to tear up in 5 minutes), & shelter (Moms aren't allowed to have anything nice, don't you know?) -which costs plenty, there are so many little things.

In the last few days we have had 3 field trips, a birthday party, our turn for soccer snacks and a show to attend. Some of them weren't necessarily expensive but just getting around to everything costs a ton in gas.

The sports practices and classes make my head spin. I always think I am forgetting something.

Anyway, I love my kiddos and wouldn't trade them for the world but I had to get it out.

If I did have any money, I would buy this super adorable Bamboletta doll! =)

OK, I have to get back to cleaning while everyone else in my house is sleeping. A mom's work is never done.

Today

2008-09-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't had time to blog lately and truth be told, I don't really have time right now. I need to finish the homeschool group newsletter & membership list and have it printed. I also need to plan for my K'nex bridges class and do my quilting class homework. Don't forget the housework and the laundry and taking care of the kiddos..whew.

Anyway, today has been a full day. This morning I went with a friend and signed up for Weight Watchers. I have done the online one before but it has been a few months. I have gained a bunch of weight since then, darn PCOS.

I taught an "Intro to Cloth Diaper" class for an hour while Wesley was at open gym. This was my second time teaching and I thought it went well, better than my first class. There is just so much info. Some people get overwhelmed and others want more than I know. It is hard to find the balance.

We came home, had lunch and went to Riley's soccer game. He played great and they won 4-1. It was so stinkin' hot out there, we were all pouring water on our heads, even the baby. We all came home and took showers. I don't think we could handle living in a hot climate.

I just made dinner and now I should get to work.

Disposible Guilt

2008-09-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Totally dumb and irrational guilt happening today. Lily is wearing a disposible diaper for the first time in her whole life... except for the hospital.

I don't know why I feel guilty. We are going on a trip where there just aren't laundry facilities. I had to go ahead and put her in them so I can wash all the diapers before we leave. I can't just leave the dirty diapers laying around while we are gone.

I was loooking for the Seventh Generation ones and I had to go to 4 places! Even the ones I finally found are probably a little big, she is on the lowest end of the weight range. When I finally got home and put one on, she whined and tried to pull it off. Maybe because that paper stuff isn't very comfortable and maybe because she just likes to be naked all the time. =) I am hoping they work ok and we don't have leaks or rashes.

I sure do love my cloth diapers. I can't wait to get them back on her and she is still only in her very first sposie. LOL

So, anyway, I have guilt that I need to dispose of because of diapers that you dispose of. We will just call it "Disposible Guilt."

Sewing Project

2008-09-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

So, my SIL finally received her birthday present that I mentioned earlier. It got mis-sorted and ended up in New Mexico instead of Arizona. I was freaking out. Anyway, here it is:

This was my first project from Ottobre Magazine. Such a cool magazine for folks who like to sew. I traced and cut out the pattern, cut my fabric and then sat down to read the directions. It was then that I found out that European patterns don't have seam allowances, you have to add them yourself. Oops. Thank goodness it fits, I was worried.

I love the fabric, it is a tiny bit shimmery and washes up so well, I didn't have to iron it!

We got some Hardy Boys books from freecycle and the boys are super duper excited. They both love to read them and will stay up way to late reading in bed. I used to be the same way, staying up to read half the night. I am not complaining but it does make it harder to wake them up in the morning. If you haven't joined your local freecycle, do it!!

Busy Day

2008-09-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

I had a busy day today. I had to go to Target for a bunch of school supplies. We have a homeschool co-op that meets every Monday during the school year. The first meeting is this Monday!

I am teaching K'nex Bridges to 7 4th-6th graders.

I am also helping in sewing class. That should be fun. =)

Riley is taking American History, Biology by the Bay, Writing, Health & a Computer Programming class that meets on Thursdays.

Wesley is taking California History, K'nex Bridges, Fine Arts & PE.

After Target we went to buy dog food & cat food. We have to

get the cat food at the vet's office.

Then to the grocery store.

After that I dropped Riley off at a friend's house for an Airsoft war. Then I headed to Michael's for some craft stuff.

I made Lily a wreath for my SIL's upcoming wedding. The flower girls will probably have fresh flower wreaths instead but it was fun to make and surprising easy.

She isn't picking her nose, she is just reaching up for the wreath. =) Don't tell Riley you saw a picture of Lily without a shirt on. He hates that I let her run around like that. He tells me, "She is a girl, she should wear a shirt!" Lately she screams every time I try to get her dressed. Don't worry, I always put clothes on her in public. LOL.

I bought a silk screening kit for Santi a few weeks back and he finally tried it today. He did really well for his first try! It should be a fun hobby.

I made a special gift for a special person who is having a birthday on Monday. I wish I could share a picture but it will have to wait until the special person receives it.

I think that's about it for today, I should probably get some sleep.

Wes Achieved a Goal Today...

2008-08-23T23:15:00.001-07:00

"Mom, do you think our family is kind of weird?"

2008-08-22T16:01:00.001-07:00

This is what my 9 year old son asked me the other day driving home.
My mind started to swirl with all of the reasons he might be asking me this.
We are a mixed race couple.
I had my oldest son in High School before I met my husband so he has a different bio dad.
I am considered a "young" mom.
So many possibilities, I was trying to figure out what to say.
So I asked Wesley, "What do you thing makes us weird?"
He answered, "Well, I do, like, 10 different sports and we homeschool, isn't that kind of weird?"
Whew!! What a relief. I laughed to myself.
I asked, " What do you think a "normal" family is like?"
He answered, "Well, they do 1 sport and don't homeschool."
"Oh, I see. Well then, I wouldn't say we are weird. I would say we are extraordinary," I told him.
"What does that mean?"
"That means better than normal!"
"Oh yeah, I guess we are that then," Wesley concluded.
That conversation made me smile.

Why the corner?

2008-08-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

I started to notice a few weeks ago that Lily would grab a blankie by the corner and drag it around or cuddle with it. I thought this was kind of strange. One time she was cuddled up with the blankie and started to cry and squirm around looking for something. I handed her the corner and she calmed down... I guess she had lost her grip on that precious corner and lost it.
I mentioned this weird thing to Santi to get his reaction to our ummmm... interesting little daughter. He just nonchalantly told me, "I did that with my pillow. That little bump in the corner feels neat."
What!?
This is too strange for me to comprehend. Please tell me someone else or someone's child has done this.

Lily is Sleeping

2008-08-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

She is sleeping, in her bed.
For the last few days she has fallen asleep in her bed for naps and at night.
Let me start by saying, I am not a fan of letting babies CIO (cry it out). Not at all.
Lily was having a hard time falling asleep in our bed. It is big, so she has tons of room to move around. I have a bedside table with interesting things on it for her to play with. Also, she is a big time sleep fighter. Put all of these things together and it was starting to take forever for her to fall asleep at night.
I started making a little routine. Make the room nice and quiet. Nurse for about 10 minutes. Play lullaby cd. Cuddle and smile a lot. Then I tell Lily is is night- night time. I tell her favorite bear it is night-night time and put him in her bed. I make sure she has a cup of water and a book. I put her in the bed, telling her again it is night-night time. I hand her the corner of her blanket (more on that later.) then I cover her up and say night-night again and walk out making sure to smile. She only cried for about 10 seconds when I walked out the door tonight. In the last few days of this, she has never cried more than 5 minutes.
I am so excited, there is hope! Now I just need to figure out how to stop her waking up at night. She usually wakes up at around 1:30-2:30 (I just bring her into bed because I am tired!) and again at 5:00-6:00.

Why would you want one of those??

2008-08-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this article today. It is old but it made me laugh. While I don't feel quite so strongly about strollers (we have a couple), it is interesting to read.
Strollers in Kenya

2008-08-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

I am working my way backwards to try and catch up my blog. =)
This week we (Wesley, Lily & I) went to a cool park in Berkeley called "Adventure Playground". It is a boy's dream because they can build and paint. The boys from our homeschool group added a deck on to the existing structure. They did a great job and had to work together to do it. Too bad we homeschoolers never have any socialization... lol.

Just a pic of Lily and me hanging out at the park. She was just falling in the dirt most of the time.

I have to start somewhere...

2008-08-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

You know, the problem with not blogging for a long time is that you don't know where to start.
I will start with today.
I cut Lily's hair. Well, I trimmed the back. It was getting out of control back there. The back was getting really long and the front is still short. Big time mullet going on. Anyway, it looks better. I should try to even it up a little but next time I am going to need help. It was hard to get her to turn her head away from me. She was having too much fun playing and talking to me in the bathtub.
She is so cute and is changing so fast. She is shy when we are around a lot of people. Yesterday in the post office she was hugging me, laying her head on my shoulder and patting my back.

Here is a before pic from a few weeks ago.

Just for fun, here are 2 videos I took today...

Lily's Corner

2008-07-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

OK, so Lily doesn't actually have a "room". She is in our room. I have been meaning to take some pics of her corner for a while. My grandpa made her a butterfly hook rug and I also put up my doll crib that he made me when I was little. The other little sign was made by the boys and my mom to hang up outside when Lily came home from the hospital. Her toy basket is under the doll crib. She enjoys her little corner of the room although she doesn't like sleeping in her bed. =)

I will take some pics of the other side of the room later, after I clean it up a little more...

Ta Da

2008-07-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Here it is...

We need to move the candle holder thingy because it isn't centered. Our old bed used to be on the other wall.

Ahhh...

2008-07-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

My bed is set up and I just finished putting up the decal. I love it! I will post pictures as soon as I put Lily down for her much needed nap.

Woo hooo

2008-07-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today a Trader Joes opened 3 miles from my house. Yippee. =)
Tomorrow my new bed will be delivered, I am so ready!

And the Winner is...

2008-07-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

I chose the dandelion. Number 2 for the wall. I just think it is so cool and different.
I bought bedding and the only thing I need is a mattress cover. I want to protect the new mattress from Lily and all her baby goo.

I am such a weirdo

2008-07-07T09:35:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, while I was mattress shopping, something made me laugh.
I kept checking the fly of my jeans because that certain pair seems to always come undone.
I was thinking, "Here I am in this super nice, natural mattress store, rolling around on the fancy mattresses with this $3 pair of jeans from Thrift Town on."
I am a walking oxymoron. I really do think some of my screws are loose.

Mattress

2008-07-06T23:23:00.000-07:00

I couldn't wait anymore.
I went out today and bought a new mattress. It will be delivered on Saturday so we will just pretend it is Santi's birthday present. =)
It is a 100% natural latex KING SIZE (yippee!) mattress with organic cotton and wool outside. Yes, it did cost a pretty penny but I feel good about my choice.
Here is why. ..
- no yucky chemicals to worry about
- latex is extremely durable
- 20 year warranty
- family owned somewhat local business (about 20 miles away)
I bought it from The Natural Mattress Store.
I can't wait to have it. Now I have to buy new bedding since we are currently in a queen size bed. I bought a platform bed for it to go on. No headboard. I am looking at these cool vinyl decals from Etsy that you can put on the wall for behind the bed.
Here are my choices:

Which one do you like??

Haircut

2008-07-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

I got a haircut and I HATE it. So I took some pictures to show you how horrible it is. It isn't the cut that is really terrible, it just isn't "me".

I just don't like how messy the bottom is. I already chopped the bangs a little shorter but I think I might chop them a little more.

I learned some things from these pictures:
1. It is really hard to take pictures of the back of your head.
2.The haircut isn't really that bad.
3. I have cool green eyes.
4. I'm getting old.
5. I need to wear makeup... every day!

One More Post About My Dogs

2008-07-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Peanut has her bandages off. Her feet look great and she is running around like normal. The skunk smell is almost gone. We covered the existing wood fence with 100 feet of 4 foot high welded wire fencing and connected it to the existing fence posts. We still need about 150 more feet to cover the whole yard. We bought the last roll at Home Depot so hopefully they will get more or we will have to go on a hunt. When we recover from the vet bills I will look at buying a kennel for the side of the house. They are indoor dogs mostly but sometimes we have to keep them somewhere else for their safety and the safety of others. When we have a lot of people over I get nervous about something happening. They certainly aren't aggressive dogs by any means but you never know what some people might do and I can't trust that other people's kids know how to treat animals. Ok, I am rambling.
HAPPY 4TH!!

Another Day, Another Craft

2008-07-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

I finally made myself a necklace today. I had been planning it for a while, I just had to pull everything out and do it. I am happy with how it came out. I added customized "Mommy Necklaces" to my website. =)

OK, Don't Laugh...

2008-07-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

I have never made a doll. My sister Susan ordered some adorable patterns from Bit of Whimsy on Etsy for my birthday. I think I need some practice on this one.

Update on the Doggies

2008-06-29T01:53:00.000-07:00

Peanut is feeling better. She wrestled a little in the yard with George this morning which is a good sign. She is on pain medication, antibiotics, and cortisone cream for a hot spot on her back. Both dogs had a treatment of Frontline Plus to get rid of the fleas and ticks they acquired on their adventure.
I took Peanut in on Friday for a checkup and the vet said her paws are looking great. She should get the bandages off on Tuesday. The vet said she was super sweet, of course I already knew that. She was so good in the Emergency clinic too. She is such a sweet dog but she has a big bark when folks come to the door which makes some people afraid of her. =(
Anyway, we will be working on the fence tomorrow to make sure they can't get out again. I am also thinking of getting a dog run/kennel for the side of the house for when we have people over or want to leave them outside when we are gone.
Anyway, I should be sleeping.

2008-06-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

They Are Home!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

We got a call tonight just as we sat down to dinner. A man had found "Peanut" and another black & brown dog (George!). They were in the next town! I threw my plate down and ran out the door. When we got there they were tied to a access road gate. The dogs had been wandering through an open space area between our town and the next one.
I just broke out in tears. I had so many terrible thoughts running through my head for the last 2 1/2 days. I am still on cloud nine.
Peanut was limping so we quickly dropped George at home and headed to the emergency vet. When we sat in the waiting room we finally had a chance to look at her. We noticed the pads of her feet looked bad. Thankfully, that was the only thing wrong with her. Now she has pain medication, antibiotics and multi-colored bandages on all 4 paws. Poor old lady. She is about 9 years old.
Both dogs are now sleeping and I can finally sleep too. =)

Haze

2008-06-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

There is a haze in the sky. There are wildfires burning in surrounding counties.

Today we visited the 2 local animal shelters. I posted an ad on Craigslist and Riley is out on his bike with Lost Dog fliers. No sign of the dogs. =(

Life is a Roller Coaster

2008-06-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was amazing. A really wonderful day. We went to church, then to San Francisco. We stopped by Chinatown with the rest of the tourists. The boys got some goodies. I even found this doll with a Mei Tai!

How cute is that?? Anyway, then we went to Union Square to watch my friend preform with her dance group. They sing and dance and share the gospel. The youth group that all of our homeshool teens go to also preformed some moving skits and things. It was so incredible to have people who would probably never step in a church stop in their tracks and be moved by the spirit to listen to the gospel...in the middle of SAN FRANCISCO!! Awesome!
After that we went to Ghiradelli (how do you spell that??) square and ate way too much sugar!! We drove back home via the Golden Gate. The boys have no idea how spoiled we are to live in such a beautiful place.

Then there is today...
I let the dogs out to eat and go to the bathroom this morning. Then I went to get myself and the baby dressed and forgot all about the dogs. George has a nasty habit of escaping our fence. About an hour after they went in the yard, we realized they were gone. We searched for 2 hours. I have no idea where they are. Animal Services is closed on Mondays. I am worried sick, my stomach is so messed up right now. I am not going to be able to sleep. I haven't cried yet but I am sure I will tonight in the dark wondering where they are. I feel like the worst person ever.

Sleepy Head

2008-06-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

So sweet and peaceful...
I am tired. I admit, it is probably my own fault. I stay up too late. I let Lily nurse to sleep. I fall asleep when she is nursing and don't get her back in her bed. I am torn. She loves to nurse and sleep with us. I love it too, most of the time. But some nights, I just want to sleep on my stomach, stretch out and have a little elbow room. I want to wake up not feeling that I just traveled through the desert with no water and a rock to sleep on, sore & dehydrated. Maybe we need a King size bed? Well, I just try to remind myself that she is only a little baby for a short time. Riley (13) doesn't even come in to hug & kiss us goodnight anymore, which he did until just a few months ago. Anyway, those are my thoughts this morning. I have to go get ready for church and Miss Sweet & Peaceful just woke up.

Websites

2008-06-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Here are the sites I visit almost every day...
Google Mail
Google Calendar
Celebrity Babies
Stat Counter
Yahoo Groups
Fox News
Facebook
Diaper Swappers
The Baby Wearer
Blogger..LOL
Bamboletta
Made by Petchy
Yes, I have a problem. =)

2008-06-20T00:16:00.000-07:00

Freecycle Rocks!

I just started a Freecycle group in my town. Find your local group and clean out your garage & overflowing closets. Keep things from going in the landfill. Recycle and make someone's day. =)

Father's Day

2008-06-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday was great. =) Santi got a family membership to the YMCA as his gift. He has talked about it for a while and so I just signed us up. I also found out that we get free admission to an outdoor pool one exit away, which is really nice. He was super excited and keeps thanking me over and over, so that's good. Santi has also worked out everyday since getting the membership. We will probably go tomorrow for the family swim time at the Y's indoor pool.
I am excited because they have a tot swim time for 5 and under and also toddler gym classes. Hopefully, I can get motivated to take a few classes or use some machines. I sure could use some exercise.
Anyway, Sunday we went to church and the service was great. After church we tried a new Filipino restaurant that had good reviews on Yelp. It was nice and clean and the lady was friendly. Santi really enjoyed it, well, we all did, but Santi is hard to please when it comes to Filipino food.
Which brings us to the swimming pool. Riley was a party pooper and didn't want to go with us. Wesley hasn't been swimming for a while but it came back to him fairly quickly. I will probably sign him up for a few lessons. It was Lily's first time in the pool and she really liked it. It got a little cold towards the end so we didn't stay to long.

I Love Electricity.

2008-06-14T14:36:00.001-07:00

We lost our power for 14 hours! Our power went out yesterday afternoon. It was pretty hot outside so the house got really warm. Luckily, the evening was nice and cool. We did have some fun shining laser pointers all over the neighbors houses, playing with light sabers and playing games on our cell phones but I like electricity.

Good Morning

2008-06-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to go for a walk in the morning, since I am already up and the weather is nice. I want to try and make it a habit. I usually wake up between 6:30-8:30, usually closer to the early time. I wake the boys up around 9:00- 9:30.

So, this morning I was down at the park at about 8. I walked to Rite Aid to buy some Father's Day cards then walked around the park. I let Lily play for a few minutes on the playground. I used the stroller for a while, then put her in my Mei Tai.

First, a Chinese man said something and pointed to her. The only word I understood was "baby". He was smiling, so I will take that as a positive comment. Then a man ran up next to me and said he was from Ghana. He said all of the moms carry their babies tied around them. I mentioned that it was just a cloth and he was surprised that I knew what he meant. He said "It works perfectly, just like that," pointing to my carrier. He asked me, "Where are you from?" and I told him I was from here but now that we have the internet, we can find out about all different places. I told him I know how to tie the cloth and he said the women carry things on their head. I said, "Well, I can't do that!" LOL.

Anyway, it was a fun conversation. I love getting positive feedback. It makes me feel like I am not so strange, knowing that mothers all over the world are carrying their babies around just like I am.

A Bright Idea

2008-06-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I felt smart anyway.

My family and I used to be water bottle junkies. We made sure to have a case of water bottles in the car all of the time. Well, all of those plastic bottles began to bug me. After doing some reading I decided they aren't good for us or the Earth. I bought Sigg bottles for each of us. They are great, we love them, but sometimes we forget to bring them with us. We end up away from home with no water. We were still buying some water bottles for those "emergencies".

I had a coupon code for Reusable Bags and decided to get some more water bottles. I decided on the 27oz Kleen Kanteens, here is a picture of them:
So, here is my bright idea. I filled them up water and put a rubber band around each of the bottles. This is a symbol that the bottle is new and hasn't been used by anyone. I took all of the bottles and put them in a wine tote from Trader Joe's. Here is a pic I stole from ebay:

The Kleen Kanteens fit perfectly in the tote. I keep this in the car for anyone who forgot their personal bottle from home. When they drink from a bottle, they take the rubber band off and throw it in the tote so we know the bottle has been used. I wash it and put it back in the tote.

Once a week, I rinse the unused bottle and add fresh water.

Anyway, so far, so good. We don't have to buy cases of plastic water bottles anymore. =)

I did her hair!

2008-06-11T23:41:00.000-07:00

My very first time doing my daughter's hair. She doesn't have much, so it was a challenge. Those tiny little pigtails were too stinking cute! I just had to share. =)

Surprise!

2008-06-09T23:18:00.000-07:00

My sweet hubby threw me a 30th birthday party on Sunday. It was sort of a surprise, I mean, I didn't know who was coming. =)
He cooked all the food, cleaned and invited everyone. It was really nice. We ate, sang karaoke, ate, played a board game, ate, played wii, ate, visited, and ate. I got some fun gifts and just got to hang out, my friends are the best.
Yeah. So now it is time to get back to weight watchers. That will be much easier when all of these leftovers are gone.
It has been warm and my a/c has been running. I have it on 74 but I should probably turn it up to 76. I just hate being hot! I can be cold, no problem, but being hot sucks.
We have 3 weeks of school left, not that I am counting.

A Couple of Fun Things

2008-06-07T00:25:00.000-07:00

I was uploading some pics & wanted to share. =)

First is my new shelf. I have been looking for something to hold my grandma's salt & pepper collection. I finally found this in a local shop that is closing. I was so excited!
Here it is in the kitchen. Those weird white lines are the ceiling fan pulls hanging down. I am changing the look of my kitchen. I am going to change the plates that are on the plate rack & maybe put a vase of flowers on the shelf under the s&p shakers. It is a work in process.

Next is Lily's kitchen that she got for her birthday. It is from Willow Toys (check out the link to them on the sidebar). So super cute & tiny. The first day it came Lily played with it for 1.5 hours!! Do you know how long that is for a one year old?? She plays with it everyday. I put it in the kitchen so she plays while I get a little work done.
I bought the baskets from Thrift Town & the felt food from Etsy. She also has some adorable little trays from Thrift Town but they aren't in the pictures.
It was hard getting a picture of her because she was running around like crazy.

She is a crazy girl. I had the back door open today to let the dogs out and she ran right out of the door. It wouldn't be a big deal except there are 2 concrete steps out the back door!! Ugh, I felt so bad. Luckily she caught herself with her hands but she still has a big bruise on her head. Today, I get "The Bad Mommy Award". =(

2008-06-06T00:20:00.001-07:00

I am 30.

Yahoo Goups

2008-06-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

I love yahoo groups. =)
Here are some of my favorites:
Fabric Co-op
Crunchy Co-op
East Bay Freecycle
Bay Area Babywearers

Please Pass This Info Along!

2008-06-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

http://babyslingsafety.blogspot.com/

Where did I go?

2008-05-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

Nowhere. I am here. Nothing too exciting to report. I guess we have just been busy.
My MIL left to go back to the PI tonight.
Santi has been covering for someone while they are on family leave so he has had long hours at work.
The boys & I started back to school this week after taking a 2 week break. Of course, taking that break has pushed our end of school to June 27th. =( Some of our friends are already finishing up their year. Oh well, this year has been a struggle but the end is near!
I spent some time baby-proofing. Lily likes to open the cupboards and throw everything on the floor. She literally throws things over her shoulder like in the movies. It is hilarious to watch but makes my day pretty busy. So, all of the cabinets have latches now. I had to put a lock on the toilet too because the boys can not remember to close the door to the bathroom. So, if you come to my house and have to pee, make sure you give yourself a few extra seconds because you have to unlatch the toilet seat. LOL.

Karaoke

2008-05-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the proof, she is definitely part of our crazy family.

Lily's Pretty Purse

2008-05-22T23:20:00.000-07:00

I was at Goodwill today & found Lily a cute little purse for $1.99, actually it was only $1.95 because I found 4 pennies inside. =) She loves to carry my little wallet/purse so I wanted to get her one of her own. She loves it. She puts it on her arm and prances around. She shows us her purse while we gush about how pretty it is. She wouldn't even take it off to nurse. LOL. I love having a girl in the house.
p.s. Try to ignore Santi's "ogre" feet in the picture.

Stimulus Payment

2008-05-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

Whoohoo... Santi is going to put wood floors in our bedroom & hopefully we can get a new mattress. We have never had a new mattress, who knows how old ours is. I have a backache every morning. I know the mattress is shot but maybe it also has something to do with the little wiggly baby that always ends up next to me. It would be so great to upgrade to a King size... a girl can dream. =)

Fun

2008-05-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

I sold these three custom pendants today. =)

Today is the Day

2008-05-19T00:06:00.001-07:00

My princess is one year old. She is the sweetest, cutest, most amazingly perfect little girl in the world. I can't believe I have a daughter & I get to be Lily's mommy. She is such an awesome blessing.

p.s. I am not crying, I just have allergies. =)

I Take it Back

2008-05-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

My entire life, when someone would ask me what food I don't like, I answered "peas". I would say it with a completely disgusted look on my face.
So, in our CSA box a few weeks ago I had these things called "Shelling Peas". I looked up how to cook them and ended up just boiling them for 20 seconds with a little salt. Yum, so good. I was excited to get even more in our next box.
Today, as I was looking for something to round out my well balanced diet of 2 cereal bars and a butterfinger crisp in my almost bare kitchen, I spied the "Shelling Peas". I figured they were good barely cooked, why not just have some raw.
As I sat down to eat my bowl of "Shelling Peas", I started to look online for more information on these delicious "Shelling Peas" that I had acquired. Well, I find out they are just normal peas, the same kind I have hated my whole life. I can't believe these sweet, crunchy treats are those same mushy disgusting thing that I would try to avoid.
I LOVE PEAS!! weird

BTW- I got this picture from google, I wasn't THAT hungry.

Bright Sunshiny Day

2008-05-16T13:07:00.001-07:00

We are having a heatwave! Thank goodness for our AC, most people in our neighborhood don't have it. It won't take long for the diapers to dry. =)

Line drying is a beautiful thing... Even when it isn't burning hot outside, I am always surprised at how quickly things dry. The sun is also a great stain-remover. Lovely.

p.s. I know our yard looks like crap, you have an open invitation to come and take care of it for me.

Recent Pictures

2008-05-15T21:25:00.001-07:00

Just because...

At The Park

Science Fair!!

That was fast...

2008-05-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

My tax returns are in the bank! That was so fast. =) I already moved some over to savings and the rest will probably go toward bills and Lily's party. We will see if there is any left over. Of course, there is also that economic stimulus payment coming. Whooohooo!!

Video

2008-05-13T00:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Wesley at a demonstration on Friday night. He is the smaller one wearing the grey hood.

Ok, I am sleepy now... goodnight!

Goal for the week...

2008-05-13T00:02:00.001-07:00

I have to plan Lily's party. Also, I am going to either list one thing for sale or one thing on freecycle every day. Shouldn't be too hard.

Spending Report

2008-05-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

So, no more spending reports. That was certainly eye-opening and slightly embarrassing but whatever. I feel like I learned something. Maybe I will have to keep a spending report on my own to remind me of my bad habits but I won't bore you with it anymore.

I am still here!

2008-05-12T23:35:00.001-07:00

Where have I been??

Well, my parents are visiting from SC. I think the main reason I have been MIA is that I was so freaking sick. I felt terrible for quite a few days. Today is so much better. I still have some stuffiness but that's it. Yippee!

Happy Belated Mother's Day! We went to church, out to eat and to the park. In the afternoon I dragged my mom to Thrift Town, LOL. She actually got in to it after a little while but they turned the lights down because they were closing. She ended up buying some pants for $2.99 and she wore them out today. =) Hopefully I am not embarrassing her right now telling the world.

The kids had our homeschool science fair today. There were some great projects, I was very impressed. Riley usually takes home first prize but this year it went to someone else. I think he was kind of bummed because he worked really hard and did an awesome job. His project was called, "The Great Debate" and was about creation vs. evolution. It was hurting my brain just to proofread that thing! Wesley's project was about plants & light. We built a light box and left some plants in the light all day and night, while we took the others out at night. We measured the difference in the growth. It was fun. Anyway, that was the science fair.

I got an email tonight from Christina at Bamboletta Dolls. Lily's custom pouchy doll is finished! This is her birthday present from us. Christine makes these by hand with all natural materials. I showed Lily the picture and she was kissing my computer screen and trying to grab her dolly. She is so stinkin cute.

Lily loves to play peek-a-boo and hide & seek. She uses her playsilks to cover her face and then I will call her name. "Llliiiillllyyy, where are you?" She pulls the silk off and laughs and laughs. She was hiding behind the curtains tonight and then she would peek out and run over and hug me.

We all went to the park today and she wiggled out of my arms and ran for the swings. Wesley jumped up on the swing she wanted and she started yelling at him. (She does this same yell when she wants something we are holding or something we are eating.) Well, I had to run to the ladies room so Grandma put her in the swing. I missed this part but I guess my mom just pulled the swing up high and let go, not thinking that this is a little 11 month old baby!! Lily got startled and grandma felt pretty bad. LOL.

I reluctantly let the boys send the poor little girl down the slide. This was not a tiny slide, not big but certainly not a baby slide. She gasped and then started giggling. She figured out how to climb up and go again. Over and over she slid down the slide and climbed back up, I had to drag her away crying to go home. mom says I was a daredevil, too. I think I am in trouble with this little girl. =)

5/7- Spending Report

2008-05-07T22:02:00.001-07:00

$85- Turbo Tax

I am DONE!!

2008-05-07T17:37:00.001-07:00

I am finished, I e-filed. Yipee!! Now I just wait for my money. =)

Anyone?

2008-05-07T16:09:00.000-07:00

Does anyone want to hold a grumpy, clingy, snotty baby so her tired, head hurting, sore throat, aching body mommy can take a nap?? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Whew...

2008-05-06T23:48:00.000-07:00

I just spent 1 1/2 hours cleaning out my file box and filing my papers. When I got to the bottom of the pile of papers, I looked at the dates: May 2007. Yep, I haven't kept up with filing my bills and things since Lily was born. LOL. I did a little research and found out:
1.There is no penalty for filing my tax return late because I am getting a refund.
2. I have until October 15th to file my return and still get the money from the economic stimulus plan.
Whew, I am all good. =) I am still going to finish my taxes this week, though.

5/6- Spending Report

2008-05-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

$0!!

I'm Sick

2008-05-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

My baby got me sick, yuck. My head hurts and I need a nap. Oh well, on with life, it is going to happen whether I am sick or not.

My mom and dad are coming from SC Thursday night. Yippee! It is going to be a busy visit for them. Wesley has a Karate demonstration on Friday night. The Homeschool Science Fair is on Monday. I also want to go with my mom and have Lily's 1 year pictures taken. Hopefully I can have a picture taken with all three of us girls. Wouldn't that be cool?

Oh, my challenge for the week is... FINISH MY TAXES! I know, I know, it is terrible. I have just been in survival mode since having Lily and this is one of the things that I let slip. Ugh. Today I spent 30 minutes cleaning my desk. First hurdle to doing my taxes. Next, I need to work on my file box. There is a stack of papers on top of the box that is bigger than the box. I have to go through and throw out the old stuff I don't need anymore and file the most recent papers. In the process, I should be able to find everything I need to do my taxes. Sitting down and inputting everything is the easy part. I WILL finish this. I can't understand why I have waited so long, I mean, I am going to get a big reward!! $$$$$!

Did I mention we are taking 2 weeks off of school? My parents are coming and then Santi's mom and sister are coming. Besides, I need a break. Of course, this means our school year has been extended even longer into June.

5/5- Spending Report

2008-05-05T22:43:00.001-07:00

$21 - Dinner
$6 - Wesley's Open Gym

5/4 Spending Report

2008-05-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

$1.99- Book at Goodwill
$21.00- Sewing Machine
$14.00- Solarweave Baby Carrier Cover

oops..forgot.
$30.00- fabric co-op

Ain't She Pretty??

2008-05-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it needs some cleaning. The cabinet is a mess but all of the accessories that it comes with are so cool.

I need to figure out the exact model so that I can get a manual. I already figured out how to thread it & oiled it. It works, even the light still works. =)

Thrift Town $19.99.

Santi doesn't get it. He keeps looking at me funny and asking, "I thought you wanted a new sewing machine?"

I'm obsessed

2008-05-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for a few months for this carrier. I bought it from a co-op and I mailed in the fabrics that I wanted. I love how it turned out!

Now, if I could just get Lily to stop pinching the back of my fat arms while I am carrying her. It hurts so bad...LOL. This carrier was a life saver today. Lily has been sick and Santi had to go in to work. Lily would not sleep and she would not let me put her down. I was able to do some laundry & vacuuming with her snuggled up next to me. I love how I can change the look of the carrier with my moods. =)

Oh, I forgot to say, it is a Freehand Mei Tai.

5/3- Spending Report

2008-05-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

$0.80- Sportmart (we had a giftcard to cover the rest) - bikelock, tire tubes, handlebar bag
$40- Walmart =(- (Bins to organize legos, bowls & tape)
$20- Support the Troops
$28- Farmer's Market (strawberries, tomatoes, mushrooms, kettlecorn)

Talent Show

2008-05-03T10:06:00.001-07:00

Wesley was in our homeschoool Talent Show last weekend. Here is the video:

Did you see Santi & Lily in the beginning?

5/2- Spending Report

2008-05-02T23:19:00.001-07:00

I am too lazy to get my receipts so this is not exact.
$80- pet store (food & treats)
$30- teething toys for Lily
$15- Staples (packing tape & paper for birthday invitations)
$30- Dinner Date with Santi

Alone Time

2008-05-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

I had fun tonight all by myself.
What better way to get out the stress of the day than to hammer something??

I love hand-stamping jewelry.

5/1- Spending Report

2008-05-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

$32- cat food
$64- jewelry making supplies
$52- baby carrier

Community Supported Agriculture

2008-04-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

I got my first box today from "Riverdog Farm" CSA. Santi and I just ate some yummy organic strawberries!

Why join a CSA?
Well, there are many reasons so I will just tell you my top few...
Organic
Locally Grown
Fresh from the Farm
Support Small Farmers
Try new things

In our box this week we got:
Strawberries
Fava Beans
Shelling Peas
Fennel
Spring Onions
Red Romaine
Iceberg

4/30 Spending Report

2008-04-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

$8- Dinner at our church's "Family Night"
$120- Soccer Registration for Riley

Speaking of Babywearing

2008-04-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

Check out this babywearing video. I love it!