My favorite things swap

I mailed my package to my partner for the swap I mentioned here. It's always fun getting to meet someone new through the blog world. She mentions she likes green so that is where I began.

Included in my favorite things were...
Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Magazine
5 Gum that I discovered about 8 months ago. Stays fresh for a long time.

I used to always have painted nails. Since having a baby that isn't always the case any more but I sure do love snatching up the latest colors in nail polish.

I made this pin cushion out of one of my favorite fabric lines from Sandi Henderson. Sewing is becoming one of my favorite things to do.

I love all things paper so I decided to design a couple of cards to send. Since these cards are paired with translucent envelopes, I designed them so you can see the greeting on the front of the card through the envelope. Then just write the addressee's name and address below the greeting and in the mail it goes.

I love personalized items. I purchased the K from here and personalized it with Chatterbox scrapbook paper finished with an orange ribbon bow.

And topped it all off with a green bucket from the local craft store filled with fun colored tissue paper.

Hope she likes it.

Making strawberries

Had a great weekend of relaxing with the family. I actually had some time to puree some baby food. I think I'd really like to learn how to do canning. I know it isn't the same as pureeing baby food, but for just that moment I could pretend what it was like to live "back then."

I also got to get a little crafty this weekend over at Blissful Living Studio making this with Heather Bailey. You may remember me mentioning her here. She even made us her fabulous Pretzel Strawberry Dessert YUM! which you can download here. I snagged this picture of Kristin's (the owner) from her blog to prove I was there.

Have you checked out decor8 lately? I cannot believe I missed a content they had sponsored by Amy Butler Design. I would have loved to participate in this mood board contest. Maybe next time. Hop on over and check out the winning entries.

Wow! So many links for you to check out in this post.

Fabulous Find Friday

I have to say that I was blog surfing the other day and discovered another blog that does something called Friday Fabulous Finds! My jaw dropped. You mean I am not the only one to come up with this fabulous idea?!? Obviously not. At least my name is slightly different...

My six month old is just starting to learn how to use a sippy cup and I would love to have one of these. Aren't they cute? Find more baby safe products here.

I recently discovered this blog about organizing. I really enjoy organizing. Not only do I enjoy the result from doing it but also just enjoy reading ideas and looking at organized photos. Weird? Maybe.

And if you're into budget-saving ideas, check out All Recipes. They have some great, easy meals for under $10.

Hungry? Here is a blog that will make your mouth water even more for some delicious photos and recipes.

Unlike what we're told, it's not always what is in the package that counts

Well, I guess it's finally time to say good-bye to our 1993, 235,000 mile-driving, money-sucking Honda Accord. We really should have found a more affectionate name for her since she has previously been good to us until the past two months. Two days ago the a/c went out, again, and this time it looks like it is for good unless we purchase a whole new system (which is worth 2x more than the car). So now we're in the car shopping mode. Not a mode I really want to be in but here we are. We're praying that we'll find the right car for the right price soon. No a/c = No fun in Arizona.

Where did we go wrong here? I sure hope the package designers are getting paid well since Noah seems to love it more than the toy sometimes.

I did have to include a photo of him actually playing with the toy to prove he does like it. He is actually fascinated by the pop-up balls and I was shocked that he understood they needed to go back on the slide.
Can we say G-E-N-I-U-S!

It really is a love/hate relationship. Noah LOVES Bailey and Bailey is not quite sure about Noah. At the moment Bailey is content licking Noah's fingers and checking out all of his toys. The pop-up ball toy drove Bailey crazy.

A little window shopping from the couch

When it's over 100 degrees outside I tend to stay indoors and only venture out in an emergency or if the sun has started to go down. In doing this, I have realized that it is possible to never leave your home. Almost everything can be done over the internet or phone. I'm pretty sure that isn't the healthiest way to live but while I'm indoors for the day I thought I'd intrigue you with a little window shopping. (All of these photos are from the below personal etsy sites)

I really like personalized items...and when I stumbled upon CraftPudding I immediately wanted to purchase a stamp that looked like Noah. She had great ideas for using them to personalize books, stationery or even clothing using fabric ink.

And how cute are these bulletin boards from LittlePrettyStudio.

Looking for a way to update your walls without having to make it permanent? Holly has just the thing for you. I know it's been pretty popular to use the vinyl lettering in your home but I love the possibilities you can do with some of her wall art.

I used to do lampworking so when I saw these I knew that Pinks and Needles needed to be mentioned.

Happy shopping!

"You have to blog this!"

I really enjoy Sonic. We have two within a mile of our home and a third is in the process of being built. My husband, on the other hand, does not enjoy Sonic. Is that even possible?!? So I convinced him this weekend to go to Sonic for lunch. He actually agreed. We decided to go through the drive-thru since our little one was asleep in the car. After waiting for almost 10 minutes we finally pulled up to get our food. Can you imagine the conversation we had while waiting that long in the car for a restaurant my husband doesn't like?

In addition to lunch, we got an M&M and Oreo Blast. Don't these look good?

I scooped a bite out of mine and couldn't believe what I saw. Do you see the gigantic hole down the center of our Sonic Blasts where the mixer must have been? There was absolutely no ice cream in the middle or bottom and everything had been pushed to the top. We felt so ripped off. It's very rare but Lucas actually said the words, "You have to blog this!" While I still enjoy Sonic, I have to say I couldn't defend them too much longer to my husband who will probably never take me there again.


To end on a happier note, and add a little craftiness for today...here are pics of a pincushion I just made from BHG's Fast & Fabulous Quilting Ideas. Reminds me of a little wrapped present. I think it turned out kind of cute.

Imperfectly beautiful

Over here on this site we're challenged to show our imperfectly beautiful homes. I must admit even when I was taking the photos and looking at the messes I all of a sudden saw it was very difficult to not want to run and put something away before taking the photo.

But here is our home, our imperfectly beautiful living room. A place where our family has good conversation, watches movies, plays on the floor, folds laundry and just likes to "be." And thankfully when I got this challenge the room wasn't at its worst.

The chair that my husband was sitting in when he played with Noah on his lap a couple of hours ago.

The washed dishes that are still drying in the sink from our yummy lunch we recently had.

And the mound of books and magazines that I've been digging into. Can you tell what is going on in our life with books like Super Baby Food and The Vaccine Book?

It's kind of fun to look at the photos and realize all of the wonderful things you get to do with loved ones at home every day. Makes me appreciate what God has given me in a whole new way.

Growing up

Six months old and already hitting some milestones again. At his doctor appointment he weighed in at 17 lbs 14 oz and 26.5" long. So far he's had rice cereal, avocado, banana and carrots (which he loves) and opens his mouth wide when he sees the spoon coming toward him. Since he never really needed a bottle we skipped that and went straight to the sippy cup to start giving him water. He took right to it.

Noah is already getting up on all fours so the doctor thinks he'll start to crawl in the next month or so and is pulling himself up to an almost standing position on tables and such. You can see in one of the photos he actually made it to standing position on his toy. We couldn't believe it! Our little boy is growing so fast.

Fabulous Find Friday

I {heart} these shoes by Converse. Now I just have to decide if I want to use my allowance to buy them. Isn't the Little Red Riding Hood adorable?

Looking for a way to save time on checking out your favorite blogs? Check out bloglines. I'm still figuring out how to utilize this site but ideally it allows you to type in your favorite bookmarked blogs (if they are signed up for this site) and let you know when a new post has been made. Think of all of the time you can save thus allowing you to explore new blogs!

With Fourth of July peeking around the corner it's time to decorate the outdoor tables for some family fun. I really liked this galvanized-tiered display by our friend, Martha. It's a good thing.

Pick your own: My family is always interested in finding local farms to pick your own fruits and veggies or purchase organic beef. We discovered this great web site which helps you discover farms in your area that allow you to do just that.

Join the club

Remember when you were little, or perhaps you're experience this with your kids now, when you participated in summer reading programs? I stumbled across Rebekah's blog from Sunnybrook Farm Designs and her challenge to join her summer reading club. I'm all in and thought maybe you would be too.

Basically, it is just to encourage and challenge yourself to read this summer...whether it be one book, a stack of magazines you've been meaning to get to, or just to finish a book you started a year ago and still have the bookmark at page 20. Also, by blogging or making a comment about the book(s) you're reading it might spur others to check it out as well. Can't hurt, right?

Want to join me? Go sign up on Rebekah's blog.

So, here's my goal: I plan to read 3 books for the summer. When I type that in it doesn't sound like a lot but for me right now it's a nice challenge to reach.

I've been reading a series by Beverly Lewis called Abram's Daughters. I'm on the last book in the series called Revelation.

Abram's Daughters introduces readers to an Old Order family, a close-knit community and a devout people whose way of life and faith in God is as timeless as their signature horse and buggy.

Set against the backdrop of post-World War II, this compelling saga spans three generations of a Lancaster County Amish family. Abram Ebersol and his devoted wife are raising four courting-age daughters on a firm foundation of Plain tradition, and they expect their girls to carry on that heritage by joining the church and making a covenant with God.

But the "running-around" years known as rumschpringe are often a time of sowing wild oats. Each of Abram's daughters, choosing her own path, must come to terms with the Old Ways of thinking and living. And sometimes that path has detours and forks in the road with unknown destinations....

Happy Reading!

Tip # 101

If only we had saved money on purchasing the actual toy and gone with just the container.

Raise those cans high

The house is a mess, the trash is overflowing, laundry needs folded and bathrooms need cleaned...and here I sit on our very old, but comfy, $20 hand-me-down college futon with a can of Sunkist, a bag of freshly popped kettle corn and my laptop. Millions of other things I could be doing besides surfing the web for inspiration and catching up with old friends on their blogs.

So lift your cans of soda up high...here's to Wednesday. We're half way through the week and deserve a 10 minute break to relish in all that we've accomplished and all that is left on the to-do list. My problem is that it's been more than 10 minutes. Sigh.

Do feed THIS hungry bear

Normally when I buy clothes for Noah I get them on sale. And when I mean on sale, I mean $4-$6. I definitely splurged when I saw this outfit at this store. I did get it 20% off though so that helps justify it a little. If you look closely you can even see this grizzly bear drooling...can you tell he's teething?

The many faces of Noah

Noah is six months old and while he has already had rice cereal, I don't consider him to really have had solid food until now. Today was avocados. Yum! I was determined for him to not make a mess, wiping him up as he ate. I know that won't happen every day but I can dream. Noah is so expressive he always cracks me up.

A father and son weekend

We had a great Father's Day just hanging out around the house having family time.

And this is how I found our babe when I heard him up from a nap. Such a stinker.

I sense a Julie Andrews' song coming...

I was thinking of items for the Favorite Things Swap and thought I'd share a few of them with you. I have way too many to put onto this page but it jump started my thinking.

Thank you, Dad.

Fabulous Find Friday

It's time for another Friday post to show you some fabulous finds of mine.

It takes time to make up a menu for the week, write the grocery list out and actually go to the grocery store. Menus 4 mom is a great time saver and is FREE. You register to receive their weekly email which consists of the weeks menu, the recipes for that week and the weekly grocery list. They also have them all archived so you can look back to see weeks you might have missed. This is a huge timesaver. The one thing I did find is some of the recipes are bland but can easily be spiced up by adding some seasoning, vegetables, etc.

In an effort to go green I've been looking for some cute totes to take to the grocery store. I would love to get a couple of these European collapsible totes to carry my goodies home in. Tote from Sur la table.

Looking for a tutorial on just about anything that has to do with sewing? Check out Sew Mama Sew's blog. There are tons of fabulous ideas to check out on this blog and then head to their shop to order the fabric you need.

Need more ideas on how to feed your online addiction for the next year? Check out Todays Creative Blog by Kim. There are so many creative people out there!

And for those Father's Day projects, check out Martha Stewart's craft-a-day page for these adorable magnetic bookmarks for Dad.

A package for me!

I was so excited to get the mail today and find this beautifully wrapped gift! Note...it might have arrived earlier but since we get a lot of junk mail I tend to not check the mail every day. It's a bad habit, I know.

My partner, Jacqui, for the apron swap sent me this sweet apron she made. I absolutely love it and it's so well made...even though she says it was her first attempt. And on top of that, she included some yummy recipes and these additional treats.


Thanks Jacqui for your warm letter and beautiful apron.

Bath time!

Last night was Noah's first bath getting to sit up and really splash around. At first he just wanted to go head first into the water to check it out...(notice the hand holding him up from doing just that). He learned quickly how fast he could splash though to avoid actually getting washed. So cute in all his chubbiness!


And then it was time for pj's and playtime with Daddy.

Just in case...

...you can't get enough.

Noah is showing off how he can sit up and play on his own now. The first photo is a little blurry but I loved his face in it too much to leave it out. He was in the middle of one of his excited moments where he's kicking his legs and laughing.

Blankie for Noah

Well, I had plans to make a baby blanket for a shower I was going to but it didn't quite turn out as I had hoped. I made the mistake of leaving the walking foot on so it pushed the minky material out faster than the cotton. Lesson learned. The blanket is still cute though, just not my best work to give as a gift. So, it will stay at home for Noah. He's already enjoying it.

Life recap

I'm in my second week of bootcamp. I'm enjoying it but have to get up at 4:45a.m. which is a little rough. I know it will pay off in a few weeks though so I'm looking forward to that!

Noah turns six months this week. I can't believe how fast the time has gone and how much he's grown and changed. He's been sitting up for a couple of weeks now and can actually stand for a few seconds leaning against something.

I was trying to think what Lucas and I have been up to recently aside from watching our baby boy grow. We've been enjoying going to the pool and taking evening walks while it's still cool enough as we know the heat of summer is coming any day now. Small group during the week, church on the weekends and a potential Bible study I might check out in July. We still have a few things to finish up with the painting of the house and putting down of new baseboards. I think we lost our motivation so we took two weeks off to just get a break from it and get re-energized...we'll see how well that worked!

I feel so blessed to be staying at home with Noah and taking part of every bit of his life. I've done some freelance work from home since having him but I'm also exploring other options the Lord might have for me as far as work goes while I'm at home. Lucas keeps plenty busy at Boeing and often works overtime...thank goodness he gets paid for that! Lucas' latest thing has been a workout program called Crossfit. I'm sure I'll screw it up if I try to explain it to you but if you're ever in the mood for some down and dirty workouts, check out the link to it on the right.

Apron for the swap

I finally sat down this weekend to finish sewing my apron for the swap I'm doing. I had some extra Amy Butler material from sewing these pillow covers and table runners last summer so I thought I'd use it for the apron since my partner mentioned liking the retro look.


This was actually my first attempt at an apron and also at doing ruffles. It worked out pretty well although I definitely learned a few things that I'd do differently. Perhaps I'll have to make another one for myself. Hope she likes it! Now it's time to package it up to ship out on Monday.