A Brighter 'Morrow

Cloth Diapering "Stash."

2010-03-23T22:45:00.005-04:00

I needed to find a picture tonight, and while doing so I stumbled across our cloth diapering "stash" pictures over the last 2 years. I do not have a current stash picture as it is changing, and (although I've not mentioned it here yet) I'm growing our newborn stash for our newest addition that is due in June. I thought I would share though.

Avery's very first diapering stash. We did not know what was going to work for us so tried a lot of different things.

Once I learned what I liked and did not like, this is what Avery's stash looked like.

... and this one just for fun. Loved all the color combinations we had at this time!

More switching/growing happened as I found more of what we loved...

This is the last picture I have taken. This was last years stash right before we started getting rid of Mediums and after we had gotten Medium Longs.

Bless You!

2009-07-23T22:15:00.001-04:00

Today I sneezed in the car on the way to work. My not-quite-18-month-old said "Bless you." It was so cute.

This evening after she got home? She's been pretend sneezing over and over again. No more "Bless You's" though.

Chance to win from Homestead Emporium

2009-05-17T14:09:00.003-04:00

Homestead Emporium is having a $100 product giveaway at her blog. Go check it out!

Cut Out & Keep..

2009-04-20T00:48:00.002-04:00

Ooooh looks like there is another lovely craft community that I didn't know about! Can't wait to search all through it. =o)

Baby steps... 15 Minutes a day

2009-04-14T23:58:00.002-04:00

Things have gotten a little out of hand around our house. Partially because we are in the process of turning our spare bedroom into a craftroom for me, and partially because we just have too much *stuff* everywhere. I try to go to minimizing/ leaving excess blogs to inspire me. Between work, and doing all the things that I need to for Avery, I don't feel like I get a lot accomplished. Randy is great, but really the *stuff* is mostly mine, and he can't really sort through it like I can.

So.. I've made myself a mini goal. I started a month ago, then Avery & I got sick and I've slacked. I thought maybe if I wrote it down on paper (err.. typed it out on the internet?) .. I'd be more likely to follow through (or at least remind myself of what I'm *supposed* to be doing.)

GOAL: Spend (at least) 15 minutes every day doing something (anything!) around the house outside my normal "duties."

Going to put my 15 minutes in now! =o)

Cheytown dress..

2009-04-14T23:47:00.003-04:00

I needed to post this because it's one of my favorite tutorials out there (despite the fact I've never attempted it.)

Coal

2009-04-12T01:04:00.005-04:00

If you do not live in an area where coal mining is a way of life.. you may never have thought much about it. As someone who grew up in Southern West Virginia, where coal mining is a way of life, I have mixed feelings on it. My father worked (and still works) for a coal preperation plant... so coal has always been a part of my life. I remember him coming home from work when I was little, covered with black coal dust from head to foot. No matter how many times he showered or washed his hands, there still remained traces of black, because it would become a part of your nail beds, or cracks in your skin. We had a coal stove in our basement, and the whole basement had a layer of dust with it. I remember going down, and when I would come back up, I had traces of black dust on my nose from breathing it in. There are some messy things associated with coal... like Black Lung, and Mining accidents caused (usually but not always) by unsafe work conditions. There has been much debate about the different types of coal mining.. strip mining, moutaintop removal, clean coal, etc. I'd be the first to say that my opinion on the subject is biased. I can not look at coal as a product without thinking about how we get that product. The coal miners & coal preppers who are such a part of my heritage. I would probably be one of the first to tell you that coal mining can be hard on the body. It is physical and labor intensive.... but I would also be one of the first to tell you that where I came from, it was (and still is) a way of life. I don't know the percentages, but I would say the majority of your well-paying jobs in the area I'm from were related to Coal. Although I never personally worked with coal, I definitely can say I feel a tie to it. The home I grew up in, the clothes I wore, my food, my education, everything physical that gave me a start to who I am came from work tied to coal. With the economy being what it is, sell of coal has taken a big hit.. coal mines are temporarly closing, asking for paycuts, laying people off, or closing for good. I have family, friends, and people who I went to school with who are all being affected by this. So right now.. coal is on my mind. If you would like to learn a little more about the ins and outs of coal.. this King Coal podcast(also includes typed up version) of Podcast Appalachia goes into more details & history than I ever could. Saying a prayer for all those effected by this.

Two great ways to make Maternity Jeans...

2009-04-10T00:15:00.005-04:00

No.. no baby here, but I'd really like to keep these links handy for future reference. Back when I was pregnant with Avery I found this DIY Maternity Jeans tutorial on Craftster.

Tonight while reading New Life on a Homestead, I stumbled across a link to this really simple Jeans & Underwear to Maternity Jeans Refashion from This Simple Life.

ETA: And here is a great way to make a Maternity Skirt!

Contrary Books..

2009-04-06T13:55:00.003-04:00

I just read this review at 5 minutes for books about some contrary books. How cute are these? Avery's too young now, but I can definitely see her enjoying them when she is a little older!

The Good Guide

2009-04-03T00:20:00.001-04:00

I want to come back and look more at The Good Guide... for safe, healthy & green products.

Another Montessori Option..

2009-04-02T00:27:00.002-04:00

Apparantly there are more Montessori Elementary School Options than I originally realized.

Buzzzz & Raspberries

2009-04-02T00:19:00.004-04:00

A few days ago, Randy was reading Avery a story, and there was a picture of a bee. He said Buzz and did some buzz-buzz-buzz tickling. Now, every time Avery sees a bee in one of her books or hears us say it or buzz, she takes our hands and has us buzz/tickle her.

For awhile now she's also been fascinated with raspberries on the belly. (Not sure if I mentioned it before or not). Most of the time she wants Me (Mommy) to give Daddy a raspberry on his belly. She will pull our shirts up and "pretend raspberry" and gets a big kick out of it. My favorite (that almost always makes me giggle) is when she pulls my shirt up and tries to pull my head down so I can give myself a raspberry on my belly. Yep.. not going to happen baby. LOL.

Bandanna Skirt & Striped Seaside Dress

2009-03-29T23:45:00.004-04:00

The Bandanna Skirt
Striped Seaside Dress

More Words...

2009-03-24T01:04:00.004-04:00

Tonight, Avery pointed to a picture of a toy telephone, and said "Phone- Beep Beep Beep." Randy heard it too. Funny little girl. =o) She will be 14 months on the 26th.

Today also started her transition to the next room at Daycare. She's loving it. According to her daily sheet she painted with a paint brush, and sat in the book area and sang songs and listened to stories. Aww.

Although Randy did forward facing on Friday, today (3/23) was also my first day with Avery forward facing in the car seat! Friday was her first day going to Nana & Papa's with Daddy without Mommy (I had to work.) Lots of firsts this week!

Free to Be Me

2009-03-24T01:02:00.003-04:00

Really loving the song "Free to Be Me" by Francesca Batistelli.

Nursing Necklace Anyone?

2009-03-19T23:54:00.003-04:00

My friend Raelynn of Mommy Necklaces is giving away some free nursing necklaces on her blog. Go check it out!

Although we never got nursing to work for us, these are still one of Avery's favorites! I highly recommend them. =o)

Savannah Food Co-op

2009-03-19T22:24:00.008-04:00

Just found out a few weeks ago that we have an organic food co-op in our area. I had *just* missed the order when I signed up... and they have items available every other Thursday. I got a small fruit/veggie box & some zuccini.

We are so excited about this! I think all these fruits & veggies just look lovely. =o) Can't wait to eat them!

You can check out the co-op HERE.

Montessori School

2009-03-17T22:29:00.005-04:00

I found out from a co-worker of mine that they opened up a Montessori elementary school in our area this past fall. Avery is still a few years away from elementary school, but I find the concept of Montessori very interesting. Sounds like they had a few problems that needed worked out when they first opened. Hopefully they will be resolved by the time we are looking into it.

I want to learn more about the Montessori concept, so I ordered a few books books to check out from half.com.

"How to raise an amazing child the montessori way" by Tim Seldin

and

"Teaching Motessori at Home: The Pre School Years" by Elizabeth G. Hainstock & Lee Havis

I also found this interesting description of Montessori materials on facebook.

Montessori Material
Practical Life
The practical life exercises are the first contact the child has with the Montessori environment. They have been planned in such a way that the child will gain a control of his environment through language and motor control as he progresses in the exercises. Motor control is accomplished through coordination of both the large and small muscles and also hand-eye coordination. The child develops a sense of dignity and independence. He/She is able to control the environment and at the same time is being prepared for later skills, such as writing.
Movement and activity are inherent in all the exercises. The child learns through movement “The hand is the instrument of the mind” (Dr. Maria Montessori). The child learns faster when he is able to actively participate. This activity also holds the child’s attention, provides motivation for the exercise itself, actually calms and satisfies the child's inner needs. Mental and physical stimulation presented together seem to refresh the child rather than fatigue him. The child will want to finish what he has started.
The Practical Life exercise are most important. They not only teach the child the direct skills, but also indirectly prepare him for all of his life's work, even the type of individual he will become. Practical life is the beginning, and all projects that are to succeed must have a strong foundation. Practical Life is a foundation for a life as an independent and satisfied individual.

Sensorial
All children love to touch things and explore their environment. They are constantly prying and poking and investigating. Children are attracted to these stimuli for themselves, not for the reasons for things. Montessori noted this and recognized the need for something more that just the education of the intellect in the classroom
The child is gathering up perceptions from his environment constantly. Montessori strove to refine or build up their powers by educating the senses themselves. All that is to become an idea, and abstraction, first sprang from a touch, or a smell or some physical contact. The stimuli are first perceived by the senses, which activate the nerves which send the impression to the brain. The intellect, through the senses, creates abstract ideas.
Montessori sought to train or exercise the senses through the use of specially designed sensorial equipment. This equipment she terms "didactic', which means educative, or that which educates. Hence, it is the material that does the teaching through the child's manipulation of it. This "auto-education", learning though movement of the materials, is a basic concept of sense training. The materials appeal to the child when presented, but are also designed to function as a basis for future work. It is the job of the sensorial materials to gradually increase the child's ability to perceive things in a more refined and ordered way. The exercises are graded so that the child can perceive first strong contrasts and are gradually refined to finer and more delicate differences. The child is provided with an opportunity to repeat these exercises as often as he wishes for repetition is what builds and exercise the senses.

Mathematics
The journey of Mathematics starts with concrete materials that lead to abstract understandings. Montessori Math materials provide many opportunities to experience number as quantity and measurement. Counting shells, objects and rods of graduating lengths gives the child a sensorial "feel' for numerical properties. Sandpaper numerals are presented for the child to trace and form a "muscle memory" for later writing of that numeral. When the child has mastered the concepts of `1-9, the decimal system can be introduced concretely by use of the golden bead material. Beautiful, hand made glass beads represent units, tens , hundreds and thousands. The child can construct 4 digit numbers using these materials in the Bank Game. They build quantities and match the symbols (numerals) to them. We do not expect children of this age to be proficient in 4 digit numbers, that is not the goal of these exercises. It is to form a foundation for future learning. Anything experienced concretely at this age will stay with your child. When they are in third or fourth grade and these concepts are presented in a abstract way, this early contact will be recollected and lead to mastery.
Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division are also introduced in a concrete manner. The child can experience the action of these processes e.g. addition is putting things together, subtraction, taking things away. In like manner, fractions are handled and understood. Long and short bead chains are counted introducing skip counting, preparation for multiplication. These chains are based on the square and cube of numbers, indirectly preparing them for future learning. Math in a Montessori classroom is dynamic and enjoyable, a first choice of many of the students.

Language
Language is an ongoing acquisition in a Montessori classroom. Since the earliest Practical Life and Sensorial activities things have been named and identified. Comparatives and Superlatives e.g. big, bigger, biggest are integrated into these activities. In the science and Geography materials animals, countries, land forms, water forms, insect, plants, parts of trees, leaves and flowers have been discussed. Children learn the names of shapes, parallelogram, rhombus, pentagon, curvilinear triangle, all with hands on experience with these shapes. Children love language, English as well as other languages are easily assimilated at this age. Exposure to the diversity of life around us is part of the curriculum.
Reading begins early by tracing sandpaper letter and learning the phonetic sound of these letters. Children can handle objects that begin with these sounds. Reading starts out much more abstract that Math, but it involves a finite number of sounds to experience and memorize. Once these have been mastered a child can begin to build words with the moveable alphabet. This is more of a phonetic spelling activity than reading. By repeated experience with this sounding out of words, the child comes to the spontaneous discovery one day that this arrangement of symbols has meaning c-a-t translates into cat, the child has taught herself how to read. Now they begin to sound out all words around them, on signs, cereal boxes, anywhere. This "explosion" into reading is the culmination of all the language experiences. Since English is not a truly phonetic language we then present the "exceptions" such as the, ch, sh. The child now has the skills to attack any new words they come upon. This is one of the advantages of a phonetic approach to reading.
Story writing and creative expressions are encouraged. Spelling is not corrected in the beginning of these activities. It is more important that the idea be expressed. Later, corrections can be made when the child has experienced success.

Geography and Science Materials
Montessori presents the world to the child. We start with the globe of land and water. The areas of land are called the continents. The areas of water are the oceans. Then each land and water area is explored. Puzzle maps of each continent are available. Children love puzzles. As they work with them, the names of the continents are used, later the names of the countries are also introduced. It depends on the interest of the child. Folders of pictures representative of life in each continent are available. Parents and other presenters come into the classroom to talk about other countries, show slides, make food, teach songs, dress in native garments. We live in a global society. All children should be exposed at an early age to all races and ethnic cultures. This promotes understanding and peace.
The science material begins with the natural world around us. Animals, birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians are compared and contrasted. Children look at different biomes of the world. Parts of plants, leaves and flowers are presented in puzzle form. Real specimens are taken apart and studied. The world of nature fascinates children. We teach respect for and care of all living things. Other science experiments and experiences are introduced. Magnets, Light, Color, Physical Properties are explored with hands-on open ended activities.

Avery's Words just shy of 14 months

2009-03-15T23:35:00.003-04:00

Avery says all kinds of things.. I'm not even sure I know all the things she says, and she doesn't always repeat them a lot.. you just hear her saying them in passing..

a-boo (for peek-a-boo)
apple
arf (like a dog)
Bye bye
bee
baby
bottle
balloon
bubble
ball
bak bak bak (like a chicken)
book
cat
dog
dada
daddy
feet
(f)ish (more like "Ish")
granny
juice (duice)
kitty
meow
mama (rarely calls me this, but says it)
moo
owl
p(l)ease (kind of leaves the L out)
pig
shoe
ut-oh
who (like an owl)
wow
woo(f) woo(f) (like a dog)
yes (more like yees)
yum

She also does signs for milk, more, all done, and shakes her head no.

More Fun Things..

2008-12-22T00:39:00.004-05:00

Fun with Paper Heart Ornaments.
Fun with Wist Lists.
How about a Bulletin board with shutters? Lovely.

How to Make your Own Gift-Bag

2008-12-22T00:20:00.002-05:00

Here is a great way to make your own gift bag. I also love how it looks modified using newspaper.

Engrish

2008-11-17T10:51:00.003-05:00

Check this out... if you would like a good laugh. This site always makes me laugh whether I want to or not.

Recycled Gift Bows...

2008-11-13T16:46:00.001-05:00

I MUST make some of these Recycled gift bows. Made from recycled magazine pages. I love how they look!

My Brothers Music..

2008-11-09T15:29:00.004-05:00

If you stumble across this website.. take the time to visit this link and check out the music of my brother Greg Bratton.
His song "40 acres" is listed #2 in the folk category & #1 in the folk/religious category right now at broadjam.

The Walker Treasury

2008-11-06T23:18:00.002-05:00

Here is a link to the the Walker Treasury Project.

Random & Ravelry

2008-10-14T23:39:00.008-04:00

How neat is this site with all the Muffin Tin snacks & such?

In other news... getting back into knitting again after a long time away. I finally decided to take the plunge (since my birthday is coming up) and ordered the full set of Knit Picks Options Interchangable Needles. It will be so nice to actually be able to do fitted items without worrying about not having the right size for it. My plan is to start on this Honeycomb vest (except with some alteration to knit in the round) in Persimmon Heather Swish DK Yarn.

In other knitting news... finally signed up with Ravelry. It is absolutely fantastic!

In real life... I am now an exlusive pumping veteran. I was only getting about 1 oz of breast milk every 48hrs, so stopped pumping last Wednesday. Although I would have liked to make it to a year.. all in all 8 1/2 months wasn't bad. =o) I'm now trying to put some of that energy into making Avery's foods. Tonight I made some Kiwi- apple. I'm curious to see what she thinks of it. Her favorites right now are Pumpkin Cinnamon & Pumpkin Cinnamon Apple. =o) She will eat every bite of these two.

Okay.. off to stuff diapers. Goodnight. =o)

ETA: Oh yeah! Did I mention that Avery has been chasing the cats?? =o) She's "scooting" around (not quite crawling as she doesn't get up on her knees, but instead does something more like an army crawl & pushing with her feet (looks kind of like climbing on the ground to me.). She's pretty fast at it too. She absolutely L-O-V-E-S the kitties.

What's wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup?

2008-09-17T11:08:00.002-04:00

Have you seen these commercials? My husband & I couldn't believe it when we saw them on TV. Here is an excellent blog about what is wrong with it.

Workplace Dish..

2008-09-05T17:02:00.002-04:00

What a neat Workplace Dish.

First Words..

2008-08-29T00:54:00.000-04:00

Okay.. so when do you count a word as a first word? Do you count it if they don't repeat it more than once?

For the last week or two Avery has been saying "Hi" while waving at daycare. I haven't heard it although I was there once when she did it. We've been trying over and over to get her to do it at home with no results. Her favorite thing to say is "Ah" and she likes to "Ah" back and forth with everyone (including several of the other babies at her daycare.. apparantly she's a bit of a trend setter.. )

We've been trying to get her to say Mommy, Daddy, Mama, Dada.. etc. for awhile now..

Tonight she was rolling around, looked at me and said "Mama." She didn't repeat it, but both Randy & I heard it...

Then, a co-worker of mine gave me a 3 foot tall giraffe for Avery. It was a much belated shower gift, and I had brought it in and Avery was examining it, patting it, etc. My DH & I were discussing names.. and I looked at Avery and asked what she wanted to name it and she said "Daddy." She wouldn't repeat that one either. (Her timing was just perfect though! Very funny!)

I don't know whether to count any of these as first words as they could have all been coincidences.. .. but how funny! Two one time words in one night. I told her if she wanted to go ahead and crawl tonight she could be 3 for 3, but she didn't go for it. Funny girl!

Home Made Febreeze..

2008-08-25T21:37:00.001-04:00

Neat! A recipe to make a homemade version of Febreeze.

Avery received mail..

2008-08-14T12:35:00.007-04:00

Yesterday Avery received a "Begin Smark Books" book and DVD sample in the mail. I do remember signing up for a giveaway on the 5 minute for books blog (but I didn't win). I have no idea what I did to get the book & DVD for free. ... if I remember I'll let you know. The book is Yummy Yummy. I haven't had a chance to check out the DVD yet. I want to say I remember filling out some kind of a survey on the site.. but I haven't been able to find a trace of it. Mommy brain has apparantly set in.

Blog Giveaway's Carnival

2008-08-14T12:08:00.001-04:00

Check it out.

T-Shirts to Newborn gowns..

2008-08-14T10:41:00.002-04:00

I might have to pull this one out for some baby gifts sometime.. toooooo cute..

Simpler Life Blogs?

2008-08-13T23:39:00.003-04:00

I want to come back and check out these 100 blogs when I have more time.

Silly Songs with Alley: Vol 1

2008-08-13T22:36:00.005-04:00

I don't know why.. but I'm always making up new lyrics to songs and singing them to Avery. Here is a current "favorite" of both of ours...

Sung to Michael Jacksons "Beat It" in reference to Avery's bottle.

Heat It... Heat It.... Heat It so that I can Eat It...
It's been in the fridge.. so it is cold.. but it won't take long for you to.. just Heat it ...

'cause I want to eat that.. Just Heat It... Heat It.. Heat It so that I can Eat It...

LOL

Now if I could just get it out of my head!

Coming up for Air..

2008-08-12T13:41:00.005-04:00

Avery has been sick for the last few days. She's been sick before, but not like this. I think she had a little bit of everything! It started off with a cough.. and she quickly added diarrhea, a diaper rash, a runny nose & sneezing, a high temperature (103.3 at the highest), an ear ache, and a few bouts of vomitting. All that.. and she's chewing on her tongue and drooling so I believe she's really starting to teeth too. My normally happy girl.. has been feeling awful, and pretty much attached at my hip. Everytime I tried to lay her in her own crib she would wake up crying. Everytime I've changed a diaper she would cry due to the diaper rash. Although we normally cloth diaper.. I can't use the diaper rash cream we usually love because it works within one usage directly on the cloth diapers, so I've been alternating with disposables... but the diarrhea just aggervates it no matter what I do.

We went to the doctor yesterday, and due to the high temp, and the infected ear, they gave her an antibiotic shot. She's also on antibiotics for 10 days. Avery still gets some breast milk, but is on mostly formula (My body has been slowly trying to wean for awhile now). The doctor gave me an anti diarrhea formula, and that really seems to have helped. Her fever has broken, and I've finally been able to let her sleep in her swing for a bit.. or let her play in her exersaucer and get a few minutes away.

I'm so glad she's feeling better and more like herself. Usually when she's asleep I've done necessary things (i.e. make bottles, pump, shower, eat, etc..).. but the last few days have made doing just normal things more difficult unless Randy has been home.

I need mental rest as well as physical.. so I know this isn't that interesting.. just what life has been like the last few days.

Oddly enough.. I've got a lot of reading done. Since she wanted to be held while she slept, I kept a book nearby. I went through 2 in the last 2 days.

Medela Freestyle Breastpump..

2008-08-05T14:08:00.003-04:00

I've been pretty much an exclusive pumper for my baby. I just found out about the new Medela Freestyle Breastpump. If I had the extra money lying around I'd buy one this minute! It's just a little more expensive than the Pump In Style Advance. Medela makes a great product.

Half-y Birthday to You...

2008-07-26T23:29:00.003-04:00

Today Avery turned 6 months old. It's hard to believe it's already been half a year. My husband Randy kept saying "Half-y Birthday" to her today. LOL. I thought it was appropriate. I made sure to take lots of pictures. Here are some of the best in no particular order.

She has just started sitting on her own for short periods of time. The most I've counted has been 45 seconds.. although usually it is not that long. Here is some pictured proof..

Bibs...

2008-07-24T23:08:00.001-04:00

Just got Avery some of these fantastic fused bibs! They look really wipable, eco-friendly, and the price was really good! =o)

Sassy Green

2008-07-24T19:04:00.002-04:00

Just signed up for this Eco-Friendly newsletter. Small "bite sized" ideas for light green living. =o)

Too cute for words...

2008-07-23T22:32:00.002-04:00

How cute is this Apron dress?

Recycled Crayons..

2008-07-23T13:16:00.001-04:00

I definitely want to make these Recycled Crayons sometime. =o)

Wi-Fi detection...

2008-07-21T23:18:00.001-04:00

I just found out that there is such a thing as a Wi-Fi detection shirt. How neat is that? LOL Love it!

Craft: Book marks from calendar backs..

2008-07-21T22:31:00.002-04:00

Calendars can be a great source of craft material. When I was in college.. I used the pages from an old calendar as pictures on my otherwise-dreary walls. I took the back cover and turned them into book marks for all my different school books. This is a very quick & easy craft. =o)

NEEDED:
- Calendar with miniature pictures on back
- Scissors

Here is what the back of each of the above calendars look like:

See how they have mini versions of all the calendar pages in rows? Look at how they are laid out and decide which way you want to cut them (Most calendars I've seen you usually can cut them into rows of 3 or 2).

Here are some bookmarks that I cut out in rows of 4:

Here are some bookmarks that I cut out in rows of 3:

Quick, easy, pretty, and durable. =o)

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls..

2008-07-21T16:19:00.001-04:00

These Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls look absolutely delicious! Maybe one day when I actually do some baking I can make some. =oP

Home Made Dryer Sheets?

2008-07-21T15:54:00.003-04:00

I have a bunch of ones at home right now... but I find these Home made dryer sheets interesting!

Minimalist?

2008-07-20T21:20:00.005-04:00

I'm not sure it's even possible.. but I'm hoping to be more inspired by Minimalist posts like this one. I have no intention of getting THAT lean with my clothing... but I could definitely use some purging. Our house is overrun with clutter right now... and I can't really blame it on Avery or Randy.. it's mostly me.

ETA: Well I put inspiration to action. I didn't do anything with my main closet as Avery & Randy are sleeping.. but I went through all the clothes I had stored in the spare bedroom... I have 1 small tupperware container that I've alotted stuff I can keep .. (mostly my absolute favorite clothes for Avery when she gets older). I have one other small tupperware container that i've alotted for clothes for crafts (turn into clothes for Avery). Outside of that I have one huge blue container full, and one larger (okay extra large) box filled with clothes to get rid of. I also already had a backpack filled with shoes that no longer fit since I had Avery. Earlier this week I had went through my book shelves in the spare room and have 2 large boxes of those (possibly to use some for trade?) ... now if I can only convince Randy to get rid of the bed & night stand in that room that we never use, I can actually have a working craft room. :D

ETA2: Picture update! None of these pictures are the most interesting.. but it will give you an idea of what I've cleaned out so far. When we go to have the yardsale, I'll figure out total numbers.. but wayyyy more than I need!

Clothing:

Books & Shoes:

Dresses:

Craft: Formula Can Make-over

2008-07-19T23:19:00.004-04:00

We have recently had to start using more formula cans, and I decided instead of sending them on to the recycling center.. that I would give them a new life. Have a look:

ITEMS NEEDED:
- Formula Cans (.. or others, use your imagination)
- Glue
- Scissors or paper cutter
- Paper (I used old calendar pages- might also work with fabric)

HOW TO:
- Wash & dry can
- Pick out paper you want to go around it
- Cut paper to size
- Glue & let dry
- Enjoy. =o)

TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER:
- Add twine, ribbon, raffia, buttons, etc.
- Label with scrapbooking stickers

USES:
- Craft notion storage
- Make into a toliet paper- tissue dispenser by cutting sunburst holes in lid
- Use for handkerchiefs
- Use as dried flower vase
- Decoration
- Anything small you need to store. =o)

I've kept the lids but I'm not sure what can be done to dress them up. Will let you know if I come up with something!

Paperback Swap!

2008-07-18T15:33:00.003-04:00

Remember when I blogged about Books Free? Well now I found something even better! The Paperback Swap website!

I can't wait to get started. Just the other night I went through one of my bookshelves and picked out a pile of books to get rid of. This should be fun! =o)

A few Flickr things..

2008-07-17T12:00:00.002-04:00

I love to look and dream about Craft Rooms like these!

Wow! A whole group devoted to Ikea Shelves!

Yummy Spoonful..

2008-07-16T23:18:00.005-04:00

I plan to make my own baby food, .. but if I wasn't, Yummy Spoonful looks like a similar alternative. =o)

.. and for adults.. I want to return and look at these Healthier snacks.

400 free pics!

2008-07-16T12:57:00.004-04:00

I need to sign up at Arts Cow and get 400 free picture prints! Also.. their regular prices are the best I've seen, and are guaranteed until the end of 2010! =o)

ETA: I'm not sure about their shipping prices though. They seem a bit high.

Books for Avery..

2008-07-15T23:24:00.004-04:00

These Begin Smart Books blogged about at 5 minutes for books look fantastic!

Sandwich PJ's..

2008-07-15T14:28:00.001-04:00

I really really want to get some Sandwich pajama's & napsacks. =o)

To Make..

2008-07-15T14:12:00.002-04:00

These picture frames inspire me. I think I could make something similar for Avery's room.

More Coupon Stuff

2008-07-14T20:50:00.007-04:00

Saw another coupon thing on tv tonight. This one was on inside edition. A lady named Chrissy (Crissy?) who cuts coupons, looks at deals and can feed her family on $10 a week. She said she never buys pasta, that it is always free. Her website doesn't have much on it.. but here is one of the websites she links to:

http://www.hotcouponworld.com/

Found out about This Site where you can just get coupons without buying a paper. =o)

ETA: Apprantly Coupon Mom Is similar to the grocery game, except free.

Now thats a Shoe-in

2008-07-12T11:27:00.002-04:00

Check out these Birdhouses made from shoes.

Yoga Pants from T-Shirt

2008-07-11T23:17:00.002-04:00

I *HAVE* to try to make these "Yoga Pants from a T-Shirt." They look soooo comfortable!

Also the similar Easy Kids Pants.

The owner of Mmmm, Brains made both of them.

The Cosmetic Database

2008-07-11T22:33:00.002-04:00

Want to see just how safe the cosmetic products you use are? Check out The Cosmetic Database. Unfortunately some of the products I use the most don't rank to well. I will be looking for safer replacements as I use them up.

Etsy Fun- Strawberry Edition

2008-07-11T16:15:00.006-04:00

Just a few fun Strawberry listings...

Strawberry Passport Cover
A Strawberry Cupcake Pincushion
Strawberry & Flower Blossoms Bracelet
Strawberry Patch Olive Oil and Shea Butter Soap
Strawberry Alligator Hair Clip
Strawberry Hair clip
Strawberries & Cream Goats Milk Soap
Strawberry picnic ponytail holders
Shortcake Hemp Organic Cotton Wrap Skirt
Strawbery & Dots Oilcloth Lunch Bag
Strawberry tea towel apron
Strawberry blanket
Berry Fresh Quote tote
Strawberry Baby Doll Diaper

I wish I had a room in my house these Vintage Strawberry Curtains would look good in... I love them!

Square Foot Gardening

2008-07-11T15:37:00.006-04:00

Our soil is not the best quality at our house. I admit, I don't have a very green thumb.. but Randy has grown up with gardens all of his life. We've tried planting some already-growing tomatoes, and some sunflower seeds, but the tomatoes did not take, and the seeds did not grow. That is why I was pretty excited when I found out about Square Foot Gardening.

You build boxes above the ground where you put Mel's special mixture. Even though we don't have a very large yard, we will be able to do this. You can actually grow more in less space than you would in a traditional row garden.

Frugal Dad has a great blog post on "How to build a square foot garden." One of the things that the reviewers of the book at Amazon have to say is that the vermiculite for Mel's mix is a little hard to find sometimes. Fortunately they have listed some of their tips in their reviews.

I doubt we will try this this before next summer. Hopefully that will give us enough time to find all the needed items and learn more about it. =o)

Maghound..

2008-07-11T15:29:00.006-04:00

Remember when I talked about Books Free? (A service similar to Netflix or Blockbuster?). I just found out that a new site is coming out called Maghound that will offer Magazines. According to This Post Users will pay about $5 a month for three magazines, $8 for five, $10 for seven and $1 for each additional. (About 10% of titles, including some weeklies, will cost more.)

My beautiful little girl...

2008-07-10T22:47:00.002-04:00

At my husbands suggestion I took Avery outside on Saturday to try to get some pictures of her.. Here is one of my favorites. =o)

Is the grocery store ripping you off?

2008-07-10T22:24:00.002-04:00

Read about these ways that the grocery store rips you off.

Yay! Great FSOT find!

2008-07-09T22:27:00.003-04:00

Avery absolutely refuses to nurse.. so I pump and give her breast milk. Even so, I'm only producing about 2/3 of what she needs right now, and have to supplement with formula. I love FSOT (For Sale or Trade) on one of the forums I frequent. I stumbled across a listing for an unopen can of the formula we use & 3 $5 coupons for $10 shipped. Definitely a win-win situation for me!! =o)

Crayon Rocks

2008-07-09T22:18:00.004-04:00

These Crayon Rocks will be great when Avery gets a bit older. =o)

Ever blown up the engine on your car?

2008-07-09T18:48:00.002-04:00

.. I have. On the interestate even. More later.

ETA: I just realized I didn't come back and update this! On my way home from work, I noticed I was having trouble with my airconditioner keeping the car cool. I had even called Randy and asked if he would look at it when I got home. I was driving along with the radio off when I thought I heard noise like the radio. I realized I was having trouble keeping up speed, so got into the slow lane as soon as I could. It was less than a minute before I had lost speed almost entirely. I eased to the side, and there was a (small) explosion with white smoke. I kept coasting as long as I could, and made it just short of the 3/4 mile sign to my exit. A nice gentleman in the Air National Guard who was on his way home pulled over almost immediately. He saw what had happened and helped Avery & me get over the railing so we wouldn't be right on the interstate while we waited on Randy to come. (on a side note, those signs on the side of the interstate? HUGE! Much larger than they seem while you are driving.) Fortunately Randy was just a few miles away and came and picked us up. It seems I didn't blow up the ENTIRE engine.. just the head gaskets? (Nope, don't know what that means, but thats what Randy tells me). I have a 10 year power train warranty on my car (a 2001), so Randy is having it towed to the dealership on Friday. Thank God that it turned out the way it did!

The Secret Life of an American Teenager

2008-07-08T22:41:00.005-04:00

We just have basic cable in our household, so I would say at least a good 75% of the time I'm watching TV, it is on ABC Family. I still think of it as the "Family Channel" as it was called years ago before all the different buy outs. I liked the Family Channel then, and I like it now even with all the changes. Something that is pretty new in recent years is that they are now producing original movies & television series. To me when I think "Family".. I think it should mean that it is "Safe for all ages." Instead I find that many of the shows and movies deal with issues that even adults find difficult. Last week, the newest show to be added to the ranks of ABC family was "The Secret Life of an American Teenager." I have to say that I really enjoy this show (.. but then I tend to like shows geared towards younger kids..) It's dealing with some very tough life & sexual issues. The main character is a 15 year old girl named Amy. When we pick up with the show she is taking a pregnancy test and has just found out that she is pregnant. Amy is not the only one on the show dealing with hard issues though. Ricky (aka- the baby's daddy) is shown talking with a counselor about his own "conquest" issues regarding females... and we find out that he was sexually abused by his father before being placed in foster care. Another character, Grace, has just accepted a promise ring from her parents, agreeing not to have sex until she's married. Her boyfriend does not take this very well... he seems to be having trouble dealing with his raging teenage-boy hormones. There is a lot more going on besides this. I don't know how likely it is, but I'm hoping that maybe a little education of our American Teenagers will happen along with entertainment.

Beginning to Recycle

2008-07-08T15:18:00.005-04:00

I have never lived anywhere that had curb-side recycling.. and I'm ashamed to admit that it never occured to me to search these places out. With our recent switch to cloth diapering, it's really opened my eyes to what we could be recycling. I've been playing phone tag with the gentleman at our local Recycling center for weeks now.. and I finally caught him on the phone today. Here are the items they accept:

* Glass (clear & plastic)
* Plastics (1,2,5 & 6)
* Cardboard
* Paper (newspaper & office)
* Magazines
* Yardwaste
* Scrap metal
* Aluminum

Once we take it to the recycling center we will put it into the bins with like items, so we do not have to package it up. I was expecting them to only say 1&2 for plastics.. so I'm real happy about 5&6 (i.e. my yogurt containers are 5's I believe!)

This past weekend Randy & I picked up our trashcans to set up for recycling. (Will come back and insert picture here). I'm really excited about this!

Baby Interaction

2008-07-08T13:18:00.005-04:00

My little girl Avery is just a little over 5 months old. You could always tell that she just loves social interaction.. with kids, babies, adults, you name it. It has been fun to see her really start interacting more and more with others. When it comes to playing though, at this age babies are more likely to play side by side than with each other. I took Avery in to daycare this morning, and there was a new little girl there. I put Avery down to play on the playmat nearby. The new little girl crawled over and (to my surprise.. and Avery's too) began hitting Avery on her head. Now I know the little girl this age doesn't really know what she's doing. She just wanted to "play" with (as the daycare provider called it) her new toy. LOL. Avery didn't really fuss about it at first, although I did go over to reposition her a little bit. Before I left though? Avery had moved back to the other little girl and was hitting the little girl on HER head. Retaliation? I don't know.. LOL.. I wouldn't think she could comprehend it at this age.. but when I said "Avery, don't hit her just because she hit you." ... she did look at me like "Why not Mom?" I'm thinking she's been watching too much Gladiator with Daddy?

Police Woman Nurses 9

2008-07-08T13:08:00.004-04:00

"Chinese Police woman nurses 9 babies during quake disaster"
God bless this woman! They have had this article up in our lactation room for a few weeks (months?) now. I'm so impressed by this. I can't even imagine how much milk she had to be producing!

Veggie Burgers & Hungry Girls..

2008-07-08T00:03:00.006-04:00

I've never had a Veggie Burger... but I think I'd like to try This One! (Also a reminder for me to return and check out the Cooking on a Budget Section.)

I also really like this Hungry Girl Website. It shows tips and tricks on how to make recipes better for you & even gives the weight watcher points value for them. Here is the example of an alternative to a Blizzard from DQ.

Two Great Mama Safety Links...

2008-07-07T23:32:00.005-04:00

One of the best resources for anyone Pregnant, Breast Feeding, or Trying to Conceive as far as medications go is Safe Fetus. My mom is a nurse, and even she was impressed by their comprehensive look at different drugs effects. To give you an idea how this works.. here is what it has to say about Advil. I love how it breaks it down into different categories... "B" for 1st & 2nd trimester of pregnancy.. "D" for third Trimester, Also telling you what the fetal risk is when used, and then whether or not it passes into breast milk. I turned to this website many times, and have referred other Mama's to it as well.

A good website for child safety, recalls, and general health and wellbeing is Safe Mama. (I'm especially interested right now in coming back and reading her articles on Sunscreen and Bug Repellents.)

Anti-Coloring Books?

2008-07-07T15:21:00.004-04:00

I think I've found something I'd like to get the neices and nephews for Christmas! Check out..."The Anti-coloring book" series.

Great BPA/ Sippy Cup article..

2008-07-07T15:00:00.009-04:00

Have you heard the news that came out recently about BPA (bisophenol-A)? Unless you are a Mom you might not have, but it's a hot topic on many mommy oriented forums. BPA is a hormone/chemical most often found in polycarbonate plastics. (i.e. baby bottles & sippy cups are made of these). I stumbled across a great blog today.. "Battle of the BPA free sippy cups" at Nature Mom's Blog. She does a great job breaking down some of the information on BPA!

When Avery was born, we started out using Dr. Browns bottles made of polycarbonate. I knew that there was stuff going around about BPA, but had not really read any of it myself and just thought it was people over reacting. Then I found out Canada outlawed it and had pulled it from all of their shelves. I started reading the articles, and finally decided that I'd rather make a change then risk giving my baby hormones in her bottles. I had stumbled across another great article talking about how only the bottles and not the inserts, etc. on the Dr. Browns bottles had BPA in them, and how they could be used with Evenflo plastic bottles which are BPA free (and $2.99 for a 3 pack at target) after trimming the straw-looking part of the inserts. My husband Randy trimmed them for me and we've been using these bottles ever since.

Since this time Dr. Browns has come out with a BPA free bottle. We love our Dr. Browns bottles, so I recommend the BPA free kind if you are looking for any. =o)

Books Free & Free Books...

2008-07-05T22:33:00.004-04:00

More than a year ago now, I stumbled across a listing in a local magazine for Books Free. I think most people have heard of mail order movies by now.. such as Netflix or Blockbuster. This is the same concept... except with books instead of movies. This is such a great alternative for someone who doesn't have easy access to the library and wants to read more without buying every book they want to read. My mom jumped all over the idea as soon as she heard of it. She lives in a tiny place, and never read as much as she wanted to because of the lack of storage space. She graciously let me add some of my own books to her list, so I got to try it out through her. It really was great! One of my best friends found out about it from me, and since she does a lot of traveling with her job, she subscribed to to the books on CD version on the site. Definitely not for everyone, but worth looking into if you read a lot. =o)

... Speaking of Books. Do you know about Project Gutenberg? The first time I stumbled across this, I felt like I had discovered an electronic treasure. Project Gutenberg is an effort to digitalize full texts of public domain books. You can read them online, download them to your computer or palm.. and there are even some songs on there. I especially recommend checking out the books by Grace Livingston Hill or L.M. Montgomery.

One Red Paperclip..

2008-07-05T16:32:00.005-04:00

I don't know just how long ago it was when I first heard about One Red Paperclip. It is all about a guy who traded a red paperclip.. and just kept on trading and bartering until he got a House! All from One Red Paperclip. If you haven't heard about this check it out!

Just Tomatoes?

2008-07-05T14:57:00.007-04:00

A link for me to come back and check out in more detail later:
http://www.justtomatoes.com/

Laptop Lunches..

2008-07-05T14:29:00.003-04:00

Have you ever seen Laptop lunches? I've heard about them in passing.. not thinking much about them, but lately I've seen some pictures of the lunches that people put in their laptop lunches and they look fantastic! I wish I had more time in my days. I think this is something I would like to get and try at some point.

The Grocery Game..

2008-07-05T12:55:00.007-04:00

I stumbled across the grocery game last night while going from website to website. I'm very interested in this! My husband and I have a 5 month old daughter, and our budget has tightened recently. Outside of that we do have some debt we have been working to pay off along and along... so I constantly keep my eyes open for ways that we might be able to save money. I thought we were doing pretty good with our grocery shopping.. but this looks even better. Make sure to watch this video about it too.

I've just signed up for the 4 week $1 trial. I will keep you posted. =o)

Getting Started..

2008-07-05T11:40:00.002-04:00

Just a brief intro before I get everything set up. I'm basically creating this for me. I'm *constantly* stumbling across new interests & links, products, ideas that I find interesting and want to put into effect. I was thinking that instead of constantly e-mailing myself everything.. that it might be fun to make a blog specifically for this eclectic collection. Who knows.. maybe there is someone out there who finds the same stuff interesting. =o)

ETA: I feel such a need to get all the things I currently have and want saved on here down that I will probably have lots and lots of posts at first. Eventually this will slow down a bit. Pictures coming in the future too!