Nifty Thrifty: Personalized Vases

I was honored to plan my Grandma Nativa's 80th birthday this year. I wanted it to be a picture perfect birthday party with out being frivolous with money that I don't have. I'm excited to say that I didn't lift this idea off another craft blog like I typically do, I came up with this idea just for grandma.

Step 1: Gather the following items to complete your vase: Spray paint, modge podge,rubber bands,glue gun, ribbon.


Step 2: Look around your home for containers that you may already have. In my case I use my old gel bottles, sugar free juice containers and old Tupperware. Measure each container for photo sizing. Spray paint or paint each container a few days in advance to allow the paint to dry

Step 3: Find your favorite photos. Add text to the photos. I use photo shop, for those of you who may not have a photo editing program you can do this at any local digital printing store. I requested words that describe my grandmother from each of my family members.

Step 4: Use modge podge as adhesive for the photos and use the ruberbands to keep photos secure. Allow photos to dry overnight. Use modge podge to create a textured finished look. I used 4-5 coats for each vase.

Step 5: Add ribbon

Step 6: Add party favors.

Step 7: Add flowers


Step 8: Pat yourself on the back and be prepared to receive a lot of complements. Everyone loved these vases, grandma felt special to have these homemade personalized vases at her surprise party.


Stay tuned for more about grandmas surprise birthday party...

Plateauing

I'm still chugging away, I've got 15 lbs to go. Earlier this week I pulled out my storage boxes labled "skinny clothes". I hadn't worn anything in the boxes since Derek and I first got married. It was thrilling to put my old clothes on without having to lie down on the bed to button them up!

6 months ago, a woman who sees me every week came up to me and while looking me over said "You have gained a lot of weight!". I was mortified, I was already feeling uncomfortable in post baby body and the comment contributed to my insecurities. The comment fueled my motivation to shed my baby weight. Since then, I've lost 60lbs! People are starting to notice and it's a great feeling to recieve positive complements.

I've rewarded myself with a suspension training workout series called Rip60. When I held a gym membership last year, it was a class called TRX and I loved it. I'm not into weight lifting so this is the closest I will get to weights. I really like that it is strengthening my core, I'm currently on week 3 and I can feel my core in action on a daily basis now.


Yes, it is as hard as it looks! The other day tears shot out of my eyes and my limbs trembled as I held one of the plank positions for 60 seconds. I never thought that I would relate to all the contestants who cry on the reality weighloss TV shows. I confess that I didn't have much sympathy for them before now.



I'm currently training for the HospiceCare 10k Chocolate Chase here in Lewisburg on April 9th. A few of my friends are planning to run it with me so it's nice to have fellow runners to check in with. My goal is to run it in 60 minutes, a slower pace due to the variations of hills throughout the corse.

In May, I will be traveling to San Fransisco to visit my mom. I have signed up for the Cinderella Trail 1/2 Marathon in Oakland, CA on May 14th. This race has sentimental significance to me because I started running on my mission, the trail is one of the courses my companions and I ran on our P-days. I'm so excited, I can still vizualize the trail in my mind. I loved the tall trees, the smells, the misty cool air and the summits that overlook the Oakland temple and city. I loved serving a mission in Oakland, California it's a city that will always be special to me.

Stay tuned for "Before" and "After" pictures... My goal is to make my goal weight by May 2011:)

Lately...

I once heard that the sound of a crying baby was a form of torture. I didn't think much of that statement until this week.

I found this article online to confirm it, the following paragraph hit the nail on the head as to how I've been feeling:

Sheila Kitzinger, a British social anthropologist who studies pregnancy and childbirth, has written, "The sound of a crying baby...is just about the most disturbing, demanding, shattering noise we can hear." The United States military has reportedly used the sound of wailing infants as an instrument of psychological stress, piping recordings of their cries into cells of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. (www.daddytypes.com)

Am I the only mother who has felt helpless even after caring for all my child's basic needs? Based on the latest news reports, I know that I am not. I'm happy to report that Acalias is over his sickness but it has been replaced with a relentless crying. Oh how I wished that we lived closer to family so that I could just drop him off and know that he is loved and cared for so that I could take a breather.

Thank goodness for prayer and my treadmill I have my sanity. This week will be better, I know it:)

Quarenteened

Acalias had been sick since last Saturday, we were hoping that he would recover and bounce back to his normal self in a few days. On Tuesday morning Acalias was waking up every couple hours, we noticed that he was having a hard time breathing. Derek used his stethoscope to listen to his lungs and we could hear fluid along with his raspy breathing. It was 3am and I was too worried to go back to bed. Acalias and I stayed up because his breathing seemed better when he sat up.

At 8am I called the clinic to see a Doctor asap. They ran several tests and discovered that he had RSV and an ear infection. The also took an x-ray and he had pneumonia. I was so sad to learn that Acalias had been so miserably sick and I was just now realizing it. Typically they would hospitalize him but they gave me a machine to take home and scheduled several follow-up appointments for the remainder of the week. The Doctor advised us to keep Acalias in doors, hence the title of this post.

This is what we have been doing every few hours last week and this is what we will continue doing this week. It's a respiratory machine with doses of albuterol. Each treatment is about ten minutes, I hold the tubing to his mouth so that he can inhale the medication. Derek says its potent stuff for a baby but it's working well.

Good thing we have the happiest baby, for that we are so grateful:)

Acalias was also prescribed something for his skin. He has super sensitive skin like myself and has had a reoccuring rash since December. I had to buy a pack of disposable diapers, which I'm never happy about but if I put any creams on it will void our cloth diaper warranty.

I've been meaning to dedicate a whole post to why I love my cloth diapers but I have neglected to do so. So I guess, now is a better time than ever.

While most parents spend an average of $3,000-$4,000 on each child's diapering needs (number varies based on brand and when the child is potty trained) we spent $700.00. As in $700.00 for the three children that we plan to have.

My friend Laina introduced me to cloth diapering, check out her website for more information www.uncommonbottom.com and testimonials. I also did my own research and found a One-size diaper (Fuzzy Bunz) that I've been using and plan to use until he is potty trained. when I had mentioned my plans to cloth diaper the majority of my family and friends told me that I wouldn't last and I'd switch back to disposables with in a few months. Well...I'm still using them 7 1/2 months later and I'm very pleased. No, my home doesn't reek of smelly diapers,I'm noticing more of a smell with disposables. No, my water bill hasn't skyrocketed. No, I'm not filling the landfills of America (my diapers still haven't disintegrated and I'm 28!). But Yes!, I'm saving a ton of money! I also use cloth wipes so I really don't spend much money on our son at all. Bottom line is I'm very pleased with cloth diapering, thanks Laina for sharing your knowledge with me.

One more thing, along with all the sickness Acalias had 3 new teeth come through. I wasn't expecting to come so fast. I read that the top teeth take 4-6 weeks after the bottom teeth come in. Nursing him has been tense at times with those razor sharp teeth of his but I plan to nurse him until he is one year old.

Happy Valentine's Day

I love surprises. I put this basket of goodies in Derek's car on Valentine's Day. He wasn't expecting it because he had come home for lunch. Acalias and I stopped by a few hours before we were expecting him home to put it in his car, in the drivers side seat.


This was so much fun to make because the reasons we love Derek are infinite. Acalias loves his daddy because he picks him up when he cries, teaches him new things like turning the light off and on and because dad will sing and dance with him.

Skofeild loves Derek because he recognizes that dry food is monotonous and shares his human food, throws his ball when he has time and gives him pets in between his ears just where he likes it. I am a very lucky woman.



Derek designed this bouquet with the help of a florist. Each rose represents a year that we have been married and the beautiful white flour represents the year to come. How romantic and thoughtful huh?

And for dinner...

Salmon with a blueberry-balsamic sauce, wild rice and steamed broccoli.Yum! You can find this and many other delish recipes on EatBetterAmerica.com (this photo was lifted from the site as well).
Last week we went out to our favorite local restaurant Stardust Cafe to avoid the holiday crowds. I've never been into meat and fruit dishes but when they brought out Derek's Pork shank with Fuji apples I had to try it. Since then I've been trying out recipes with fruit and I have yet to be disappointed.

Happy Valentine's everyone!

7 Month Mark

I am 23 lbs, 28 inches long. I'm officially out of his infant car seat. Mommy was really, really sad about it, she thinks I'm growing too fast.

I can sit up now, but sometimes my head leads the way I lose my balance.

I have two teeth! Mommy is trying to pry open my mouth I think it's a game. Not to mention I've been getting a lot of yucky medicine lately and I don't want to open my mouth to mom or dad.

This one is just for you Grandma, I have two teeth now...see!


Skofeild is still one of my best friends, I love to pet him and I giggle when I receive licks from him. When I don't like my food I am happy to share it with Skofeild.
I scoot around the house to try to follow mommy.


I Love to take naps in mom and dads bed.


I love to eat frozen baby food in his mesh fresh feeder. Mmm...yummy butternut squash.

My feet look identical to mommy's feet, my toes are so long they look like fingers.

I enjoy yummy apple juice and water in my sippy cup.

Goals

Every year I've shared 3 goals with you and reflect on the goals I had set for the previous year. I'm proud to say that we have accomplished all the goals we had mentioned for 2010. We prepared and welcomed our son to our family in June, Derek continues to master OMT and people are actually willing to pay me now to take their photos (see left column for my photo blog link).

This year our major goals are:

1. Ace the COMLEX (Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Exam) Pretty much a test that involves remembering everything learned in the past 2 years of medical school.

2. Run 1,000 miles and reach my goal weight. As of today I've run 91.2 miles for the month of January, I haven't run that much since I was single...and I only have 20 more pounds to reach my goal weight, such a great feeling!!

3. Speak to Acalias in Spanish while dad is outside of the home. I tried speaking to him in Spanish in designated areas of the house but it hasn't been consistent enough for him to get a grasp on the language.

What are some of your goals?