Taggie Blanket and iPad Apps

 So I finally made the taggie blanket that I've been talking about making since Christmas... =)

I got my very own brand-new sewing machine as a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law because I've been wanting to try some simple sewing projects for a while but never had access to a sewing machine...and hand-sewing is out of the question for me. Sadly, I'm just not skilled in that area.  I mean, I can barely sew on a button.  And to give you an idea of where I'm starting...I have NEVER sewed on a sewing machine.  Ever.  I did borrow a friend's one time to try sewing, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to use it.  I ended up using a little hand-held sewing machine (which I guess could be handy for simple, small projects).  So I am bottom-of-the-totem-pole beginner level.

So I received the sewing machine for Christmas, and I've finally used it!  This project has been "in the works" for at least a month now, and it finally took Billy saying, "Hey, you want to go down in the basement tonight and work on your sewing?" that finally motivated me to just finish it.  And let me just say this: thank goodness for instruction manuals!  Everything I needed to know I learned from the instruction manual for this project (other than following a cute tutorial...see below).

I followed this tutorial from I Can Teach My Child! since it seemed pretty easy to follow.  I used a cream striped minky material for one side of the blanket and a purple floral cotton on the other side.  I had three different rolls of ribbon already, so I bought one of those mini multi-rolls from Target for $1 for some more variety.  Side note: I found leftover, unused ribbon from my pointe shoes in my sewing box.  I haven't danced since 2006...so it's been in there for at least 6 years, and somehow I still held on to it.  So you better believe I used some of it for this project!  Maybe one of my girls will follow in my footsteps?  Haha =)

This is the result!

I certainly learned quite a bit just from this small project, including ways to improve next time I sew.  I now feel more comfortable with my machine, and I have to say that I'm really proud of myself for trying!  I have a fear of failure, so I'm always intimidated to try new things, but I'm really glad this little project worked out because it gives me confidence for the next one.  I'm also pretty excited that I actually made something for Piper, and even if she doesn't care one bit about it, I'm definitely putting it in her little keepsake box =).

Next on my sewing project list is to make burp cloths.  They seem pretty easy to make, and I've already got some extra cotton fabric just sitting around so I would just need some towel-like material.  I guess I could always buy a cheap-o towel and use that!  This tutorial has some cute pictures and seems easy to follow (which is a must for me!).

And just for fun, here are some recent pictures of Ellie playing on the iPad...

Billy downloaded two apps for Ellie (both of which are free).  This one is called Play 1-2-3 and has some great mathematical skill-building activities with shapes, counting, colors, and cause-and-effect principles.  She loves this one...it's very easy for her to manipulate and has a variety of activities to keep things fresh.  And it has some cute music to go along with it!

The one she's playing with me is called I Hear Ewe.  It's a very simple app, but it's definitely her favorite. The screen is filled with pictures of various animals, and when you touch a picture, a voice identifies what animal it is and then plays its sound.  There are three pages on this app; farm/local animals, safari/exotic animals, and transportation vehicles.  For some reason, she really likes the motorcycle...wonder who influenced her in that particular area ;)

The cognitive leaps she's made recently have been amazing to me.  She caught on super-fast with the iPad...it really is true that she's going to be more technologically advanced than me in a couple of years...not that it's really saying much!  But she'll probably beat out her Daddy, too, at some point...and that's saying something!  She's also learned to "count" to three...but it's more like repetition.  Whenever we play a game or I put her on the slide, I say, "Ready...one...two...three!"  and so now she'll say, "one...two...three!"  I actually teared up the first time she said it...but that could just be my crazy hormones lol.  She's also learning animal sounds like crazy.  At first, she just knew the cat and dog sounds, but now she does sounds for fish, lions/bears (both are "roar" lol), birds, and ducks.  She's also graduated from signing "please" to actually saying it, although she still signs it most of the time.

Her physical skills have really developed, too.  She now helps me clean up her toys (normally she picks them up and brings them to me to put away, or she'll throw them in the basket/toy box on her own) and also helps with laundry.  I put the basket on the floor, and she'll hand each dirty item to me, which is actually really helpful so I don't have to bend over to pick things up!  She can throw and kick a ball...we're still working on teaching her how to catch it, haha.  And she is a real climber...she can now get on and off the couch by herself.  I can't believe how quickly she has grown into a full-fledged toddler.

Thanks for reading...I promise I'll try to update more often! =)

Doctor's Appointment and Other Things

Hi again!  We've done a few fun things over the past week, so I thought I'd share...

First of all, I had my first appointment at the new OBGYN office yesterday and it went great!  I met with the Nurse Educator and just went over my health history and the medical records that were transferred from Women's Health Services, and I feel like I'm in very good hands here.  They did a complete blood work-up for me yesterday to determine my baseline metabolic numbers so they know what's normal for me (so that if something happens in the future they have a reference to go by) as well as the normal checkup stuff, like my weight and blood pressure.  My blood pressure was 105/58, so I'm doing great on that end of things...I'd much rather have blood pressure that's a little low than too high.  I occasionally get light-headed or dizzy because of it, but it's easily manageable.  We listened to Piper's heartbeat and she's doing great, and it was overall a great appointment.  I do have to do a 24-hour urine collection...meaning I have to pee in a jug for the next 24 hours, which is a little weird, but it's so they have a reference point if something changes down the road.  They also seem to be very supportive of my birth preferences (as long as my pregnancy and labor are normal) and have already provided information on lactation consultants so that I have some resources I didn't have last time.  My next appointment is scheduled for next Wednesday, and that will be my first appointment with the new doctor.  I'm looking forward to it!

I'm finishing up a book today....Making Children Mind without Losing Yours by Kevin Leman.  I LOVE this book.  It's been the most practical and helpful parenting book I've read so far.  It's probably more for kids who are 2 or 3 years and up to adolescence, but I decided to go ahead and read it now since I've had it on my list for a while.  I probably like it so much because it already lines up with what I believe about parenting and how I want to raise our children.  It's about disciplining our children in firm, loving ways instead of ruling over them as authoritarians and follows the principles of Ephesians 6:1-4 --

"Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.  'Honor your father and mother.'  This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, 'things will go well for you and you will have a long life on the earth.'  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.  Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord."

One of the methods Leman mentions in this book that has been so helpful for us in the past few months is removing your child from the room when he/she throws a temper tantrum.  We've been doing this one for a while, but I had gotten kinda lazy about it since I now have to walk up a flight of stairs to isolate Ellie in her bedroom.  After reading this book, I remembered how effective it's been in the past, and decided to make an effort to start doing it again.  When Ellie throws a temper tantrum, we usually give her a couple minutes to get it out of her system.  I mean, it's kinda part of the age she's at right now and it's one of the few ways she can really express her frustration or anger at something, and so I think that's normal.  However, if she doesn't calm down after a few minutes, I take her upstairs and put her in the crib.  I usually just say something like, "When you calm down you can come out, okay?"  and usually within a couple minutes she's over the tantrum.  I don't know if this would work for all children, but it really works for Ellie, mainly because she's an attention-getter.  It's part of her personality and I think it's just who she is...she's our little "social butterfly."  It's great when she behaves well, but can be terrible when she's throwing a temper tantrum because she wants an audience.  As soon as she's removed from the audience, there's really no motivation to keep screaming and carrying on for her.

Anyway, I would highly recommend this book.  It's practical, straightforward, and easy to read with a little comedy thrown in there.  It makes me feel more resolved to parent Ellie with love and kindness, but also being firm in what boundaries we've determined for her.

I did a couple of very small, uninvolved projects this past week...I'm finding I have less energy or resolve to do any kind of intense cleaning tasks or new recipes right now, but I'm hoping that down the road (once I get some energy back) I'll try some new things every now and then.  Anyway, I made this homemade pom-pom "stuff it in" toy for Ellie last week.  I used a small plastic container with a lid and just cut a small hole in the top.  I had purchased pom poms from the Dollar Tree forever ago, so I already had those on hand.  And actually, the plastic container I used was from some soup we ordered from a Chinese restaurant.  I like that it's a completely clear container, and it was the perfect size for this activity.

It took me showing her about a dozen times how to push the pom pom through the hole, and after that she was happy to sit and do this by herself.  I made it a little challenging, because the hole is significantly smaller than the pom poms so you really have to push to get them through the hole.  This kept her quietly entertained for about 20 minutes!  I sat with her on the floor and read a book while she did this, since she's still not completely out of the "put-everthing-in-my-mouth" phase.

 I was really excited that she learned so quickly how to do this, and that she continued to do it even after I stopped participating.  I'm keeping this toy hidden out of sight so that it's "special" to her (or rather, Mommy really needs a few minutes of quiet so please play with this!).

My other little project this week was a new recipe for homemade chocolate granola bars, which turned out to be sooooo good!  And they are so easy to make, which is a huge plus for me.  I used quick oats (even though she says not to) and they still turned out great.  I also omitted the wheat germ since I didn't have any of that.  All it required was peanut butter, butter, honey, chocolate chips, and coconut.  I just melted the first three ingredients in a pot, then stirred in everything else, dumped it in a square dish lined with foil, and refrigerated it for a few hours until hardened.  These taste a lot like preacher cookies, which are my all-time favorite cookies ever, but these are so much easier to make.  It seems like every time I make preacher cookies they don't set well, and it ends up being a huge hassle (and mess!).  I don't even know if Billy liked these granola bars...I didn't bother asking because I really liked them and will continue to make them whether he likes them or not!  =)

Adventures with a Toddler...and Loneliness

I have a few minutes of spare time, so I thought I'd share a little update on how things are going here in Harrisonburg...

Billy and I really like Harrisonburg.  I'm glad we live here, and thankful for the fact that it hasn't been a huge transition or change from what we're used to.  His schedule is very similar to when he was in school, my daily routine is pretty much the same, and the folks in this city are so nice (at least so far!).  I am, however, starting to feel a little lonely.

I'm trying to go out and participate in activities, which is really outside my comfort zone.  I went to a MOPS meeting recently, which was a great experience and I'll definitely be going back.  The women I met there were so kind and supportive, and it was very encouraging to be around other moms.  Ellie seemed to enjoy playing in the nursery while I was in the meeting, so it gave her a change of scenery, too.

Since I had an enjoyable time at the MOPS group, I thought I would try something else this week: story time at the library.  They have a program for children in the 0-3 years age group, so I figured it would be okay for Ellie.  I even asked a librarian before going in what the format was like and how long it would last, since I know Ellie can't sit still for a very long period of time.  She said it would be fine, that there are plenty of young children who don't sit still, so I figured it would be okay.  And in the grand scheme of things, Ellie did really well considering she's never been in an environment like that, with other children AND mommies sitting on the floor listening to a story or singing songs.  We do that together here at home, but it's only the two of us and usually lasts about 5 minutes.  Anyway, she did well...but we had a few "iffy" moments...and....well, I cried on the way home from the library.  Silly, I know.

I hate to admit this, especially since I *try* to be a "relaxed" mom who doesn't freak out over things, but I'm one of those moms who gets embarrassed in public.  I try not to let it get to me, but after a while it's hard to just shrug it off when your kid is screaming bloody murder in Target because you took her empty snack cup away.  And the hard part about it is that in order to be consistent and set boundaries for Ellie, it means that we HAVE to go through those moments in public.  One thing I'm resolved to do as a parent is follow through with my child.  If I've set a boundary or rule, it doesn't mean that we chuck it out the window just because there are 150 people glaring at me in the store....exaggerated, I know....it's probably more like 3 people glaring at me, haha.

So during story time, Ellie started to get tired of sitting in my lap.  I let her sit on the floor in front of me for a few minutes, and then she was over that and wanted to get up and start playing (a completely understandable desire for a 1 and 1/2 year old!).  But I want her to learn that there are times when we have to sit still, and if Mommy tells you to stay seated, you should obey.  Of course, this isn't something we've really had to face before, since we've never participated in a structured play group like that.  She became upset and threw herself on the ground, crying and carrying on in front of 10 other moms and their respective kids.  Needless to say, I let my embarrassment dominate my mind in that moment, and I had a brief moment of "maybe I should just let her go....?"  But I knew that if I gave in this one time, we would never be able to establish any consistency if we return to story time.  And so I persevered and told Ellie that she had to stay seated (or at least stay in her spot).  She made it through story time, but had "the fits" at least 2 or 3 times.

I guess the reason I cried on the way home is because I miss having someone I know with me.  Back in Lynchburg, I totally would have gone with Laura and Adin...and if Ellie threw a fit, I could look at Laura and know that she wasn't judging me for being firm, because she understands me, Ellie, and my parenting goals.  It made me really miss having a friend who knows me.  Because all I could think about during the rest of story time was what the other moms thought of me and my child, and what a mean and uncompromising mom I must be and how my child is a psycho.  I doubt they really had those thoughts (they were probably just trying to get their kids through story time, too!) but in my self-centered head I think everybody is watching me.

Thankfully, we had some great highlights from story time, too.  When we started singing "Old McDonald," Ellie burst into hysterical laughter...like the kind you see on YouTube videos when you can't tell if they're laughing or crying.  And the laughing went on *for the whole song.*  I appreciated that everyone else found it amusing, too (I was kind of anticipating some weird looks from other parents, especially since their kids were just barely singing along, and Ellie's in my lap with a beet-red face switching back and forth between laughing uncontrollably and trying to sing along by saying "ee-oh" over and over).  She also really loved getting to hold her own set of bells and jingling them during the songs, and the free playtime at the end was a big hit with her, too.  We'll definitely go back next week, and overall I would rate it a positive experience, but it also served as a reminder that I don't quite fit in here yet.

We have had beautiful weather this week, and it's been wonderful to go outside and play a little.  We have a large children's playground just a couple miles from our house, and so we've been there twice in the past two days.  On Tuesday morning, Ellie played for a whole hour at the playground, which was a much-needed break from our staying at home all the time.  Yesterday afternoon, I met up with a few ladies from the MOPS group which was also very nice, but the playground is so huge that it doesn't work well for adult-chat time, especially since my child is basically all over the place.  I'm trying to give Ellie a little more independence on the playground and not hover behind her constantly, but it's so hard!  I fear that she'll leap off the playground set and break her leg, or tumble down the slide and hurt herself, but she's actually a very capable climber (thanks to two flights of stairs in our house) and manages the slide pretty well on her own.  It's really more of a fear issue for me, and I know I just need to take a step back and be less physically involved and more watchful of her.  Also, it would be really hard for me to climb on the playground with her once Piper gets here, so the sooner I give her more freedom the better, I think.  I'm so sore from the past two days at the park, so today I'm taking it easy and not really doing anything physically demanding.

My appointment at the new OBGYN office is Monday, and I'm so ready to get that over with!  I've heard so many positive things about that practice (a ton of the moms from the MOPS group went there) which has been a huge encouragement to me.  I'm really more excited about it than nervous now, although of course I have a zillion questions given my previous birth experience.

And on a totally random side note, I have decided that once I use what I already have, I will NOT be buying any more cleaning solutions (other than maybe toilet bowl cleaner...unless I find a really fantastic do-it-yourself version online).  This isn't because I want to go all natural or "green," but really just because it's another way to save money (the "greenness" is an added bonus).  Why buy all-purpose kitchen spray and Clorox wipes when I can use vinegar instead?  I found a tub and shower cleaner made from vinegar and Dawn dish soap , which seems to have great reviews.  I figured it's worth a shot, and if I already have the ingredients on hand, why not try it?  I'm all about doing things myself if it saves money.  I'm all for less chemicals and saving the planet and all that, but (I'm just being honest) I'm not going to do it if it costs an arm and a leg.  Laundry detergent is a great example...I make my own, not because it's safer or less harmful to the environment, but because it's a HUGE way to save money.  But the less-chemicals aspect of making my own detergent is an added benefit.  And I really do hate the smell of cleaning solution...even the scented kind bothers me.  I already have a ton of vinegar, and I would save some money, so I think it's worth it to at least try.

That's all of my ramblings today...I'll try to update next week after my doctor's appointment!

Musings from Calm My Anxious Heart

I mentioned in my last blog post that I've started a book called Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. I'm a little over halfway through the book right now and thought I would share about what I'm learning while I'm reading.

First of all, I have to say that I like this book a WHOLE lot more than I thought I would.  I typically avoid reading non-fiction books, mainly because I think they're boring and I usually come away feeling like I need to change everything about my life.  While this book is definitely giving me a lot to think about (and work on!), I don't feel like a complete failure...instead, I think I'm now a little more equipped to handle some of my anxiety issues.  Dillow recognizes that almost ALL women worry about something (so I'm not alone!) and that it IS a sin to have anxiety.  Before reading this book, I don't think I truly recognized anxiety as a sin...I just kind of saw it as something I have and don't know how to deal with sometimes.  The author cites Philippians 4:6-7 and Matthew 6:25-34 as clear scriptural evidence that worry and anxiety are sinful.  She dispels the myth that worrying about things makes you a better person/parent/friend.  I'm so guilty of rationalizing my worries and telling myself that it's "natural" to worry about things I have no control over.  Great example from this week...

First, I'll mention that the Internet can be a great thing...but it can also become a source for anxiety.  I came across a blog earlier this week written by a single mom of a little boy with a very rare genetic skin disorder.  She had a perfectly normal, healthy pregnancy and birth, then came to find out in the hospital after her baby was born that he had this terrible disease that caused his skin to erupt in blisters anytime he was rubbed or touched by something rough.  I continued to read on her blog about all the trials they've gone through, about her hope in Christ, and how her little 2 year old boy has slowly deteriorated due to his disease and that one day it would take his life.  I was just thinking how powerful that story was...and then I came across her most recent post that was just written on Saturday.  Her little boy died shortly after waking up Saturday morning...in her arms.

After reading all of this, I just cried and cried.  I'm crying right now as I'm remembering the story.  Yes, maybe it's because I'm extremely hormonal right now, but it doesn't change the fact that this is such a powerful and heartbreaking story.  After I calmed myself down, I started thinking about Piper (our baby due in April).  I thought about what it would be like to not know that she had some crazy genetic disorder, and then to find out after she was born and somehow learn to cope and help her as much as I could.  And then for her to die later in life...the point is, I lost all ability to think clearly at that point.  I became paranoid, worried, and anxious that Piper had something wrong with her and I didn't know about it.  I could feel the stress building up and my thoughts were consumed with worry and guilt about something that wasn't even TRUE for us.

I realized then how desperately I needed to read this book.  I've come to recognize that almost everything I worry about has to do with the future...and 80% of it is outside of my control.  Sure, I can take care of some things, like when I worried about finding a new OBGYN here in Harrisonburg.  I finally decided one day that I was going to stop fretting about my new doctor and just call and get one.  And you know what?  After I called the office and got an appointment set up, I felt SO much better.  I'm still a little nervous about how it will go, if I'll like the new doctor, etc., but I'm not worried about it anymore because I've done what I can.  On the other hand, me worrying about things like Piper having some horrible genetic disorder when she's born or Ellie not knowing Christ when she gets older....those things really aren't in my hands.  Yes, I can be healthy while I'm pregnant and teach Ellie about Jesus, but it's not up to me if my children will know Christ or have perfect health....it's up to God.

One last nugget of truth that I've gleaned from this book has to do with our anxiety over our season of life, or more specifically our "roles" in life.  In chapter 4, Dillow discusses how often we experience stress and anxiety over where we are in life.  She gives this example (paraphrased by me):

The teenager wants to be an adult so she can do what she wants;
The single woman (who can do whatever she wants) wants to get married;
The married woman (who now has her husband she so desperately wanted) wants to have kids;
The mother (who now has the children she longed for) wants her kids to grow up so she can have her life back;
The mother whose children have grown up wishes they were young again....

And the cycle just keeps going (and can be applied in so many other ways, whether it has to do with wanting more money, a better house, more freedom, etc.)  I'm definitely guilty of this one.  Looking back through the different seasons of life I've gone through, I've always wanted to be in the next season.  When I was single, I wanted to get married.  Once I got married, I wanted to have kids.  Now that I have Ellie, I've wished that she would grow into the next phase of her life so that things would be "easier" (but they never are easier!).  Dillow talks about having contentment with the season of life you're in and seeing it as your "assigned role" instead of just something you have to go through to get where you want to be.  My assigned role right now is to be a mom to a toddler, and I have to find joy and contentment in this role instead of wishing for something else.  This chapter really convicted me and has changed my perspective a little on how I go through the day, what my inner thoughts and motivations are.  Granted, it's still hard and frustrating sometimes when Ellie is throwing her fifth temper tantrum of the day or when she won't nap longer than 45 minutes....but that's not every day, and it helps to remind myself that this is all part of my God-given job and that Ellie is learning as we go along.

I would highly recommend this book, especially if you have struggles with anxiety.  It serves as a great reminder that there is no quick fix to finding contentment and getting over anxiety...it's a daily choice that has to be made to think positively and allow the One who IS in control to do His work for His glory.

Lots of Changes: An Update on the Ephraims

Aaaand...again, it's been way too long since my last post.  I think sometimes I run out of interesting things to talk about.  Not that this blog is out to accomplish anything in particular, except maybe to keep me sane while I spend most of my days home alone with a little squirt.  So I'll give an update on where we are now, since a lot has changed since my last post!  And hopefully I'll be doing some interesting things in the future, and can share them on here...

For starters, we are expecting another baby girl!  Piper Josephine will be here sometime in April, so I have about 3 months to get myself together and mentally prepare as much as I can for the craziness of having two children.  My pregnancy is going well so far, although I still have my moments of fear.  I have to constantly remind myself to give this situation up to God and allow Him to be in control of whatever happens...and (gulp) I have to accept the outcome as His will.  In retrospect, the situation with Ellie was a completely God-glorifying moment in my life.  He used me (and Ellie) for a greater purpose, and I'm thankful I can see that now.  So I'm trusting that whatever happens with this little one is for a purpose.  Easier said than done...

Another big change for us is that we've moved to Harrisonburg, VA.  Billy got a job with Dynamic Aviation (praise God!) and he's loving it so far.  We are blown away by God's provision for us in the past month and a half.  Billy's story of getting hired is pretty amazing.  Back in November, he had a preliminary recruiting interview with Dynamic.  They came to Liberty to hire some A&Ps, and Billy went ahead and signed up for an interview.  That was on Tuesday.  Wednesday he got a call from them saying they wanted to do a second interview at their facility in Bridgewater, VA.  Thursday he drove 2 hours with a friend (who was also interviewing) and had his second interview and a tour of the facility.  And Friday he got a job offer.  It was such a whirlwind, we were completely surprised and amazed at how quickly things happened.  And what's even more interesting...the next day, Saturday, he got a job offer from a place in Anchorage, Alaska.  We had a hard time deciding between the two...but eventually came to a mutual agreement that Dynamic would be the best situation for us.  And we are SO glad we came here!  We are settled into our new home and really enjoying Harrisonburg so far.  It's a college town, so there are TONS of students here.  It reminds me a little of Lynchburg because we have several colleges in the area...JMU, Bridgewater, Eastern Mennonite University, etc.  The population is quite a bit smaller here than in Lynchburg, with a larger influx of students (compared to Lynchburg) during the school year.  It's an interesting thing to observe.  We've found a church that we really like...it's smaller than what we're used to in Lynchburg, and it's a church plant, with the original intention of serving the university community.  It's kinda morphed into a college and family church, with a diverse group of people in attendance.  Anyway, it's doctrinally sound and we feel very welcome there.  Hoping to join a small group in the future and get to know some people!

Billy has adjusted really well to his work routine.  He gets up super early in the morning (5:30 is EXTREMELY early for us...) and works 7-4.  We're usually in bed by 10 every night.  Last night, Billy observed that we have truly turned into "old people."  We're both exhausted by the time Ellie goes to bed at 8, and we have about an hour and a half to just chill and relax together and then we shuffle (slowly) up the stairs and collapse into bed.  But we're loving this new phase of our lives!

Ellie has also adjusted pretty well to the new house...she has much more freedom and space to explore on the main level of our townhouse, and she has learned about the new boundaries we've put in place, such as not getting on the stairs unless we're with her and not getting into the kitchen cabinets.  The noise level here is much quieter than our old neighborhood, so we're very thankful for that.

I think I've completely adjusted to living here, although I'm using the navigation system on my phone quite a bit to go places like the library and post office.  Although, I'm slowly learning this new town.  I've already gotten back into the swing of weekly grocery shopping (so glad we still have Kroger!).  There's a store here I've never heard of until moving called Martin's.  We drove past it one day and I thought the place looked kinda crusty on the outside.  We decided to check it out one day because I had found some deals blogs that featured the Martin's ad and saw a couple things that were on sale that would be worth going for.  And we went in and my mind was blown.  It is a HUGE grocery store...with a cafe, and a place to order food....it was SO nice.  It was also jam-packed with people...apparently that's where everyone likes to shop.  It reminded me a lot of Ukrop's, except that the prices were decent and the sale prices were actually really good.  Needless to say, I will be keeping an eye on the Martin's ad for good deals from now on.  We also have Rite Aid here, which is new to me, but I haven't really explored the Rite Aid method of shopping/couponing much since I'm so used to shopping at CVS.  I've had my bouts of loneliness and boredom every now and then...I remember in Lynchburg going out almost every day, whether it was to visit Laura and Adin or just run to Target to kill some time.  Here, I barely leave the house.  I'm not sure if it's because it's a new place, or I don't know anyone, or the cold weather, or I'm just getting lazy...but I have very little motivation to leave the house.  It's not bad, though, just different for me.

I have resolved, however, to start doing some little projects to stay busy.  First, I branched out and bought a bunch of new books to read (from authors I have never read before!).  I've already consumed The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins...it was excellent.  I have started reading Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow, and so far I like it.  I'm not a huge fan of self-help or nonfiction books in general, but I thought this one might be helpful for me as I struggle with anxiety and worry.  It's a book about becoming content with your life despite the circumstances, and really living out Philippians 4.  I've also gotten a budgeting/finance book from Money Saving Mom, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading it as I'm such a huge fan of her blog.  And, lastly, I ordered a parenting book called Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic, as it sounded like something I needed to read =).

Also, I got a sewing machine for Christmas and plan on learning how to use it...we'll see how that goes.  I'm thinking Billy will have to be my teacher (yes, he knows how to use one...I do not...) and I've pinned a few easy sewing projects on Pinterest that I would like to do.  The first is a DIY taggie blanket that seems very simple and easy to do...plus, it's for Piper, and she couldn't care less how bad my sewing skills are =).  The second one is another baby craft, DIY stuffed animals, that looks very easy.  If I can accomplish these simple sewing crafts, I think I'll gain a little more confidence to really get into sewing.  I'll share my experiences on here (with pictures, of course).

And I guess that's it from me!

Quiet Time Boxes

Well it's been FOREVER since I updated...sorry about that to my family members!  I guess I ran out of things to write about, and decided to take a break.  However, I did this little project, and thought it might be interesting to someone, so here we go!

I saw the idea for quiet time boxes months ago, and bookmarked the page for later.  I thought, "Someday I will do this!" and didn't really think Ellie was old enough at that time.  I was reminded of this fun idea through another blog (if you're interested in getting ideas, click here) about a week ago, and thought maybe Ellie was old enough to give it a try.  Basically, the concept behind the quiet time box is to provide your child with age-appropriate activities that serve three purposes:

1. Challenge/develop your child's skills (motor, reading, linguistic, spatial, etc.)
2. Keep your child quietly occupied during independent play/learning time
3. Give parents a block of time to accomplish tasks (chores, work, relaxation, etc.)

I wasn't quite sure how these would go over with Ellie, since she's only 14 months old and most of the examples I found online were for ages 2-4, but I decided to try it anyway.  My goal through this process was to create 5 quiet time boxes for Ellie (one for each weekday) with at least one of each of the following components:

1. a board book
2. a fine motor skills activity (something requiring her to use her hands and fingers)
3. a fun object (stuffed animal, interesting object, etc.)

My first task was to go through our house and look for toys and objects that I could use.  My first thought was to look in the attic, since I have a lot of teaching supplies up there.  I found A TON of play food (the kind that can be "cut" in half--attached with velcro), as well as a few small stuffed animals she had never seen before.  I also pulled out a few small board books that would fit nicely inside the boxes.


Then, I went out in search of my boxes.  I thought about buying plastic storage boxes, but found the colorful photo boxes (like shoe boxes) at A.C. Moore on sale, so I ended up  buying 5 of those in different colors.


I then went to Walmart in search of a few specific items, like toy blocks, and found a couple of other interesting items there.  After Walmart, I went to the Dollar Store and found everything else I needed.  These were all very inexpensive...I really could have made these boxes out of toys and materials we already had at home, but wanted to give her objects she had never seen before (since she gets kind of burned out on toys after a while).


And then I compiled my boxes!  Of course, I have to include pictures...

Monday's box includes the play food, a board book, and a small stuffed bear that can be pulled out of the trick or treat bag.  (I love that the toy food comes with a small cutting board and plastic knife!)

Tuesday's box includes rubber blocks, another board book (with a finger puppet!), a beanie baby cat, and a plastic elephant that makes a clicking sound when you twist the legs and head.

Wednesday's box includes four mini-maracas, a board book, "I Spy" bottle (visit I Can Teach My Child for directions), and soft spider that screams when you press it.  I never got around to getting an actual photo of the box's contents, but this is a picture of her playing with it during quiet time, so you get the idea.

Thursday's box includes mini gardening tools, a board book, silicone pancake shapers, stuffed squirrel toy, and an empty plastic container.

Friday's box includes a board book, silicone pot gripper (I was thinking this might help her with "pinching" skills), a plastic tambourine, and a basting brush.  This box seems a little empty to me, but I figured I would add and take away objects as we get/find new, interesting things.

I have to say, I think these boxes have been great so far.  The first day I gave her one, she played quietly by herself in her room (with the baby gate up) for 30 minutes.  If I gave it to her first thing in the morning after breakfast, she would probably play for 45 minutes to an hour by herself, but I like to spend time with her in the morning, so we do the quiet time in the late morning or early afternoon.  I'm still working out a set time to have her quiet time.  The point is, she enjoyed it and I was able to get a few things done!

Here are a few more pictures I thought you might enjoy!

 Afternoon quiet time with the Wednesday box...she loves those maracas!

 Ellie's favorite hobby...pulling down all of her board books and "reading" to herself.

 Snack time!  Here, she's wearing her current favorite "accessory"...a lettuce catcher Tupperware bowl.

Until next time!

~Kristen 

Birthday Preparations...

So my sweet little Ellie will be turning one in 3 weeks.  This is so cliche, but it's SO hard to believe that she's been a part of our lives for a whole year.  I can't even remember what it was like to not have a little one in our home.  And by the way....why did I think it was so hard to get things done around the house before she was born?  I can't believe I actually had a hard time getting the chores done...other than school, I didn't have any responsibilities.  I think I was just lazy, because I know plenty of people without kids who are very productive....guess I'm just not in that category. =)

Anyway, so I've been planning and preparing for her birthday.  I'm not really the type of person to get all excited about birthdays, nor do I really enjoy parties.  But for my little girl, I have to give her the opportunity to actually enjoy birthday parties....so I'm sucking it up and throwing her a party.  I sent the invitations out yesterday, and I've already bought a few decorating items.  I'm trying my hand at making the decorations (based on a friend's previous success with it), so we'll see how they turn out.  I'm not very good at crafty things, so we'll just have to wait and see.

I've also already gotten her birthday presents and wrapped them, so that's done.  And I did a trial run of a cupcake recipe last night, which turned out pretty great!  I was initially planning on making chocolate cupcakes, but I saw this recipe for banana cupcakes with chocolate frosting in the August issue of All You magazine and thought they sounded pretty yummy.

The recipe was fairly simple to follow, and they definitely turned out to be very good.  The cupcake was more like a muffin, but I LOVE banana muffins so I wasn't going to complain.  And the frosting was VERY sweet, maybe too sweet for me, but I think with less powdered sugar or more chocolate it would've been better.  Overall, they were a big success (anything that Billy says is "amazing" passes my test) and we may be including them in the birthday festivities.  I still want to try a chocolate cupcake recipe, though.  I've heard that Hershey's has a good one, and I also found this one online that seems easy enough.  If anyone has a suggestion, I'd love to know!