The Simple Things

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2012-01-22T12:58:00.001-07:00

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DIY Fabric Boxes

2012-01-19T06:47:00.004-07:00

I made two fabric boxes for my living room to store the kiddo's books/toys. I know you can find them pretty much anywhere, but finding the colors/fun fabrics you like is much more difficult.

I used this tutorial over at Make It and Love It. I love the tutorial as it had very clear, step-by-step instructions.

My only advice for those thinking about making these...

- This is not a beginner sewing project.

- Use a more heavy duty needle. I broke one trying to sew through the very thick, lined with interfacing, pieces.

-Used double folded bias tap (the single won't work)

-Do not use the double-sided interfacing. Use just the single-sided, thick, iron on kind.

- This project is very costly unless you buy your supplies on sale (gotta love Joann Fabric's 50% off coupons) or if you already have some of the supplies.

- Sewing the binding on is super tough. To try and whip the already-put-together, stiff boxes around the sewing machine was very difficult. Once again, not a beginner's project!

Jenna's 18 Month Update

2012-01-16T17:32:00.003-07:00

Miss Jenna turned 18 months old on January 2nd! Probably the biggest development she had was becoming a BIG SISTER! Since her little sis, Natalie arrived, Jenna has become the biggest Daddy's girl ever! She forgot mom exists and worships daddy. She loves relaxing with him after work and likes to go shopping with him for groceries.

Jenna is expanding her vocabulary every day. She's getting better and better at pronouncing things. She usually talks in the third person too. She's also learning to recognize shapes. She knows circle, heart, and star really well. She also recognizes several animals and can say the name of them. Jenna is learning to count. So far she counts to two. Everything is "One, Two, Two, Two...." We are working on colors but it hasn't quite stuck yet.

Jenna is very much into Sesame Street right now. She loves Ernie, Elmo, Bert, and Cookie Monster. She also likes drawing on her chalk board, playing with wooden puzzles, reading, and playing with her dolls and kitchen.

We still go to her Tator Tots early childhood development class and we also go to Baby Bounce Sing n Play class. Jenna is very social and loves getting attention. She loves saying Hi and Bye to anyone she meets. She loves meeting for playtime with her friends Madison, Izzie, JonDavid, Makayla, Lark, & Jude.

Jenna is currently in the 50th percentile for growth. She is wearing 18 mo clothing and size 3 or 4 shoes. Her feet are so darn tiny! I think kids her age are usually wearing 6 or 7. Clothes are hard to find because her pants are always too long or the tops are too short since she has a very long torso and short legs. Her hair is finally long enough to put up if I use several hair ties.

We have not tried potty training yet, but we will pretty soon. Jenna already says, "Jenna Poo Poo" when she poops, so I think its a good sign she's ready to start.

She's still sucking her thumb...but mom and dad haven't tried to break that habit yet! She also is sleeping quite well in her crib. She doesn't even cry when we tuck her in!

Life as a New Mom of 2 under 2!

2012-01-06T21:48:00.002-07:00

It's been a little over a week since we brought 'lil Miss Natalie home from the hospital and I'm trying to adjust to life as a mommy of two kids under two years old.

First of all - my husband, family, and friends have been AMAZING since we brought Natalie home. My mom and mother-in-law have been picking up Miss Jenna to come play at Nana's house several times. This has been a huge help in giving both me and Jeremy a break.

My friends have been so awesome and brought over a week's worth of freezer meals for us to heat up. To this day, I still have not cooked one meal (and no one is starving in this house!). That has been a blessing.

Jeremy has also been amazing. He has stepped up to take the lead on whatever needs done - dishes, baths for the babies, diaper changes, running to the store, entertaining Miss Jenna.... I am so lucky.

Miss Jenna seems to be adjusting well to having Natalie around. She likes patting Natalie and showing mommy where all of Natalie's body parts are. She'll say, "Nose" and point to Natalie's nose...so cute. She even says her name. It sounds more like, "Na-uh-ee" in toddler speak, but it sounds so adorable. She calls her "baby" a lot too. She gets a little jealous sometimes when I'm holding the baby, but I've managed to make room on my lap for two, so I try to hug and kiss on Jenna while holding the baby too.

I have to admit I was a bit scared when Jeremy went back to work, but things have been going pretty smoothly.

Some challenges of being a mom of 2 under 2:

When to take a shower? I am still conflicted as to when is the best time for me to shower and get ready for the day. Before Natalie, me and Jenna used to get in the shower together around 9 or 10 am and then I would get us both dressed and ready for the day. Now I am not sure if it would be easier for me to get ready early in the morning (around 4:30 or 5) while my husband is getting up (before Jenna's awake) and then I would only have to get the kids ready later. I am not a morning person, so it's hard for me to get up early, but if it makes things easier, I will try it. Natalie sleeps a lot for now, which makes it easy to get Jenna ready in the morning, but I know it won't always be like this.

When to grocery shop? I used to take Jenna w/ me all the time, but now with two I shudder at the thought of trying to make it through the store without a meltdown from one or both children...I think I'm going to start planning my trips to the store on Saturday or Sunday and have daddy watch one or both girls while I go get it done.

How to haul both kids anywhere and get there on time and in one piece? After Jeremy and I took both kids to the doctor's office this week I realized it's going to be a bit harder going anywhere. I have to give myself an extra 15 minutes to load them. Then I am either going to have to put the baby in a sling so my hands are free to hold Jenna's hands, or I'm going to have to attach Jenna to one of those leashes so she doesn't take off in a parking lot or something while I'm unloading the baby. I have a feeling Natalie is going to spend a lot of time in slings and baby wearing devices. It's just too damn hard, not to mention impossible, to haul a big carseat around w/ Natalie in it plus haul the toddler around.

How to meet the needs of two kids at once? Inevitably it seems that both kids want something at the same time. For example, it seems like right when I'm nursing Natalie, Jenna decides she'd like me to fix her a snack or go to her room with her to play. So what I've been trying to do is get Jenna something to drink, a snack, and something to entertain herself like books or a puzzle, BEFORE I sit down to nurse. This seems to help a lot.

How to get housework done or even squeeze in a nap for mommy? It's a bit tougher getting things done around the house because I'm spending twice as much time changing diapers, nursing/feeding, cuddling, taking orders from toddlers and responding to cries from babies. The only thing I can figure is that I should hire a housekeeper and spend my precious time playing with babies....a girl can dream, right?

There's plenty more challenges, but these are the big ones I can think of for now. Despite challenges, I'm enjoying every minute with my girls. We are definitely getting the hang of things, and we'll start settling into a good routine soon.

Natalie Suzanne's Birth Story!

2011-12-30T14:16:00.004-07:00

She's finally here! Our little lady arrived Wednesday, Dec 28 at 8:07 pm. She was 7 lbs 10 oz and 20 inches long. The short version is that I checked in to the hospital at 6:45 and delivered at 8:07! I did it vaginally, without an epidural!

Here's long version...

I had been experiencing contractions off and on for about 2 weeks. They would come 20 min apart for 3 hours and then nothing for a day or two. No "real labor" seemed to be happening. Due to crazy blizzards the week before Christmas, my 38 week appointment was canceled and my 39 week appointment was delayed. I finally went in to see my Doc on Wednesday, Dec. 28 (2 days before my due date) in the morning. I had been having dull back pain for 2 days and some contractions off and on but nothing consistent.

My doc checked me and said I was between 4 and 5 cm dilated and 80% effaced! I was shocked! I tried not to get excited because when I was pregnant with Jenna, I was 3 cm and 50% effaced for 3 weeks and still had to be induced. My doctor told me, "I bet you'll have this baby very soon." She stripped my membranes and sent me home.

My mom took me grocery shopping at Walmart after my appointment and hoped that would "get things going." I was crampy but no contractions. We went and ate lunch. After lunch I noticed I was getting more consistent contractions. They were about 15-20 min apart. I felt them more in my back than belly. They were annoying but not painful.

Jeremy ended up coming home from work early that afternoon because he had the stomach flu. He took some advil and went to bed. I didn't want to focus on my contractions too much in case they were "false labor" again. I kept myself occupied with a sewing project and decided to go to Breastfeeding Chat Group at 4. I told my mom, aunt, and mother-in-law to stay posted in case these labor contractions ended up being the real deal.

While Jenna and I were at the chat group I noticed my contractions were closer together - maybe 7 min apart. They started getting stronger. We left around 5 pm for home. I told Jeremy (who was still sick in bed) to call his mom to come get Jenna for the night in case we ended up going to the hospital.

My mother in law came around 6:15 for Jenna. My contractions had really picked up in intensity by that point. I had to stop what I was doing and focus on breathing and my eyes were starting to water. I figured this was a good time to go to the hospital. I gave Jeremy two tylenol and told him to get ready to go. He was still feeling awful so he jumped in the shower to try and perk up.

It felt like he took the longest shower ever. I was starting to cry during my contractions and they were coming 2 or 3 minutes apart. I started yelling at Jeremy to hurry and get out of the shower. We drove to the hospital (thankfully only 1 minute away) and checked in at the ER by 6:45 pm. They sent me back to L&D. My mom and aunt met us there.

They got me in a gown, got the fetal monitors hooked up, and checked me. I was 7 cm and 90% effaced. I immediately asked for an epidural. The nurses told me that in order to get an epidural they needed to start an IV and give me a whole bag of fluid prior. Little did I know, it takes more than hour to get a bag of fluid in...and all the nurses were thinking in the back of their minds that I wouldn't have time for one...

By this time I was in some serious pain. I was having a hard time making it through my contractions. They felt like they were coming so fast - about 1 - 2 minutes apart. My aunt kept coaching me through them, helping me breathe and rubbing my back. They started my IV as quick as possible. I got on my hands and knees and leaned over the head of the bed. This position was the only position I could make it through my contractions.

I kept looking at my IV bag, which was not draining fast enough, and asking if I could get my epidural. No one would really give me an answer. My doc came in and asked if I wanted any IV drugs to take the edge off. I immediately said yes. They gave me phentenol (not sure if that's spelled right). The drugs definitely helped with the pain and made the contractions just a little more bearable. However, the relief only seemed to last about 15 minutes. Then I noticed a lot of pressure. I told them so they immediately checked me.

The nurse said it felt like I was almost complete. I panicked...I cried for my epidural. All of a sudden nurses started coming in bringing the delivery stuff and the doctor came in right as the anesthesiologist came in. The nurses were telling the doc I was almost complete and there was no time for the epidural. My doc asked to check me. Sure enough, I was ready to push and would be doing so WITHOUT the epidural. I started crying even harder...wondering how I was going to do it.

Everyone started pepping me up telling me I could do it. Jeremy (who was still feeling awful) came to the bedside to help me through the pushing. They started coaching me through it. It was the most pain I have ever felt...I was afraid to push so I was resisting it at first. After giving some good pushes I realized it was the only path to relief. I pushed for about 15 minutes and then our angel came out!

She had the cord wrapped around her, so she was a little blue, but was in good shape. She got to stay on my chest for the first 2 hours after birth. She had her eyes open looking around the whole time. She was 7 lbs 10 ounces and 20 inches. She has hair, but not nearly as much as Jenna did.

So I ended up delivering my second beautiful daughter, Natalie Suzanne, a mere hour and some change after arriving at the hospital. I wasn't planning on doing it without the epidural, but I must say I am happy it ended up that way.

39 Weeks & False Labor!

2011-12-23T08:32:00.004-07:00

I am 39 Weeks today!!! This week we had the blizzard of the century! Monday we got roughly 18 inches of snow with power outages throughout town and lots of accidents. I was praying that I didn't go into labor during all of that...I have no doubt I could make it to the hospital, but it would suck if the doctor or folks that do epidurals were stuck in the snow! Fortunately, little Baby Chavez decided to stay put! As fate would have it, we got another 8 inches (at minimum) last night.

I was supposed to see my doc on Monday, but they called and canceled due to weather, so I won't see her until this coming Monday. I felt great last Monday and got a ton of stuff done around the house. Then Tuesday & Wednesday I was exhausted! I felt sooo tired I laid on the couch most of those days.

Then I had the joy of experiencing "prodromal" or false labor. Lucky for me, I was 99% sure it was NOT the real thing. I started getting strong contractions on Wednesday around 4 pm until bedtime. They were coming 10 - 20 minutes apart consistently. They kept coming no matter if I was laying down or walking around. The reason I was skeptical it was the real thing is that they felt more like BH contractions - starting in the front. When I was in real labor with Jenna my contractions started in my back and wrapped to the front. I got ready for bed and laid down and they stopped altogether!

This "prodromal" labor supposedly helps ripen the cervix and move baby lower. It can begin hours, days, or even weeks before real labor starts. So this could go off and on for weeks before we really go into active labor. Good thing Jeremy's off work for holiday vacation so I don't have to worry about him making it on time just in case! I went through the same thing with Jenna...I would have contractions for a few hours then nothing for two days....then contractions....then nothing!

I'm guessing we'll do a cervical check & membrane sweep on Monday during my appointment, so we'll see if that jump starts anything! It's looking more and more like we might be having a January baby!

38 Weeks

2011-12-16T08:07:00.003-07:00

I'm 38 weeks today! Our new little pumpkin will be here within the next 2-4 weeks :-) I'm so excited to finally meet my new little one.

I'm feeling really good and actually even sleeping pretty decent. My hips/pelvis are even feeling better. No imminent signs of labor yet!

My appointment this week went well. My blood pressure was fine, baby was fine. Only issue is I have had protein in my urine the past two visits and I also had glucose last time. My doc said my kidneys are a bit stressed, so drink more water and rest. My face feels swollen, but my hands and feet are fine and my blood pressure is good.

When I was pregnant with Jenna I was so anxious around this time for her to get here. I was done being pregnant. But with this baby I'm actually feeling surprisingly patient. I'm ok if the baby comes at 40, 41, 42 weeks. I'm actually trying to enjoy the peace and quiet and comfort knowing the baby is safe and happy in my belly.

I think part of the reason is that I'm trying to savor these last few weeks as having only one child and giving Miss Jenna full attention. I'm a little nervous about how I'm going to balance spreading my attention to two kids. I am praying that Miss Jenna doesn't feel left out or neglected...I really hope she adjusts well to sharing the spotlight!

36 Week Update

2011-12-02T07:00:00.002-07:00

I can't believe I'm 36 weeks! That means only 4 - 6 ish more weeks to go until Baby Chavez makes his/her debut.

Baby is measuring 1 week bigger, so I'm measuring closer to 37 weeks. I don't have any "feelings" or "signs" that this baby will come early. In fact, I'm trying to mentally prepare myself that I might be overdue again so I won't be really disappointed if my due date comes and goes! I do feel more Braxton Hicks, but nothing to get excited about yet!

I have thought this whole pregnancy that I was having a boy until a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago I got a strong feeling this baby is a girl. I don't know why and I could be totally wrong. I guess we'll find out soon enough!

I've gotten a lot of things scratched off my to-do list:

~~- I need to get my hospital bag partially packed, & have a little bag for Jenna ready.~~
~~- Stock up on postpartum essentials~~
~~- Install my car seat base again and wash the car seat interior~~
- Get out the swing, newborn seat, and bassinet
~~- Book my newborn photos~~ (My mom got me a gift certificate for Portrait Innovations!)
~~- Get at least 5 freezer meals ready~~ (My friend Andrea tells me not to worry about this one, that she's got me covered!)
- Deep clean my house (this may never happen!)
~~- Get at least 50% of my Christmas shopping done~~

I have been blessed to have a really easy and healthy pregnancy, so I feel bad complaining about anything (I know plenty of people have serious issues worth complaining about)...but I do have one complaint...pelvic pain.

The past month has been a lot harder on me than any other time in the pregnancy. I have some pelvic issues going on that have made me so uncomfortable. I was fine until one day I was getting out of my truck and it felt like I put a strain on my hip. Then it kind of felt like my hip needed to pop. After that I was constantly getting sore in my pelvic area, hips and groin. I can only describe as feeling like a Barbie doll and with every move it feels like someone is trying to pop your leg right off your body.

Some days are better than others and I feel ok (not 100%, but not awful). Other days I can barely walk or barely push the grocery cart without feeling like I'm going to fall over and die. I started wearing a support belt around my lower belly and hips and that has helped a lot. I have also become more careful to avoid sitting indian-style and avoid getting in and out of vehicles and the bed too quickly. My doctor also did some stretching exercises with me and it seemed to help a lot. I never had any pain like this with Jenna, so it's something entirely new to me. I have heard people say with each consecutive pregnancy pain like this can get worse. I just hope it doesn't get worse in the next few weeks.

Funny Old Wives Tales & Gender Prediction Tests

2011-11-10T07:00:00.001-07:00

So I was checking out some old Gender Prediction stuff just for fun to see what they said...I don't believe in any of it, but it was fun to try. Here's what I found:

1. Carrying high or low? I'm carrying high. Supposedly this means I'm having a girl. I think it has more to do with the fact that I have a very short waist! LOL.

2. Heart Rate - 140s + means girl, under 140s means boy. This baby's is usually between 120 and 140...that would mean boy!

3. Chinese Prediction Chart - According to my age and conception month, it says boy.

4. Mayan Calendar - If mom's conception age and the current year are both even or both odd numbers it's a girl. If one is odd and one is even, it's a boy. Mine is 26 and 2011, so it would be boy.

5. Cravings - If you crave sweet supposedly you are having a girl. Salty, a boy. I've been craving red chile and chicken nuggets from McDonalds with Spicy Buffalo sauce...so I would say boy.

6. Acne - More acne means a girl. I definitely had the worst skin ever when pregnant with Jenna and my skin seems much better this time round...does that mean boy???

7. The Ring Test - Take your wedding ring, tie to a string and hang over the belly. If it rotates in a circle, it's a boy. If it swings back and forth it's a girl. Mine said girl.

8. Morning Sickness - Morning sickness means a girl, none means boy. I was very sick...so this means girl.

3 out of 8 for Girl, 5 of 8 for Boy....interesting odds!

My Maternity Photos

2011-11-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

32 Week Update

2011-11-04T13:40:00.004-06:00

I'm 32 weeks today! Only 8-ish more weeks to go. Still doing great! I passed the one hour glucose, my blood pressure has been beautiful, no signs of trouble yet. Not too much swelling either...I had more swelling during the summer, but it's less often now. I have had some Braxton Hicks, which aren't painful, but kind of annoying. Drinking water seems to help with those.

I felt hiccups for the first time last week. The hiccups felt pretty low, so I'm hoping that means baby is head-down. I'm not very good at being able to tell. I can't tell what's a foot or hand or elbow...

There are several things I don't enjoy about the third trimester...You know you are in the last trimester when you drop something and think, "Oh God, how am I supposed to pick that up???" Or finding a comfortable sleeping position. Or trying to paint your toe nails. And I've noticed I'm starting to bump into more things with my belly because I forget how "out there" it is! However, the belly does make a nice resting area for Jenna.

My only complaint is that I have A LOT of ligament pain and soreness around my lower belly and legs. I never had this issue with Jenna. I'm thinking about getting a maternity support belt to see if that helps. I've had a lot of random shooting pains too. I've heard some moms tell me this is more common with subsequent pregnancies :-(

We still haven't decided on any names and won't until the baby is born. I have my short list, but I just can't name someone until I've met them...it's probably just my indecisive personality coming out!

I have a big to-do list for the month. I'd like to get everything done by the time I'm 36 weeks. You never know if this one will come early (of course hopefully not too early)...plus with the holidays it's going to be a busy time anyway!

- I need to get my hospital bag partially packed, & have a little bag for Jenna ready.
- Stock up on postpartum essentials
- Install my car seat base again and wash the car seat interior
- Get out the swing, newborn seat, and bassinet
- Book my newborn photos
- Get at least 5 freezer meals ready
- Get at least 50% of my Christmas shopping done

I'm looking forward to my "Sprinkle" party this weekend. I had some reservations about having a shower for my second baby, but my friends really wanted to do something nice for me to celebrate the new baby, so we're having a "Sprinkle." Guests are not supposed to bring big, expensive, gifts, only small necessities if they'd like. I just like an excuse to visit with family and friends and eat good food!

That's it for now! I haven't taken a 32 week pic but here's my 31 week pic.

Our Halloween Party for Littles

2011-10-30T11:49:00.023-06:00

We hosted a Halloween Party with some of our good friends this weekend and it was a ton of fun! I think the kids had a great time.

Warning: Picture Overload!

I got the invitations from Etsy - Paper Pretty Designs.

On the Menu:
Spider Deviled Eggs, Chicken Fingers, Mummy Dogs, Monster Pizzas, Sandwitches, Creepy Cupcakes, Veggies, Frankenstein Marshmallow Pops, Candy Corn, Chips & Salsa, Carrot Eye Balls, Slime Punch, Witches Brew Apple Cider

The Skeleton Family

Homemade Cardboard Haunted Houses (We decorated one scary and one friendly)

Pumpkin decorating with foam stickers and vinyl

My husband lighting his new fire pit.

Halloween Ideas

2011-10-28T14:27:00.003-06:00

Source: amandaparkerandfamily.blogspot.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Monster Party

Source: freakingcraft.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Vase ghosts

Source: None via Marcie on Pinterest

Party Food

Source: google.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Entryway

Source: livinglocurto.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Rosette Wreath

Source: None via Marcie on Pinterest

Dart Game

Playroom or no playroom?

2011-10-27T07:59:00.003-06:00

I've been debating on making our extra bedroom a playroom for Miss Jenna and her soon to be sibling. I go back and forth on this idea. Last week we were in Phoenix visiting family and my dad and stepmom have an awesome playroom in their house. Miss Jenna loved it.

We are running out of space for toys in Jenna's bedroom. We are planning on the two kids sharing a room. Right now we have two dresser/hutch combos in the room (one for each baby), Jenna's crib & changing table, and her bookcase and assorted toys. We are pretty much out of room to put anything else in there, and will have to move the book case and toys out to accommodate another bed, once the new baby gets big enough to sleep in there too.

On the bonus side, it would be nice to have one playroom to corral all of the toys in. Plus with Jenna getting bigger, her toys are getting bigger too. I was thinking about getting her a play kitchen or an art desk/easel for Christmas and there really isn't room for that stuff in her regular room.

On the other hand I kind of worry about going to the trouble of making a playroom and then we don't use it. Right now we spend majority of our time playing in the living room. We have like a billion toys in the living room at all times. I hate always having toys scattered around in my living room, but it seems to be the hub of where we spend a lot of time. I fear that if we set up a playroom, we will end up still playing in the living room. Plus right now we have an extra bed in our guest room in case guests stay. We rarely get guests, but it's nice to have the bed in case. If we make it a playroom we'll have to ditch the bed and maybe just get a futon or something....

Decisions, decisions...anyone with or without playrooms have thoughts on this?

Some playrooms I like:

Source: kdbuggieboutique.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Hello Third Trimester and Wedding Fail!

2011-10-09T20:55:00.005-06:00

Friday marks 28 weeks for me! Two trimesters down, one to go. I hit a big growth spurt a few weeks ago, but I finally feel like it's leveled out for the time being.

I did notice the tiredness kicking in again. Our family has had a super busy month which hasn't really helped. I'm starting to feel like I could go to bed at 7:30 PM and sleep in until 10 AM. Sleep is also getting harder and harder. I always seem to wake up on my back throughout the night, which is a no-no, so I'm fighting myself to sleep on my side.

I don't even want to talk about my weight gain this time...it's definitely more than with Jenna. I am trying to eat good, but that doesn't seem to matter. I am bummed that I will just have to work extra hard after the baby is born to get back down. Hopefully my treadmill will prove useful this winter!

I learned a very important lesson this weekend...very pregnant women should not take toddlers to weddings by themselves! I wasn't exactly by myself, but Jeremy was in the wedding party so he had wedding duties to attend to while I was carting a toddler AND my unborn fetus from hotel to wedding, from wedding to reception, from reception back to hotel...it was exhausting.

It was so much easier taking Jenna places before she learned to crawl or walk. Now she screams to get down and move around and doesn't understand when to sit still or when mommy needs to carry her. She wanted me to walk her all around during the wedding and she was PISSED when she saw daddy coming down that isle and he did not stop to pick her up. Then she decided to have a meltdown mid-dinner in which mommy and baby packed up and left the reception early. I didn't even get to taste the cake! Do you know how disappointing that is for a pregnant woman, to miss dessert?!!

Needless to say, for the next wedding we go to, I'm either bringing some backup helpers such as Grandma, or I'm leaving Miss J at home!

(The image below is a devil toddler, sick of weddings, disguised as my darling Jenna in a fur-trimmed dress)

Not Finding Out the Sex: Yes, it is possible!

2011-10-04T06:55:00.006-06:00

I get so many confused looks and responses when people discover that we have opted NOT to find out the sex of our soon-to-be second child (nor did we find out the sex with our firstborn). I just read a post from a fellow blogger going through the same issue in her pregnancy, which prompted me to give my two-cents!

I think that folks need to realize that it is not vital to know the sex of the baby. Sure, it's nice to know, if that's what you like. But remember - you can still decorate a nursery, you can still purchase baby gear, you can even get some gender-neutral sleepers/onesies to last you for the first few months - all without knowing the sex of the baby. People didn't use to even have the option of finding out the sex and somehow we all made it through infancy clothed and taken care of!

Here are the most common questions/comments/etc. that I've gotten and my responses:

"How in the world can you stand to not find out?"

My Answer - We just made a commitment and stuck to it. I like to think of it as a fun challenge. Sure some days I think, "Gosh, I wish I knew if it was a girl or a boy." But then I remind myself that knowing the sex really doesn't change anything for us. It would not change any plans.

"Why would you want to keep it a surprise?

My Answer - It's like Christmas as a child...you are dying to find out what Santa's bringing you, and then on Christmas morning when you see the gifts you are overcome with excitement! There are very few times in life when you really get to experience a wonderful surprise. Why peak and unwrap the gifts early?

"How do you prepare for the baby if you do not know the sex? What do you buy?"

My answer - Most things that are necessary for baby (such as a carseat, place to sleep, and some basic clothes) are found in gender-neutral colors. We purchased grey/yellow carseat/gear for our first baby which worked for either sex. I like to keep my newborns in pajamas and onesies for most of the first couple of months anyway, and those are easy to find in white, yellow, green, etc. You can always decorate your nursery after the baby comes if you prefer. Last time I checked, there is no shortage of clothing for babies in the stores...it will all be waiting for you once your baby is born. I also shop at yard sales and thrift stores - then you can get some really good deals on clothes.

"People won't know what to buy you for your baby shower if they don't know if it's a boy or girl."

My response - I actually got a lot of very useful stuff for my baby shower! Yes, it's true, I did NOT get a plethora of size newborn adorable clothing, but I did get a ton of stuff I actually needed. I got a stroller, a playplace, baby monitors, diapers, shampoo, bumbo seat, just to name a few. Once my baby was born we got a lot of clothing from friends and family, which was really nice. I also know a lot of people have a baby shower AFTER the baby is born. It's a nice way to introduce the little one to friends and family and know the sex of the baby for shopping purposes.

"What are the advantages to not finding out?"

My answer - First of all, nothing is 100% accurate. I still hear stories about babies that end up being the opposite sex than what they were predicted to be. Second - people love buying baby clothes. But what happens sometimes is that moms end up with a ton of adorable newborn outfits that baby may or may not even get to wear, but you don't get a lot of the necessities, like diapers. Third - it's an amazing surprise. I can't emphasize that enough. Fourth - Some people (especially those on their second/third/fourth babies) are hoping for a specific sex. I've had a few moms tell me that they were slightly disappointed when they found out they were not having the sex they'd hoped for. Then they feel guilty for feeling disappointed. Why spend the pregnancy with these feelings? Once your baby is born, the sex won't seem like a big deal.

So that's my take on it! If you choose to find out the sex of the baby, that's wonderful. But I also think NOT finding out can be an amazing experience.

Jenna's 15 Month Update

2011-10-02T08:01:00.005-06:00

It seems like Jenna had her first birthday just yesterday, but today she is officially 15 Months old! She is less and less baby-like and more and more toddler-like everyday!

She started taking steps on her own the beginning of September. She's a very cautious walker though...She hates falling so she takes her time and is very careful. She can walk now by herself for several steps but prefers to have momma hold her hands and walk her around!

She talks A LOT! I was trying to think of all of the words she says:

Momma
Daddy
Hi
Bye
Hello
Nana
Papa
Mine
No
Yeah
More
Wa-wa (for water)
Ball
Night-Night
Baby
Uh-oh
Whoa
Up
Shoes
Teeth
Elbow
Watch (as in wrist watch)
Peach
Banana (which sounds more like Balah Balah)
Poopoo
Peepee
Potty
Pretty
Doggie
Puppy
Meow
Nose
Eyes
Ears
Cheeks
Elmo
"Oh Toot toot" - Oh Toodles from Mickey Mouse Club
Row
"Sshhh" to hush someone

She even says phrases like, "No night-night," and "No more daddy" when daddy leaves for work or school.

She loves pretending to talk on the phone and when I get on the phone she'll pretend to get on hers and start mocking me. She loves wearing shoes and asks for them all of the time. She likes wearing them around the house even when she doesn't need to wear them. I've caught her already trying to put my shoes on.

She also loves jewelry and already conned her daddy into buying her some jewelry while they were out shopping! Smart girl! She enjoys her books and pretends to read all of the time. Now she'll go grab a book and come sit in my lap and hand it to me to read to her.

She learned how to sing songs too. We go to a baby sing/move class twice a week and she loves "Row Row Row your boat." She sings the first part and does hand movements too. She is usually such a ham at those classes and tries to be in the center of the circle dancing.

I can't believe she's growing up so fast. Writing these updates kind of makes me sad thinking about how fast time is going by. At least I'm getting to spend lots of time with her and enjoying these years

Missed twins?

2011-09-07T20:56:00.006-06:00

I feel so much bigger this time around that I'm starting to wonder if there's two in there....

Just to make sure I'm not delusional, I'm comparing three photos below - the first is me now at 23 weeks, the second is when I was pregnant with Jenna at 23 weeks and the third is me at 28 weeks. I'm even wearing the exact same shirt. I'm LOTS bigger this time (and I'm not even 28 weeks yet!!!).

There can only be a few explanations for this -

1). The ultrasound people missed a twin during both ultrasounds...although I've been told there's only like a 0.5% chance of this happening.

2). I'm growing a ginormous baby...perhaps a football player or NBA star?

3). The positioning of the baby???

4). There's huge layer of fat surrounding my cozy lil fetus.

Who knows....all I know is that I am bigger this time round. Yikes!!!

23 - 24 Weeks

2011-09-06T14:32:00.006-06:00

I had a major growth spurt somewhere in the past two weeks...

I am still doing great with this pregnancy so far. I'm in between 23 & 24 weeks, gearing up for my next appointment soon.

I've been having more ligament pain in my lower front abdoment this time and more lower back pain, but that's probably due to carting around a 20lb toddler all of the time!

I'm feeling pretty good still, although sleeping is getting harder to do. Just the other night my whole left leg went numb, so I had to change positions. I think the baby must have been laying on some of my nerves or something!

We found the baby a dresser/hutch combo for a smokin' deal on Craigslist and it matches pretty closely to the furniture we already have. I've already been filling it with my newborn sleepers and onesies.

I have to admit that the whole not-knowing-the-sex thing is driving me crazy this time. With Jenna it was easier not knowing...I have no idea why. This time, I find myself constantly wondering. BUT with that said, I know that D-Day will be so amazing and I'll have the biggest surprise of my life. I keep getting the feeling that it's a boy. I could be very wrong though, it's a 50/50 guess!

Coral & Turquoise

2011-08-26T06:30:00.000-06:00

I'm linking up with Fashion Fridays!

I love the coral & turquoise color combination...here's an outfit complete with Cookie Lee Turquoise Jewelry from the Sp/Su 2011 Catalog. The ring and bracelet are stretchy, which is so nice!

I got the top from Modern Vintage Boutique on sale.

Source: polyvore.com via Marcie on Pinterest

How to Make Your Own Nursery Wall Letters

2011-08-22T19:00:00.000-06:00

I just made some very adorable nursery wall letters for Miss Jenna's room. I was shopping around Etsy for some and it was going to cost me anywhere from $60 - $100 to do her name. So I thought I'd try doing it on my own.

I'm not going to give a detailed tutorial, but I'll give you the quick & dirty how-to.

You'll Need:

Wooden Letters - (Sold at Hobby Lobby for around $1.50, or I bought mine online, because I wanted a cute font. Mine cost $2 per letter)
Paint
Scrapbook Paper
Modge Podge
Ribbon/other embellishments

All you do is paint the edges and backs of the letters in a color of your choice (so the plain wood isn't exposed when they are hanging).

Then you trace & cut out the scrapbook paper to go overtop. Once cut out you use Modge Podge to glue on the paper to the letters.

Then you apply a coat of Modge Podge to the front and edges to seal the paper on there. I actually did 2 coats just to be safe!

Once dry you can glue ribbon to hang, or other embellishments like buttons and glitter!

Bronze Maxi

2011-08-19T06:00:00.001-06:00

I'm linking up with Fashion Fridays!

This week I'm posting one of my favorite preggo outfits I've been wearing - an Old Navy Maxi Dress with accessories.

Bronze jewelry and mixed metals is IN this fall. Cookie Lee has a great selection of pieces in the old catalog and the brand new catalog just released.

Bronze Maxi by mchavez007 featuring wedge heels

Old Navy maxi dress, $25
Jones New York wedge heels, $50
Miche bag Valerie
Cookie Lee - Online Shopping
Cookie Lee - Online Shopping

My Baby is Growing Up...

2011-08-18T05:59:00.003-06:00

It seems like once Jenna turned 1 she decided she was a "Big Girl." She wanted to sit in her own chair like a big girl and not be held. She doesn't want help from mama or daddy when she's trying to do something. She insists on wearing jewelry - especially necklaces. I even made her a ring out of a silver twist tie and she LOVES it!

She even weaned herself! I'm happy to report she hasn't nursed in four days, so I think we are officially weaned. It started when she turned one...she quit nursing for thirst. I was good about always offering her the sippy cup and she learned how to say "wa-wa" when she was thirsty and wanted water, so that made it easier.

Then she was only nursing to fall asleep...so maybe only 3 times a day! At night she got in the habit of sucking her thumb to fall asleep so she didn't nurse at night. Then during the day, I started laying her on her little dog bed in the living room and facing away from her pretending to go to sleep. Pretty soon she was falling asleep on her own without nursing!

It's bittersweet because I did enjoy nursing her, but now that she's older, has lots of teeth, and doesn't really need it, I felt it was time to move on, and so did she.

Lastly, my little big girl is finally sleeping in her room, in her crib! This is the first week we have done it, but it seems to be working better and better. She cries for a bit at first and then falls asleep for the whole night. She seems to sleep even better by herself. I'm so proud of her!

I am now dreading when the day comes and she starts school....it will be here before I know it.

Gray/Yellow Bedroom Inspiration: Pinteresting Wednesday

2011-08-17T05:30:00.000-06:00

We are planning on upgrading our queen bed to a king bed in the next few months, and what better time than that to re-decorate our bedroom?

Lately, I've been obsessing over the yellow and gray color combination. This will be our new bedding color scheme.

I'm usually a brown, beige, green fanatic and most everything in my house falls within those color schemes. Right now our bedroom is beige with brown curtains, and a brown/green quilt bedspread. But I think it'd be nice to mix it up a bit.

I'm linking up with The Vintage Apple's Pinteresting Wednesday. Pinterest is this awesome place where you can catalog everything you like in one place.

Source: amazon.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Bedding inspiration from Amazon

Source: sadieandstella.blogspot.com via Marcie on Pinterest

A gorgeous bedroom...

Source: tizzilish-kara.blogspot.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Art inspiration...

Source: etsy.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Awesome ruffle accent pillow

Source: etsy.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Chevron Chair

Source: hostessblog.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Wall decor...this is actually from a party, made from paper, but I think I could probably make something similar for my bedroom. Not sure how clean it will stay in the long-run, but who knows!

Recipe: Frozen Fruity Burritos

2011-08-15T20:00:00.000-06:00

I recently tried a great recipe for Frozen Fruity Burritos. These make an easy, great snack. The full recipe with instructions and photos can be found here at Once A Month Mom.

The recipe basically calls for flour tortillas (not the homestyle, but the flatter ones), cinnamon/sugar mix, spray butter, yogurt, and frozen berries.

You make these fruit burritos and put them in the freezer. You can eat them frozen or let them thaw out a bit. Very yummy and Miss Jenna really enjoyed!

Maternity Capri Set

2011-08-12T07:50:00.004-06:00

I'm linking up with Fashion Fridays!

I'm posting an outfit I've found myself in for the majority of the summer...basic maternity tee, capri's, embellished flip flops, and eye-catching accessories.

The jewelry featured is Cookie Lee, which I sell. So if anyone's interested in the pieces featured, let me know!

Maternity Capri Set by mchavez007 featuring old navy maternity

Short sleeve shirt, $7.99
Old navy maternity, $15
Flat shoes, £8
Cookie Lee - Online Shopping -
Cookie Lee - Online Shopping

Pregnancy Week 20

2011-08-12T06:00:00.001-06:00

I'm at the halfway mark for my pregnancy! Only 20ish more weeks to go until I get to meet my new little one. The baby is roughly 6 1/2 inches long and 10 1/2 oz.

I'm feeling pretty good these days. Feeling lots more movement. No annoying symptoms to report....I'm so lucky I haven't had any heartburn yet (and I never did with Jenna, so we'll see!). I'm also very excited that my belly hasn't been on fire. With Jenna my belly would burn and itch so bad from stretching out...maybe this time around it's still stretched out from before.

I think it's so funny when I compare what I was thinking when I was 20 weeks pregnant with Jenna, compared to this time around. I was so obsessed with getting the crib bought and the decor picked out. I kept harassing my poor husband about it. Then Miss J decided she'd rather sleep in our bed than that god-awful nursery I spent so much time obsessing over!

This go-round all I'm looking at getting is a 2nd dresser for #2's clothing. The way I figure is that the two kids do not need separate rooms at this age. And I'm going to co-sleep with baby #2 because it makes nursing and sleeping so much easier...so really I only need a nursery to store diapers, clothing, and toys. And lucky for me, I decorated gender neutral so it doesn't matter if it's a girl or boy!

I'm still in a dilemma about what to do with Jenna. She is still in our bed. We are planning on getting a King size so we're all more comfortable, but I'm kinda wanting to move her into her room for reals this time. I'm just worried with a new baby in our bed, she will get woken up. However, I think since I waited so long to transfer her over, it's gonna be extremely hard to do. The good thing is that she's not nursing to fall asleep anymore (in fact, she only nurses maybe twice a day to take a nap). So maybe that will make it easier? Who am I kidding, I will probably end up with both babies in our new king bed :-)

I think I've gained about 7 lbs, which is what I had gained last time. I'm just really worried about not gaining too much. I feel like I could easily blow up like a balloon. I was doing good with the exercise, but I've been slacking the past couple of weeks. I am trying to do better with eating. I bought skim milk for me, flavorless oatmeal, frozen fruit, and whole wheat, low-fat bagels to snack on. If it were up to me I'd eat cupcakes all day long...

We have our big ultrasound on Monday. Just hoping for a healthy baby. We won't be finding out the sex - sorry to disappoint everyone!

$20 off coupon for awesome clothing

2011-08-11T14:25:00.002-06:00

Anyone interested in $20 off women's clothing??? I have an exclusive code for you! Use the code SIMPLE0811 and get $20 off when you shop at eShakti - valid till 15th September, 2011.

eShakti offers trendy, comfortable women's clothing. I have a pair of pants from here that I LOVE. The best part about eShakti is that you can have the clothing measured to fit your body. All you have to do is input your measurements when you check out, and you will have custom-tailored clothing to fit you!

Here's some of my favs:

Note: The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be clubbed with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.

Getting Clean & Organized Part 2: Great Tools

2011-08-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

In my last post, I wrote about time management and getting on a schedule. In this post I want to talk about some great organization/cleaning tools I've found to be most helpful.

I love the Totally Together site by Stephanie O'Dea. I just finished reading her "Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life" book. It has so many helpful tips. The book is very brief, right to the point, and includes a journal with daily tasks to help you get started.

Stephanie recommends following the Daily 7. These are:

Number 1: Make Beds Right Away

Number 2: Do One Complete Load of Laundry

Number 3: Empty All Garbage Cans

Number 4: Keep Your Kitchen Sink Empty

Number 5: Clean Up After Yourself and Help Children Do the Same

Number 6: Bathroom Wipe-Down

Number 7: Before Bed 10-Minute Clean Up

I recommend buying the book for all of her helpful tips, but if you are on a budget, she has plenty of good info on her website.

Another must-have tool is a Home Organizer Binder. (See my post for an example and printables). There are several versions out there and plenty of awesome templates to follow. I recommend including things like babysitter info, important phone numbers, birthdays, passwords, budget, to-do list, and calendar.

Source: thesimplethingsblog.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Lastly, I have a few favorite websites that I like to purchase organizational stuff from. Things like containers, baskets, dividers, etc. One of my favs is The Container Store.

Source: containerstore.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Another favorite of mine is See Jane Work. They have very cool stuff like these magazine containers.

Source: seejanework.com via Marcie on Pinterest

I also like this idea for a menu planning station. There are several variations out there - you can find one that works for you.

Source: littlebiggirlstudio.blogspot.com via Marcie on Pinterest

HUGE Jewelry Sale!

2011-08-02T15:43:00.017-06:00

The BRAND NEW Cookie Lee Catalog has just come out! View the new eCatalog here, or let me know if you'd like me to mail you a catalog.

In order to make room for the new arrivals, I am putting my current inventory ON SALE! Email me if you are interested in anything: marcie.a.chavez@gmail.com

Vintage Allure Earrings - Was $24, NOW $14

Dramatic Fringe Earrings - Was $24, Now $15

Woven Crystal Earrings - Was $26, Now $14

Gorgeous Boutique Bloom Necklace - Was $42, NOW $25

Urban tiger Eye Bracelets, set of 3 - Was $29, Now $16

Diamond Ball Earrings - Was $32, NOW $18!
(These look like little disco balls!)

Shine Bracelet - Was $18, NOW $10

Love Bracelet - Was $18, Now $10!

Pretty Bow Earrings - Was $18, NOW $11!

Little Girls' Butterfly Earrings - Was $18, NOW $11!

Contempo Garden Necklace - Was $38 NOW $22

Contoured Double Bangles - Was $28, NOW $19
(the warehouse is sold out of these, so this is the last set!)

Pregnancy Weeks 17 & 18

2011-07-28T16:34:00.004-06:00

Not much to report here with the pregnancy! I'm feeling pretty good (although still pretty tired, especially in the evenings). Not sure if the tiredness comes from being pregnant, having a 1 year old, or both!

I think I've gained about 5 lbs according to my scale. My belly feels bigger than last time, but I'm not 100% sure.

Here's my pic from at 17.5 weeks:

My doctor appointments have gone really well. Everything looks great. We get our big ultrasound on Aug. 15, but we chose not to find out the sex, so we'll just be hoping baby is growing and healthy!

I started feeling "flutters" around week 16, then weeks 17 & 18 I've been feeling definite baby movements, although I only notice when I'm really still and usually at nighttime before bed. The bad thing about feeling movements is that it makes you start worrying when you haven't felt anything for awhile. I'm not looking forward to that!

I also got my hair cut last week! I love it. So happy I did it.

Getting Clean & Organized Part 1: Schedules

2011-07-28T07:34:00.005-06:00

With baby number 2 on the way, what better time to get in a steady routine of being clean and organized than now?

Over the next few weeks I'm going to write a few posts related to these topics to share things I'm learning as well as get some tips and tricks from any of my readers out there.

First order of business is "Time Management 101."

The other day I was staring at a pile of dishes in my sink, a cluttered living room, unswept floor, and two piles of laundry. I thought to myself, "Where did all of this come from and where did the day go?"

Then I actually thought about it. I'm ashamed to say a huge chunk of my day was spent online. Not all in one sitting of course, but spread out across the day and on my phone too. I think I calculated maybe 2 or 3 hours spent online (maybe more some days) - reading facebook updates, checking all the sales and deals for the day, deleting emails, reading my favorite blog posts, posting a few cool ideas on pinterest....etc.

I was horrified to think I spent so much time online while my house went to hell.

So I decided I needed to set a schedule and some limits.

As a preliminary trial run, here is what I'm thinking as far as a schedule. I'm not thinking I will do everything exactly at the time specified, this will just be more of a guideline to try and go by.

DAILY SCHEDULE:

6 - 7 or 8 am (Before Jenna wakes up) Internet time: I'm going to allow myself this quiet time to catch up on all things internet, facebook, blogs, sales, etc. ONLY 1 Hour max.

7- 9 am Make Beds, Breakfast, and a Walk w/ Jenna

9 - 10 am Shower & get ready for the day

10 - 12 pm Jenna's nap - Put one load of laundry in and do one chore (ie. sweep, vacuum, dust, etc.)

11 or 12 pm Lunch

12 - 1 pm Playtime with Jenna

1 pm - 2 pm Run any errands

2 - 4 pm More playtime, Jenna's afternoon nap, organize mail, & one chore.

4 - 6 pm Prepare & eat dinner

6 - 8 pm TV time, relax with family, do dishes & wipe counters

8 - 9 pm Get ready for bed & pick up clutter in living room

Two days a week I work in the afternoon and Jenna goes to my sister-in-laws for a couple of hours. We also do a baby class once a week (soon to be twice a week) and go to Breastfeeding Chat Group and Craft night, so some days will be different than others.

MY DAILY MUST DO CHORES:

If nothing else gets done, these do -

Make Beds
All Dishes Done & Counters wiped off before bed
One load of laundry - washed, dried, folded, and put away
Clutter picked up from common areas
Trash taken out if stinky

MY WEEKLY CHORES -

Menu planning/grocery shopping
Sweep/Mop (I wish I was one of those that did it everyday, but I am lucky if I do my floors once a week)
Clean Bathrooms - toilets, sinks/counters, floors, tubs/showers
Wash & change towels & sheets
Dust
Filing/Bill Pay
Kitchen - Scrub stovetop, microwave, polish refrigerator

I really like the "Weekly Work Schedule" from the Want What You Have Blog. I used this as a guide for my own to-do list.

I also found an awesome printable from Clean Mama shop on Etsy. It's the "Weekly Cleaning Checklist" from the "New Cleaning Kit." I keep mine on my fridge & check stuff off as I complete.

If anyone has tips for schedules that work for you, please let me know!

It's happening again...

2011-07-14T08:01:00.006-06:00

I'm getting the urge to cut my hair. This happens to me every few years. I'm not talking an urge to get a trim. I'm talking about the urge to go and chop it all off.

So here's how it usually goes...I search for photos of cute short hair on the internet for days. Then I narrow it down to one choice (usually a very cute bob on some gorgeous celebrity). I then proceed to take the photo to a hairstylist who then proceeds to cut all of my long beautiful hair off.

I usually like the finished product initially, until reality sets in. My hubby will come home and say, "What did you do?" I then realize my face looks ten times chubbier with short hair. I then proceed to grow it out again for the next 2 - 4 years.

This is what happens to me every time. So why do I do it? Sometimes a girl just needs a change.

I'm so tired of my hair these days. I love my long hair when I take the time to style it. But I'm not liking it these days because I don't have an hour to dedicate to my hair every day, so it usually ends up in a pony tail or just air-dried.

I love the long hair with soft waves/curls look. I can accomplish this look if I take time to put product in and blow dry with a round brush (which takes 20 minutes at least with my long, thick hair). Then I have to use a curling iron on it. It takes over 30-40 minutes. When you have a baby, that's too much time.

So I've been checking out some cute short styles. I have a very round face though, which means I have to be very careful not to pick something that will make me look chubby.

Here's some photos from Hair Style Websites that I've been eyeing... We'll see if I end up cutting it or leaving it long. Decisions, decisions...

1st BEE Day Party

2011-07-10T12:28:00.013-06:00

We celebrated my baby's first birthday on July 2nd. Her party was a Bumble Bee Theme Party. Thank you to my friend Sherri from SK Photography for taking the photos.

Jenna's adorable Bumble Bee outfit was provided by my friend Andrea from So Fly Boutique.

I made these centerpieces. I bought yellow plastic planters from Walmart for $3 each. I spraypainted them with gold glitter just to give them a little sparkle. Then I glued polka dot ribbon around each. I filled them with yellow paper basket filling. The circle printables were ordered from PartyOnDigital on Etsy. They sent me a PDF and I printed them out, cut in circles, glued to a stick. I added some black tulle and yellow ribbon.

We did cupcakes for dessert. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law made them for us. We added cute plastic bee picks to some of them. We made the cupcake stands from the standard white cardboard ones from the craft store and decorated.

For Jenna's cake me and my friend Sherri made a yellow bee hive cake, covered in fondant and decorated with yellow sugar bees. I ordered this glittery bee #1 from AtoZebraCelebrations on Etsy.

Pregnancy Week 15

2011-07-08T11:31:00.003-06:00

I'm at week 15 today! I'm so happy to report I'm feeling very good. I think I've gained maybe 2 or 3 lbs so far. I started jogging again this week after a month and a half hiatus. During the first trimester I was just too darn tired! I'm hoping to jog as long as possible. I can already tell I'm going to blow up like a balloon if I don't keep an eye on my weight. I'm so hungry all of the time.

I'm feeling much more energetic now. I was dead tired for about a month, but it finally seemed like around 13 weeks my energy started to pick back up.

I had my first bout of Braxton Hicks a couple of days ago. I got kinda worried because it seems awfully early to have them, but I laid down and drank water and felt better. I got them a lot when I was pregnant with Jenna, so nothing new for me!

I've been having feelings that I'm having a boy, but that doesn't mean much since I thought Jenna was a boy too! Everyone keeps asking me if I'm hoping for a boy. To be quite honest, it really doesn't matter. I'm not die hard wishing for a boy. I would be quite thrilled with a girl in fact. I think sisters are just so darn cute. Plus I have a complete wardrobe for a little girl. A boy would be nice too because then we'd have one of each. Jeremy would have a little dude to do dude things with and I'll have a little mama's boy in training!

That's about it for now. I'm excited for my next appointment to hear the heartbeat again. It never gets old :-)

Jenna's 12 Month Update!

2011-07-05T13:52:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, my little baby girl turned 1! She's not a baby anymore :-( We had a wonderful birthday with her. I promise I will post pictures of her bumblebee birthday party as soon as I get them.

For now, here's her 12 month update:

She pulls up to stand all the time against anything she can. She will take a few steps holding on to stuff but isn't ready to walk quite yet (which is fine with me!).

She got another tooth - one of her big front teeth. I think the other is on the way as well.

She is becoming a pickier eater than before. She's not crazy about meat and will pick and choose what to eat if you give her choices. She loves peanut butter crackers. And I mean LOVES them. Like she wants to eat them all the time.

She is still talking a lot. She says, "More" while doing the sign. She says, "wa-wa" for water. She started telling me "No" for the first time last week....but she doesn't say "yes" yet!

She still loves dancing! At the July 4th parade she would start dancing anytime a float came by that was playing music. She is starting play with other kids more. She actually interacts with them and chases them around.

She climbed a set of stairs. She loves going up, but she goes head first coming down, so it's a bit scary. Of course I don't let her climb unsupervised!

She's still in size 12 or 18 months and seems very tiny and petite to me. I think she still weighs the same, according to our scale at home. I take her for her 1 year check up at the end of the week. I'm a little worried they are going to want to do some tests on her since she doesn't seem to be growing much.

I only have one photo, but I promise I'll post some more from her Birthday Party :-)

How I Afford to Stay at Home

2011-06-22T08:08:00.002-06:00

When people find out I'm staying at home with Jenna, the first response I usually get is, "Wow, how do you afford to stay at home? I'd love to stay at home but we can't afford it."

I really do think that many people (of course not ALL people), but many people can afford to stay at home if they make some adjustments.

My husband does have a great job, but we are by no means rich. We aren't on any government assistance either. We just had to make some sacrifices and decisions that have allowed me to stay at home with our baby girl.

- We bought a home that doesn't stretch our income. Believe it or not, we only pay $500 per month for our mortgage! Before we got married we searched for a home that we could fix up. We got lucky and found a foreclosure in decent shape. While I was still working full-time we poured every extra penny in our home. We re-did the stucco, new windows, new texture inside, new flooring, and a new bathroom. We used our money from the first-time homebuyers tax credit to help with the renovations. Now we have a beautiful home and still a small mortgage. We could have purchased a brand new home with a $2,000 mortgage, but that would have made staying home a lot harder.

- We sold my brand new car. I only had my car for a year when we decided to get rid of it. We have a Toyota Tacoma that is paid off. It's not a brand new vehicle, but it's in great shape and gets me from point A to point B. We save $425 per month plus cost of insurance. We are lucky in that my husband's company pays for his new truck, an F150. We use his new vehicle on our family trips.

- I shop used. I found some great thrift stores in Albuquerque, my favorite being "Other Mothers." You can find baby stuff like walkers, toys, clothes for at least half off, if not more. Some of the cutest outfits Jenna has are from thrift stores. I even find myself some pretty good clothes.

- We sacrifice some luxuries. I am like the only person on the planet that doesn't have an iPhone. I don't have a smart phone because it saves us $40 a month for the data package. Before we had Jenna, we liked to take 1 or 2 vacations every year. Nothing extravagant, but we went to Vegas, San Diego, and our honeymoon in Cabo. Now we usually just make a trip out to AZ to visit my family or do a weekend trip somewhere close by. We also don't eat out as much - usually only 1 or 2 times per week.

- I work a few hours per week from home. I do not get rich doing this, but it helps a little. I make just enough to pay my student loans from my MBA program.

Other ways to save money:

- Get rid of internet, cable tv or both. You can probably save anywhere from $30-$100 per month.

- Don't grab Starbucks or other guilty vices. I used to grab a coffee 2-3 times per week...it adds up!

- Use coupons. I'm not an extreme couponer, but I do find some savings with coupons.

- Keep just one vehicle and/or carpool or use public transportation. This is harder when you are like me and live in a rural small community. But it's possible. Perhaps your husband can carpool with some people from work and only need the vehicle once a week. Or perhaps he can take public transportation. Also, many moms live within walking distance to several places.

- Think about money you save from not working: Paying a sitter/daycare (sometimes costs up to $600 per month), cost of fuel from commuting to work, buying work clothes, possibly eating out more for lunch/dinners.

Ways to Make Money From Home:

- Start babysitting/at home daycare. Someone once told me they make $5,000 per month with their at-home daycare.

- Ask your current employer about working from home. This is what I did. I never thought it would be a possibility until I asked. I don't usually do more than 10 hours per week, but I know several people that have full-time at home jobs.

- Start an at home business. There are plenty of women who've made a living with their Etsy stores online or other at-home businesses. If you have a craft or talent, you might be able to make a living doing it!

There are probably another 1,000 ways to make staying home possible. I think if you really want to do it, most people can find a way.

What helped convince me that I wouldn't miss my income is the fact that I am getting precious time with my little one that I would have missed out on. Oh well if we didn't buy a new bedroom set or take a cruise to the Bahamas...I have spent my daughter's entire first year with her. I wouldn't trade that for any amount of money!

Baby #2's First Photos

2011-06-20T07:43:00.003-06:00

We had our first ultrasound a few weeks ago and got some good images of Baby #2. At the time I was 10 weeks 5 days...and I couldn't believe how much the baby already looked like a baby. We could see the head, eye sockets, arms, legs and the beginnings of hands/feet/fingers/toes! The baby was also moving all over the place already!

I suppose it was surprising to me because I was expecting just a round blob...which is what Jenna looked like at her first ultrasound. I was only 6 weeks pregnant with her at that time. It's amazing how much a baby develops in a matter of weeks!

I don't want to get into the "abortion" debate, but seeing my baby at this stage, clearly a little human already, makes me wonder how some people argue that a fetus isn't really a baby yet....hmmmm????

I'm officially 12 weeks 3 days...almost finished with the first trimester!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T07:54:00.002-06:00

Hope my dad, my husband, and all of the wonderful fathers out there, have a great Father's Day! Miss Jenna made this cute poster with her handprints for her daddy's office!

Oops we did it again...

2011-06-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

That's right... Miss Jenna is going to be a big sister! Yikes! We've been trying to keep this a secret, but I'm getting bigger by the day, so it's time we shared our news.

I've anticipated the questions I will be getting so here are my answers:

Q: When are you due?
A: I'm 11 weeks, due Dec. 30. (Hopefully a tax deduction baby, not a New Year's Baby!) Since Jenna was late and we had to evict her, I'm just going to assume Baby #2 is going to be 1 - 2 weeks late.

Q. When did you find out?
A. The night of Mother's Day. We were shocked & excited. We decided not to tell anyone until we had our first ultrasound (which was Wednesday!).

Q: Are you guys crazy?
A: Yes. Yes we are very crazy! We were kinda hoping to wait a little longer, but we're excited. I wrote a blog post awhile back about "Baby No. 2".....I said we'd probably wait until Jenna was 2 to try and have another baby. Well I should have known that would seal our fate!

Q. Don't you know how this happens?
A. We do now, for sure!

Q. Are you going to find out the sex?
A. No. In addition to torturing our family and friends, we loved not finding out with Jenna so we will not find out with this one. We don't need to buy anything because our stuff is mostly gender neutral. The only items I am going to look at getting is a double stroller and possibly a king-size bed in the event that we end up with 2 babies sleeping with us! If we have a girl we can use Jenna's clothes and if we have a boy we can slowly stock up on those things after the baby is born.

Q. How's the pregnancy going?
A. I started out feeling super hungry. I was waking up in the middle of the night hungry. Then about a week after we found out, the nausea kicked in, which escalated into vomiting shortly after (lovely, I know!). There's nothing like being sick when you have a little one to chase after! I was definitely feel way worse with our second little bean than I ever did with Miss J. Maybe that means it's a boy? I started feeling better, so hopefully the nausea is gone for good!

Q. Any cravings?
A. I'm craving red chile. And I mean craving it. It's so weird...I didn't even really like red chile that much before. I was more of green chile kinda girl.

Q. Are you thinking about names?
A. No. My last pregnancy I told everyone my list of names and then got sad by some of the feedback people gave me. You wouldn't believe how vocal people are when it comes to names. Some of the comments I got were things like, "I don't like that name..." or "That name reminds me of this fat girl I used to know..." or "That name is too ethnic." We ended up picking "Jenna" which wasn't on any of our lists, so we hadn't gotten any negative feedback which was nice. This time we will not tell anyone our top names. Sorry!

We are definitely excited and thrilled yet terrified and nervous, all at the same time. Unless by some miracle I get Jenna potty-trained, I will have 2 in diapers. I also want to wean Jenna sometime before the new baby gets here (hopefully by 15 months). And I need to transition her into sleeping at night in her crib or we need to buy a King-Size bed to fit all the babies!

Some people swear it's not possible to "show" before like 16 weeks, but I disagree. Call it "bloating" call it "left-over stretched skin and fat from the first pregnancy"- I have a baby bump!

Jenna's 11 Month Update

2011-06-02T12:30:00.000-06:00

Little Jenna changes all of the time! I can't believe her birthday is 1 month away! YIKES!

I've decided to do the "Bumblebees" theme. I've been collection all things black and yellow for a couple of months now. I'm so excited to see how it all turns out. I still have to put together centerpieces and goodie bags soon.

As far as Jenna's changes from 10 - 11 months, she finally hit the crawling milestone. Everyone told me that it would happen overnight. That it did not. Jenna's more of gradual kind of gal. Right after she turned 10 months she started taking 2 or 3 steps (crawling) at a time. This went on for a week or two. Then she'd take 4 or 5 steps. This went on for another week. Finally, she started crawling wherever she wanted to go. Now I can't keep the little thing in one room!

Little Miss Jenna sure is getting a little attitude these days! Not only is she throwing a full out tantrum when she doesn't get her way...she's starting to do this pouty cry thing and get her feelings hurt. When I tell her "No" she sticks that bottom lip out and crocodile tears start pouring down.

She got in her first little fight with her older cousin over a Thomas the Train that they both wanted. The did a tug of war and when her cousin won, she turned and looked at his mom and did the pouty crocodile tears act. Worked like a charm....Jenna's auntie made her cousin Jayden give her the train! Spoiled little thing!

She's started to pull up to stand on different furniture and toys. She's still pretty unbalanced though. Not cruising furniture yet, but probably by next month. She got her first boo boo trying to stand and falling on the corner of a box... I'm sure there will be more to come.

She loves to play with dolls now. She hugs them and feeds them her crackers. Jenna loves the weirdest foods too...she loves black olives. She'll eat a whole can if you let her. She also loves onions. Raw onions. She stole one from her daddy's quarter pounder and sucked the juice right out of it. That baby smelled like onions all night!

She learned how to scold the dogs with her pointer finger saying "Neh, neh, neh!" I can't believe how much she talks. If we go to the grocery store, she sits in the cart and waves and says "hi" to everyone. Like a little parrot, "Hi!" "Hi!" Hi!" She also learned to say "Bye" "Pretty" and probably some other things I'm forgetting.

She likes to point to someones nose and try to say "nose." She gets confused with nose, eyes, and ears and kind of mixes them up, but she gets it right sometimes.

Physically she is exactly the same. Her weight is the same and she still in the same size diapers/clothes. I'm trying not to worry, I just hate it if they have to poke and prod her at her 1 year appointment because she hasn't grown any. We shall see...

Bachelorette Ashley's Teardrop Earrings

2011-05-31T22:18:00.004-06:00

Ashley's teardrop earrings from her date with William are from Bloomingdales....however Cookie Lee has a similar style for much less!

Get the Crystal Eternity Teardrop Earrings for $32. Plus I will offer free shipping for customers who order in the month of June. Email me at marcie.a.chavez AT gmail DOT com.

Make Your Own Baby Wipes

2011-05-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

I just started going to a fun craft night with some friends and our first project was to make our own baby wipes. I loved this project!

It's so fun and easy. My husband LOVES the new wipes too. So here's the recipe, courtesy of Jenn Friedan:

Ingredients:

VIVA paper towels (these are the best because they are cloth-like)
Container to put wipes in
2 Cups Water
3 Tbsp Baby Oil
3 Tbsp Baby lotion
3 Tbsp Baby Soap

Directions:
Cut a VIVA paper towel roll in half (cardboard and all). Carefully remove cardboard center. Place 1/2 of towel roll (minus the center) in a round plastic container. In a separate bowl mix the water, baby oil, baby lotion, and soap. Pour mixture over paper towel roll in the container. Put the lid onto the container and rotate until the whole roll is moistened.

Get Kate's Sapphire Ring

2011-05-20T04:56:00.004-06:00

Cookie Lee just added the "Sapphire Kate Ring" to the product line! The cool thing about this ring is that it comes with the stretch band, so you can wear it on any finger you choose. The stretch bands are also nice during the summer months if your fingers tend to swell.

To celebrate the new addition, I'm going to offer the ring to my customers for only $20 plus free shipping! (To get the special sale price, you must order via email: marcie.a.chavez@gmail.com).

Also for the remainder of May, I'm offering my customers a buy one get one half off sale. Buy any item from the Spring/Summer 2011 line and get another (your most expensive item!) half off.

You can always shop directly from my website: http://www.cookielee.biz/marciechavez. The only difference is that I cannot offer any specials on my website!

What's your skincare & makeup regimen?

2011-05-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

I've been on a crusade to find the perfect skincare and makeup regimen. It's no secret that I've struggled to have clear skin most of my life

I've always had oily prone skin, large pores, and breakouts in the T-zone area. During adolescence and college, my birth control pills kept most of it in check. Then I got pregnant with Jenna and had the worst skin ever. I am still recovering from it. Now I'm not taking birth control pills, so my skin is back to its bad behavior!

I think I might have found a good solution that I've been using for about a month. My skin seems to be clearing up. I'm still breaking out a little bit on my chin, but I think that's mostly from touching my face too much!

So here's what seems to be working for me:

Cleanse: Acne.org Cleanser

Treatment: Acne.org 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide (all over treatment)

Moisturize: Acne.org Moisturizer with Jojoba oil

PM Treatment: Philosophy On a Clear Day Retinol Treatment

Weekly Mask: Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask from Walgreens or Soap.com

(I've been debating on trying to find an eye cream to add to the regimen...any suggestions?)

Makeup:

Everyday Minerals - Intense Base, Concealer, and Blush

*Everyday Minerals is the bomb! I love this stuff...I think it provides the same coverage as a foundation, but in powder form. They also have FREE samples you can order online to find your shade before you purchase.

Mascara - Maybelline Lash Stilleto (although Dior Show is my favorite, but expensive!)

Eye shadow - ELF (from Target)

How about you? What are your must-have beauty products? What have you found to keep your skin clear?

Jenna's 10 Month Update

2011-05-03T19:52:00.006-06:00

Jenna is 10 months old!

I wouldn't say she is crawling, but she does get where she needs to go via the scoot and pivot. She loves to slide under furniture and shuffle backwards. She will crawl on all fours maybe 2 or 3 steps, but that's it.

Her new favorite thing to do is wave and say "Hi." She does this a lot! Even to strangers. She seems to be laughing a lot more lately as well. She also has a fake laugh that she uses to mimic someone who's laughing. She tries to say, "birdie" and "baby."

She LOVES dancing. I mean LOVES it. Anytime music comes on she starts bopping her head and shaking. She's so smart too...now when I start singing familiar songs like "If you're happy & you know it" or "Where is thumbkin" she starts doing the hand movements even before I do them!

We had her 9 month appointment and her growth has seemed to slow way down. She's still in normal ranges, but went from 80% percentile around 2 months to 50% at 6 months and now 20% at 10 months. The doc said not to worry, we'll just keep an eye on her. She might just end up being a petite lil' thing.

She got one more bottom tooth (this makes 2) and I think she's going to more soon. She seems to be teething, so maybe the top front two will come in.

Weight: 17.5 lbs
Clothing size: 12 months
Diaper size: in size 3's
Milestones: Dances lots, had first Easter, blows kisses, plays Peek-A-Boo, fake laughs, 2nd tooth, says "Hi", "birdie," "baby." Dances lots!

I want it all...

2011-04-20T08:34:00.003-06:00

Maybe I'm being selfish, but I think it's safe to say, I want it all.

I want to stay home with my baby, but I also want to work part-time from home (as I have been). I want to have a clean and decorated home. I want nice things and matching furniture. I want to make healthy dinners for my family every night. I want to watch my favorite shows on tv. I want to keep up with my friends on FB. I want to blog and read blogs. I want to craft and create. I want to read the zillion books on my "to read" list. I want to exercise and stay healthy. I want to take vacations. I want to try new recipes. I want to visit old friends. The list goes on...

I just can't seem to find a good balance of it all lately...and I'm frustrated.

It seems like when I focus the week on having a clean house, I have no time for anything else. When I spend time on the internet or crafting, my house is a disaster (as I'm writing this, I am 3 loads of laundry behind). When I spend time trying to knock of everything on my to-do list, Jenna reminds me that some days we are on HER schedule, not mine.

Last week I had a meltdown because I was trying to do too much - move baby gear into storage, clean my floors, finish my carseat covers for the craft fair - and Jenna was not cooperating. She cried and whined anytime I was trying to do something other than play or hold her. I got so frustrated with her and then realized, maybe the problem was me, not my fussy baby! Jenna deserves my attention too. I think sometimes I need to just stop and do nothing and enjoy my daughter.

Is it possible to have it all? Do it all? Or maybe when you're a parent you have to sacrifice certain things to take care of your family... Does society put too much pressure on us to have it all and be good at everything?

Easter DIY: Simply Fabulous Ideas

2011-04-12T23:13:00.009-06:00

In need of some Easter ideas? Here's a collection of my favorites...

Peeps Vase by The Autocrat

Peeps Rice Crispy Treats

Cadbury Cream Cupcakes by Cupcake Takes the Cake

Wrapped Spring Vases by Hostess with the Mostess

Easter Topiary from My Garden of Eden

Chick Marshmallow Treats from Living Locurto

Baa Baa Black Sheep Treats from Tip Junkie

Take the button below to let everyone know you've been featured!

Kids are growing up too fast these days...

2011-04-07T06:00:00.001-06:00

It seems like young kids are 10 going on 25 these days...everywhere you turn you see/hear about tweens getting pregnant, having sex, "sexting" each other, lying to their parents, not caring about school...it's sad & crazy.

I was reading the Penelope Blue blog and she posted a fabulous "letter" to tween girls that I just had to share with you...

It's kind of scary to have a daughter these days...

Maternity Photos

2011-04-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

If you don't like looking at pregnant bellies...look no further!

I finally got around to ordering my maternity photos. Here's just a few...

I'm so glad my husband convinced me to do them. When he first brought up the idea of getting maternity photos, I was like, "Are you kidding? I am the fattest I've EVER been, I'm swollen, bloated, oily-skinned, over-tired....NO WAY!"

I'm glad I gave it a chance...it's so neat to remember how I felt when Jenna was in my belly...we didn't know if she was a she or he, what she would look like, what kind of personality she had....She always had hiccups every evening and always got kinda feisty around 8 or 9 pm - like she was playing kickball in my belly! It was such a neat feeling and such a blessing to grow another human being inside of me.

Jenna's 9 Month Update

2011-04-04T20:57:00.008-06:00

Jenna is 9 months old! I'm a couple days late posting this, but better late than never!

Lots happened between 8 and 9 months.

Still no crawling...but she has mastered sliding backwards to get where she needs to go. I am trying hard not to fixate on the fact that she's not crawling...everything I read says "crawling isn't an essential milestone," but I still wish she was doing it.

I almost wonder if this "sliding" is preferable to her because we don't have any carpet in our house. Our whole house is covered in wood laminate flooring with tile in the bathrooms. I have a big area rug in the living room, but that's it. Crawling on the laminate is hard on the knees, but sliding around on the belly is much more comfortable...so I don't really blame her for not crawling.

She has become insistent on feeding herself. She uses her little pointer and thumb to pick up the tiniest of objects - she started doing this at 7 months, but now she's really mastered it. She can find the tiniest rock, piece of lint, glitter, whatever! She loves pretty much all food. This month she started drinking through a straw as well. I had to go out and buy all new sippy cups because she doesn't like the spout kind, she likes the straws.

She mimics facial expressions and noises. If you smack your lips together, so will she. If you laugh she will do this fake laugh thing which is funny.

I'm convinced she's already talking too. When Jeremy calls my phone, his picture shows up and Jenna says, "Dada dada dada..." Every morning when we go outside to feed the dog, she says, "Dah." She says "mamama" when she's upset. She's said "ball" and "no" a few times, but not consistently yet. She knows the sign for milk and claps her hands together for more. I need to start to try and teach her things like "juice" and "diaper change."

She doesn't seem to have grown much this month. We'll know for sure after her 9 month appointment next week.

I almost forgot - she also got her FIRST tooth! A little snaggle tooth on the bottom :-) I bet there will be more to come soon.

Weight: roughly 18 lbs still
Height: not sure, but she's kind of on the short side like her mama
Clothing size: Size 9 - 12 months, 12 months for PJs
Diaper size: in size 3's
Milestones: Uses her pointer and thumb to pick up small objects, mimics expressions and sounds, slides backwards to get where she wants to go, drinking through a straw, saying Mama, Dada, Dog (Dah), first tooth (on the bottom)!

Now for the photos! I'm going show you how the conversation went during this interaction:

Mommy: "Smile Jenna"
Jenna: "Oooh picture time"

Jenna: "Check out my cool spoon.."

Jenna: "Hmmm that's an interesting camera you have there."
Mommy: "Don't grab the camera, baby!"

Jenna: "I just want to see the camera for a second..."
Mommy: "No..."

Jenna: "AHHH! You vile woman! Just give me the damn camera!"
Mommy: "Alright, alright!"

This baby already knows how to get her way....I'm dreading the teenage years!

Organizing with Containers

2011-04-04T06:30:00.001-06:00

I'm so excited that I recently re-organized two small areas in my house. Nothing extreme, by any means (I haven't had the courage to start on my hoarder's den-of-an-office yet), but definitely a great start to my Spring Cleaning Fever!

I LOVE my house. We have a flat-roof, stucco, southwest style house, built in the 50s or 60s. The only bad part about the house is that back in those days, most houses had really small bathrooms and closets. So my masterbath is not big enough for a full-size vanity. As a result of this, I put makeup on and do my hair in our room and use a dresser as the place to store all my goodies.

This is what my dresser usually looks like...

Disturbing, right? This scene has electrical/trip hazard written all over it. Poor my husband - every time he tried to get into his sock drawer he'd end up tangled in my blow dryer or extension cords...so, it was time to get organized.

I found these cute matching baskets at Dollar General for $4-$6 each. Not bad, huh?

Next, I tackled my entryway table.

This is what the entryway table usually looks like...papers stacked everywhere. I love piles - piles of unopened mail, piles of opened but not sorted mail, piles of junk mail...etc. I desperately needed to get organized.

I ordered some nice containers from The Container Store and re-organized. The bottom shelf includes a file organizer. The files are labeled - To Be Paid, To Be Filed, To Take Action On, Marcie's Work, Jeremy's Work/School.

I ordered three magazine holders - one for catalogs I want to save, one for Jeremy's 4Wheeler Magazines, and one for my Martha Stewart and Parenting Magazines.

On top I have two boxes - incoming mail (that hasn't been opened or sorted) and outgoing mail that needs to be taken to the post office. My husband thinks the mailboxes are redundant and we won't end up using them...but we'll see. I think it's going to work nicely! I especially like not having piles of unopened mail for all to see as they walk in!

Hottest Colors for Spring

2011-04-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

According to HGTV, the color of the year is honeysuckle (a bright shade of pink). I'm pretty sure my husband would kill me if I re-decorated our home in bright pink...

I have to admit, I do like bright pink much more than pastel pink, but I just don't think I could decorate anything other than a girls bedroom in it. It's just too girly for me!

There was a house we were looking at buying a couple of years ago and it was chock full of pink - pink carpet, pink bedroom walls, pink countertops and walls in the kitchen, pink countertops in the bathrooms, pink paint on the outside...it was just too much...

I'm much more into bright apple green, yellow, and gray this season.

*From Kreyv Blog

Jen's Family Room @ IHeart Organizing

*From ijoos.com

What do you think of honeysuckle? What colors are you into this spring?

Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Tacos

2011-04-01T07:27:00.005-06:00

I recently tried a "trial" subscription for Make 5 Dinners in One Hour. I LOVE this menu-planning program...but that's for another post. Right now I just want to feature a recipe from my trial subscription that I absolutely love. I think these shredded beef tacos are better than any ground beef tacos I've ever had!

Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Tacos

Ingredients

2 lb beef roast (or larger depending on your family size)
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Dried oregano
1 tsp crushed garlic
4 oz can diced green chilis (or use fresh/frozen, or use Rotel diced tomatoes w/ green chilis)
10 oz can diced tomatos
Package of flour tortillas

(Toppings - sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole. Serve with chips and salsa or rice and beans.)

To Make Ahead:

Place first 6 ingredients in a large zipper bag and refrigerate until you are ready to make.

Directions:

Pour bag contents in slow cooker and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours.
Shred meat with two forks
Serve on flour tortillas with cheese, sour cream, & guacamole along with chips and salsa or rice and beans.
You can make your own guacamole, but I've found the refrigerated varieties at the grocery store to be very good and much faster if you are in a hurry!

Image: From TheSimpleSkillet.com

Ultimate Blog Party on Friday

2011-03-31T05:30:00.002-06:00

I'm usually not much for entering giveaways, but the Ultimate Blog Party at 5MinutesforMom is something that shouldn't be missed! In addition to the prizes, it's a great way to meet other bloggers.

For info about me read this post: Things You Should Know About Me. Leave me a comment and I will be sure to stop by your blog.

I've donated two Cookie Lee items as one of the prizes for the party - valued at $50!!! So make sure to visit 5MinutesforMom on April 1st to enter to win.

Etsy Shop Feature: The Sweet Life by Design

2011-03-29T05:30:00.000-06:00

I recently purchased a fabulous handmade case for my new Kindle from The Sweet Life By Design.

This shop features adorable cases for pretty much any gadget - Ipod, Iphone, Cell Phones, Ipad, eReaders...

I ordered mine with an additional wrist strap and back pocket.

Check out just a few of the other awesome fabrics/styles available...

Alisa also has an amazing blog with lots of great recipes and craft ideas. So be sure to stop by her Etsy shop and blog!

Organizing My Office

2011-03-28T05:00:00.002-06:00

I need some serious help, ladies. I'm almost considering hiring professional help.

My office/craft room/sewing room/study room/storage-of-all-junk-room is just out of control.

It looks like something from an episode of TLC's Hoarders. Part of my problem is that I don't have enough storage space. I have boxes of files from work that need a home. I have books. I have crafts. I have sewing stuff. I need a workspace to sew and craft and I need a separate space for my computer/work stuff. I need an organized way to keep my files.

I'm going to spend the next few weeks trying to find office organization inspiration. Please use the linky below to link up your own office posts or other favorite spaces you've come across. Send me your suggestions, please!

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Half Off Jewelry Sale

2011-03-27T23:13:00.009-06:00

INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE!!!

FALL/WINTER ITEMS 50% off!

Pearl Fusion Bracelets set - NOW $14, (was $28)

7 Lucky bangels set, size M/L – NOW $18, (was $36)

Large rope hoops - NOW $10, (was $20)

Relax shell necklace - NOW $18, (was $36)

Cross Ring - NOW $10, (was $20)

*FREE US Domestic shipping when you buy any 2 items!

(Otherwise $3 shipping).

*Free delivery in the Grants, NM area.

To order email me - marcie.a.chavezATgmailDOTcom

Easiest Slow Cooker Beef Recipe

2011-03-25T08:46:00.003-06:00

I found the easiest, tastiest slow cooker beef recipe at the Living Locurto Blog. The recipe is actually from Tidy Mom's blog. It can be served up with a side of rolls, mac and cheese, potatoes, broccoli...you name it!

Ingredients
2 pound Chuck roast*** (or more depending on the size of your family)
1 Cup Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce (or your favorite BBQ sauce)
1/2 cup Italian Dressing
2 Tbsp C&H Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions
1. In a small bowl mix Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce, dressing sugar and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Place the roast in slow cooker.
3. Pour sauce mix over roast.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours.
5. Remove roast and place on platter or cutting board
6. Shred roast with knife and fork, then return to sauce (I actually didn't shred this roast, just sliced it, and it came out just as good).
7. Serve on hoagie rolls or your favorite buns.

My Must-Read Blogs

2011-03-21T08:15:00.004-06:00

In my spare time ~~while I let the baby entertain herself~~ I love reading blogs. Here's a list of my favs:

1. The Possessionista:

Ever watch a TV show and fall in love with someone's skirt, dress, accessories? Dana from the Possessionista tracks down the items we all love so we can A) Purchase them for ourselves or B) Envy the characters who get to wear them because we can't afford them! She specializes in finding out what the Bachelor/Bachelorette folks are wearing, which I find fascinating.

2. Living Locurto

This blog is awesome. Amy, the author, has the cutest printables that she offers her subscribers for FREE. I used her iPhone Candy Wrap for Valentine's day and it was a hit! I also love her weekly meal plans - these are so easy to follow and taste yummy too.

3. The Mommyologist

This is a hilarious mommy blog that any mom can appreciate. I love her new post entitled: 10 Tips for New Dads (Read this if you ever want to get laid again). Some old favorites,10 Reasons Moms Need Wine, Life's Manual for the Not-Quite-Preggo Gals, and the Parental Bullshit Translator.

4. Parenting by Dummies

Another funny momma blog you should read for a good laugh. This momma also happens to be a great photographer and was featured on TLC's "What Not To Wear." She has hilarious "Dumb Mom Guides" like her "Dumb Mom's Guide to Air Travel."

5. Baby Makin(g) Machine

This is a great new mommy blog. Jennifer Johnson writes about everything from work/home balance, photography, cute baby clothes/accessories, cloth diapering, and more. She's a journalist/newscaster and new momma. I always enjoy her posts and can relate to much of what she writes...our babies were even born the same month.

6. Positively Splendid

Amy @ Positively Splendid always has the BEST craft ideas. I find her projects to be affordable, easy, and adorable!

7. The Pioneer Woman

Every blogger dreams of becoming this woman. She has book deals and appeared on talk shows. She pretty much saved my hair too. I got the idea from one of her posts to do a vinegar rinse on my hair (she has really hard water too), and it worked. I owe my life to this woman! Her recipes are also AMAZING.

What other great blogs should I be reading?

Get Emily's Black/Crystal Initial's Bracelet 50% off

2011-03-18T09:25:00.004-06:00

**UPDATE - MONDAY, March 28***

Unfortunately, I am no longer selling the bracelet for 1/2 off. I had a huge response to the sale and it has just become too overwhelming to take the orders, invoice, and ship out each individual order.

The good news is that you can still get the bracelet on my website at full price. You can order online at: http://www.cookielee.biz/marciechavez.

Thank you to everyone who took advantage of the sale, I appreciate the business!

Due to an overwhelming response from my readers, I am going to offer the bracelet that Emily from the Bachelor wore for 50% off for another week!

The black leather bracelet is usually $18.00, but for one week, I will sell it for $9.00! The charms are $4 each - I have every letter of the alphabet plus hearts, stars, peace signs, and breast cancer ribbons.

I accept Paypal, so if anyone is interested send me an email (marcie.a.chavez AT gmail DOT com) with your order, I will email you a Paypal invoice so you can pay me securely. The orders take about 10 days to receive.

I've already sold about 20 of these things since she wore it on the show. I wish I could just send my whole inventory to Ashley Hebert (the next Bachelorette) and then I'd really be in business!

Check out this YouTube Video that the company made featuring the bracelet - the Personally Haute Charm Bracelet.

Must have Maxi Dress...

2011-03-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Maxi's are in. Like WAY in. Everybody's getting one. In fact, I just ordered one off of Old Navy for only $29.94. Plus I had a coupon for 30% off!

Forever 21: $27.80

New York & Co: $69.95

Swell has a huge selection of adorable Maxi dresses, many under $60.

Target has a large selection as well. Many priced around $20 or less!

Window shopping...

2011-03-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have an itch...an itch to buy a new purse (one that can double up as a diaper bag). So...I've been window shopping online to scope out my favs.

I've been interested in the Miche Big Bags for some time now. They are unique in that you buy the bag base and then you can purchase various shells to clip on the outside. This seems like a great idea in theory... Does anyone have a Miche Bag? If so, do you like it?

I love, love, love, Etsy shops. These cute bags are available on Etsy from AubreyPlays:

Another cute Etsy shop, Charm Designs:

I've also been eyeing this Jessica Simpson bag at Macy's:

Decisions, decisions...

There goes my five minutes...get Emily's initial bracelet

2011-03-16T09:04:00.007-06:00

**UPDATE - MONDAY, March 28***

The good news is that you can still get the bracelet on my website at full price. You can order online at: http://www.cookielee.biz/marciechavez.

Thank you to everyone who took advantage of the sale, I appreciate the business!

*******

I'm kicking myself right now. I read the Possessionista's blog religiously. Like more than once a day. I'm obsessed with the fashion of reality tv stars and the Possessionista tracks down what they are wearing so we can either A) Purchase the items so we can look just like them or B) Envy these items because we can't afford them.

When watching the Bachelor, I noticed Emily had this black and crystal initial bracelet with the letters JRH. I'm guessing it's her daughter's initials (obviously not Brad's 'cuz he's just not that cool).

The minute I saw it, I knew it was the Personally Haute Charm Bracelet by Cookie Lee. I should have emailed the Possessionista immediately and then she would have mentioned me on her blog. But I didn't. So she mentioned this other person who sells Cookie Lee and emailed her. There goes my five minutes of fame. Boo!

If you want Emily's crazy cool bracelet, I sell them. And for TODAY ONLY, I'll even sell you the bracelet 50% off. The bracelet is normally $18.00, so today it's $9.00. You can choose any intials/charms you want to include for $4 each. I sell each letter of the alphabet plus hearts, breast cancer ribbons, peace sign, and stars.

If you're interested, shoot me an email - marcie.a.chavez AT gmail DOT com.

Baby Number 2

2011-03-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

No, I am not pregnant. But I do know lots of pregnant people. In fact, four people I know announced they are pregnant. Plus, I know about 3 more people ready to pop any day now. And I know two people who just had a baby. Needless to say, I've decided not to drink water anymore (just kidding).

All of this baby talk got me thinking about Baby Number 2. A part of me has a touch of baby fever. I know that I want Jenna to have a sibling. The tough part is deciding when to have another baby or how far to space your children.

I'd love for my children to be close in age for a few reasons. One - maybe they'd ~~fight like cats and dogs~~ be bestest friends and play and love each other if they are closer in age. Me and my little bro are almost 5.5 years apart and I don't feel like we were really friends or "played." We couldn't relate as much because he was so young. And he was a boy. Our interactions consisted of me trying con him into something dumb, like trading me his birthday money for a gumball, and him trying to sabbotage my sleepovers.

Another reason it would be nice for my kids to be close in age is to get the whole pregnancy thing out of the way. I'm going to be honest...I didn't like being pregnant all that much. Sure I loved feeling baby kicks and seeing ultrasounds, but overall, I did not like feeling like a cranky, beached whale, who can't sleep well. The sooner you pop out all the kids you want to have, the sooner you can get in shape again ~~attempt reclaim your body, lose the baby weight, and maybe replace those sad, sagging milk makers with some nice silicon ones~~. I've been trying to lose some more weight and get in shape, but sometimes I wonder what for? If I end up having another baby in the near future, it's like a waste of energy.

The other side of me wants to space my kids out. There are days when Jenna is ~~having a complete meltdown~~ cranky and I think to myself, "If I had another baby, I would pull my hair out!" The thought of having two in diapers, two kids to entertain, terrifies me. Toddlers require lots of attention. Some infants do too. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. It would be nice to give one-on-one attention to Jenna, then send her off to preschool right about the time we have another baby, and feel like I have time to give the new baby lots of love and attention.

When it comes to child spacing, I don't think either way is better, there are just trade offs.

Jeremy is a great daddy and helps me when he can. But he's also currently 1/3 of the way through his Master's program, which takes up his time in the evenings (for reading and homework), and half of his weekends are spent in Albuquerque going to class. So he doesn't always have time to take the baby off of my hands. Thankfully, both of our parents live here so they help us out a lot when I need a break.

So I'm thinking for us, now might not be the best time to have another baby. We'll probably end up waiting until he's finished or near finished with his Master's to have Baby Number 2.

Will Brad and Emily Live Happily Ever After?

2011-03-15T07:25:00.003-06:00

I'll admit it, I'm addicted to trashy reality shows (especially those that involve handing out roses weekly). I enjoyed watching Brad's do-over season with Emily and Chantal in the final running (mostly I enjoyed watching crazy Michelle talk trash every week).

I actually had more fun watching the "After the Final Rose" show than the finale. After last nights' episode slash "intervention," the outlook is bleak to say the least, for Brad and Emily.

Emily seems to have had a rough time watching the season. And who can blame her? I certainly wouldn't want to have to watch my finance date ~~smooch, grope, and enjoy slumber parties~~ with other women every Monday night. Especially after I'm sure she thought what she had with Brad was "unique." And it probably was in his mind...but while he was falling "in love" with Emily, he sure wasn't objecting to spending romantic dates with the other women (especially Chantal). Not to mention, Emily had to deal with the tabloids and Brad's ex coming out from the woodworks saying they were supposedly "engaged" before he went on the show. I feel for the poor girl. That must be torture. What better way to stir up feelings of jealousy and insecurity than to see your love with other women (every Monday night)?

Emily also eluded to the fact that she was bugged that Brad didn't save certain things just for her, since he supposedly had strong feelings for her early on. Translation: "I can't believe you slept with Chantal in that Fantasy Suite, you f*ing pig." I think any woman would feel the same way...

Of course the show is "The Bachelor" not "Let's Watch Brad and Emily Fall in Love," so you can argue that Emily should have known what she was getting into. Yes, she should have realized that pretty much all men are pigs, and of course Brad is going to sleep with other girls and take advantage of being able to date multiple women at once, guilt-free. But Ido sympathize with her, because if it were me, I would be pissed too! Of course I wouldn't want to run off and get married right away after watching him with the other girls.

Emily was also bugged that the show portrayed her as "boring." I don't blame her for that either, but when you sign up for the Bachelor, you never know how they are going to spin the show. Their focus is on the ratings and they manipulate the show to keep viewers entertained. They only show us what they want us to see, of course.

The funniest part of the show was the "intervention" when they brought out the whole three couples who've actually stayed together. I loved it when Jason Mesnick said, "We're here for you." Like it's Recovering Bachelor Support Group! Basically, I think in order for Brad and Emily to work out, she's going to have to get over everything that happened on the show and move on, and Brad is going to have to work hard to make Emily feel like he really loves her.

I think it's smart of Emily to say they need time to be a real couple in the real world before she moves to Austin, and shakes up her and her daughter's lives. I hope Brad and Emily work out because I really do love a happy ending.

New Blog Design!

2011-03-15T06:02:00.003-06:00

I thought it was about time to change up my blog design. If you're reading this in a reader, you should stop on by and check it out.

Amy over at Designer Blogs designed my new look. This is actually one of their Premade Designs that she tweaked and customized for my liking. Designer Blogs has a lot of beautiful Premades or you can do a totally custom blog. They even have some $10 Blog Templates if you want a stylish new look that won't break the bank.

Hope everyone enjoys the new look! Please grab my new button :-)

So Fly Boutique Review

2011-03-14T20:06:00.008-06:00

Anyone who has a baby girl knows that accessories are a must-have! I LOVE finding cute bows, headbands, and hats for little Miss J.

Fortunately for me, my friend Andrea from So Fly Boutique makes great accessories that won't break the bank. Lots of her bows are only $4!!!

Little Miss Jenna has a few bows from So Fly Boutique. I always get great compliments on them. I have a brown and white cupcake bow and an adorable red, black, and white bow. She can pretty much make anything you can imagine as well, so if you have something in mind, just ask her!

Here's a few of her fabulous bows:

I also own a beautiful wipe case made by So Fly Boutique. These are absolutely adorable.

Visit her Facebook Page to check out what she has in stock. "Like" her page to make sure you don't miss any of her specials or promotions! Support Work-At-Home-Mommies!

Top 2 Tuesday: Random Facts About Me

2011-03-14T18:44:00.003-06:00

Random Facts About Me

I haven't joined in a Top 2 Tuesday in a long time, so I decided to get back in the game this week.

1. I make my bed everyday. I can't stand when my bed isn't made. I didn't used to be like this, but ever since I got married I love keeping the bed made. I can count on one hand how many days last year it wasn't made!

2. I love thrift stores. I get a great pleasure out of finding great deals on cool stuff. My favorite is Other Mothers in Albuquerque.

My new favorite cleaning products

2011-03-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have been on the lookout for some safer, "greener," cleaning products. Think about it...if you have to use a mask and gloves to use a cleaner, it's probably not very safe! What about fumes? What about toxic residue? What if my baby is harmed by my cleaners?

I've been using vinegar lately for A LOT of things, and it actually works quite well. This got me thinking...what if natural, safer cleaning products work just as good and they are better for our health?

I found Better Life cleaning products. I am SO happy with their products. They promise safe, nontoxic, and effective cleaning.

I really like their "Even the Kitchen Sink" scrubber. I've used it to clean my stovetop and it got all the baked on food and splatter right off. I also like their "What-ever" all purpose cleaner. I use it to wipe off most of our surfaces, countertops, high chair, etc.

I purchased mine from Soap.com because I had a trial coupon code, but I think you can buy directly from their website or from some retail stores.

Sure these are more expensive than buying a cheap container of comet, but I am hoping it's worth it. Plus, who am I kidding, I don't clean that often, so these should last me for awhile!

RIP Barney the Pug

2011-03-12T07:36:00.006-07:00

As many of you know, in November we lost our fawn pug, Barney. He escaped from our yard and we never found him. We canvased the neighborhood, put up flyers, checked the shelter, vet office, posted ads in the newspaper and never found him.

Then we got a call last night that a man found his remains by a road and saw his tag so he called us. In a way, I'm happy to finally have closure. But it's very sad because I was hoping he was alive, just with a new family. I'm so sad for my poor Barney. He was a good pug and we'll miss him.

Potty training already???

2011-03-11T06:24:00.007-07:00

My darling hubby got me a Kindle for Christmas and ever since then, I've been a readin' fool! I recently just finished a great book: Diaper-Free Before 3. Reading this book has fueled a new interest in "elimination communication" or early potty training.

I didn't imagine I would even think about potty training until Jenna was around a year, year and a half. But after reading Dr. Jill's book, I am ready to give "EC" a try.

She discusses how as a country, the average age a kid is potty trained has evolved from 18 months in the 1950's to 3 & 1/2 years old today! She attributes some of this to the advent of disposable diapers, versus using cloth, and the increased popularity of the school of thought that early potty training is emotionally scarring for children (which she points out is not based on any concrete science).

She suggests putting babies on the potty as soon as they are able to sit up. You start by putting your baby on the potty first thing after sleep/naps, meals, before bath & bedtime. Even if they don't go, they start to get used to the potty as a normal routine. Eventually, you start catching some tinkles and poo poo's. From there you move on to cotton training pants and so on.

So after reading the book, I went out and bought Jenna a potty -the Baby Bjorn. It was recommended by the book because it has few parts, easy to clean, and supports baby well.

Jenna took a tinkle in her potty within the first hour of having it! I was thrilled. Now I'm focusing on getting in a routine of putting her on the potty right after she wakes up, after meals, and before bed. So far I've caught at least 3-4 pees per day and I've gotten one poop! Not bad for a beginner.

I can see this process is going to take some effort on my part. In the short-term, it's so much easier to just throw a diaper on a baby and not worry about putting her on the potty...but I'm willing to try this and see what happens. If it helps her become fully trained before age 2, I would be thrilled!

If anyone else out there has experience with early potty training, I'd love to hear your thoughts/tips/etc.

Jenna's 8 Month Update

2011-03-02T14:36:00.008-07:00

Miss Jenna is 8 months today! She's changed a lot from 7 to 8 months. She knows how to wave and clap. Just yesterday she did the sign for milk... so I'm hoping with a little persistence and practice, she'll be signing regularly!

She is show a lot more interest in crawling. She lunges forward and moves her legs and arms like she's trying to crawl...she just hasn't mastered the art of getting on her hands and knees yet.

She's talking a TON. She says "mama" a lot and sometimes "dada" and "baba" and "yaya". I'm not sure that she has a clue as to what she's saying, but I do notice when she gets fussy and cries she says, "mamamamama" a lot.

I am already planning her first birthday party :-). More details to come soon!

I also just ordered Jenna her very first potty. I am going to start early potty training or "elimination communication" as some call it. I will write another post soon on this topic.

Weight: roughly 18 lbs
Height: not sure, but she's kind of on the short side like her mama
Clothing size: Size 9 - 12 months, 12 months for PJs
Diaper size: in size 3's
Milestones: Waves, claps, bangs things together, eats baby rice crackers by herself, tries to pick up food by herself, lunges forward to crawl

Simply Fabulous Idea: No-Sew Scarves

2011-02-22T06:21:00.007-07:00

I love this idea from the DIY Dish! Cute t-shirt scarves...no sewing! What an awesome idea. For step-by-step instructions, go to their site & check out the video!

My Valentine's Day Debaucle!

2011-02-15T06:45:00.006-07:00

I thought I was being quite clever when I planned my little V-Day surprise for the hubby...unfortunately it didn't totally work out as planned...

My husband gets up every morning around 4:45 to leave the house by 5:15 to get to work before 6:30 AM. Me & Jenna usually snooze our way through the morning and don't get up until well after he's gone, around 8 AM.

Clever little me decided it would be sweet to cook my husband a V-Day breakfast of bacon & heart-shaped pancakes. It sounded good in theory... So I set my alarm to get up early.

The alarm went off and I roll out of bed at 4:45 (I am not a morning person, btw) and did I mention I'm completely blind without my glasses? So I head to the fridge without my glasses, open it and see my beautiful flowers from my husband.

As I pull my flowers out of the fridge, I proceed to knock over his mom's flowers all over my kitchen floor - water and leaves are everywhere. Damn! So I try to clean up the mess and realize I'm running out of time to cook breakfast.

So I hurry and start the bacon and pancakes. I used one of the shake and pour pancake mixes for the first time. Little did I know those suckers build up pressure while your shaking. I opened the bottle and mix blew up all over me - face, hair, shirt, everywhere!

(Warning: Pancake mix may blow up in your face!)

So with what little mix that was actually left in the container, I attempted the pancakes. I used a heart cookie cutter, but was having trouble getting the right amount so it wasn't too thick. The first one I tried ended up deformed... looking more like a massacred pancake than a heart pancake. The second one I tried burned... and set off the smoke alarm.

So my pancakes should have looked like this:

They ended up looking more like this:

My husband runs in trying to turn the smoke alarm off...he did but it was too late, I woke Jenna up. So here I am on Valentine's Day with water all over the floor, pancake mix in my hair and eyebrows, burnt, deformed pancakes, and a mad woken up baby.

Needless to say, I finally whipped up edible pancakes for my husband before he left for work :-) What did everyone else do for V-Day?

Valentine Craft Project

2011-02-04T13:37:00.007-07:00

I did a little Valentine's project with my little sister (from the BBBS program) over at Future Foundations. The project cost me about $1 per box or less!

Supplies -

Fortune Cookie boxes (I found silver mini boxes at Dollar Tree, 5 for $1)
Paper tags
Ribbon
Double sided tape
Fortune Cookies

I took this pic with my cell phone, so it's not very good, but you get the idea.

You can download the free printable tags and get more info on this project from the eighteen25 blog. You can download the tags for teachers or the regular tags.

Here' s a photo of the project from the eighteen25 blog:

Jenna is 7 months!

2011-02-02T12:00:00.008-07:00

Jenna is 7 months today!!! It doesn't seem like she's changed that much since her 6 month update. She's got great hand-eye coordination and reaches for and picks up anything she wants. She loves cell phones, laptops, and any other electronics. She's finally got a little bit of hair and it seems to be growing more everyday.

She likes watching the show Little Bill on Nick Jr. She has been shrieking and squealing a lot more. She loves playing Peek-A-Boo. She rolls around when she needs something and no one is right next to her to get it, otherwise, she just cries for me to give her what she wants!

We've had a battle with the solid foods. She LOVES everything, but not everything loves her. She gets constipated very easily, so I've had to do away with rice cereal and switch to oatmeal and I have to limit any bananas, carrots, and other constipating foods. We've been doing more of the peaches, pears, prunes, and peas which has helped. She prefers to taste whatever we're eating instead of baby food.

We've been trying a sippy cup, but she just chews on the spout and doesn't quite get that she can suck and liquid will come out. She will drink from a regular plastic cup, but always ends up getting wet! She's becoming more stubborn about taking a bottle. She shuts her lips closed tight and refuses sometimes. But if she gets hungry enough, she'll drink!

She doesn't nap very good during the day, still. She takes 30 minute cat naps morning, noon, and afternoon, then one in the evening. She's still sleeping in bed with us. She's been nursing a lot more at night and early morning, so it's just easier on everyone if she is in bed with me instead of getting up.

Weight: roughly 17 lbs
Height: I think maybe 26 or 27 inches
Diapers: Still size 2 but ready for 3's
Clothing: She's got such a long torso that she's wearing 9 - 12 months, but her arms and legs are shorter and would fit better in 6 months, so I end up folding her sleeves and pant legs! LOL.
Milestones: She's not crawling yet and doesn't really seem interested in crawling. She just lunges forward, face plants, and then gets mad!

Staying at home - Did I make the right choice?

2011-01-28T07:34:00.003-07:00

As I'm writing this post, I'm laying in bed with my little Jenna sleeping next to me. We are in no hurry to get up. We sleep in everyday (until around 8). We stay in our pajamas until around noon. We are in no hurry to go anywhere. We eat breakfast together, play together, rest together. In the afternoon we run our errands and on Mondays and Wednesdays I do a little bit of work from home for the hospital. We get dinner ready for daddy around 4 or 5. And that's how we spend our days. And I love it.

Deciding to quit work full-time and stay home with Jenna was the hardest decision I've ever had to make. I had a great career and an MBA. I was so worried I would regret being home with her. I know it's only been about 7 months, but I am positive I made the right decision. I have no regrets!

Sure, there are "downsides"to staying at home. One is the financial aspect. We don't make as much money without my full income, but I'm not spending as much either. I don't have to buy formula because I'm at home breastfeeding. We don't eat out as much because I have time to cook and plan my menus. We got rid of my new car so we'd only have one car payment (which my husband's job pays for) and I drive our already-paid-for Toyota Tacoma. I clip coupons to save, which helps too. So really, the financial aspect isn't a huge deal. We have to save longer for things we want, but we definitely are not living a deprived life!

And of course there are days when I'm just exhausted and need a break from the baby and the housework. That's when it's nice to have a supportive husband and family. Jenna has grandparents and aunts and uncles who love spending time with her when mommy needs a break! I love Jenna, but I do have moments when I just want a little baby-free, uninterrupted, mommy-time. Jeremy is so good about taking care of Jenna when he's home, which helps me a lot.

With all that said, I really do have the perfect situation right now - I'm working a little from home (about 5 - 10 hours per week) for the hospital. I still get to "work" and feel important, flexing my brain muscle, and I get to stay at home and raise my baby. I'm loving it! I love being the person to take care of Jenna and enjoy every moment. We've formed a strong loving bond that I wouldn't trade for any job.

Being home makes me wonder how working moms do it all....How do they get everyone ready and dropped off in the morning? How do they leave their babies with someone else all day? How do they come home and cook and clean and take care of their husbands and children after an exhausting day at work? But I guess the answer to those questions is that they just do it. We all do what we have to do and we do the best we can.

I'm not trying to put down working moms at all - they are amazing women. I am just amazed at how these women juggle their responsiblities. I find it difficult to get everything done, and I'm home all day!

For now I love being home. I can see perhaps returning to work when Jenna is a bit older, but by then we might be wanting another baby...and it all starts over again, so who knows!

Yes, I'm still breastfeeding.

2011-01-20T21:49:00.002-07:00

I'm proud to say that I'm still successfully and exclusively breastfeeding little Miss Jenna. I'm so happy I made it to the 6 month mark. Breastfeeding has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done in my life. Now that Miss Jenna is 6 months old, I'm starting to get the question from folks, "When do you plan to stop nursing her?" Right now, my answer is this, "When we're ready."

I'm not quite sure why some people think nursing a baby past the 6 month mark is strange. You still give a baby formula and a bottle all the way to one year old, so why would I just all of a sudden "quit" nursing and start giving her formula and a bottle? That makes no sense.

I'm going to nurse Jenna as long as she needs it. I'm guessing around the one year mark she'll start to grow out of it. I know that nursing a baby past the age of one can make some people uncomfortable, but to be honest, I really don't care what people think anymore. By no means do I plan to nurse Jenna when she's in Kindergarten, but I am going to nurse her for as long as she needs it and I'm able to. Most babies self-ween when they're ready. There's even new studies out presenting evidence that letting babies self-ween is the healthiest for baby.

It's a shame that in our society it's not the norm to breastfeed past 3 months. It's a shame that so many people feel uncomfortable in the presence of a breastfeeding mom. It's a shame that our society doesn't provide more support and education to women when they need it.

I am so passionate about breastfeeding that I strongly encourage every mother to give it a try for a couple of weeks. Yes, it's hard at first, but in the long run it's much easier than bottle feeding and so much better. No bottles to heat up. No formula to buy. Healthy, happy, thriving babies and mommas.

It seems like there are two big reasons I've heard from moms for not breastfeeding - pain and low supply. I read an interesting article today referencing low supply. This post basically said that lots of women feel like they have a low supply, but actually having a low supply is extremely rare.

Most of the time these women just need more support, need to nurse more frequently, and need rest. When you breastfeed, it's difficult to gauge how much baby is eating. At first I would ask myself, "Is baby getting enough?" The best idea is to nurse frequently and count wet diapers and just trust your body. If your baby is gaining weight and doesn't look emaciated, you're definitely making enough!

Breastfeeding is a highly personal choice and much debated in today's society. I'm obviously pro-breastfeeding. Does that mean I scorn women who choose not to? Of course not. But I do wish I could convince everyone who is healthy and able to breastfeed, to do so, because it's the most wonderful gift you can give to your baby.

Handmade Gift - Rice Bag

2011-01-12T15:42:00.007-07:00

Over Christmas I made some Rice Bag heating/cooling pads to give as gifts. These are awesome to have around for pretty much anything - sore muscles, aches, breastfeeding, etc.

I was inspired by a post over at Sophisticate Style. Check out her blog for instructions on how to make your rice bags. All you need is rice, fabric, and thread. You can add scented oils or potpourri if you'd like.

I did my own printable tags on cardstock. Click the image below to copy and paste to use as your own!

Jenna's First Christmas

2011-01-11T05:07:00.001-07:00

It took me forever to write this post! I took a hiatus from blogging to enjoy my family during the holidays. Jeremy had several days off, so Miss J and I've enjoyed having him home. Now I'm on an exercise, eat healthy, get organized kick, so I haven't had much time for blogging.

We had a wonderful Christmas & New Years. On Christmas Eve my mom, my brother, Jenna, and I went to the Children's Mass. Jenna decided she'd much rather be walked around in the cry room than sit in the pew quietly. Go figure.

After Church we ate & opened gifts at my in-laws' house. Miss J was spoiled rotten! The next morning we hosted my family to open gifts. Jenna was spoiled all over again. Her grandparents from Arizona (my dad & stepmom) and her cousin Brooklyn sent lots of goodies to enjoy as well.

It was nice to be surrounded by family. We are truly blessed!

Mom, Dad, and Jenna on Christmas Eve.

Jenna and her own little tree.

Jenna and all of her gifts!

Slim Me Down Week 1

2011-01-10T19:50:00.003-07:00

I decided to participate in the "Slim Me Down" Challenge! I really really really want to get back down to the size/shape I was a few years ago.

I am currently 139.6 lbs and my goal weight is 125. I'd like to lose some inches around my arms, waist, and thighs. I want to be able to jog 3 miles without walking.

Wish me luck! And if you want to link up and participate click the button above and join!

Top 2 Tuesday - Strange Addictions

2011-01-10T18:45:00.003-07:00

I am interested to read what everyone puts on this Top 2 Tuesday's link up. I keep wanting to watch TLC's "I'm Addicted to" show. It seems interesting!

Top 2 Strange Addictions

1. Cream cheese. So maybe that's not so strange, but seriously, I could eat a whole tub with a spoon if I let myself.
2. Scratching my head. I do this when I'm nervous or bored. I have no idea why, because my head doesn't itch.

Jenna's 6 Month Update

2011-01-06T14:37:00.008-07:00

On Sunday, Little Miss Jenna turned 6 months old! Halfway to a year (I cannot believe it!). Time passes by too quickly...

She's doing so great these days. She rolls over now (though not frequently), she'd much rather be sitting or standing. Speaking of sitting - she can sit by herself (sort of). She topples over eventually, but she'll sit for several minutes playing with something.

She started solid foods around Thanksgiving but it didn't go well (it looked the same going out as it did going in) and she had some explosive diapers so we stopped the food and just gave her rice cereal morning and evening. Just a week ago we started the baby food again. She's doing much better this go round. She doesn't seem to like bananas, but likes squash and sweet potatoes and pears.

She's still growing at a good pace, although much slower than before. She's dropped down to the 54th percentile on weight. Her head is ginormous though... her head is measuring at 93 percentile! I'd like to blame her dad's side of the family for the big head gene, but unfortunately I had a big head and so did my little bro, so it's coming from both sides!

Here's my little lady's stats this month:

Weight: 16 lbs 16 ounces
Height: 25.5 inches
Diapers: Size 2
Clothes: Size 6 - 9 months (9 months for one piece outfits & sleepers)
Milestones: Sitting up by herself, first foods, and first Christmas.

Things you should know about me if we are going to be BFF:

2010-12-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Things you should know about me

if we are going to be BFF:

I'm a backseat driver...yet I'd rather be chauffeured around than drive myself!

I like anything with cream cheese.

I hate laundry...especially folding & putting away.

I hate the way shirt collars and the bottom of jeans look when they aren't ironed...so I iron lots!

I dream about becoming the next Martha Stewart (minus the jail time)

I get a cheap thrill out of buying sale & thrift store items for cheap.

I love costume jewelry not gold/diamonds.

If you ask me where I want to eat I usually draw a complete blank.

I'm incredibly messy and only clean when people are coming over.

I dated my hubby in high school and miraculously re-united at the end of college.

I love TV & movies...especially reality tv.

I can't wait to read for fun now that I'm finished with school.

I'm extremely impatient.

My vices are coffee, blogging, and online shopping!

What about you?

As your bloggy bff, what do I need to know?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I saw this post on one of my fav blogs Little Miss Momma and decided to do my own!

She also posted this great quote from SAHM:

I am just a regular girl.
A wife who loves her husband, but doesn’t always show it.
A mom who adores her babies, but runs out of patience.
A friend who cherishes her girls, but forgets to return calls.
A person so energized by being creative, but not without dry spells.
I am a homemaker who would rather rearrange furniture than dust it, repaint a bathroom than clean it, eat out than sit down and plan meals.
{Written by Emily}

When I read it, I thought,
"she could have been writing about me".

And I bet I'm not the only one...

Don't Trash the Dress

2010-12-20T06:31:00.005-07:00

I got married in October of 2009. To read all about the wedding hoopla click here.

My wedding dress was a Camille Le Vie from the Group USA Stores. I love my gown. I had decided early on that I was more of a spend-$500-or-less kind of bride. The thought of spending or making my parents spend thousands of dollars on a dress I was going to wear once made me sick! Don't get me wrong, I love watching "Say Yes to the Dress" and appreciating expensive couture gowns. I just don't want to spend money on one! So I was thrilled when my dad and stepmom took me to Group USA in Tempe, AZ to look at dresses. I found my perfect gown for around $400, including the slip! Quite the steal, I must admit.

That beautiful gown has been sitting in my closet for over a year. I keep looking at it wondering what to do with it. I thought about saving it for Jenna. But wedding dress shopping was the most fun part of my entire wedding planning experience. I really don't want to take that away from my daughter. I don't want her to feel like she has to wear my dress. Plus, by the time she gets married the styles will change and she'll probably think my dress is hideous! I thought about selling it...but that would require me to clean it thoroughly, post it, deal with inquiries, etc.

Last week I stumbled upon this charity, Brides Against Breast Cancer. It's an organization that collects wedding gown donations and sells them at special dress events across the country to raise money for breast cancer.

So I decided to donate my dress to a good cause. I mailed it off on Thursday! It felt good! You don't even have to clean it before you send it (you can opt to donate $40 and they take care of the cleaning for you). I know my dress is going to a great cause instead of just collecting dust in my closet. I did, however, save my wedding veil. I decided if Jenna wants something of her mom's for sentimental purposes, she can have my veil. She can use it for her wedding, make it into something, or just hold on to it.

So I encourage all the ladies out there to think about donating your dress to a great cause!

I had to make a friends cut...

2010-12-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

I love reading blogs probably even more than I love writing my own. I get so many good tips, ideas, recipes, craft projects, coupon codes, sales etc. from reading my fellow blogger's blogs. I also love finding bloggers that I "connect" with and relate to their posts. Have you ever read someone's post and just thought to yourself, "It's like we're living parallel lives!" I love finding blogs like that.

The problem I've been having lately is trying find time to read everyone's posts. I've come to the conclusion that I'm following too many blogs that I just don't read. I hope I don't offend anyone with what I'm about to say...but here it goes.

When I first started blogging, I decided to network on a few different sites to get some helpful advice and new followers. This turned into an "I'll follow you if you follow me." I thought it was only proper blog etiquette to follow someone back if they follow you. That has turned into a problem for me because I've ended up following a few blogs I don't relate to or "click" with.

This practice resulted in me following well over 250 blogs. I would say 5% of those blogs hadn't been updated in at least a month or two. Another 10 - 15% of those blogs were devoted to topics that I am not really into such as book reviews, wedding planning, giveaways, or homeschooling. These are perfectly good topics and blogs written by exceptional women, just not something I am interested in on a daily or weekly basis.

So I took a look at these blogs and decided if I wasn't interested in reading the past 10 blog posts, I probably shouldn't be following that blog. I don't mind stopping by these blogs every so often during a blog hop or something like that. I'm just not sure being a "follower" is the best thing.

So what's the harm in following a few blogs I never read, right? Well... I am all about de-cluttering and simplifying my life. I don't want to sound insensitive or rude, but I decided to quit following the blogs that I never read.

Even though I'm a SAHM, I don't have a whole lot of spare time to be on the internet. Therefore, when I get online to read blogs, I want to read the blogs that I really connect with. I was missing posts from my favorite blogs because I was sifting through posts that I wasn't interested in. It was information overload! It's just not possible for me to read 250 posts by 250 different bloggers every day, or even weekly.

I've come to the conclusion that blogging really shouldn't be about trying to get the most followers (unless you're primarily a giveaway/review blog). It should be about getting followers that you really connect with. So if anyone out there is just following my blog for the sake of being polite, I invite you to "unfollow" me. It won't hurt my feelings! I understand your time is precious, and if my blog doesn't really "click" with you, then you shouldn't follow.

I also want to say that I truly appreciate each and every one of my readers. I love the comments I receive, and I appreciate those "silent lurkers" too! I feel privileged that my readers have chosen to give a little bit of their precious time to read my ramblings!

So I hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings with this post. I just felt like I needed to explain why I was on an "unfollowing" spree.

There are some really phenomenal blogs out there written by talented women. But we have to remember that all of our blogs won't necessarily click with every reader out there. More importantly, as women we often find ourselves doing things for the sake of being polite, that aren't necessarily in our best interest.

Our Family Photos

2010-12-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

We just had some family pics taken by Spears' Photography. Here are some of my favs...

Our Holiday Card

2010-12-15T10:11:00.004-07:00

I just ordered our cards yesterday...a little late because our family photos were rescheduled due to bad weather. Nonetheless, the photos are beautiful. We had them done with Spears' Photography in Grants. I highly recommend them. I will post my favs in a few days!

Here's the card...

Handmade Gift - Oatmeal Cookies & Milk Bath

2010-12-13T09:47:00.006-07:00

I decided to make all of my stocking stuffers this year. One of the gifts I made is the Oatmeal Cookies & Milk Bath Jars.

I wish I could say I thought up the idea myself, but I didn't! I found the idea on The Motherload Blog here. She also posted a free printable to go along with this project, but I decided to make my own. To get my version click here. My PDF is formatted for Avery 5163 Shipping Labels.

The project requires jars, oats, cornstarch, powdered milk, and cinnamon. I found my jars at Dollar Tree for $1 each. Adding up the rest of the ingredients it cost me about $3.50 per jar and I made 10 for gifts.

Monday Hops

2010-12-13T06:38:00.002-07:00

Monday Blog Hops! Hop on over...